Taking a Gamble on Three of a Kind (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (12 page)

He was full of nervous energy and decided to go into town to get something to eat. The café’s tables were all occupied, so he opted for a seat at the counter where he ordered a burger and fries. Not the healthiest thing on the menu, but today he didn’t care.

The waitress had just placed his plate of food in front of him when April Mathews sat down in the seat next to him. “Hey there, April,” he said pleasantly. He liked April, even if she was a bit of a flirt. He knew she wanted more than friendship, but he and Adam both had no desire to pursue what she had offered. He had enough respect for her not to play with her. He also didn’t want to hurt Jenny. Too bad he hadn’t been able to show that kind of restraint with Jenny. April interrupted his thoughts.

“How come you haven’t called me to go out dancing again?”

“Well, if I remember right,” he said with a smile, “You called me.”

“Now, let’s not split hairs,” she said jokingly. “You know you’ve always played hard to get. What was a girl to do?”

“You’re a lot of fun, April, and I enjoyed dancing with you. But…”

“No buts,” she said, interrupting him. “We enjoy each other’s company, and that includes Luke. We should go out more often. You might find that you enjoy more than just dancing with me.”

“April…” he warned.

“Don’t be such a prig, Luke. I love to dance.” She smiled seductively.

“What happened between you and the Landers brothers? When I was home on break a year or so ago, you guys were pretty hot and heavy. Someone said you were engaged to them.”

“We broke up a few months ago. They got a wandering eye and I found out about it. Fact is, I caught them practically in bed with that whore, Jillian Palmer.”

Luke remembered Jillian Palmer. She was an attractive girl who had developed early and had worn clothes to enhance her assets. According to some of the guys, she had been an easy lay in high school and even before that. He’d heard she worked as a stripper at some club in the next town. Funny, the few times he had contact with her, she hadn’t seemed like a bad sort. If anything, she had come across as shy. That, he thought, was obviously just a misconception on his part. “I’m real sorry, April. I really am. That must have been rough.”

“They both said it was nothing and that she came on to them, but that didn’t make it any better in my eyes,” she said, getting teary. She caught herself, blinked, and tried to smile. “I’m a free agent now, and I can do whatever I want with whoever I want.”

“Sounds to me like you’re still in love with them.”

April’s face crumpled. “I don’t want to be. I need to move on.”

“Is that what you really want?”

“Doesn’t matter what I want. They betrayed my trust, and I can’t be with someone like that.”

“Believe me, I understand. But love isn’t rational, and it doesn’t follow a plan or rules. When you love someone, sometimes you just have to forgive them or at least give them a second chance.”

“Guess my confession just put an end to any romance between us.” She smiled. “And here I was trying to get you to ask me out and not feel sorry for me.”

“We’re friends, April. I’m here if you need to talk. Luke’s a good listener, too. Believe me when I tell you, we make better friends than lovers.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” she said softly. “But thanks for your offer of friendship. I appreciate it.”

“Why don’t you let me buy you lunch?”

“I did come in here to eat. I’m on my break from the salon. But you don’t have to buy me lunch.”

“It would be my pleasure, if you’d let me.”

“Thank you, Luke.”

Now I know what was going on with her
. He should have asked long before this. Adam had told him he could be self-absorbed at times, but then, he hadn’t asked her either. He knew they both had both seen her as just a piece of fluff for fun. Little did they know she was nursing a broken heart.

Why, he wondered again, couldn’t they have used more logic when it came to Jenny? He had lost all reason when she had submitted herself to their lust, but Adam and Justin had been just as eager as he had been to sample her body. However, if he had shown more control, they would have followed suit, and he wouldn’t be feeling like shit now. He should have never let her get under his skin, especially this morning when she had spoken to him as if he didn’t matter. She had caught him off guard, and it hurt. Not something he was used to feeling from a woman. It was usually the other way around.

“Luke?” April asked, touching his arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh, nothing. Just thinking,” he said, forcing a smile. “Now, let’s talk about more pleasant things, like the upcoming Summer Festival. It’s all the buzz around here, and I was wondering if you and your mom will still have a booth to cut hair for the kids with cancer.”

April smiled. “We sure do. And I’m still looking to sign people up. You interested in letting me run my hands through that gorgeous hair of yours?”

They both laughed. It was an easy laugh that felt natural. April understood they could only ever be friends. Was that what Jenny wanted, just to be friends, or did she even want that?

Jenny hadn’t realized she had fallen asleep until she was woken by the slamming of the front door. Her mother must be home. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a lightweight jersey. She was just about to open her door that was slightly ajar when it was pushed open. Her mother stood in the doorway, tears running down her face.

“What happened?”

“I broke up with Jack,” she choked out before she broke into sobs.

“Oh, Mom,” Jenny said, wrapping her arms around her mother. “I’m sorry. I know I told you to do it, and I stand by that, but I’m so sorry.”

“It had to be done, and I couldn’t be with him again. Too painful,” her mother whispered, her voice barely audible.

They stood silently for a few minutes, Jenny’s arms holding her mother close until she regained her composure.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Jack’s hurt and angry, and he doesn’t understand why. And I couldn’t explain it to him without telling him the truth. I’d rather he hated me than to know what I’ve done. His anger is better than the rejection and disgust he wouldn’t be able to hide.”

“He’ll never have to know, Mom. I told you that.”

“That’s what I’m holding on to. I won’t let you down. I promise.”

“We’re going to get through this together, Mom. We just have to stick to the plan. I’m going to map out a budget for us and get a job.”

“You could work with me. I mean, together, we could branch out to some of the nearby towns. I know you don’t have your real estate license, but you can show houses and I could help with all the settlements.”

“It’s a thought, but I’m not sure putting all our eggs in one basket is the solution. If your business slows down, we still need to pay the bills and now that there’s no backup, we need a second income that’s not tied into yours.”

“I see your point,” her mother said sadly. “I’ve made such a mess of things.”

“You have to stop dwelling on what’s happened and concentrate on the future. We can’t get bogged down with feeling sorry for ourselves.” Jenny knew she wasn’t only talking about their financial situation. She had to put what happened last night and this morning out of her head. It was a mistake and it was over. Just like her mother’s relationship with Jack, it was best forgotten or at least put away where it couldn’t cause any more damage. She and her mother both needed to be strong.

She heard her cell phone ringing and for a moment she thought maybe it was Luke, but that thought was short-lived as she saw her friend Anne’s name pop up on her display.

“My friend Anne’s calling.”

“Go ahead and take the call. I’m exhausted. I think I’ll lie down,” she said from over her shoulder, already on her way to her own bedroom.

Jenny watched her mother close her bedroom door behind her before she answered her phone. “Hi, Anne?”

“Jenny. I was thinking about you and thought I’d give you a call. Thought maybe we could get together for coffee or something. You know, I’m only twenty minutes away.”

“Coffee sounds great. I’m glad you called. I should have called you. How’ve you been?”

“I got a job for the summer. How about you?”

“Not yet, but I’m glad you did. Where at?”

“The Redrock Casino. I’m a cocktail waitress.”

“No kidding.”

“And they’re still hiring. Think you’d be interested? It’s union, so the pay isn’t bad and the tips are fantastic.”

“I don’t know. I mean, I thought I’d find something closer to home. My mom still has my dad’s truck in the garage, but I don’t know how well it runs, so I could be kind of stuck.”

“It’s shift work, so that could be a problem because you’ll work mostly at night. But if you change your mind, let me know. In the meantime, let’s plan to get together. How about this time next week?”

“Okay. Where did you want to meet?”

They talked a few minutes longer. Jenny was going to tell her she wasn’t coming back to school but decided it could wait. She didn’t feel like discussing it over the phone. She knew Anne would be full of questions, and she wasn’t prepared to start lying to her, although she knew it was inevitable.

Jenny spent the rest of the day going over a budget. It looked like if they were to be able to survive without selling the house and declaring bankruptcy, she would need to find something that paid pretty well. The job at the casino would probably pay better than any of the jobs she might be able to get. Fact was, she had no idea where to even look at this point. It was ironic that she would even consider working at the casino. Maybe it was only justice that she get a job making money at the place where her mother had lost all their money.

That night at dinner, she asked her mother about her father’s old truck. She would need it, regardless of where she got a job. However, her mother had already been thinking about her transportation.

“Your father loved that old truck. I guess that’s why I couldn’t bear to part with it. And I also knew you might need it to get around in when you were home from school. And you did use it a few times.”

“But how does it run now? That’s the question.”

“Well, I started it up not long ago because it needed to be inspected. It did cost a few hundred dollars, but the mechanic said it was in good working order. I wouldn’t want you to take it on any long trips, but I think it will be fine for local travel.”

“You know my friend Anne called.”

“Yes. You were talking to her when I took my nap.”

“She’s working at the casino as a cocktail waitress, and she told me they have openings. From what she says, the money is good.”

“You’re not actually thinking of working there?” her mother asked. There was not only surprise but dread written all over her face.

“I wouldn’t if I thought I could find something that paid well around here. I made a few calls this afternoon and so far, no one is hiring and the pay is minimum wage even with a college degree.”

“I was afraid of that,” her mother said, before she took a sip of her ice water.

“Anne and I are supposed to meet for coffee later this week, but I’m thinking I’ll call her tomorrow about the job. I can use the truck when you’re out, but at night, I could use your car just to be on the safe side.”

“You’re serious?”

“I’m considering it. I mean, I have to get hired first.”

“Oh, they’ll hire you. The way you look, they’ll snatch you up in a second. Those girls that bring you drinks are all young and pretty and they can wear the uniform quite well.” Her mother shook her head. “It pains me to think with all your education you’re going to be a waitress and it’s all my fault.”

“When we’re back on our feet, I’ll go back to school, but until then this may be our best option. We’ll both be making sacrifices, but that’s what families do for each other.”

“I just don’t think you working there is for the best.”

“Well, one good thing,” Jenny said. “If you work there, you can’t gamble there.”

“I didn’t know that. Maybe I should get a job there, too.”

“Very funny, Mom. Don’t let me forget to call the insurance company tomorrow and get a referral for you.”

Her mother went to her bedroom after dinner. Jenny knew she was depressed about Jack and would be for some time. Telling her about the casino job hadn’t helped. Plus, she had told Jenny she had some early-morning appointments with potential sellers for the next morning.

While her mother was away tomorrow, Jenny planned to call their creditors and see if she could lower their payments along with making some inquiries about work. But for tonight, all she wanted was to forget her problems and think about nothing except what show to watch next. She didn’t want to work at the casino either, but life wasn’t always about what you wanted.

She had just washed the dinner dishes and settled down in front of the television when she heard a knock at the front door. She looked through the curtains of the front window to see Luke and Adam standing on the porch. Her stomach dropped. She knew it was only a matter of time before they sought her out. She just hadn’t expected them tonight. Slowly, she walked to the door and opened it.