Fight to Forgive by j. leigh bailey

Author:j. leigh bailey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-03-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Sturgeon Lanes was still there and they were open for business. They’d even upgraded sometime in the past seven years. Freddie checked out the dim interior. In addition to bowling lanes, pool tables and dart boards, they had a small arcade of video games and amusement park games. Sure as shit, Aaron was going to want to play skee ball. He was addicted to the stupid wooden balls. As children, Freddie had given him a hard time about the intense look of concentration that would cross his face while he played. His concentration usually paid off, though. He’d collected more prize tickets than anyone else.

Aaron ran his hands through his rain-damp hair, redoing the ponytail. Freddie kept his eyes focused on the changes to the bowling alley. Otherwise, he’d get caught staring at the way Aaron’s wet shirt clung to his chest. Wet shirt plus air-conditioning equaled nipples poking out, and it was all Freddie could do not to focus on other ways he could make those little nubs grow tight. He had no business looking at Aaron that way. Their little spat on the drive into Green Bay should have proven it.

Too much history to ignore each other. Too much baggage to get past the history.

“Hey, Aaron?”

He turned away from the scoreboard he’d been examining to face Freddie. “Yeah?”

He paused. He wasn’t ready to forgive Aaron, not for the way he’d deserted him. But maybe they could move forward without open warfare. “Look, things have been a little tense between us.”

Aaron stilled.

“Nessa and Mom are glad you’re here. They don’t know about everything that happened, and they don’t need to. But for their sake, going forward, maybe we could ditch some of the drama? We don’t have to be friends or anything,” Freddie hurried to say, “but maybe we can tone back the open hostility while we’re both in the area.”

Aaron ran his hand through his hair, pulling pieces of it free from the ponytail. “Yeah, okay. We can do that.”

Freddie cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, good.” Some of the tension left him. They may never be friends again, but maybe he’d finally be able to move on.

The bowling alley was deserted. Not surprising on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. It was hardly peak bowling time. A middle-aged dude badly in need of a shave leaned on the counter, flipping through a magazine. He looked up and nodded at them. “You got your choice of lanes.”

“Not bowling.” Freddie nodded to the bar area. “We’ll need some quarters for the dart board, though.” He pulled out his wallet and handed over some bills.

“You still on pain meds?” Aaron asked him while the employee opened the drawer for change.

“Just OTC stuff. Why?”

“And a pitcher of beer. Whatever’s on tap.” Aaron pulled out his wallet and passed over a debit card. “And a pizza,” he added, looking at the minimal menu posted above them. “Pepperoni.”

The man, whose old-fashioned bowling shirt had the name Stu stitched on the chest, dumped a fistful of quarters on the counter, then pulled out a cup with red and blue darts.

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