Page 31 of Here's to Yesterday

I snort. “Think you’ve mixed up psycho and psychic again,” I mutter. She whacks me with a bar rag. “Ew! That’s sogross!”

“Shut it. It’s clean, youfreak.”

“You notice anything new about Perrylately?”

“Oh, you mean his drinking problem? Yeah. We’re having words about that shit later.” She turns to Benny and points a serious finger at him. “Don’t you dare put any Jack in that drink. He’ll have to power through a night withoutit.”

“Dibs on not dealing with that shitstorm you’re brewing over there,” I tell her. Because I have a feeling that the executive decision Rae made won’t go over too well with Perry. Not with how dependent on the booze he’s beenlately.

“Please. Like his ass will dare defy,” she says confidently while loading up her tray. She glances at Benny again, an intimidating scowl crossing her face. “He makes a scene and he’s out. Gotit?”

Benny’s eyes go wide at the look on her face, and he furiously nods his head like a child getting dealt apunishment.

As she turns around and begins walking away, I lean across the bar to Benny. “Guess someone’s been laying down the law withJoey.”

Rae is a person who never ever wanted to be a mother after all the issues she had with her own. She always claimed she hated kids and didn’t know how to deal with them. Enter Hudson: sexy and a single, devoted father. She fell hard and fast for him. And hiskid.

“Heard that!” Rae throws over her shoulder. I start to roll my eyes at her when she adds, “And don’t you dare roll your eyes at me, Maura Ann!” It’s a bad habit of mine that she constantly picks on mefor.

“See? She’s a natural at this mother stuff,” I whisper to Benny on awink.

He chuckles at us and moves down the bar to continue fillingdrinks.

I load up my tray and make my way back over to Tucker and Perry’stable.

“Here you boys go. Did you want to get something to eat? You know the kitchen never closeshere.”

“I’m good for now,” Perrysays.

I look to Tucker. “Fries? With cheese?” heasks.

“You got it. I’ll be back to check on you in afew.”

Turning to put my order in, I hear Perry’s voice. “You forgot my Jack,Maura!”

I don’t turn around to shout, “Take it up with your cousin,Per.”

“Fuckin’ Rae,” Ihear.

I’d smile if I weren’t so concerned abouthim.

* * *

Tanner: You’re a horrible promise keeper. I’m heading to bed. Got a long day tomorrow. I love you. Have a goodnight.

Istare at the text,which I’ve ignored for the last thirty minutes, and only feel mildly guilty aboutit.

It feels like ever since I voiced my break-up plan to Rae a few days ago, I’ve been less inclined to answer any of Tanner’s calls or texts. Now that it’s out in the open, it feels more real, and I’m so scared of blurting it out to him. Tanner doesn’t deservethat.

“Youready?”

I nod at Tucker, who’s holding the door open for me, and follow him out to the parking lot. We climb into his car and set off down theroad.

I’m confused because we’re not heading anywhere I’ve never been before. In fact, it seems like we’re heading straight for Pembrooke, which is where Hudson lives. I want to ask him what we’re doing, but he has the radio up loud and is staring hard at theroad.

I watch him silently, observing the way he carefully steers the car. Like everything else in life, he drives with a false sense of calm. Which is what anyone else looking at him would see. Hell, it’s probably exactly what I would have seen lastweek.

But not now. Not after I’ve witnessed what’s under that mask of his. I see an edginess to him now, an extra layer of worry that he carries around. I have no idea what causes it, but I wantto.

---