“Listen, I’m not going to lie. There is every chance he was being a dog. A lot of them are. But Whiskey… well, he’s got a reputation for turning down girls left and right. Like the night he was initiated he said no to three girls who all offered to… um… you know .”
“All at the same time ?”
“Yeah. It’s not all that uncommon from what I understand .”
Her eyes were wide so I forged ahead .
“Dev calls him the monk. Like, if he didn’t already have a nickname, that would be it .”
“Oh. Really ?”
I nodded. It was true. Whiskey was a monk. But it was pretty obvious that she was not convinced .
“Let me do some digging , okay ?”
She nodded, shrugging her shoulders .
“I don’t want him to know. That you are looking into it .”
“Please, look at me. I’m sneakier than I look .”
That got a smile out of her. I took her hand again .
“But Becks, I really think you should tell him. Dog or not. He’s got a right to know that he has a child. They’ll both suffer in the long run if you keep it to yourself .”
Her head bowed and my heart just about broke for her all over again. She’d lost her parents early on in a tragic accident. She’d faced most of life’s challenges on her own, with only Mae as her entire family .
And now she was facing even more. Just the challenges of giving birth alone, and caring for a newborn… I could not imagine how hard it had been .
Single motherhood was not for the faint of heart .
Thankfully, as sweet, innocent, and modest as Becky was, I knew she had the heart of a lion. That was a very good thing. If she was going to raise that baby girl to be strong and kind, never mind getting her man back, she was going to need it .
“I’m here for you.” I pulled her in for a hug. This time it was me who squeezed her too hard. “We’ll figure this out together .”
She nodded as I pulled back. She looked hopeful. Nervous, but definitely hopeful. I just hoped I wasn’t setting her up for disappointment .
“Thanks Kay. You’re a good friend .”
“I love you, girl. Never forget that .”
“I won’t ”
Chapter Eight
Whiskey
“W hat did I do ?”
I moaned, my eyes closed and the stench of stale beer in my nose. My forehead pressed into my forearm where I rested it against the bar .
“What did you say, brother ?”
“Whuh dih ah duh ?”
“You are mumbling , Mike .”
A hand slapped my back. The hand was huge. I knew who it was without lifting my head off the bar .
“Is Whiskey up ?”
I nodded wearily, squinting up at Jack. I was tall. One of the biggest guys in the club, pound for pound .
Jack was just a little bit taller .
“ You okay ?”
“I need ‘nother drink .”
“You really are a glutton for punishment. Give him a ginger ale, Donnie .”
Donnie grinned and slid me a soda as Callaway plopped into the seat beside me. I slurred his name loudly in greeting .
“Callaway .”
“Hey, brother. Ready for another tat ?”
“Not drunk enough yet. Need ‘nother drink .”
He cocked an eyebrow at me .
“You look like you are .”
I laughed. Maybe I was. Maybe a tat that warned people off would be more appropriate. It could say something like :
WARNING: This man is an idiot .
How would that look? I groaned, gulping the ginger ale to quench the stale taste in my mouth. I wondered what Becky would say about all of this. I wondered what the hell I had done to ruin the best thing in my life .
Because I no longer had a single doubt in my mind that it was all my own damn fault, one way or another. She’d left because of me. I’d done this somehow .
Just me .
“ Need help .”
“I’ll say you do .”
“No, I mean… need Dev’s help. Need to ask Kaylie .”
“Dev, you got a second ?”
I was slumped over the bar again, my friends all around me. My family. They would help. They had to .
I had to fix this or I was doomed to a hellishly long life without Becky .
“What’s up man?” Dev peered down at me. “You don’t look so good, Whiskey .”
“I did something bad , Dev .”
“You did? I’m sure we can fix it. Tell me, Whiskey .”
“Kaylie …”
He stiffened up .
“What about Kaylie ?”
“She knows… her. She can… find out .”
“Any clue what the hell he’s talking about here , Jack ?”
“I think he’s talking about Becky .”
Dev stroked his chin, while Callaway grabbed the back of my shirt and hoisted me into an upright position .
I stared at my brothers and forced myself to drink more of the ginger ale .