Page 19

I hadn’t meant to kiss her.

Hell, I didn’t mean to get into my past.

But between the falls, the colors, her holding onto me, it just all felt right. And before I knew it, words and feelings were coming out.

Then I saw her, really saw her, heard what she was saying, and I did the only thing that felt right; I placed my lips on hers.

For weeks, people have mentioned how hate and passion go hand in hand, but I refused to believe it. It wasn’t our story.

Now I couldn’t help but wonder if it was.

And that was scary because one she was older. Two, we seemed to always rub each other wrong. Unless we didn’t, which that was different.

“You look lost in thought.”

I jumped as Hank appeared before me at the bar, a smile on his lips.

“I might be.”

“You know, when your dad died, I took you under my wing. Helped you out where I could.”

“I know, old man. It’s something I don’t take for granted.”

“Really? Because it seems like some lessons you have forgotten.”

I looked at him as he put the whiskey before me. He glanced at Dolly, his lip twitching under his beard at her. She nodded back and I sighed.

“Guess I’m in this for the long haul, huh, Hank?”

“Yes, you are. Now shut up and listen while you drink.”

I gave him a mock salute as I took a sip of the amber liquid.

“Women are interesting creatures. They will either love you with everything they have, or they will use you with everything they have. There is no happy middle.”

I frowned as I looked at him, never having heard that before.

“It’s like a fancy car. You open the hood and what do you see?”

“Lots of parts you don’t know and don’t want to touch,” I answered, making him chuckle.

“Exactly. Those are the women who will use you. They’re pretty, they’re fancy, but they’re all kinds of trouble. You want them though; you just have to know what’s going to happen to you in the end. Now, you get an old Chevy truck that breaks down more than you like. And you pop the hood, what do you have?”

“A dirty engine that you love and know how to fix time and again.”

“Bingo, son. You’ve put love and care into her because she’s faithful and she will give you everything you need until she can’t no more.”

“I’m well aware of all of this, old man,” I muttered, taking another drink.

“Are you? Then tell me, what classification did whatever her name is fall under?”

“Geri?”

“Yup, her. Son, everyone around these parts knows how you got screwed over, and I’m sorry to hear that. Because you’re a damn fine young man, but what was she?”

I thought it over, chuckling over the analogy before nodding. “She’s a fancy car.”

“That left you on the side of the road without a hope of fixing her, right?”