A Chance at Love (A Ferry Creek Novel): (a billionaire romance novel) (7 page)

Leslie answered on the third ring,
her voice groggy.
“
Bobby?
”

“
Leslie.
Did I wake you?
”

“
Uh...
no.
”

“
Liar.
”

“
Why
’
d you ask then?
”

“
I
don
’
t know. I, uh, wanted
to check...
”

“
He
’
s fine,
”
Leslie said.
“
I
left the hospital at five. He was okay.
”

“
Five
in the morning?
”

“
I
’
m a nurse,
”
Leslie said.
“
Don
’
t sound so shocked.
”

“
Christ.
And I just woke you.
”

“
You
owe me a coffee.
”

“
Absolutely,
”
Bobby said.
“
Stop in and it
’
s all yours.
”

“
Thanks.
I
’
m going to bed now.
”

“
Sleep
tight.
”

The call ended and Bobby winced.

Sleep tight?

Really? Did he really have to say
that to the woman who was his father
’
s
nurse? It left Bobby confused and more annoyed than he already was. Thinking of
Leslie made him smile but it was mostly because of what she did for his father.

It also made him think of Annie. He
needed to call her and have her bring the kids to see their grandfather. She
was against it, because she didn
’
t
want to believe in death so she completely ignored it. Bobby understood it, but
for Christ
’
s sake, it was
his kids grandfather. The man wasn
’
t
going to live his time and now Bobby feared that much longer was going to be
cut shorter for two reasons.

If by some chance Bobby really had
an older brother - Sullivan Chasen - and the man came from Virginia to North
Carolina to meet his dying father, then that would be it. That was Bob
’
s dying wish; to meet his older
son. That would bring Bob the closure he needed and deep down inside, Bobby
knew that his father would then let go and die.

Gosh, it was such a horrible thing
to think.

If that wasn
’
t bad enough, there was the possibility - the
greater possibility - that Sullivan Chasen wasn
’
t
related to Bobby or his father. Imagine what that would do him.

The usual routine of the day
settled in and Bobby got to the diner as Richie was unlocking the backdoor. He
caught the man
’
s hands
shaking like it was the dead of winter.

“
Hey,
Richie?
”
Bobby asked.

Richie jumped and threw his fist
forward with the key in his hand. If Bobby was a foot closer he probably would
have been stabbed.

“
What
the hell are you doing?
”
Richie yelled.

“
Whoa,
calm down. Are you okay?
”

Richie blinked fast and licked his
lips.
“
I
’
m fine. I just don
’
t like to be snuck up on. You
know that.
”

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
Bobby said. His heart pounded. He knew Richie didn
’
t like to be snuck up on.
Everyone knew that. His reaction was just part of his recovery... or nightmare,
depending on how you looked at it.

“
You
’
re shaking like a scared dog,
man,
”
Bobby said.

Richie stuck the key in the lock
and turned it. The door was already unlocked because Bobby had already come
down to start the coffee. He didn
’
t
have the heart to tell Richie that, fearing it would set Richie off. Two steps
into the place, Richie stopped. He reached into the breast pocket of his
flannel shirt and pulled out a flask. He tossed it over his shoulder, leaving
Bobby hurrying to catch it.

“
What
the hell...
”

“
Read
it and pour it,
”
Richie
said as he disappeared into the diner.

Bobby looked at the flask. He
studied the inscription on it.

Nobody left behind

The three words made Bobby
’
s stomach turn. Those three
words had more meaning to Richie than anyone would ever understand. If it made
Bobby sick to his stomach he didn
’
t
want to know how it made Richie feel.

Bobby twisted the top off and
smelled the flask. He prepared for the harsh smell of whiskey or scotch or
vodka... but there was no smell. Bobby turned the flask upside down and watched
nothing pour from it. The flask was empty.

That explained Richie
’
s hands shaking. He must be
going through one of his sobriety phases that came and went like the coastal
storms in Ferry Creek.

Checking on Richie proved to be the
morning
’
s activity for
Bobby. The man seemed fine though. He cooked. He didn
’
t miss a beat. He cleaned the dishes. He put away.
It just showed Bobby how important the job was to Richie. The diner meant so
much to all the people who came in and out all day. The second Bobby got the
keys to the diner he wanted to unload it. But time had allowed The Pot Diner
and Ferry Creek to hold him in place, for now.

All he needed was the phone call
about Sullivan Chasen. The man who may be his brother.

Jess poured a refill to Tyler as he
sat in his uniform with two rough looking men. They had thick beards, black
fingers, and looked the part to work and live outside. One of the men was Jack
Haude. He didn
’
t look like
a wealthy man but he did look like a construction worker. Jack liked anything
to do with outside. He also liked money and Ferry Creek. Next to him was a man
Jess hadn
’
t been formerly
introduced to. She caught his name -
Petey
- as it was spoken about a
dozen times as Jack talked strategy with Tyler about a few fallen trees.

“
Can
I get you anything else?
”
Jess asked when she returned to the table for a third time.

Tyler eyed his coffee.
“
I
’
m
just fine, Jess. Thanks.
”

“
All
good,
”
Petey said.

“
I
’
d like to know where your
boyfriend is,
”
Jack asked.

Jess rubbed Jack
’
s back.
“
Not my boyfriend. Not my problem.
”

“
You
know,
”
Jack said as he
pointed a dirty, thick finger at Jess,
“
I
wish someone like you would smarten him up. He
’
s
in my hands now and I
’
m a
nice guy... wait
‘
til he
messes up and ends up in the hands of...
”

Jack turned his finger and pointed
at Tyler.

“
Eh,
Darryl
’
s mostly show,
”
Tyler said.
“
He
’
s
seen trouble but nothing serious.
”

“
Tell
you what,
”
Jess said,
“
I
’
ll
buy your breakfast today, Jack. Then I
’
ll
find Darryl and make him pay me for it and show up to work.
”

“
Don
’
t you dare,
”
Jack said.
“
A pretty woman like you... you
should never pay for a thing.
”

“
Isn
’
t that sexist?
”
Jess asked. She looked at
Tyler.

“
Why
are you looking at me?
”
Tyler asked.
“
He said it.
”

“
You
’
re the cop.
”

“
I
’
ll have to check the book,
”
Tyler said.
“
Find out North Carolina laws on
being sexist in a diner. Might take some time.
”

“
Ass,
”
Jess whispered.

“
Cursing
at a cop,
”
Tyler said.

“
She
’
s ruthless, huh?
”
Jack asked as he laughed.

“
You
have no idea,
”
Tyler said.

His eyes looked up at Jess. It was
these moments that sent Jess into a state of complete confusion. Could there be
a connection with Tyler there? She
’
d
be a liar if she said the thought hadn
’
t
crossed her mind once... or a couple dozen times. Tyler was a very handsome
man. He was a cop. Everyone in Ferry Creek respected him. Even still, Jess
couldn
’
t figure out why she
hadn
’
t jumped at the chance.

“
Got
the bill for me?
”
Jack
asked.
“
I have to get
going. Don
’
t need a power
outage anywhere in or near Ferry Creek.
”

“
Power
outage?
”
Jess asked.

“
Oh,
Christ, could you imagine Maude Parkston if she didn
’
t have her television working?
”
Tyler asked.

Maude was the town gossiper, a
sweet looking elderly woman who heard everything and shared everything in Ferry
Creek.

The thought of Maude losing her
television made Jess smile, but sadly, Tyler was right. If there wasn
’
t a television to keep Maude at
bay she
’
d be on the streets
of Ferry Creek, searching for gossip to spread. It was bad enough that when she
called the diner for a pick up order, it took her ten minutes to figure out
what she wanted and another ten minutes to leave with her food when she came to
get it.

“
Why
would the power go out?
”
Jess asked.

She dug in her apron, looking for
the bill for Jack and Tyler.

“
Last
week
’
s storm that went
through,
”
Jack said as he
stared at Jess.

Jess nodded.
“
Yeah. I remember. Kept everyone
here all day.
”

“
Poor
girl,
”
Tyler said.
“
Stuck with Murphy and his
stories.
”

“
Oh.
Murphy...
”
Jack shook his
head.
“
Anyway, that storm
made a mess on the outskirts of Ferry Creek. Near the creek and all that. It
’
s not a big deal. We cleaned
everything up. But Tyler here called me and said a tree is touching power
lines.
”

“
They
look weak,
”
Tyler said.
“
Just don
’
t want a problem with the next storm.
”

“
Why
didn
’
t you call the power
company?
”
Jess asked.

“
Because
I work faster and I
’
m
cheaper,
”
Jack said.
“
Or so Tyler thinks.
”

“
You
’
re not billing me,
”
Tyler said. Tyler smiled as he
looked at Jess.
“
The trees
look dangerous. Jack
’
s
going to take care of them. I was over there after that little party some of
the high school kids had. Wow, do they make a freaking mess.
”

“
They
’
re high school kids,
”
Jess said as she put the bill
on the table. She kept her fingers on it, not wanting to walk away from the
table.

“
We
all were, Jess,
”
Tyler
said.
“
But we didn
’
t treat things like that.
”

“
You
didn
’
t have a beer in high
school, Officer?
”
Jack
asked.

“
Never
said that,
”
Tyler said.
“
I just didn
’
t leave evidence behind. I didn
’
t make messes either. I...
”

“
What
’
s wrong?
”
Jess asked.

“
Nothing,
”
Tyler said.
“
Nothing at all. I
’
m going to go back down after
Jack is done and poke around again. See if there
’
s
anything we can do to keep them out of there. Last thing I need is some kid to
hurt themselves in that creek.
”

“
Well,
enjoy your day,
”
Jess said.

She lifted her hand off the bill.

Both Tyler and Jack went for the
bill and a small argument ensued. Jess smiled as she walked away. At one point
she heard Tyler threaten to arrest Jack.