“Does Colton know we’re doing this?” Nat questions, and I focus on her and shake my head.
“I told him that we were going to be out today, but I didn’t tell him what we were going to be doing. We can stop by the bar when we’re done here and I can show him.”
“Perfect, I’m going to need a drink after this,” she says, like she’s the one getting the tattoo, and I smile then look down at my arm once more to watch as the tattoo artist works.
“So when are you and Colton planning on coming up to get all your stuff?”
At her question, I look up at her and feel my throat close up when I see sadness written all over her pretty face. “I can come visit, and you can come visit me,” I tell her gently, and her eyes soften as she reaches out, touching my cheek.
“It’s going to suck for me not having you around all the time, but I’m really happy for you. I’m happy you found Colton, and thrilled to see you so happy. You deserve this.”
“I love him,” I tell her honestly.
“I know you do.”
“He told me he’d move to Chicago with me if I wanted to go back.”
“That does not surprise me. I think he’d follow you anywhere.” She smiles. “That said, a man like him would not fit in in Chicago.”
She’s right. He wouldn’t fit in there, but he does fit in here, and so do I. “I love it here. I love living on the lake and having Colton’s family around. It feels good being here. Things feel right here.”
“I know you do, and your place is awesome. I’d move here just to wake up to a view of that lake every day,” she says, and I perk up.
“Really?”
“I don’t know if I’d fit in here. I’m used to the city and the hustle and bustle of life there.”
“You could try it out.”
“You know I never say never, but I’m going to say I probably won’t be moving down here any time soon.”
“I’m happy here. You could be too.”
She shrugs, then continues, “Let’s work on getting you settled first. What’s your plan now that Colton fired you from the bar?”
Rolling my eyes at that, even if it is true, I answer, “After the funeral tomorrow, I’m going to start looking for another job. And I’ll talk to Colton tonight about us driving up to get my stuff.”
“Good,” she states, and then her eyes go unfocused. “Did I tell you I heard from a friend of mine who knows Colleen? She told me your stepmom is getting married next year.”
“What? Who’s the unlucky guy?”
“No clue.” She shrugs.
“I haven’t spoken to her since I moved to Tennessee. I also haven’t even thought about her, unless it’s to think about what a bitch she was for lying to me.”
“Why would you think about her? She might have been your stepmom, but she was never there when you needed her. She was just someone you lived with while you were in high school.”
“I guess you’re right,” I murmur, wishing it wasn’t like that though. We might not have gotten along, but she was my dad’s wife, the last connection I have to him, and it would be nice to be able to talk to her, even if it is just about him.
“I see you need a drink now too,” Nat says, and I laugh. The tattoo artist grunts, making me laugh harder.
“Done.”
I look down at my arm as the last remnants of ink are wiped away and I blink. It’s more beautiful than I thought it would be, and now I will always have a piece of my grandma with me, no matter where I go or what I do.
“Thank you,” I whisper, keeping my eyes on my arm as he spreads on some cream and covers it with a bandage.
“Anytime.” He rolls his chair back and stands. “Come out when you’re ready.”
“Girl, you better not start crying,” Nat warns, and my eyes go to hers.
Blinking away the tears, I pull in a breath then let it out. “I’m not going to cry.”
“Good.” She grabs my hand and pulls me to stand. “Let’s go. We need a drink.”
So that’s what we do. When we get to the bar, I show Colton my tattoo. The second I tell him why I got it, he gathers me in his arms and kisses me long and hard in front of his brother, his parents, and Nat, and for the first time ever, I don’t stop him from kissing me. I kiss him right back.
CHAPTER 12
The Good Times And The Bad
Colton
GETTING OUT OF THE shower, I wrap a towel around my waist and open the door. As soon as I step into the bedroom, I hear Gia and Nat downstairs giggling like two mad women who were served way too much alcohol. And they were served too much alcohol by my mom, who kept their glasses full all afternoon, which meant when it was time for me to get off work at five, they were both wasted. So wasted I ended up carrying Gia to my Suburban, with Carson following behind me carrying Nat. Thank fuck both of them could obviously hold their alcohol, because neither of them got sick on the way home.