Hustle Him (Bank Shot Romance #2)(15)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Just as I bent down to take another shot, three people walked into the bar. Vessa hung up her stick and headed to tend to them. I waited a little while, thinking the crowd would eat and leave, but more people came in. After having another few drinks and eating a sandwich, that I didn’t even have to order, I called it a night. I tried to at least say goodbye to Vessa, but she was too busy to notice.

While driving home, I realized that it was the first time I’d almost opened up. I wasn’t real sure how I felt about that. Sure, I knew the girl had no chance of beating me, so I wasn’t that worried about it. Still, for some reason, it seemed like I might want to talk to her again. It made sense since I saw her at least two to three times a week.

I finished off the rest of my bottle of Jack at home. The more I drank, the more I pictured Vessa bending over taking shots. It was wrong, but it had been so long and I had needs, even if I lived a solitary life. I didn’t know how monks did it, honestly.

The next morning I regretted opening up to Vessa. She was going to expect things to progress until she got her turn to ask questions. I needed to find another place to eat, or figure out how to work my stove and cook for myself. Ramen noodles weren’t going to suffice seven nights a week. Knowing Sue, if she got wind of me not coming in, she’d probably hunt my ass down. It was time for me decide one way or another how I wanted to live the rest of my life. Did I really want to be alone with no friends?

Just as I was considering opening up and being more sociable, everything came crashing down on me when I got to police station. I’d no sooner got into my office, when my deputy came in and tossed the local paper on my desk. The front page made me feel ill.

TOWN SHERIFF LOST FAMILY IN CAR CRASH

"Sir, did you know they was goin’ to print this?"

I was so enraged that someone had dug into my private life and announced it to the whole town. I grabbed my jacket and started walking back out. "If you need me, you can reach me on my cell."

I headed straight to the little town paper and waited for them to open for the day. While flinging the wad of newspaper on the editor’s desk, I tried my best to keep myself calm. "What the hell is this? Who would print this?"

"Sheriff, it wasn’t me, but you have to understand that this is public information. The people of the town want to know you."

I leaned over the desk. “My life is none of their damn business!"

After arguing for another twenty minutes, I climbed in my truck and headed straight for the liquor store. Everyone now knew what I was running from. I couldn’t hide from it any longer. I would be judged, consoled and harassed about my feelings. Never again could I just live out my days in peace. I wanted to just pack my shit up and leave, if I had to face one single person about my girls.

I wasn’t ready to talk about them; to tell people how I’d taken their life.

Since the little town paper was usually a freebie to only the town people, I managed to grab as many copies off of lawns as I could. Then I went into the gas station and the grocery store and removed them as well. Sure, the news would travel, but it was still early and I was sure that I had removed at least half of what was out there.

To free some of the stress that was overwhelming me, I bought two bottles of Jack before heading back to the cabin. I needed to be alone. I wanted to disappear.

Chapter 8

Vessa

Did I feel bad for making Ramsey think I couldn’t play pool?

Not really!

He was hiding something, and even though it was none of my business, I was more intrigued than ever to find out what had made him the way he was.

We still hadn’t had a real conversation, but I felt like progress was being made. Maybe I was one of those people who thought they could fix people. Obviously, I wasn’t, since my own life had gone to shit. Ramsey was just one of those people that you were dying to know what broke them.

Since he had been in the night before, I never expected him to stumble into the bar the very next day. I’d only been there for about thirty minutes when I heard the door open and shut. During the day, it was pretty quiet without the jukebox running.

Right away, I could tell that he’d already been drinking. He barely made it to the edge of the bar before struggling to climb up on a stool. I dropped the rag that I had in my hand and approached him. “What brings you in here this time of day, Sheriff.” He was still in his uniform, which I might add, made him look even sexier than usual.

This is what drove me crazy the most. I never had met a man that I couldn’t stop looking at. Honestly, I’d never been interested in anyone except Gavin. Technically, I was still married by law, but in my heart I knew my marriage was over.

“Does it matter? Give me a drink and mind your business, for once!” As the slurred words came out of his mouth, I backed away from where he sat. I could smell the liquor and I knew when it was time for someone to be cut off. Based on the size of Ramsey and how much I had seen him drink before, I knew that this was far from what I had ever seen.

I poured him a glass of coke and pretended to put Jack in it. When I handed it to him, our hands touched and he kept his over mine for a second.

Was it a plea for help?

This man was so hard to read.

“I’ll just be over there if you need me.” I wasn’t about to argue with someone who was this drunk. Clearly, he shouldn’t be out driving, so the best way to keep him safe was to appease him and keep feeding him soda until he sobered up and realized what a fool he had been for driving in the first place.

Ramsey was quiet for about a half hour and then out of nowhere, he stood up and started yelling. “You wouldn’t understand! Nobody can! Do you hear me? Nobody could ever understand!” He was pointing at me, but backing up as he tried to stand still.

I’d seen many drunk people and even had to call the cops a few times when things got out of hand, but clearly Ramsey was battling demons and I wasn’t about to be the person who got him fired for drinking on the job. I held up my hands in the air. “You’re right! I don’t understand. Just sit back down and we don’t have to talk about it.”

He shook his head and mumbled something before approaching the stool to sit back down. Unfortunately, he missed it and tumbled to the ground. Instinct sent me running around to help him. He was way too heavy for me to lift, so I grabbed onto his arms and guided him stand back up. He took his hands and grabbed both of my arms. “Jules?”

“Who is…?” He didn’t give me time to ask.

“Baby, I am so sorry. It’s all my fault. I miss you so much, baby. I miss our family. I can’t do this anymore.”