Forgiving Patience (16 page)

“Jake, why don’t ya tell Carly here
how good she looks tonight?” Tommy demanded with a silly smirk plastered to his
face. There must have been a conversation going on, but he was having trouble
concentrating.

Feeling Tommy’s pointed stare, he
drew his gaze away from his beer bottle, upward to the woman. “Um…yeah.”

She freed his arm, taking a step
back, showing him the body he guessed he’d failed to look at the first time she
flaunted it. “Is that all you have to say, Jake?”

Tommy added, “Yeah, Jake, is that all
you can say?”

“You look exceptionally good tonight,
Carly,” Jake answered.

Tommy was desperately trying to hold
back the laugh that was bound to leak out any second. Jake jabbed his elbow
into his best friend’s gut. “Get her off of me.”

Failing to whisper because of the
alcohol he’d been consuming for the last hour, Tommy replied, “Hey, I’m an
engaged man. Do you really want Em on your bad side?”

“Fine.”

She was running her fingers up and
down his arm. “What’s got you ignoring me tonight?”

He had something entirely different
he wanted to say, but his mama taught him to treat a lady with respect. Even a
woman like Carly Sanders deserved a little respect; after all, deep down, she
was just lonely. Much like the rest of the people in the world, he guessed.
Tommy must have seen the wheels going around in Jake’s head because he spoke up
first. “You’ll have to excuse him. He’s just had a bad day. I can give you best
bud privileged information that Jake is never capable of ignoring you.”

“Is that so? Rough game? I think I
can change the rest of the day for ya,” she confidently said.

So,
is this the way Tommy wants to play it?
“No,” he started, while giving his buddy a stern look before
turning back to the woman at his side, “it’s nothing this beer right here can’t
fix. Why don’t you tell Tommy here how to put a catheter in to assist someone
on going to the bathroom? He was just telling me the other day how he finds the
nursing field fascinating, weren’t you, Tommy?” Jake could almost hear the
groan Tommy wanted to let out. “Don’t forget to be really detailed when
describing it.” As Jake was informing Carly, he gave a wink and smile in
Tommy’s direction.

“For a male or female,” she asked
eagerly, glad they were taking interest in her for a change.

“Male,” Jake answered with a
full-faced grin.

Tommy was going to hate him tomorrow,
but then again he might not even remember it.

“Okay, first you have to put on protective
gloves, then clean the urethral opening with
Betadine
,
an antiseptic…” she started.

Not too long after Jake had entered
the bar, Tommy had sauntered in as well, ordering and downing his first shot of
whiskey, before even acknowledging that Jake was seated beside him. One thought
had entered his mind—Em. The easygoing guy had troubles on the brain, and Jake
was staying out of that boat unless his buddy strapped a life jacket on him and
forced him in. Em was a strong-willed woman, and Tommy was just learning what
he was going to be up against ‘
til death do us part
. Jake loved Em, looked at her like a
sister. She was demanding and meddling, but she would go to the ends of the
earth for the people she loved. Most people found her irresistible, but they didn’t
have to live with her.

Tommy had been expecting to hang out
with Bradley, but since Bradley had already left for the night, it was him who
Tommy was having drinks with. And it was also now Jake’s job to take care of
his friend.

After several shots, Jake had Minny
switch Tommy over to beer. He knew the guy would have a major hangover in the
morning, but he looked like he needed a night out, and Jake, for once, was
looking out for his buddy. Bradley and Tommy had dragged him out of this hole
at least a couple times a week for the past year. He was happy to return the
favor. And it looked like Tommy was having a good time, even through Carly’s
whole spiel about catheters. Jake tried to block that shit out as much as
possible. Since Carly had taken up residence near them, Jake had decided that
if he had to give up his right to eat peanuts and drink a beer at the same
time, then Tommy was going to be forced to make conversation with her.

Leaning over his beer, Jake was
desperately regretting bringing up hospital talk. He forgot that even though he
had been trying to throw Tommy under the bus, he was also still stuck there to
listen to her spiel. At that moment the door opened and he absently looked up.
And in walked Tommy’s bride-to-be and Anna. Both ladies were forced to walk
right past them, leaving a refreshing, new scent of perfume lingering in the
smoke-filled room. It took a few minutes for his stupid friend to come up for
air from his long and drawn out conversation to see Em sitting at a table in the
back along with Anna. Em was the one Tommy should be scared of, but Jake was
slowly discovering he might be a little scared himself…just not of the same
woman.

* * * *

“I told you. Look at him over there,”
Em reminded her while a loud booming laugh was coming from Tommy’s direction.

“I think he’s a little drunk, Em.”
Anna was trying to calm her wound-up tight friend.

During the drive over, Em had used
every man-bashing name she could think of—everything from Anna’s favorite,
jackass, to doo-doo head.

“Don’t make excuses for that bastard.
If Carly is who he wants, then fine. He just better not come crawling to me
when he gets herpes. He can let that slutty nurse take care of him.”

Anna didn’t condone what Tommy was
doing—what that actually was, she didn’t know. The guy stared with a goofy
grin, nodding at the blonde, who kept a tight grip on Jake’s arm. Anna now knew
the woman was Carly, and by
Em’s
standards, the town
slut. Em had a right to be beside herself with anger, but Tommy couldn’t be a
caged lion who resided only in
Em’s
world. He was a
man. A man who had thoughts, opinions, and most importantly—pride. All Anna
knew was, if Em wanted to keep the man she loved, she was going to have to
lighten up on the guy a little.

Carly was latched onto Jake’s arm,
letting every interested woman in the place know he was off-limits. A man like
Jake probably was used to women staking their claim on him. At least Em could
take a breather, because it looked like Carly wasn’t interested in more than
just flirting with Tommy.

“I think she wants Jake. I really
wouldn’t be concerned about Tommy.” Except
she
was concerned, which didn’t make
sense. Why should she care that an attractive woman was glued to her blue-eyed
date’s side? He was free to have any woman he wanted, and Carly was making it
clear she was going to be that woman. Did it matter that they had just agreed
to have dinner together the next night? She was a fool for ever agreeing.

Her body was remembering their
encounters. She could still feel his gentle touch burning through her skin. The
thought warmed her in places she had no business being warm.

They had made eye contact for a brief
moment when she and Em entered the bar. As soon as she saw him, she tried
pulling her gaze away, but couldn’t. He had changed from his tight,
butt-hugging uniform pants and ripped T-shirt to clean jeans, a buttoned-down
western style shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his cleats
had been replaced with work boots. A baseball cap was pulled down low, once
again shading his eyes. His features remained unreadable as he had glanced from
his beer bottle to her standing in the doorway. She hated not being able to
know what he was thinking.

“Hello, earth to Anna. Where are you
in that head of yours? Are you listening to me?” Em asked while snapping her
impatient fingers in front of Anna’s face.

“I’m sorry. I’m here. What were you
saying?”

“I said…I don’t care who she plans to
go home with. My man is over there hanging on her every word.”

“What can I get you two ladies?” a petite,
spunky girl asked.

Because of the meds she’d taken
earlier that night, Anna knew alcohol was out of the question for her. “Only a
Coke for me.” The girl turned to Em, who had both eyes glued on her soon-to-be
deceased future husband. “Just bring her a beer. If she doesn’t like it, oh
well.”

“Sure thing.”

Anna wished she could have something
other than Coke to drink. Her nerves were borderline shaky. She didn’t want to
be forced to be in the bar, having to stare at Jake and the woman she was
beginning to strongly dislike. Trying to make conversation with Em, she said,
“I wanted to thank you for making me go to the softball game tonight. It was
actually a lot of fun.” The distraction seemed to work for her and Em both.

“Wow, you liked something about Patience?
We need to call the
Patience Gazette
and put out an announcement.”

“Ha. Ha.”

“Now, back to my big problem. How can
I marry someone who’s so easily interested in another woman?”

Anna took her Coke from the bartender
and sat it in front of her while Em did the same, apparently satisfied with the
beer. “Don’t be silly, there will be a wedding. Whatever is going on over there
is nothing.” Anna didn’t know if that was entirely true, but Em had nothing to
worry about. “In a few minutes, Tommy will walk over here, give you that smile
that makes you melt, and you will both go home and make up.”

As if on cue, the man in question
left his barstool and wandered over to their table. He only staggered a bit,
seeming to catch himself easily. “Now, what brings my beau-beautiful bride
out?”

“You’re drunk.” Em had her arms
crossed, looking like she was searching for words. “You have fun?” she asked,
pointing over toward Carly, who was still attached to Jake’s side.

“Actually, I did. Learned a lot about
the carburetors…or something like that,” he answered, shaking his head.

Anna felt sorry for the guy in a way.
It looked to her like Em kept him on a short leash. She’d gotten to know Tommy
in high school because of his friendship with Jake and knew he’d loved Em from
afar through most of high school. His love was evident to everyone. Not until a
few years after Anna left town did Em reciprocate those feelings for him. Em
didn’t seem like a woman who would be insanely jealous, but what a woman felt
underneath all that armor sometimes went unnoticed by others. Anna could
relate.

Anna could see
Em’s
eyes turn that shade that indicated a storm brewing.

“So…” Em began, “…what did you and
Ms. Slut of the U.S. of A talk about?”

“Now why would you want to say
something like that? Carly actually is a very nice person.” She could see the
sweat pouring off Tommy’s forehead. Poor guy. He was already sweating out the
alcohol he’d apparently drunk a lot of.

“Nice? You sure you want to go
there?” Em asked.

Tommy grabbed a seat, turning it
around so he could straddle it.

Grabbing her purse, Em said, “Don’t
get comfortable. I think it’s time for you and me to leave.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. Get up.”

Tommy slowly got to his feet. He
patted Anna on the head, meaning it as a friendly gesture, but he made Anna
feel like some well-behaved animal.

“Can you get home okay, Anna?”

“Yes, Em. You go. Have fun making
up.” She gave them a wink and watched as they left the bar.

Thankfully, she had driven her own
car. Otherwise, she would have to be stuck in the car with them all the way to
the other side of town. Even though her two crazy friends fought hard, she knew
they made up just as hard as well. It was actually sweet. They did love each
other, and that was all that mattered. Hopefully, for their sake, love did
conquer all.

Suddenly, she felt lost, looking
around at the group of people she didn’t know, taking in the clinking of
bottles, the couples shooting pool, and loud guys laughing and hollering over
the ballgame. It was amusing to see how everyone felt at home and knew how to
have fun. She couldn’t stay there. What woman went to a bar by herself? Maybe a
woman trying to pick up a guy, but she wasn’t that kind of woman. She didn’t
need a guy, nor want one. Her life was complicated enough. She took another sip
of her Coke and was starting to stand up when a tall man loomed above.

“You leaving already?” he drawled.

Swinging her gaze, she glared at the
man interfering with her exit plan. She could feel her heart jump in response
to him being so near. Eric Church’s song,
Sinners Like Me
playing on the jukebox was
appropriate for her heart’s betrayer. Oh my.

“I don’t have much reason to stay.”

“Ouch. You sure know how to put it to
a guy.” Jake cupped a hand over his heart.

“Didn’t mean it as a put down. I was
only here for Em, and she just left with Tommy”

“Wanna dance?” A slow smile spread
across his face.

“No.”