Vindicated (26 page)

“You’re front tire’s low,” he said with a nod to Randy’s truck. “Better get some air in that.”

“Thanks,” Randy replied in barely a whisper.

Their eyes met one last time. Randy swallowed back the words at his throat, incredulous that his own father didn’t recognize him. The kids returned and tumbled into the van. His father got back behind the wheel. Randy turned and watched their taillights until they disappeared around the next corner. Within seconds, they were gone, leaving Randy alone once more.

Chapter 51

In Randy's experience, when shit went bad, it went bad in a big way. He knew the second Ally cornered him behind the bar at Felony that his time had come. He was restocking the shelves after a delivery when she came out of the office. She stood next to him, with arms crossed over her chest and a blank expression on her face. They weren’t close, but he'd come to respect her. The girl had a head for business and eased some of the financial strain plaguing Felony. She didn't take any shit from Jack either, which amused Randy.

He stopped long enough to open another case of schnapps and raised an eyebrow at her. "What's up?"

"You know what’s up." The tone of her voice suggested she was pissed but her expression remained calm and matter-of-fact.

"Um, none of your business?" He tried to keep his tone light but bristled internally.

"Damn, you’re grumpy this morning. What’s wrong? Need a cigarette?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" As a matter of fact, he needed a cigarette in the worst way. Almost a week had passed since he’d quit, and even the smallest things rubbed his fraught nerves raw.

“Nothing." She moved the case of liquor out of the way and stepped between him and the bar, forcing him to look at her. “I talked to Karly a minute ago. She’s really upset. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

"Once again, not your business." The cadence in his head picked up speed. He knew he was in the wrong but couldn’t stop himself.

"You’re right. What you do is not my business. But I care about Karly. She’s a good person, and she never catches a break. I’m only asking you…"

He drew in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled loudly before he spoke. "First of all, you don't know shit about what happened with Karly. And second, we don't need your interfering ass in the middle of our personal issues." When he spoke, he took a step forward. She didn't back down, even though he towered over her by a good twelve inches.

Ally drew herself up straight, looked him in the eye, and pointed a finger in his face with surprising spunk. "If you really cared about her, you wouldn’t be making her feel like crap."

That hurt. His temper, strained beyond its limits, snapped. "Just because Jack lets you run all over him doesn't mean you can run over me." This point had nothing to do with the conversation, but common sense had abandoned him. He slammed a hand down on the counter. "Like I said. You don't know shit about what happened. So stay the fuck out of it."

"It's my business when she's up half the night crying because you're an asshole."

"What the hell is going on in here?" Jack came in the back door, letting it close with a bang loud enough to make them both jump. "I can hear you guys yelling all the way outside the building."

Ally retreated to the opposite side of the bar, lips pressed into a tight white line and arms folded over her chest again.

Still shaken, Randy pointed a finger at Jack. "You need to keep your goddam girlfriend out of my face, Jack. She's about to piss me off."

"Randy, back the fuck up." Jack put a hand on his chest, his voice low in warning. If any other man had touched him, he would've gone medieval on his ass. And no matter how pissed off he was, he would never, ever hit a woman. "Ally, go to the office."

"But…" She jerked her chin stubbornly at Randy.

His eyes met hers with perfect understanding. Ally cared about Karly, and if he fucked up, he would answer to her. He was fucking up now, and she was calling him out on it.

"Now, baby doll." Jack's words were gentle but stern.

"It's alright," Randy said, the flame gone from his anger. "She's made her point. I'm good with it."

Ally nodded and left, letting the hall door snick shut behind her.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" Jack asked.

"Nope," Randy replied.

“Well, tough. You’re going to talk anyway.” Jack pulled a barstool up to the counter and took a seat. “Something is eating at you.”

“I’m an asshole. It’s nothing you didn’t already know,” Randy said, already beginning to feel bad about yelling at Ally. He went back to stocking the shelves, needing the distraction.

“Well, no argument there,” Jack replied with a smirk. “It’s part of your charm. So what gives with Karly? Did you fuck around on her?”

“Hell, no. You know I’m not like that.” He shot a glare at Jack. “We’re not even together anyway.”

“Well, why not?” In practical Jack fashion, he cut straight to the heart of the matter. “You’re in love with her. Might as well quit stalling around and make it official.”

Randy’s head boomed with each beat of his heart. He grimaced and put a hand to his forehead. “I kind of fucked things up with her.”

“I figured that. The only time you ever yell is when you’re torn up over a woman.” Jack tapped a hand on the counter, eyes narrowed in contemplation. “My advice is to get your ass into the shower, clean yourself up, and go find her. Do whatever it takes to make things right.”

With a heavy sigh, Randy sank onto the nearest barstool and stared at his reflection in the bar mirror. He looked like hell, and he felt even worse.

Jack raised an eyebrow. “I get it. I really do. You’re talking to the world’s biggest fuck-up right here. So take it from someone who’s been through it. Sort your shit out. Stop being a dickhead, and stake your claim on the girl before someone else does.”

Chapter 52

In the familiar setting of Joe’s Java Junction, Karly sat down in a booth with Ally and breathed a sigh of relief. A week had passed since her encounter with Randy, and although the anger had receded, the sting remained fresh and unhealed. He avoided her at class, taking a seat on the opposite side of the lecture hall, while she took great pains to sit near the exit so she could split the minute class ended.

"So how's it going?" The burgeoning curiosity in Ally's voice set Karly instantly on guard.

"Fine," Karly replied cautiously. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Ally replied with a secretive smile.

"I know what that smile means," Karly said. "Somebody got some last night."

Ally rolled her eyes but the smile continued to play around her lips. "Maybe."

"So you guys are getting along?"

"Mmmm-hmmm." Ally blushed. "Well, we've had a few fights, but mostly over silly things."

"Like what?"

"Well, he can't ever seem to button up his shirts. And it's starting to piss me off." Karly raised an eyebrow. Ally scowled. "I mean, seriously, what is so freaking difficult about buttoning up your shirt? It's not like it's summertime or anything. It's forty-five degrees outside."

Karly laughed. "Seriously? That's the kind of problems you have? Your boyfriend is exposing his gorgeous body?" It was true that every time she’d ever seen Jack, he had his shirt open, and she had to admit that his abs were a sight to behold. "At least he's not addicted to internet porn or something like that."

Ally huffed. "Yesterday, he had an insurance lady stop by the apartment to give us some quotes on insuring everything, since he's remodeled the apartment. She was attractive—a little old, but pretty. I met her at the door, and Jack comes out of the bedroom in these really sexy faded jeans and his shirt is completely unbuttoned. You know what I mean. Jeans hanging low, all his abs showing. I could practically see the drool coming from the lady's mouth.

"When she went to check out the bathroom, I pulled him to the side and suggested he should button up." Ally rolled her eyes and shook her head. "So he looks at me like I'm insane, and all I could think of was my cousin's little girl who always tore off her diaper every time we went to the grocery store. Do you think he did that when he was a kid?"

"Uh, well, I can't really imagine Jack ever being a kid. Did you ask him?"

“If he was ever a kid or about the diaper?”

Karly rolled her eyes and snorted. “You know what I mean.”

"No. I didn't get a chance. By that time, the lady was back in the kitchen with us."

"Did he button up?"

"Yes, after I threatened him. He said I was being uptight and to pull the stick out of my ass. I told him I was going to walk around the apartment with my shirt unbuttoned the next time he invited someone over." She smiled as she dipped a French fry into the tiny paper cup of ketchup.

"Did that help?"

"Well, no, but I got the point across when Randy and Tinker came over after the lady left.” Karly’s heart stuttered at the mention of Randy’s name. “I went to the kitchen to grab a few beers for them and when I came back out, I had the front of my shirt unbuttoned. Just to prove a point, you know?" She smirked. "The guys all had their backs to me except Jack. He could see me, but they couldn't. You should've seen the look on his face. I thought he was going to freak out."

"Was he pissed or did he laugh?"

"Oh, when he realized what I was doing, he laughed. And he put on a T-shirt after that. I told him he's welcome to be naked when it's just the two of us around the house, but he needs to stop doing it in public."

“You guys are funny,” Karly said with a sigh. “I’m glad you found someone who makes you happy.”

Ally must have caught the sadness in her eyes because she covered Karly’s hand with her own and gave it a squeeze. “Oh, Karls. That bad, is it?” The sympathy in Ally’s voice brought the sting of tears to Karly’s eyes.

“It’s too much,” she whispered, eyes glued to her coffee cup. The lump in her throat thickened. “I’m so freaking miserable. And I miss Randy.” The unexpected lurch of her heart caught Karly off guard. She wanted to say she didn’t care, but the truth was she did care. Too much. She missed him, his clean scent, his big feet tripping her up, and the sound of his deep rumbling laughter when she did something silly. “And I hate myself for it.”

Ally drew in a deep breath and patted the back of Karly’s hand. “I want you to tell me all about it. But I think we’re going to need something a little stronger than coffee.”

Chapter 53

At night, Felony was a sight to behold. During the daytime, paint peeled from the walls and the floors were scuffed and warped. Silence echoed through the rooms. Karly slumped into a chair at a table near the bar. Ally joined her a few minutes later with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a two-liter of Coke.

“So you got the plumbing deal worked out?” Karly asked when they were settled.

“Yeah. Six grand to fix everything, but we’re open this weekend.” Fine lines of worry crinkled the corners of Ally’s eyes. “We still have the back taxes to take care of on the building. I don’t know how we’ll ever pay them.” She fiddled with the edge of her drink napkin. “David refuses to pay off the lien. I don’t get that guy.”

“Have you met him?” Karly asked. “Randy told me a little about him. He’s in prison, right?”

“Not anymore,” Ally said with an expression that raised more questions than it answered. “And yes, I’ve met him. He’s not what you’d expect.”

“So why doesn’t he pay the taxes then?”

“It’s complicated, I guess. I don’t really understand the whole deal.” Ally narrowed her eyes at Karly. “Now, stop distracting me. This is about you. Spill it. Start at the beginning and don’t leave anything out.”

Karly drew in a deep breath and told Ally everything about Emma, how Randy helped her, and about the stripping incident. By the time she finished, they both had tears in their eyes. In an uncharacteristic display of emotion, Ally came around to Karly’s chair and enveloped her in a huge hug.

“Oh, sweetie. I had no idea,” Ally said, wiping away her tears as she spoke. “I wish you had told me sooner.”

“I should have. It’s been hard, you know. I was so ashamed of it—of Emma. But on the bright side, I’ve met with the attorney a few times, and he thinks I can get her back with a few prayers and a lot of luck. I get to see her this week. It’s not much, but it’s a start.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Ally said, raising her glass in a toast.

“Everything keeps coming back to money,” she said. Ally nodded her head in agreement. “I think I’m going to have to sit out another semester.”

“You know,” Ally said, “you could come work here.” Karly raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest. “Just hear me out. We need you here. Jack and Randy both agreed you kicked ass the other night, and Luke said he was impressed, too. I know it doesn’t pay terrific, but it’s better than nothing. And we need someone at Jameson’s during the weekdays. You could pretty much set your own schedule there.”