Trust in Me (3 page)

“Thanks, Pop,” Rich replied. “They’re making
headway already; you’ll have to stop by.”

“How about some food?” His mom asked, “Have
you eaten anything yet today?”

“That’d be great, Ma,” Rich said as his
stomach grumbled in anticipation. “I haven’t had a chance to eat
anything yet. I worked out this mornin’, so I could eat a small
cow.”

“Well, you’re kind of in between meals,”
Martha said as she eyed the clock. “You in the mood for breakfast
or lunch?”

“I’d kill for some of your biscuits and
gravy.”

“Bacon?”

“You know it,” Rich said with a grin.

“Come on back, I’ll show you what I’m working
on,” his dad said as he headed towards the back door.

Rich paused to grab his mother in a big hug
and kiss her on the cheek. “I’ve missed you, Mama.”

Martha squeezed him back and patted him on
the cheek. “I’m happy you’re home. Now go on outside with your
daddy, this food won’t cook itself.”

Rich followed his dad out into the backyard.
He’d missed this. He’d missed them. He really was happy to be back
home. Funny, he’d always thought he wanted nothing more than to get
away from here when he was growing up. Now he knew there was
nowhere else he’d rather be.

Chapter Four

Roni was leaning against the hostess stand
talking to Kara when her brother walked into the Bar &
Grill.

“Hey, handsome,” Kara said with a grin as she
walked around to pull Kent into a quick hug. “How’ve you been? We
haven’t seen you around much lately.”

“I’m good, getting everything squared away
with the paper,” Kent gave her a quick grin and lifted a hand in
greeting to Pete, who was tending bar. “How’re you?”

“Things are great here too. Pete’s been
itchin’ for a guy’s night though, you gonna have a poker night
anytime soon?”

“Actually, Rich and Colin are stopping by
tonight, I was gonna ask Pete if he was busy,” Kent said, then
looked at his sister. “I need to talk to Roni first though, then
I’ll see what he’s up to.”

Roni looked up at him, curious, “What’s
up?”

“Can you take a quick break?” He asked.

“Yeah, I haven’t had my break yet, and it
will be at least a half an hour before we start getting busy for
dinner. Let me go tell Pam.”

Roni walked back and told the manager she was
going to take a break. Kara said she’d keep an eye on the door, so
Roni followed Kent outside.

Kent walked over towards the outdoor seating,
pulling a chair out for her before sitting himself.

He was smiling, but Roni noticed that his leg
was bouncing up and down and he was picking nervously at his shirt.
She began to worry that something was wrong.

“What’s going on, Kent? You’re kinda freakin’
me out.”

Kent reached out and grabbed her hand. He let
their hands rest on the table and smiled broadly at her. “I wanted
to talk to you about something.”

“Okay,” she prodded, wishing he would just
spit it out already.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,
and I’m actually gonna talk to the guys about it tonight, but I
wanted to talk to you first. Get your opinion.”

Roni nodded her encouragement for him to go
on.

“I know I haven’t been with Nicole for that
long, but I know I’ve never met anyone like her, or felt this way
about anyone before her. Mom and Dad weren’t the best role models,
and I know neither of us hold much stock in the sanctity of
marriage, but Nic does. I’m going to ask her to marry me.” His grin
got so big; it looked like he was beaming from the outside in. He
chuckled lightly and continued, “I know it’s crazy, but I think we
can make it work. I don’t care about getting her parents’ blessing,
and Lord knows, I couldn’t care less what our parents think, but I
wanted to make sure that we have your blessing. Do you think I’m
crazy?”

Roni felt her throat tighten and the tears
begin to form, as her heart beat wildly in her chest. She’d never
seen her brother so happy, and although she was surprised at how
quickly their relationship was progressing, she trusted Kent’s
instincts more than anyone she’d ever known.

“You’re not crazy, Kent. Of course you have
my blessing. I love Nicole, and I think the two of you are perfect
for each other. I know you’ll have a marriage that lasts. It’ll be
nothing like Mom and Dad’s, or mine for that matter. It’s
wonderful. Nicole is going to be thrilled. When are you going to
propose?”

“I’m taking her away this weekend. I have the
guys coming over tonight, and I’m going to have them help me get
everything set up. I can’t wait to see the look on her face.” Kent
reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. “This is
the ring I picked out for her; do you think she’ll like it?”

Roni gasped and put her hand over her mouth,
“It’s beautiful.”

She reached for the box, so she could look
more closely. The platinum ring had a petal design with diamonds
all along the band. It was delicate and beautiful, and would fit
Nicole perfectly.

“She’s going to love it.”

“You think so?” Kent asked eagerly.

“Absolutely,” Roni couldn’t help the pang in
her stomach. Seeing that ring reminded her of her engagement to
Hank, or lack thereof.

It had been the day before her high school
graduation. She and Hank were sitting in his car after having
pizza, and she was telling him that she wasn’t sure what she was
going to do next. Her parents were going to kick her out, and she
didn’t want to leave Hank, but she had nowhere else to go other
than Kent’s. Hank said he didn’t want her to leave, and suggested
they move in together. She’d told him that she wasn’t sure her
parents would allow her to live with him. Although they didn’t want
to support her, she was pretty sure they would go crazy if she
attempted to move in with Hank.

She’d never forget that moment as long as she
lived. Hank had shrugged his shoulders, took a drag of his
cigarette, and said, “I guess I’ll marry you then. Make it
legal.”

She’d been young and in love enough to be
excited by his statement. Now she realized how foolish she’d been.
Looking at Kent, seeing his excitement and obvious love for Nicole,
she saw everything that had been missing from her relationship with
Hank.

Roni shook the memory off and looked into her
brother’s bright eyes. “Congratulations. You deserve to be happy,
Kent. I’m so excited for you.”

Kent got up and walked around the table to
pull her up into a big hug.

“Thanks, Roni. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He pulled away and looked into her eyes.
“You’ll find someone who deserves you, don’t worry.” He ran a hand
over her hair and put his finger under her chin, lifting it so he
could look her in the eyes. “You
will
find your happily ever
after. In the meantime, don’t spill the beans to Nicole.”

Roni smiled up at him, nodded and said, “I
promise.”

Kent pulled her into another hug.

“Alright, I’ll let you get back to work. I’ve
gotta go get ready for the guys tonight and make sure everything is
set for this weekend. Wish me luck!”
“You don’t need it,” Roni assured him.

She laughed as she watched him walk away with
a spring in his step. It felt great to see him so totally
happy.

As he drove off she sat back down in the
chair and slowly tore apart a napkin. She couldn’t help but feel
envious of Nicole and Kent’s relationship. It was so different than
her relationship with Hank.

She’d been young and stupid. Totally
disillusioned. And she’d paid a price for it. Not just the broken
bones and surface injuries, but she was worried that she’d never be
able to trust herself again.

She’d been so wrong about Hank. She’d always
wanted a happily ever after.

Chapter Five

When Rich walked into the Bar & Grill,
his eyes automatically sought out Roni. She was walking back from
seating a party in the center of the room, a small smile played
across her lips. He felt the lust pool in his belly. Just watching
her walk across the room turned him on. He’d been thinking about
her way too much, for way too long. The kicker came when she
noticed him standing by the hostess stand. She seemed to miss a
step, started to fidget with the ring on her right hand, and her
smile was replaced by a scowl. God, she was sexy.

“Hey, Sunshine,” Rich said with a cocky grin.
“Happy to see me?”

He got the eye roll he’d been hoping for and
leaned over onto the stand, purposefully invading her space. As she
grabbed two menus from the slot underneath, he grabbed her free
hand and brought it to his lips. Roni froze and stared at him.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Rich let his lips linger for a moment,
enjoying the feel of her soft skin. He inhaled deeply, letting the
scent of strawberries fill him momentarily.

Roni broke out of the temporary shock and
pulled her hand away.

“Just wanted to say hi, sugar,” Rich drawled
as he stood up and gave her space.

“You can say hi without touching me,” Roni
said between clenched teeth.

Rich couldn’t help but grin at her. Roni
liked to act like he made her skin crawl, but he was sure she
couldn’t be completely immune to him. The tension was palpable, at
least on his end. She had to feel the chemistry between them,
didn’t she?

The door opened behind him and he turned to
see Colin walk in.

“Hey, brother,” Rich said, slapping Colin on
the back. Then he turned to Roni and said, “It’s just the two of
us.”

Colin wore a U of T Jersey and a smile. His
dark hair was ruffled a bit and he looked relaxed and happy.

“Someone got lucky this morning,” Rich said
under his breath to Colin as Roni led them to a table.

Colin chuckled deeply, put his hand on Rich’s
shoulder and squeezed. “A great way to start the day.”

“Don’t I know it.”

They sat down in the booth and took their
menus. Rich held Roni’s hand before she could turn to leave.
“Thanks, sunshine,” he said with a wink.

Roni just looked at him and turned to walk
away, but Rich could’ve sworn she was hiding a smile as she walked
away.

“Well, I know you had a great morning,
anything else new since we left each other last night?”

Colin leaned back in the booth and put his
arm up over the bench. He really did look happy. “Nah, not really.
That was some pretty great news Kent had last night though,
huh?”

Rich thought back to the look on his friend’s
face when Kent had told them that he was going to propose to Nicole
this weekend. He’d never seen the man so excited. Kent always
seemed pretty reserved and put together; it was great to see him
acting like a little kid on Christmas morning.

“Yeah, it’s awesome,” Rich agreed. “I think
those two are great together.”

“It’s hard to believe how much has changed in
the last year,” Colin added.

“You ain’t kiddin’,” Rich began. The waitress
came over and they ordered some coffee and their breakfast. When
she turned to put in their order he looked back at Colin and
continued, “I never would have guessed I would be back home opening
a Rec Center, or that you and Bree would be living in sin in
Austin, that’s for sure.”

Colin’s grin got wider at the mention of
Briana’s name. “Things are better than I ever could have hoped. I
love my job. I love my girl. Life is good!”

Rich chuckled and brought the coffee that had
just been dropped at the table to his lips. He inhaled deeply, then
opened his eyes and caught Roni watching him from her stand in the
front. He nodded slightly to acknowledge he saw her, took a sip and
smiled when she frowned and turned away from him.

Colin followed the direction of his gaze and
said, “Anything new on that front?”

Rich turned his eyes back to Colin and shook
his head, “Not in the way you mean.”

Colin raised an eyebrow and Rich’s response.
“In what way, then?”

“She stopped by the warehouse and asked about
renting space for a dance studio.”

“I didn’t know she was a dancer.”

“Me neither. Kent had mentioned knowing
someone who could run a dance class at the Center, but I’d never
imagined he was talking about Roni. She doesn’t just want to run a
class, though, she wants to rent the space and open a studio. Have
full creative control.”

“What are you thinkin’? Were you planning to
rent space?”

“It hadn’t occurred to me, but I’m not
opposed to it. Lord knows, I know nothing about dance. I figured
I’d offer classes and leave the logistics of those classes to the
people I hire to run them, but I can see the benefit of having a
permanent studio on site. We don’t have one in town.”

“That’s true,” Colin agreed. “And it’d be no
different than having the gym and the boxing ring. Those services
are permanent, and you have plenty of space to hold other
classes.”

“I agree,” Rich said with a nod. “I’m holding
interviews and auditions in the next few weeks, and I’ve schedule
an audition for Roni. If she has the talent and a strong business
plan, I think it would be great for the center.”

“An audition, huh?” Colin asked with a
grin.

As their food was brought out, Rich looked at
Colin, “I’m taking this business very seriously. I want to make
sure the people who are offering classes are talented, as well as
able to teach, and have patience with the kids. Hence, auditions as
well as interviews.”

Colin nodded as he picked up a piece of bacon
and took a bite.

Then Rich grinned, “But I will admit that I’m
looking forward to seeing Roni move.”

Rich poured some hot sauce on his eggs and
scanned the room to find Roni. She was standing by the bar talking
to Pam, an easy smile on her face as she laughed at something the
other woman said. The lone dimple on the left side of her face
peaked out when she laughed, and he let his gaze trail over her
long lean body. Her long blonde hair reminded him of the sun, all
soft and golden, which was why he couldn’t help but call her
sunshine whenever he saw her. She drew him in.