Before she could think more on it, an ice cream sundae was suddenly placed in front of her. “Oh, dear God, I am in love with whoever got me this!”
Rhett’s soft chuckle brushed across her cheek. “It’s not fair that we get to drink, and you don’t. I figured this was second best.”
“Oh, my, my,” Kinsley purred, her mouth watering. She turned to him slightly and grinned. First, a mind-blowing orgasm earlier, then a thoughtful glass of water, and now ice cream. Who was this guy? “Thank you.”
He gave her a firm nod and a genuine smile.
The ice cream only made Remy’s frown deepen. And she never frowned at ice cream.
“I gave ya the works, Kinsley,” Bernie said, his brown eyes creasing, creating more wrinkles. Bernie was an average-looking guy. Average height. Average weight. But his personality was anything but average. Warm and charismatic, when he spoke, people listened. Bernie had owned Merlots for as long as Kinsley could remember, even though his son, Joshua, now ran the show. “Thought it was a good way to congratulate you and Rhett on the baby.”
Mary Jane’s gossip had obviously gotten around town. “Thanks, Bernie,” she said. “How’s Eleanor doing?” His wife had gone through chemotherapy for breast cancer last year.
“She’s in remission,” he replied with a glowing smile. “She’s happy to be back working at the library.”
“So glad to hear that, Bernie,” Boone interjected. “Please tell her we all say hello and that we’re so thrilled to hear she’s feeling well.”
“Will do.” Bernie handed Kinsley napkins before offering spoons to Remy and Peyton. “Knew better than to come with ice cream and not make it big enough for all of you.”
“Yum,” Peyton said, taking her spoon. “Thank you.”
As Remy took the spoon from Bernie, Rhett asked, “The bar’s looking really good. Did you do some renovations?”
Bernie nodded. “Josh wanted to modernize the place a bit last month, so we had some work done.” He scanned his club, then glanced back at Rhett and gave a shrug. “Not quite what I would want, but the customers like it.”
Kinsley heard every word Bernie said, but she was stuck on what Rhett had said. He knew this place intimately, which told her that he came here a lot…to find women to warm his bed. She glanced up at Remy, and her friend’s earlier irritation turned into hot anger, burning there in her eyes.
The guys continued to talk to Bernie, but Kinsley put her focus on the ice cream and dug in. Rhett had a past; one she could live with. His present and future were all that mattered now.
* * *
An hour later, Rhett’s stomach was heavy from his beer as he headed up to the bar to pay his tab. Kinsley looked tired, and he felt exhaustion roll through him too. Next to him was a pretty brunette that kept making eyes at him. She was exactly the type of woman he’d have taken home before. She wanted one night with the bad boy, and Rhett was that guy. Or he had been. Now he wasn’t exactly sure what he was, other than the guy trying not to fuck up.
He settled his tab with the bartender quickly, thinking to himself that tonight had gone better than expected. He knew he’d rock the boat and make a statement when he kissed Kinsley in public, but he figured why prolong the secrecy? They were having a child together, and things were heating up between them, more than cooling down. Why hide that fact? Whether that would blow up in his face, only time would tell.
When he placed his debit card back into his wallet, from behind him, Remy snapped, “What in the hell are you doing?”
He glanced over his shoulder. Typically, she was sunny and bright, but now she glared daggers at him. “Paying my tab. Is that all right?”
Her eyes slowly narrowed into slits. She took his arm and he allowed her to pull him around the bar to the hallway where the bathrooms were located.
She placed her hands on her hips. “No, nothing you’re doing is all right. Asher told me to stay out of this, but I never thought you’d do this.”
Rhett arched an eyebrow. “What exactly am I doing?”
“Pretending that you’re actually going to make this work with Kinsley.”
All through the last hour, he’d caught Remy giving him a glare promising death. He couldn’t fault her for it. Kinsley and Remy were as close as sisters. They had each other’s backs through thick and thin, and Rhett knew if the roles were reversed, Kinsley would be up in Asher’s face. Rhett had a past, and he was well aware that he walked on shaky ground now. “Who says I’m pretending?”
Her brows shot up and she gave a dry laugh. “Seriously, you’re actually going to fucking go there. You knew since high school that Kinsley had a thing for you. You knew when you came back that what she felt for you was even stronger. And you did nothing. You didn’t even give her the time of day or notice her.”
Remy had it all wrong. He had fought not to notice Kinsley. He had stayed away to protect her. But he simply didn’t feel it necessary to explain that to Remy. “If there’s something you’re trying to say, Remy, then get to it.”
She pointed a polished black fingernail at him. “I keep hearing that this is none of my business. Maybe it isn’t, but Kinsley isn’t just my best friend, she’s like the other half of my soul. She’s good and deserves every good thing in life.”
“I never said she didn’t,” he countered, frowning now.
Remy held his stare in a way he’d never seen before from her. Firm. Unyielding. She continued like he hadn’t even spoken. “She deserves a man who wants her with everything that’s inside him. She deserves for someone to love all the parts of her that make her so amazing.” Remy drew in a long deep breath, her nostrils flaring. “If you cannot be that man, then don’t make promises.”