Page 45 of His Reward
“Haven’t you ever heard ofold man strength?He also had plenty motivation to get away from you.He knew you would fuck him up if you caught him.”Paul shakes his head.“Fucking asshole.I’m just glad you’ve been there for June, keeping her safe.”
Fuck.I wish like hell Paul and Nicole would stop thanking me for protecting June.Even if they’re right, I haven’t exactly been a model hero.What’s it called when the good guy is also a bad guy?
I shift my feet and clear my throat.
“I’ve been thinking I would give her some self-defence lessons.”
Paul nods as he opens the grill, the puff of smoke carrying the delicious scent of seasoned meat.
“I like that,” he says as he rotates the chicken again.“You should teach her how to use a gun too.”
“I’ll suggest that to her and see what she thinks.”
He closes the grill again and his expression turns contemplative.
“On second thought, she’ll probably say no.She’s like her mother.Nicole doesn’t like guns.I once suggested we should get one and she hated the idea.”
Paul goes quiet and still, then he blinks and takes a long swig of his beer.
“By the way, Nicole and I are getting a divorce,” he blurts out.
It’s not totally surprising to hear this news, but it’s strange hearing it today of all days.It’s his and Nicole’s wedding anniversary.June and I were invited to celebrate it.
“That’s...I’m sorry to hear that, man.”
“We don’t want to ruin Daphne’s wedding, so we’re waiting until after October to tell the kids.”
“What—” I hesitate, struggling to word the question in a delicate way.“Why did you guys decide to get one?”
Paul takes a deep breath then blows it out in a long exhale.
“Because of me.I’m unfaithful and Nicole believes I’ll never change after giving me so many chances to do it.”He shakes his head.“Daphne told her I was flirting with a woman at her engagement party.Which is true because I’m a fucking idiot with no fucking self-control.”
I wisely hold my tongue instead of saying what pops into my head.
Yeah, I saw that.And, yeah, you are.
Paul and I seem to share the same curse—wanting things we shouldn’t want and taking things we shouldn’t have.But if I’m lucky enough to have June, I have zero intention of letting my eyes stray to anyone else.
After he checks the temperature of the meat, Paul removes them from the grill, piling them onto a nearby plate.Nicole comes over and takes the plate of steaming barbecued chicken.The warm smile she directs at me chills when she looks at Paul.
Ouch.Poor guy.
He watches her carry the plate to the long picnic table where the rest of the food is laid out and the others are seated.
“Mal, I fucked up a good thing,” Paul continues, a crestfallen look on his face.“A good life.And for what?Lost my beautiful, intelligent wife, my daughters resent me, and my son couldn’t care less if I exist.”
At one end of the table, Nate and Jeremy are bent over a handheld gaming device as Nate points and explains something.Near the middle, June, Daphne, Nicole and Nicole’s sister Erica are chatting while they eat.
I don’t know what to say to Paul.The pain on his face makes me pity him.He looks like he’s struggling not to cry.
When we were kids, we were merciless with each other if we detected any hint of tears, and Paul’s dad was meaner than us.Men don’t cry.We get fucking angry.That’s what he would say in his heavy accent.
I pat his shoulder.“You owned your mistakes, Paulie.That’s good.Now, you can fix them.Work on being a better man and a better father.”
Paul nods.“Then Nicole will see that Icanchange and I might be able to win her back.”He pins me with a hard stare.“Learn from my mistakes, Mal.When you find a good woman, don’t take her for granted.Never let her go.”
“I hear you, brother.”
