We kept quiet, letting her spill. Sometimes, that's just what a girl needs.
"When he took over the parlor it was shit. A total mess. He worked his ass off to get it to where it is today and I supported him. I thought when we opened the bar that it was my turn, my thing. I figured he'd understand. But it didn't work that way." She held out her glass and Rosie filled it up again. "We were hardly ever seeing each other and we just ... we drifted. One day he got up and said, I don't know why we're even bothering. What can you say to that? How the fuck are you supposed to react? It was like every bit of emotion had drained right out of him. His body was there, but his head and his heart were on another planet."
Her mouth opened, but for a moment nothing came out. Nell looked ruined. Christ, if this was marriage, if this was trusting another person body and soul, it scared the living shit out of me.
Suddenly, her chin lifted, her shoulders squared. "Like I'm supposed to smack him around the head with our marriage certificate? I told him if he didn't want to be there then he should go. I wasn't going to stop him. Fuck, I didn't think he'd actually leave."
Outside there was shouting, laughter. It seemed so out of place. Wrong. But I guess life went on, even when it shouldn't.
Nell flipped her hair back, licked her shining lips. "Anyway..."
"I'm sorry," I said, not that it helped.
She turned her splotchy red face my way, tears trailing down her cheeks. "Can't you just accidentally get pregnant and make Vaughan stay in Coeur d'Alene? I want some family around."
"Um, no. Sorry."
She barked that signature laugh. "Fine. Ruin everything, Lydia. See if I care."
"Gosh, Lydia," chided Rosie with a smile. "She's not asking for much."
I laughed and drank more wine. Everything would make more sense inebriated. I just knew it. And boy, was it going straight to my head. I guess having eaten only a piece of pecan pie today wasn't the best way to start a night of wine drinking.
"I'm not being funny."
"I know," I said. "I'm a selfish ho."
"Yes. You are." Nell blew her nose and refilled her glass, attempting to pull herself together under our watchful eyes. "You should just let me do what I want with your uterus."
The woman was nuts. Children weren't even on my radar yet. Let alone with Vaughan.
"Your brother and I are just friends, Nell," I said.
Both women laughed so hard it was a wonder they didn't fall off the couch. I stoically ignored them as best I could. Female friends, so overrated. Though also kind of wonderful in all the ways. Damn Coeur d'Alene for getting so great just as I was about to leave.
"A toast!" Rosie held her wine glass high. "To bullshit and broken hearts."
"Ha. Nice one." I grinned.
"Here, here," said Nell, drinking deep.
"To bullshit and broken hearts," I said. Then I drank too.
Hours later someone knocked on the door. Hours and hours and many bottles of wine and slices of pizza later. Nell slowly got to her feet and stumbled on over to answer it. I'll admit, it kind of surprised me when the person didn't just charge inside the same way everyone else did.
"Oh. It's you." Nell turned around and returned to the couch.
Behind her was Eric, his anger from last night missing. Well, mostly. His lips were pressed tight together, but his eyes were completely devoid of the fire and rage. "You've made your point."
"Glad to hear it," said Nell, picking up her wineglass.
"It was a shitty thing to do, leaving me to run the bar on my own," he said. "But I get why you felt the need."
Nell just watched him with eyes slightly glazed.
"We're lucky we weren't nearly as busy as last night. As it was, we had a few complaints about the slow service. More than one table left without tipping."
"Hmm."
Eric studied his shoes, and shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. He looked like a schoolboy called to the principal's office.
He really was a good-looking man, I thought, as I eyed his long dark hair and sculpted face. Some expensive underwear company could have put him on a billboard. He didn't dress casual like the other guys. He wore a white button-down shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, and nice black trousers instead of jeans.
"Where's Vaughan? I better talk to him," he said. "Set things right."
"He's busy," blurted out Rosie, sitting up straight, all of a sudden at full attention.
"We can tell him." Again, Nell clambered to her feet, red-tinged eyes suddenly far more open. "But I appreciate you offering to smoke the peace pipe."
"No, I've been thinking," said Eric. "There's something I want to say to him."
"But--"
"Vaughan!" Eric craned his neck right and then left, checking out the hallway and the dining area. "Hey, Vaughan, you got a minute?"
"Eric, don't." She grabbed at his arm, yanking him toward the door. "Later. Talk to him later."
"Relax, Nell. I'm not going to cause any trouble."
The kitchen door flew open, banging against the wall so hard you could hear the glass shudder. Though it wasn't Vaughan who stood there, fury etched into the skin of his face, above the mammoth beard.
"What are you doing here?" Pat growled, taking several large steps into the room.
Nell released Eric's arm, taking a hasty step back. "Patrick..."
"It was a work thing," said Eric, tone calm, placating, even. "I just stopped by to tell her something. I'll leave now."
"Shit," Andre mumbled, looking far from happy. The other guys had come inside too, Vaughan hanging back by the dining table, confusion in his eyes.
But Joe hustled ass around the room, getting over to his brother's side, pronto. "Come on, Eric. Let's go. Catch you guys later."
"What is this?" Vaughan stepped up beside Pat, brows pulled in so tight they almost touched.
"I just wanted to say I'm fine with you working at the bar," said Eric. "It's fine with me. That's all I came here for."
Nell stood at the edge of the room, wringing her hands, looking like she'd bolt at the first opportunity. I set down my wineglass. Whatever was going on, the party was most definitely over.
"Pat," said Vaughan. "Man?"
Pat just stood there, steaming. And I'd thought Vaughan's laser beam eyes were impressive. He had nothing on Pat. With the way Pat was glaring at him, Eric should have turned into ashes. Dust.
"Don't," warned Nell, eyes silently pleading with her ex. "Do not bring my brother into this."
"Everyone fucking knows." With some mumbled expletives, Pat offered her a bitter grin. "Did you really think he wouldn't find out eventually?"
"Find out what?" asked Vaughan, voice beyond tense. "Nell?"
"They screwed," said Pat. "Your sister and him. Can you believe that shit?"
"What the fuck?" said Vaughan, eyes huge as he turned to his sister. "Nell?"
"Don't you look at me like that, Vaughan. You weren't here, you have no idea what this has been like for me." Fists tight against her stomach, Nell struggled to stay calm. "It only happened a few weeks ago. Pat and I have been separated for over a year. I am not a cheater."
"Sorry," muttered Vaughan. "Didn't mean to accuse you of anything."
Nell just shook her head. "And you ... you were at the goddamn Iron Horse every night tapping all that ass, weren't you, Pat?"
His jaw trembled with rage.
"You hypocritical bastard," she said.
"I didn't fuck your friend, Nell!"
"I made a mistake. I got drunk, and I made a mistake." Again, her eyes welled with tears.
Hand outstretched, Eric stepped forward. "Pat--"
"I don't want to hear a single thing from you." Beneath his faded black shirt, Pat's shoulders heaved. "Not a single damn thing ever again."
Mouth hanging open, Vaughan didn't seem to know where to look. All of his family and friends gathered around him and now this. What should have been a positive experience had hit the wall.
> "I trusted you," snarled Pat. "I trusted both of you."
"Enough," said Vaughan, shoving a hand through his hair, obviously struggling. "Leave, Eric. Now."
"Christ." Eric hung his head, giving a harsh laugh. "I came here to smooth things over with you. To bury the hatchet. This is such bullshit."
"Man, c'mon." Joe grabbed at Eric's shoulder, but he shook it off.
"Bullshit is it?" Pat took a step forward. "You fuck my wife and that's bullshit?"
"You know what I don't get," said Eric. "You walked out on her, man. So why are you so bitter about this? Got some regrets, Pat?"
"Stop it." Nell groaned, tears coursing down her face.
"She wasn't your wife," continued Eric as if he hadn't heard. "You heard her. You two had been separated for ages. It isn't like you've been waiting for the divorce to come through before moving on, is it? More like making up for lost time if you ask me."
"Both of you assholes, shut up now," yelled Vaughan. "You don't make my sister cry. Not here, not in this house."
Lip curled, Pat glared at Eric. Neither of them moving.
Vaughan took a deep breath, visibly reaching for calm. "I think it'd be best for now if both of you left."
A sobbing sound came from Nell and she turned her face away, obviously distraught. Funnily enough, the fury in Pat's eyes faded when he saw her in that state. But I don't think Eric noticed at all, cruel gaze and handsome face warped with anger.
"You know, Pat, I thought you were crazy sticking with the one woman all these years," said Eric, holding his face up. His smile was more of a sneer. "But now I understand. Fuck me, if Nell isn't the hottest piece of--"