Page 106 of The Choices I've Made
“Evening,” he greeted, tipping an imaginary hat on his head.
I said a polite, “Hello,” back, noticing Jake did nothing of the sort.
He just stared at Macon, his body still tense like a live wire.
“I realized I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to welcome the new doctor in town, but then I see you’ve already done that,” he said, his head sweeping across the table from Jake to me.
I swallowed audibly, knowing exactly what he was alluding to.
“So nice of you to offer yourself up as the official welcoming committee, Molly. Can we count on you for every new resident or just the single ones?”
The high-pitched sound of Jake’s chair sliding against the concrete echoed across the patio. His eyes were wild as he rose from his chair. My hand reached across the table for his. The moment our fingers touched, his eyes met mine. I could see the rage and utter need for vengeance. All those years of pent-up hostility for this asshole had finally come to a head.
But he couldn’t.
Not now, not while Macon was in a position of power.
He’d send Jake to jail without a second thought, and within an instant, everything he’d worked for could all be gone.
My pride wasn’t worth all that.
Squeezing his hand, I steadied him, forcing him back down in his seat. I could see the overjoyed look of triumph on Macon’s stupid face, knowing he’d won yet another round in this age-old rivalry between them.
One I still didn’t understand.
“Be sure you say hi to Dean for me, will you?” Macon said in my direction, making sure he got one last jab in before he left.
I saw the pain in Jake’s face.
The anguish he still felt over Dean’s injuries.
“Will do,” I replied. “I’ll also be sure to say hi to your wife when I visit her next month. Ex-wife, sorry. When is she getting back from her honeymoon?”
His face blanched, the confidence deflating out of him like a runaway balloon. Funny how much it stung to have the same shit slung back in your face.
“I’m sure she and the sheriff are having a wonderful time in Mexico.”
After that comment, he scurried off like the cockroach he was. I wasn’t sure I felt good about myself, usually taking the high road rather than stooping to his level.
But, this time, he’d gone too far.
When I turned back to Jake, his eyes were filled with a sort of reverence.
“That was brilliant,” he said.
I just shrugged. “Sometimes, a bully needs to be reminded of what it feels like to be bullied.”
“It won’t stop him.”
“No,” I agreed. “But it kept you from making a bad decision.”
He didn’t say anything, but I could see the thanks in his expression as his thumb rolled over mine. After a quick glance in Macon’s direction, Jake turned back to me.
“Want to get out of here?” he asked, throwing a couple bills down on the table for our drinks.
Grinning, I nodded. “I thought you’d never ask.”
