The Best Man (Jasper Falls 2)

The urinal flushed, and Mac awkwardly stepped past them and scooted out the door.

“I heard her on the phone with him.”

“So? And are we going to completely ignore the fact that Mac didn’t wash his hands?”

“So, they didn’t sound broken up!”

“I take that as a yes on the Mac thing.”

“Forget about Mac! What the hell is going on? If they’re broken up, why would she talk to him like that?”

“Did you ever think it might be easier for her? You get exhausted just discussing the weather with Lance. Put yourself in her shoes for a second. She left him, Pat. She’s doing her best to stay gone. In one hour, I witnessed him call her phone thirty times. She’s probably going to have to change her number. This isn’t easy for her. And I know he’s threatening to come here. She doesn’t want a scene. And what the hell was that kiss? You’re full throttle self-sabotaging!”

He took a step back, shrinking by the second after such a small-minded display of jealousy and anger. Kissing Jo only added more fuel to this flaming dumpster fire of a charade.

“We have to fix this. We’re lying to the whole town and our families.” They were lying to Julie.

“You’re right. I never meant for one little fib to get so blown out of proportion.”

“We’ll give back all the cards.”

“Who buys engagement presents that early anyway?”

“I know, right?”

“I liked that espresso machine.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s over.”

They both eyed the door and hesitated, neither of them eager to go announce to their families that they lied.

“My mom’s going to try to fix me up with Tobin.”

He glanced at her. “You could just tell her.”

“I could, but I’d suffer so much bullshit after the fact. It’s just not worth it. I am what I am.”

“Maybe she’ll surprise you.”

“She won’t. I know my mother. At least this way, the fake me still gets to come home for holidays.”

The sad truth was, the real Jo wouldn’t be welcome. She never was. And that was why Jo kept her reality hundreds of miles away from her family.

He took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Then it hit him. He was losing her. Moving home meant letting her go, because she’d never come back here for more than a day or two.

She smiled sadly, as if reading his mind. “I’ll be okay. I have Jeff and Shay and Dina to keep me company. And you’ll be back to visit.”

He nodded, knowing time would slowly stretch those visits farther and farther apart until they eventually lost any sense of pattern.

“Come on. Let’s go find Jules,” she said.

He reached for the door but came up short when she grabbed his sleeve.

“Pat, wait.”

He paused and stared down at her. “What is it?”

True uncertainty flashed in her eyes. “Even if they’re over, she’s fragile. You should tell her, but…be patient. Don’t rush things. Show her you’re not a meaningless rebound. Show her you can wait as long as it takes and that you’re serious.”

He’d waited his entire life. “We’ll see how it goes.” He held the door and followed her out, only to stagger to a stop.

Julie was waiting with her purse and keys in hand, looking for them in the back hall. “There you two are. I’m going to head home. I have a headache.”

He glanced at Jo, needing her courage. “We have to tell you something, Jules.”

“What’s the matter?” concern contorted her face, and he noted the lines of stress around her eyes. She looked incredibly tired, blood from a stone tired, tired beyond anything a night or week of sleep could fix.

Jo removed the ring from her left hand and held it up. “We found this ring walking home from a bar in the city one night. Pat didn’t give it to me.”

Julie frowned. “Well, it looks real.”

She wasn’t getting it. His chest hurt at the inevitable betrayal he had to deliver. “We’re not engaged.”

Her frown deepened. “What?”

“It was a lie to get mom off my back,” Jo explained.

Julie’s head cocked, as if she’d been so convinced they were a couple that this somehow broke a piece of her thinking. “But…everyone’s here…celebrating your engagement.”

Jo bit her lip. “Things got really out of hand really quickly.”

“You lied.” Her frown shifted to a scowl as she looked at her sister. “Both of you.” When her stare cut into him, it burned like a hot ember burrowing into his soul.

He couldn’t bare the look of betrayal in her eyes. “We never meant to hurt anyone.”

“But you lied. You lied to me.”

“We’re sorry,” Jo apologized.

Julie shook her head and took a step back. “I… I have to go.” She turned and rather than exiting the front of the bar, made a quick escape out the back.

He cursed. “I’m going after her—”

“She needs to process—”