I ignored the threats and pain, battering the door as I watched Ed haul Josie away screaming.
It was hell on Earth, but it would only get worse.
Josie
I tried to come up with every excuse not to go to the opening, but Linc obliterated any resistance. He hadn't stopped talking about barbecue food or Luke's dog, and taking him to a restaurant was better than stepping foot on Luke's property again.
Liv didn't say a word in front of Linc, but she blew up my phone with texts when she left, asking everything from how good Luke was in the sack to what I was thinking. No amount of water I threw on the conversation doused it, but luckily the texts stopped when she went to work.
Linc and I pulled into the packed lot of the brewery around five but had to park along the road after circling a few times and finding every slot taken. Hiking up a hill in wedges wasn't fun, but it was a small price to pay for my son's happiness.
Linc chattered nonstop about the yummy food he would eat with Luke on the ride over, a funny flip in attitude since he'd clutched at me for dear life when he met the tattooed giant.
"I'm going to eat lots of sauces, Mom!" he exclaimed, crunching the loose river rock beneath his sneakers that lined the roadway.
"Oh yeah, bud?" My heart hurt a little at mom, reluctant to give up my mommy title just yet. "You need to eat more than sauces, babe."
"Okay. But I'll put sauces on everything."
He likely thought barbecue just meant barbecue sauce, but I didn't ruin his excitement. "Are you excited?"
He nodded wildly, looking grown up in his T-Rex tee and shorts, seeming to sprout overnight from a toddler to a child. It made me wish time would freeze to hold on to his baby cheeks a little longer. It felt like it was only yesterday that I was riding home from the hospital with my preemie peanut.
"Are you excited, Mommy?" he asked, slipping back into my happy-name territory.
"Sure, buddy." Luke or not, I loved introducing him to new experiences, his genuine thrill making everything better.
We stopped at the end of the line that stretched beyond the parking lot. All around townsfolk babbled away, mostly casual in shorts, flip-flops, and tees, making my sundress seem over the top. I wasn't being fancy, really, having not unpacked most of my clothes yet. It was the lucky winner in container number one.
Luke stood like a lighthouse of steel in the distance, shaking hands with a group of patrons, fully clothed thankfully. His dark blue button-down was tucked into jeans, keeping Luke flair despite the occasion. The wild man was tamed ever so slightly, his long dark locks slicked back and his beard trimmed.
Despite the subdued look, danger teetered beneath its facade. Even before all the ink and hair, Luke was a bucking bronco raring to go, never one to play it safe. It drew me in and wrapped me up so tight I'd barely escaped.
I dreaded dealing with him, still on edge from our one-on-one. My heart hadn't recovered, pounding at the thought of him, his presence sending it haywire despite the distance. I hoped he'd head inside before he saw us. I needed a Luke cleansing, not a second helping.
"Hey! There's Luke!" Linc pointed his way and springboarded up and down.
Lord, give me strength.
"Yup. He's talking to his friends, honey."
I turned my attention to the crowd, recognizing a few faces. A classmate. A former teacher. My childhood doctor. As Luke said, pretty much everyone in town made time for the opening. Even my parents planned on stopping in, and Dad wanted no parts of anything Barrett.
"He's waving at us, Mommy," Linc chirped, tugging my arm.
"What?" I asked, glancing back at Luke to see him beckoning us over with an arm. I spun, looking for anyone behind us, sure he was waving at someone else. When I looked back, he was shaking his head, eyes locked on us.
"Come on, Mommy!"
Linc dragged me by grouchy-faced folk, all waiting patiently for their turn. I didn't want to line jump, but Linc didn't waste the chance, pulling me along like a tiny tugboat.
I followed, ready to rip the bandaid off. I couldn't avoid Luke forever, and as my neighbor, I'd have to build up an immunity to him and his hulking body.
Either that or I'd crumble.
The first test came as we approached, crashing through a brick wall of his scent, followed by a roadblock of good looks when he flashed a smile, eyes twinkling.
"Hey, Little Dude," Luke greeted, offering a handshake Linc eagerly accepted, every bit of fear gone, not even flinching at the bearded behemoth.
Luke turned and smiled at a woman who appeared at his side, a heavily pregnant brunette in a flowing top and skinny jeans. Adorable as can be, she barely reached his chest, looking up at him with nothing but admiration.
Tally.
No wonder he straightened out.
He had a kid on the way.
My heart dropped, followed by a twist of guilt. Did she know her man flirted with other women? That he invited them inside while practically naked?
What a pig.
"Abby, can you make sure these two have a table upstairs?" Luke asked, his eyes bouncing between Linc and I. "Everything is on the house."
My shoulders slumped at her name.
Thank God.
"Absolutely sir," she replied, smiling wide, her black-rimmed glasses sliding up as she did.
"This is Abby," Luke introduced. "She's the general manager. If you need anything, ask her."
"Thank you." I meant each word, grateful for a night to unwind outside of the cottage.
"Anytime." He grinned down at Linc before meeting my eyes. "Have fun. Catch you inside."
* * *
I felt awful for Abby as we climbed the stairs, wishing she would have taken the elevator as I'd insisted. Scott and I lived in a second-story apartment before we bought our house, and I barely left it during the third trimester to avoid the stairs.
