Taking Chances (Blackrock Book 2) (48 page)

The
next morning Knox takes off to go see his dad while I head up to the
lake finding my dad sitting at the table drinking coffee “morning
dad” I kiss his head and peek at the papers “what you
doing?” I ask sitting beside him he frowns.

“Looking
through all the papers of your trust fund,”

I
groan looking at the mess all over the table. Need help?” He
nods, assigning me a pile of papers regarding bonds that were bought
back in the forties. I can’t make any sense of it so I compile
what looks similar and move on to the next set. After about two hours
I push back from the table and make more coffee.

“Do
you need me to hit up the grocery store?” I ask putting the
coffee down.

“No
all under control.”

“Ok
I’m going for a run.”

I
tell him and go change my clothes. Once out on the trail I allow my
head to clear from all the numbers I have subjected myself to looking
through, my dad never did say why he was going through the paperwork
I hope he is not deciding to pay off that asshole and his sister.
Finishing my run I walk back into the kitchen grabbing a bottle of
water.

“Hey
dad, why are we looking at that stuff anyway?” I point to the
papers.

“Just
in case, sweetheart.” I scoff and tell him firmly that I have
no intention of paying Ben a penny then go for a shower.

Walking
back into the kitchen my dad is talking to my uncle on the phone so I
start getting the food ready for the barbeque. Knox and Max should be
here soon so I turn on the grill heating it up. Dad tidies up the
papers putting them into his office and joins me on the patio.

“So
where is your man?” dad asks smiling at me and I shrug.

“Should
be here soon I told him the time,” We sit down on the swing and
rock back and forth.

“Are
you happy, sweetheart?”

Looking
over at my dad, I smile. “Yeah, dad who knew after a year of
bullshit I would finally be happy.” He nods in agreement while
we swing. Just after two o’clock dad puts the steak on the
grill and I wrap the corn handing them to him its like old times when
I was a kid, we would have the same routine, except Summer was on
salad then and mom was on drinks and what not. While the food is
grilling I prepare the salad and set the table for four because I
doubt Paige will come and I haven’t heard from her all week.

By
two thirty the food is done so I call Knox.

“Hey
darlin’, I was just talking about you.” I can hear
laughing in the background.

“Hi
babe, the food is ready. We are just waiting on you and Max.” I
can hear some girl screeching in the back.

“What
food?” he asks then laughs.

“The
barbeque my father invited you to last Monday.”

He
inhales and lets out a slow breath. “Shit, I forgot we are
having lunch here with my cousin and her friends; she hasn’t
seen my dad for years.”

I
just hang up the phone not letting him finish. “It’s just
you and me dad.” I smile serving us both, we eat in silence
while my dad looks at me wanting to say something but changing his
mind. He does this a few times and in the end asks me about how I am
healing.

“Fine
dad, a few scars but I’m good. So do you think I will have to
go to court?” I ask making sure the subject of Knox’s
whereabouts is not mentioned.

He
sighs. “I hope not but I think we have a fight on our hands.”
At least he is honest, my phone rings and I silence it,

“So
do you want to go to the movies with me?” I ask smiling at him.

“Yeah
sounds like fun.” After we eat I check the internet for movie
times we pick Gravity and settle into the large chairs of the theater
turning my phone off I see Knox called five times but I don’t
care he can call all day if he wants. My dad and I share popcorn and
a large soda, which I jammed two straws in the little opening. After
the movie we walk around downtown.

“Dad,
do you regret moving here?”

He
smiles at me. “No, I moved here on purpose. I couldn’t
open my own business in Grove and this was the closest big city so I
set up here.”

“Why
though when all your work is in DC?”

“Because
you were not in DC and I wanted to stay close enough to you.”
We sit in the small park across from the movies and watch all the
couples walking hand in hand to go see a movie.

“Dad,
do you want to remarry?”

He
laughs at me shaking his head. “No, once was enough, but I
don’t mean that in a bad way. I did love your mom but we grew
apart.” I remember when I was thirteen and they started
fighting a lot picking out little things that annoyed one or the
other. Then when I was fifteen my dad just stopped arguing and went
into monk mode not really talking at all; well to me yes but not my
mom or her friends.

“We
better get home,” my dad announces, slapping his thighs and
standing, he drives us back to his house.

“What
are you doing now?” I ask watching him walk to his office.

“More
paperwork.” I decide to stay and help him out and we try to
come up with a strategy to not pay Ben off. By ten o’clock I am
yawning and say goodnight taking my phone out of my purse I see Knox
has called a total of fifteen times today.

Climbing
out of my car I see Paige walking to hers. “Hey,” I call
and walk over.

“Oh
hi, Bailey, what you doing?” She looks sad too and a little
less preppy than normal.

“Just
spent the day with my dad; we caught a movie, what about you?”

She
looks up at me frowning. “I’m packing up the apartment.”
We sit on the curb, and she tells me how she got accepted to NYU
School of business to finish her degree.

“That’s
awesome, Paige. I am so happy for you.”

She
nods and wipes her eyes. “Yeah except I had to break Max’s
heart in the process. I applied when I was sixteen and just used a
program that I wrote to send in the application every year. Honestly
I forgot all about it until my mom called and told me there was a
letter for me at her house.” I wrap my arm around her and she
grabs my hand feeling my ring. “What the heck?” She looks
at me,

“Oh
yeah, Knox proposed,” I say a little flatly and she laughs.

“Trouble
in paradise already?”

Shaking
my head, I laugh too. “No just trouble in 25A.” we both
laugh sitting on the ground in the parking lot in front of our
apartments.

“How
about a drink?”

We
walk down to Red Roosters bar; it’s a dive compared to Georges
but we need a new spot for tonight, settling in on the second floor I
ask, “So when do you leave for New York?”

Sipping
her drink, she sighs, “Next week, because I got my letter last
they are allowing me to skip the first week, but I have to catch up
on my own.”

“I’m
going to miss you. I’ll have no dance partner now.” I
smile at her. Two guys sit down at our table uninvited and interject
themselves into our night.

“Ladies,”
one of them says and smiles.

“Can
we help you?” He shrugs holding up his beer.

“I’ll
tell you after a few of these.” I can’t help but laugh at
his brazenness. He holds out his hand. “I’m Mike and this
tool is Cody.” He nods to his friend and we all shake hands.
“So you girls out for fun? Go to college here?” Mike asks
looking at us.

“School,”
I answer him. We sit with them all night just talking about school
and how they are playing football for BRU this year there is no
flirting or any uncomfortable or awkwardness we just all have fun. We
tell them about Georges bar and how much better it is than here and
they agree to check it out next weekend. Paige and I get up to dance
for a while.

“They
seem nice,” she says wistfully and I laugh.

“Yeah,
but you are leaving and there is Max still.”

She
groans. “I know, I know. I already miss him.” The night
goes great for an impromptu evening, well until the end that is.

Knox

After
Bailey hangs up on me I feel like a douche.

“Why
the long face?” my dad asks, handing me a soda.

“I
forgot to go to Frank’s for a barbeque.” I wince and my
dad laughs at me.

“Pissing
off your future father in law already.” I feel worse now so I
call Bailey back but she doesn’t answer and I close my eyes.

“I
don’t think Frank is the problem,” I say opening the soda
my dad claps me on the back and shakes his head. I watch Max teach
the girls to surf and he looks a bit better today but maybe that’s
because he is surrounded by three half naked chicks who are all
screaming and giggling.

“Why
don’t you go help your brother out?” My dad nods to the
water, where Max is getting tackled by my cousin and her friends.

“Fuck
no. I am in enough trouble as it is.”

“You’re
a fast learner son.” He grins taking a pull on his beer. Yeah
but I am not fast enough or else I would be in Frank’s eating
his barbeque and hanging with Bailey. I should have brought her here
instead. Now I’ve completely fucked up. My dad grills some
burgers for us and after I join Max in the water while the girls
sunbathe.

“What’s up? You
missing Bailey?” He laughs splashing me.

“No
we were supposed to go to Frank’s for lunch,” I tell him
and he roars with laughter.

“Man
you are engaged a week and you fuck up.”

I
let him rag on me because he is right and I deserve it. The girls pop
up beside us, and one of them I think her name is Audrey, jumps on my
back wrapping her legs around me.

“Hey
get off,” I laugh but she holds onto me pulling me under the
waves with her. I pull her legs and swim out of her grip surfacing
again seeing my dad frown at me.

The
Audrey chick pops up laughing. “Come on lets play tag.”
She bats her lashes at me and I have to shake my head no. She pouts
and starts swimming over to me so I move back and back until I
realize we are alone, looking around I see Max a few feet away
getting tackled by the other two.

Audrey
grabs me by the back of the neck pulling herself closer wrapping her
legs around my waist again this time she is facing me, I will admit
she is fucking hot but I’m not going there.

“I
have a girlfriend,” I tell her trying to pull her hands away
but she has a lock on them she shrugs.

“She’s
not here now.” Jesus Christ can this day get any fucking worse.

“That
doesn’t matter we are engaged.”

She
laughs at me. “Which is it a girlfriend or fiancé? I
think you are making up lies.” Shaking my head no, she leans in
to kiss me so I dunk under the water making her swim up for air and I
swim back to shore getting out of the water I walk up to the house.

“Cut
that shit out.” My dad points at the chick in the water then
sits down on the lounger.

“I
didn’t do anything. She fucking jumped on me I had to dunk her
to get away.” He shakes his head while I wrap a towel around my
waist,

“If
you are serious about Bailey, then good but if not, take back the
ring but don’t fucking mess around, Knox. Your mother and I
didn’t raise you that way.” I sit for a few minutes then
go in for a shower.

“I’m
going for a shower. Can you keep the girls out here until I’m
done?” He nods and I walk away grabbing my phone and calling
Bailey. After my shower I call her again but still no answer so I
walk back outside

“Hey
Max, we have to get to work soon.”

He
nods then heads in for a shower, I sit down beside my dad to avoid
that crazy chick but she seems to be ignoring me anyway. I scroll
through the pictures on my phone while I wait for Max.

“What
you doing Knox?” my cousin asks and I look over my sunglasses
at her.

“Pictures.”
she walks over and stands behind me. “Can I see?” I show
her my pictures all of them are of Bailey or both of us.

“She’s
seemed nice last night; I like her,” she says smiling when she
sees the one of us on New Years Eve.

“Yep,
she is amazing that’s why I popped the question.”

She
laughs at me. “I never thought you would be engaged at twenty
two but I am happy if you are.” I can’t help the smile on
my face as I look through the pictures and videos.

“Hey
check this out” I show her the ones of Bailey doing karaoke I
love the one she did of Fregie ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’
My cousin claps when it’s over.

“She
needs to sing tonight.” I nod wondering if I can get Bailey to
sing for us.

Max
and I drive to the bar and I call her again. I am getting pissed off
now that my calls are going straight to voicemail.

“Relax
bro, she will be fine in the morning.”

Max
rolls his eyes at me the night is busy and I am kept going making
sure Chase serves my cousin and her horny friend. I call my girl a
few more times but still no answer I see Max talking to that
douchebag Sean, it’s just after one in the morning and I know
he is half cut already.

“Hey
bro, glad to see you let your girl out of here for tonight.” I
ignore his ass and stack the glasses behind Max. “What you not
with her anymore?” Max tells him to shut up.

“I’m
just saying bro, they are in Roosters with a couple of guys dancing
all up in their shit.” He shrugs.

Turning
I glare at him. “Who is in Roosters?”

He
points to Max and me. “Your chicks.” Max runs his hand
through his hair.

“Go,”
he says “but don’t hit them.”

I
don’t even wait for the rest I am already out the door running
down the street, it’s only two blocks to that shithole and when
I arrive I stop and take a few deep breaths the door man looks at me.

“You
okay, dude?”

I
nod then open the door and step into this dump. The place is full
just like ours but here anything goes and pretty much everything I am
so pissed that she would come here, looking around I don’t see
them so I walk around the pit or dance floor then head upstairs and I
hear Paige’s laugh turning I see them sitting with two guys
laughing. I walk over stopping a few feet away crossing my arms
watching them talk and laugh with those assholes then walk over.