The next hour, I tried to pay attention to all the conversations around me. Then I had Lucinda tell me the gossip I’d been missing out on the last five years. It was nice to genuinely laugh at some rather funny stories, but in the centre of my soul I was always aware of his presence. I didn’t have to look at him to know he was close-by. Even when she spoke and I’d hear his voice in the background, I found myself drowning her out to listen to him. It was hard pretending to be okay when I was broken inside. But I finished out the hour well, and then I yawned and faked exhaustion so that I could be on my way. Lucinda and I exchanged numbers before I grabbed my purse and stood up.

“It was nice meeting you all,” I said as I made my way to the door of the gazebo. I flashed a kind smile to every face around me as they reciprocated my words. When my eyes landed on Jaxon, whose lips were firmly shut, I could feel the corners of my mouth quiver. I looked away from his arctic glare and hurried out. Lucinda followed and led the way to the driveway.

“I’d like to see you again,” she told me when we approached the car. Her eyes went glossy under the moonlight. “You can come again for dinner if you’d like tomorrow. It’ll just be the two of us, I promise.”

“I’d like that,” I agreed, and then I added, “If it was just the two of us.”

She caught the gist and vigorously nodded her head. “Absolutely. Jaxon’s busy most of the days. He comes around Tuesday nights and sometimes over the weekend. He does his own thing now, and though I don’t approve of his lifestyle changes, I have little choice but to support him. I mean, look at the roof he put over my head.”

I glanced at the mammoth of a house. “What’s he doing exactly?”

She sighed uneasily. “He’s got some businesses around town now, but the people he associates with aren’t the kind you want to invite over for pizza. Those guys in the yard right now… they’re small time bikers, trying to prove their worth to him.”

This confused me. “Is he around dangerous people, Lucinda?”

She waved her hand over her shoulder dismissively. “Oh, you know, I’m not going to burden you with heavy stuff, darling. You just do your own thing. You’re going through hell at the moment. I won’t rain down on your already stormy weather. Just come and see me again, please. I love you, Sara. God, I love you like my own.” The tears escaped her eyes rapidly, and she sniffed and wiped away, embarrassed at her emotional display. “Goodness, look at me. Must be reaching that time of the month again.”

I took her into my arms and hugged her tightly. She held me too, and we rocked back and forth for what felt like an eternity. I let out a few tears of my own. “I’m so sorry.” It came out in a wild rush. “I’m so sorry for leaving you like that. I think about you every day. I swear to God, I swear I’m so sorry. I wish… I wish I’d done things differently with you, and with… with him. I was young and scared and terrified of what I was turning into and…”

“Hush, hush now. Don’t be apologizing for anything. Fresh start now, honey. I’m only sorry that we had to see each other again at a time like this with your mother gone and all.” She pulled back, tucked the strands of hair behind my ears, and lifted my chin up to her. “I don’t need to know the details. I can just take a look at you and know that you’re healing still, but I need you to watch out for something.”

“What?”

“Jaxon’s different now, and it would be smart to steer clear from him. He’s not who he was, and I would hate to see him tear you to pieces because of his own anger.”

I nodded. “Okay, I will. I’ll steer clear.” I had no problems doing that.

“Okay, get in your car now, darling, and sleep. Where are you sleeping at now, by the way?”

I opened the car door and slid into my seat. “I’m at the Manor Motel.”

Her face fell. “What? What are you doing on that side of town?”

“It’s close to where we used to live, so I figured that was alright.”

She frowned. “I don’t think you should sleep there. Find another room tomorrow, please. Be very careful, Sara. There’s a lot of crime in that part of Gosnells with the bikie gang located there and all. Lotta seedy people slumming it, too, especially at night.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Text me when you get to your room, okay?”

“Okay.”

She leaned into the seat and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “See you tomorrow, beautiful.”

“See you tomorrow.” I backed the car out of the driveway, honked the horn once at her, waved and drove off. I barely breathed the whole ride back to the motel. My mind was too busy recapping every single moment in that gazebo.

*****

Lexi called me just as I parked in front of the motel. She was in the middle of demanding to know every detail about my encounter with Jaxon when I noticed a familiar bearded man standing beside his car arguing with a dark haired, solid guy in front of him. He was parked a couple empty spaces away.

Though their conversation was muffled from within the car, the conversation was inescapable.

“You’re always attacking me after I see some pussies! You act like a fucking father, little bro, and it’s getting on every last fucking nerve!”

“You’re sloppy!” The solid man raised his forefinger and pointed at the bearded man’s chest. “Got the Scorpians all over your back and I’m the fucker that has to bail you out every fucking time! Don’t got time for this shit anymore, man. I got my own skin to worry about and you’re putting me in a tight spot.”

“I’m not askin’ you to bail me out! I got no problems with them!”

“Steer clear is what I’m saying, and that’s not a request. It’s a fucking demand! Shit’s raining down on us and I don’t have time for your bullshit.”

There’s no way to discreetly shut a car door. So when I attempted to and failed epically, it caught their attention. Solid man stopped midsentence, bringing his hand back down to his side as they immediately quieted down. I felt both sets of eyes on me the whole way to my room, and when I got inside, I breathed a sigh of relief, locking it. I recognized the bearded man. He was the guy I’d passed last night – the one that ogled my chest.