Page 21 of Here & There

“It’s Chief,” Fred and I snap at the same time. I get as pissed as she does when people don’t respect her.

Shelby’s dad frowns and reaches into his breast pocket. “Oh, right.”

He pulls out his wallet, thumbing out a couple of hundred-dollar bills. “For your trouble,” he says, thrusting the money at me.

I grit my teeth. Only a minute in, and I’m done with pleasantries. “Respectfully,” I growl, “put that shit away.”

What the hell is it with rich people and money? I’ve got some myself. I’ve been saving since I was fifteen, and my best friend is an investor. But I don’t go throwing it at every problem I see.

The man turns to Fred, holding the money her way.

Fred’s nostrils flare. “You’re not serious.”

“Suit yourself.” Shelby’s dad slips his wallet back into his pocket.

Fred waves at me with an eye roll and heads back to her cruiser.

“Bryony, let’s go,” her father says.

Shelby clears her throat. “No.”

He frowns, like he doesn’t understand the word.

“Mac,” Shelby says to me, “I’d like you to meet Vita and Andrew, my parents. Mom, Dad, this is my new boss, Mac.”

I wouldn’t exactly say that characterizes our new relationship, but I still take great pleasure in the way their jaws drop in unison. “Pleasure to meet you.”

I get the sense they won’t shake my hand if I offer, so I don’t.

Her dad laughs, and I’m about to tell him exactly what’s what, but Shelby shakes her head. Then she folds her arms. “Mom, Dad, let’s go for a walk.”

She doesn’t wait for them before she starts walking.

Her mom hurries after her. “Bryony, wait!”

Her dad turns to me, opening his mouth to say something, but I beat him to it. “Better hurry if you don’t want to miss it, sir.” Then I shut the door in the man’s face.

Damn it if I’m not proud of this woman I don’t even know.

An hour later, they’re still not back. I consider going outside and looking, but that’s ridiculous. Plus, on top of feeling anxious about Shelby, I feel like shit because of another parenting fail.

Nate came by twenty minutes ago. He asked me what happened with Shelby, and when I told him I was expecting her back here any minute, he’d nodded and headed out again. I was so distracted it wasn’t until ten minutes after he left thatI registered he wasn’t wearing his regular all-black outfit. Or he had been, but it was the sporty version. Running shoes and sweats.

I promised I’d take him to the gym this morning before opening. I completely blanked. I ran outside to try to flag him down, but he was long gone. He didn’t answer his phone, either. When I texted, apologizing and asking if he wanted to go tonight, he just wrote, “it’s fine.”

It’s not fine. It’s rare he wants to do anything with me, especially something physical. Asking him to lift weights as a way to bond was a total shot in the dark. I’d been shocked it worked. Now he’s probably out for good. With my guts twisted into a knot, all I want to do is go after him, but it’s almost time to open.

Which leaves me here, in the exact same spot, now agonizing over both my son and this woman I don’t even know who most likely changed her mind and left with her parents.

In fact, that’s the most likely scenario.

Is it stupid that I feel a crush of disappointment in my chest? Mostly over never seeing her again but also about getting my long-dead hopes up about actually doing something with this bar? The one bright light in a day that just keeps getting shittier.

I’m so miserable I resort to paperwork. I’m just stewing over a cup of burned coffee in my office when the cordless landline on my desk rings.

“Dinghy,” I bark.

“Hey…Mac? It’s Shelby.”

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