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  their power to keep us apart.

  “Technically, that was my father, but they were accomplices for sure.”

  I push a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen free from her ponytail before cupping her cheek in my hand. “Then let me do this. One punch right to the face and it’ll be over.”

  “He’s a cop, you know. You’re probably going to get arrested,” she warns me.

  “It’s worth a night in jail if he’s pussy enough to have me arrested.”

  “Well, you’re kind of big, Jack.” She laughs softly. “You’ll probably knock him out like Ali.”

  “If he fights back, I may not be able to stop myself. Just fair warning.” I know fighting doesn’t solve everything, and it changes nothing. I have my girl now, but that asshole has had this coming. He earned it.

  “What is it with men and fighting?”

  “We’ll call this closure.”

  She rolls her eyes and sighs. “If they apologize before you throw a punch, can you let it go, then? I’d much rather have you at home tonight instead of in a cell.”

  I lean forward and hold my lips an inch from hers. “I promise I’ll do my best.” A night in bed with Evie would be a hell of a lot better than a night in jail.

  She smiles and gives me a quick nod, looping her arms around my neck and standing on her tiptoes to steal a kiss before I can kiss her.

  For Evie’s sake, I’ll try to play it cool, but knowing Renee and Jess like I do, they’re not going to apologize for a damn thing. Maybe I’m wrong, but people don’t change their spots that easily. Especially when their asshole attitude has been ingrained in them for most of their life.

  We walk inside with Evie draped on my arm like a trophy I never thought I’d possess again. I spot them at the pool table, laughing without a care in the world. They’ve never done good. They’ve always been out for themselves and don’t care who they hurt in the process. I’d feel bad for Jess with Renee’s behavior toward men in the town if he wasn’t a worthless asshole too. In a way, it serves him right. The whole town laughs behind his back. He’s a joke with a badge.

  A hand grabs my bicep. “Don’t,” Jason says and shakes his head in warning, looking between Evie and me. “It won’t end well, Jack.”

  “We’re just going to talk,” I tell him and pull my arm from his grip. “I already promised Evie I wouldn’t hit him first.”

  “You mean, at all,” Evie corrects me.

  “Hey, Evie,” Jason says with the biggest smile. “It’s nice to see you two back together again.”

  “It’s like old times,” she says, tightening her hold on my arm. “I wanted to come and dance, but Jack has other plans.”

  “We can dance, right after they apologize, Evie girl.”

  “You know how they are, right? They’re just going to lie,” Jason says, still blocking our way to Renee and Jess.

  He’s right. Renee and Jess have never been known for their truthfulness. Anything that might impact them negatively is usually spun into a masterful story riddled with half-truths. But I can’t let it slide and pretend nothing ever happened. Someone needs to hold them accountable for their shitty behavior.

  “Jason, I have to do this.”

  He steps aside, motioning with his hand for me to pass. “I won’t stop you, but you’re not alone. If shit goes bad, I’ll be by your side.”

  I hold back my laughter by biting the inside of my cheek. That’s why Jason was always my best friend. The guy had my back no matter what shit went down, even when it could end badly for him. He’s half my size, but he’s still ready to throw down for me. “I think I got this,” I tell him, “but it’s always good to have you by my side, buddy.”

  His smile widens. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Men never grow up,” Evie mutters at my side, and we both glance at her.

  “Some things have to be done, Evie. We’re wired differently from girls,” he tells her. “We can’t talk everything out.”

  “Don’t you work at the school as a counselor?” she asks him, cocking her head and judging him for his willingness to beat a little ass at my side.

  “I am, but I’m not at work right now, and some things need to be done out of honor.”

  Evie walks at my side, and Jason is just a few steps behind us as we approach Renee and Jess.

  “Hey,” Jess greets us while standing behind Renee, who’s currently bent over the pool table.

  She’s holding the pool stick in her hand and practically salivating at the sight of Jason and me, barely paying any attention to her old best friend Evie.

  “You guys want a drink?” Jess asks when I don’t respond.

  “Sure, we’d love one,” Evie says and digs her fingernails into the tender skin near the inside of my elbow. “Right, Jack?”

  “Sure,” I mutter with a fake smile.

  I’ll play along if it makes Evie happy, but I’m not walking out of here without saying what I came to say.

  “Jason, want a beer?” Jess asks, motioning to a waitress and backing away from Renee’s behind.

  “You buyin’?” Jason asks Jess, coming to stand at my side.

  “Sure.” He shrugs. “Why the hell not?”

  “Then I want the good shit, not the dollar cans,” Jason tells him. “Right, Jack?”

  Everything they serve at the Rusty Nail is cheap shit, but I’ll roll with whatever Jason wants. I nod. “Right.”

  “Evie, come sit by me so we can girl talk,” Renee says, finally hanging up her pool stick and sitting down at the table just to the right.

  When Evie doesn’t move right away, Renee pats the seat next to her, and I give her an encouraging little shove. “Go ahead, babe. It’ll be okay. We’re all behaving so far.”

  She leans over, placing her mouth next to my ear. “This isn’t going to end well.”

  I smile down at her and laugh softly. “Just relax. Jason and I have everything covered. Trust me.”

  “What if I don’t want to sit by her?” she asks with the cutest pouty face.

  I quirk an eyebrow and figure I’ll throw out the only option that would make us both happy at the moment. “I can punch him now, and we can leave.”

  She pushes away from me and heads straight toward Renee. “Renee, it’s always so good to see you,” Evie says in a high-pitched and completely fake happy tone.

  “You too, Evie. I’ve missed you so much.” Renee embraces Evie in a big hug, but she has her eyes trained on me. She gives me a wink before she releases Evie.

  “Cunt,” Jason mutters behind me.

  “What?” Jess asks as we start to walk toward the table he’s taken up residence at just a few feet away from the girls.

  “Nothing, man.” Jason pulls out the chair, turning it so he can straddle the back.

  “So, you plan on sticking around this time, Jack?”

  I lean back in my chair, studying Jess as he fidgets and taps his fingertips against the tabletop. “I am. I’m buying my parents’ farm and have big plans.”

  “You didn’t tell me that,” Jason says with nothing but shock on his face. “That’s fan-fucking-tastic, man.” He holds his fist up for me to bump with mine.

  “Now that Evie and I are back together, there’s nowhere else I’d rather live and raise my family than here in Ridge Hollow.”

  Jess’s fingers stop in midair, and he freezes. “You guys talkin’ kids already?”

  “I’ve wanted to make babies with her since I was in high school. We have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

  “Yeah,” he says, glancing down at the table instead of staring me straight in the eyes.

  Jess isn’t a stupid man. He has to know that I’ve put together the pieces of the puzzle and know exactly what role they had in keeping us apart all these years. If he doesn’t, he’s about to find out.

  18

  Evie

  I keep stealing glances at Jack as Renee brags about her relationship with Jess. She hasn’t stopped talking about
how long they’ve been together and how madly in love they are. It takes everything in me not to reach across the table and choke her out.

  “Sooo,” she mutters, drawing out the word. “Jack wasn’t upset about the baby?”

  I forgot Renee knew.

  “He was sad, but he understands why I couldn’t tell him.”

  “It’s a shame, really. He should’ve come after you. I mean, if I would’ve moved away, Jess would’ve been knocking down my door to get to me.” She smirks.

  “Renee.” I place my drink down on the table and try to remain calm. “Let’s not rewrite history. We both know what really happened.”

  She looks confused by my statement as her eyebrows draw inward. “I don’t know what you mean. You left, and Jack moved on to everyone.”

  “Really?” I cross my arms in front of me and feel every muscle in my body tense. “That’s how you’re going to play this?”

  Her head jerks back, and her eyes grow wide. “Play what?”

  Heat crawls up my neck, and my blood starts to boil inside my veins. The calm I had been trying to maintain is slipping as Renee tries to play stupid.

  I narrow my eyes, practically shooting daggers at her. “I asked you to find out what happened with Jack and why he hadn’t written me, Renee. Remember that? I thought you were my friend.” My voice pitches higher than I intended, but she is really starting to piss me off now with this act.

  She rubs her finger across her bottom lip, slowly dragging it back and forth as she stares at me without speaking.

  “What’s wrong, Renee? Cat got your tongue?”

  “Jack had moved on already, Evie. What was I supposed to do? Force him to write you a letter? Please.” She rolls her eyes.

  “He already moved on?” My fingers are digging into the tabletop so hard that the joints on my fingers are turning white.

  “Yeah.” She nods with an icy stare. “He didn’t seem to want you anymore.”

  “You’re a liar.” A small growl escapes the back of my throat, and I feel myself slipping. The anger I’ve had building for six years is about to be unleashed, and Renee is about to be on the receiving end of my wrath.

  “You never deserved him anyway, Evie. You were always too plain for him. He deserved someone better than you. He figured that out soon enough once you were gone,” she sneers.

  Her words are like a blow to my chest. I always wondered if she had a crush on Jack, but when she fell head over heels in love with Jess, I figured she’d resigned herself to the fact that Jack was mine. Wrong.

  Without a second thought and almost subconsciously, I rise to my feet, cock my arm backward, and slap Renee straight across the face with all my might. The sound of the contact echoes in my ears before my hand starts to sting. Her head snaps to the side, and her hand instantly clutches the left side of her face.

  There’s the sound of three chairs scraping against the hardwood floor before Jack’s arms are around me, pulling me back as Renee stands up and starts coming toward me.

  Jack’s chest vibrates against my back as he growls like a bear. “Better leash your woman, Jess.”

  “She’s not a dog,” Jess says, lifting his hands in the air, trying not to intervene.

  Jack pushes me behind him and steps in between Renee and me, becoming a human shield. “Better think twice before you come at her, Renee.”

  “She hit me first, you motherfucker.”

  “You deserved that and more,” Jack tells her, leaning forward and getting in her face.

  I peek around him, shaking out my hand that’s aching like a flaming bastard, but I don’t regret hitting her. I worried that Jack would strike first, but in the end, I went after Renee for fucking up my life just as much as my father did.

  She isn’t anything but a low-life bitch.

  “Hey now,” Jess says, stepping in front of Renee and standing toe-to-toe with Jack. “Don’t talk to my woman like that.”

  Fuck. This isn’t what I wanted.

  “Your woman has tried to get in my pants more times than I can count, Jess. Just ask Jason—she’s tried with him too. Hell, let’s ask the rest of the bar. I’m sure we can find more.”

  Jason nods, backing Jack up. “Yeah, man. It’s embarrassing. I feel sorry for you. Your woman goes after anything with a dick.”

  “Fucking liars,” Renee says from behind Jess, her hands tightly gripping the sides of his uniform.

  “You callin’ my girl a whore?” Jess leans in, invading Jack’s personal space.

  His body is tense under my touch, and I know what’s coming before it happens. Jack isn’t going to back down until he’s able to get in at least one punch. One which will probably knock Jess totally on his ass.

  “She’s always been a piece of trash. You may be down with your woman sucking off other guys, but that’s called being a whore in my book,” Jack spits at him as Jason stands next to him.

  I cringe because, like it or not, someone’s getting a punch to the face. Jess tries to strike first, coming at Jack, but he ducks. Jason pulls me to the side, away from Jack’s body, narrowly avoiding getting clocked by Jess’s missed punch.

  Jack rights his body and swings from the knees, moving his fist upward and connecting with the underside of Jess’s jaw. Jess’s head snaps backward so hard that I wonder if Jack broke Jess’s neck from the impact.

  Jess staggers backward, trying to find something to hold on to, when his hand misses a chair near his side, and he tumbles to the floor. Renee rushes to his side, crying over him and cradling him as if Jack’s killed him.

  “You okay, baby?” she whines, inspecting his face. “You’re a monster. I’ll have you arrested for assault.” She turns her glare on Jack. “Both of you deserve to be charged.”

  “Go fuck yourself, Renee,” Jason says, speaking on our behalf. “You two do anything, and I’ll tell everyone in town about what happened last year on the Fourth of July.” He folds his arms over his chest with a cocky grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

  “You wouldn’t,” she seethes.

  I make a mental note to find out what dirty secret Jason has on Renee and Jess. It’s always good to have that information in my back pocket for future use. Knowing Jason as well as I do, I’m sure he’ll have no problem telling us either.

  “Try me. You come anywhere near these two, and I’ll print that shit on the front page of the town newspaper.”

  “I always knew you were an asshole, Jason.”

  “Takes one to know one, bitch.” He laughs.

  A crowd has formed around us, waiting to see what happens and if any more punches will be thrown. I’m sure everything’s been caught on video, but thankfully, Jess threw the first punch, and Jack looked like he was acting in self-defense.

  Jess starts to wake, and Renee helps him to his feet. “Come on, baby. I’m going to take you home.”

  “Let me at him,” Jess says, his words slurred and his eyes unfocused as his body sways. He can’t even walk straight.

  Renee hooks his arm around his back and uses her body weight to keep him upright. “They’re not worth it.”

  “What?” Jess questions as she ushers him to the door.

  I can barely hear them speak even though the room is quiet, and the music stopped somewhere between Jess’s missed punch and Jack’s knockout. “Fourth of July,” she hisses to him.

  He glances over at her, his head angled back a little as if he didn’t hear her right, but I don’t hear his response as they walk out the door.