Page 56 of Perfect Pact

“They do. Between my aunts and the MC Scoop, I became one paranoid son of a bitch.” Grady laughs. “I almost lost my girl over worrying about that shit.”

“Yeah?” I take a pull from my longneck.

“Yeah. Well, that and me being a dumbass. But that’s neither here nor there.”

“I get that, but that story has some serious accusations.” I pause and take a minute before I speak the words I don’t want to believe. “Beth is married.”

“Maybe.” Grady glances down, picking at the label on his bottle.

Hmmm…he knows something.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“Not my story, man.” Grady looks up and clears his throat. “But if you care about her the way I think you do, go to her.”

“You know this from experience?” I’m not sure if I’m asking about experience in general or with Beth, but I’m asking.

Grady purses his lips and shakes his head. “She was just a friend when we both needed one.”

Fuck me running.

That answers that. He knows her. Most likely in the way I want to know her.

That was then…

I try to push the jealousy to the backburner. Who knows what he’s referring to? Maybe they were friends who talked, or maybe they were more. Either way, Grady is happily married to the love of his life. That’s obvious to anyone who lives here. But, if on the off-hand, it was more…

I have to stop him right here. I won’t be able to take this shit.

I hold up my hand. “I don’t need the details.”

“There is nothing to tell.”

I rub the back of my neck, looking at each and every man in this room. Any one of these guys could have been with the other’s wife at some point in time. In a town this small, lines are bound to cross—whether it’s a grade school crush or a twenty-something hook-up.It happens.

“I don’t know what to do,” I admit, feeling defeated.

“Fuck it. This is coming out wrong.” Grady claps his hands together, getting serious. “The one thing I have learned: everyone has a story. It’s how it fucking ends that matters.” He leans back on his stool, resting against the wall, and smiles. “Who cares what’s in between? Just type ‘the end,’ Dusty. Type the motherfucking end.”

“Damn, brother. Preach!” I hold my hands up above my head.

“Sorry…” Grady’s eyes dart around the room. “I was channeling my inner-Cole. As much as the asshole pisses me off, his delivery is always memorable.”

I can’t help but laugh. He’s not wrong. Cole is a character. You either love him or hate him. Most love to hate him.

“You’ve given me a lot to think about.” I toss back the rest of my beer and put the brown bottle upside down in the ice bucket.

“Don’t think too long or you could lose her. Been there done that.” Grady sets his beer down and grabs one more as he stands. “Tell her how you feel. She needs to hear it.”

“Speaking of which…” Grady tips his head to the door where Joey, Vanny, Charlee, and Beth walk in, “I’m going to tell my wife how I feel right now, and how I want to feel later.” He winks before walking over to greet his wife.

“Nooo!” Cole drops to his knees as his opponent swipes the money off the table.

Jase rolls his eyes as Vanny wraps her arms around his neck and plants a kiss on his cheek.

Joey stands there with her arms crossed, waiting.

Cole notices, jumps to his feet in his usual dramatic fashion, and struts over to Joey as if he’s walking the runway during fashion week. “Hey, baby!” He nods toward the doors. “You wanna get out of here?”

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