After the Storm: Midseason Episode 1 (Rising Storm) (10 page)

“That’s enough,” Patrick said.

Dakota wasn’t listening anymore. “Did you think about that? Have you thought about the fact that your bestie is having your daddy’s baby? How high class are the Rushes now?”

One minute Dakota was talking and it felt so good to let her anger flow. The next minute she was on the floor because blonde Brittany apparently took some kind of boxing class. Dakota’s eyes welled as the pain flared along her cheek and she prayed Brittany hadn’t broken anything.

“I want the cops called.” She looked up but Marcus was already holding his girlfriend back.

“I think you should just leave,” Patrick said. “You deserved that.”

She scrambled to her feet in time to see Brittany’s eyes go wide. Dakota turned in time to see Ginny Moreno standing in the doorway. She looked pale and her mouth was slightly open. So she’d heard everything. Nice.

“I think I will go. There’s nothing for me here.” Dakota turned and strode out into the night.

Maybe there was nothing at all left for her in this town. She got in her car and drove toward the only bar that might serve her. A little White Lightning. That was what she needed.

That was all she needed.

Chapter Six

Ginny slipped inside the doors to Murphy’s pub. It was a stupid move, but then she’d made a whole lot of those lately. She needed to see Logan. Even if he wouldn’t give her the time of day, she needed to see him. Being in the same room with him would give her some kind of comfort.

After the debacle at the Salt house this morning, she’d thought about staying in her room and never coming out again. Or moving. She’d thought about packing up and walking away. She could go to Dallas and find a job and no one would know her. No one would know how horrifically she’d screwed up everyone’s lives. She’d be just another single mom in the city.

Mom. She was going to be a mom and that meant not running away. It meant standing up and making things right. It also meant letting everyone know that despite the fact that she’d messed up, she wasn’t going anywhere. So she’d been able to justify this trip with that piece of logic.

Maybe if Logan saw that she wasn’t going anywhere, that she was willing to make amends, he would soften toward her.

“I told you why,” an altogether too familiar voice was saying as she entered. “Your father is a disgusting pig who preys on young girls. God, he even fucked your roommate. He probably did her in your bed.”

Ginny’s gut twisted. Her eyes were adjusting to the light and she could see she’d walked in on a discussion between Brittany and Dakota. A discussion that apparently involved Patrick and Marcus holding them back.

This was her worst nightmare. This might even be worse than what happened with Celeste. At least she could look Celeste in the eye and say she’d believed with all her heart that she might have been carrying Jacob’s child. She couldn’t look at her former roommate and say she hadn’t known she was sleeping with Brittany’s dad. She’d known. She’d done it anyway.

She wasn’t ready for this confrontation. She should turn and walk away.

Then she saw him. Logan was standing not ten feet away, his eyes on hers, pinning her there as the world fell apart around her.

“Did you think about that?” Dakota kept goading Brittany. She was ruthless. “Have you thought about the fact that your bestie is having your daddy’s baby? How high class are the Rushes now?”

Brittany hauled back and punched Dakota right in the face. Ginny could have told Dakota that while Brit was a lady, she wasn’t a pushover. She had a limit and Dakota had found it.

Good for Brit. Ginny kind of wished she could punch Dakota, too. Oh, she knew they were in the same boat, but Dakota had been the one who decided to sink it for the both of them and set the damn thing on fire while she was at it.

Brittany looked up and her eyes widened the moment she saw Ginny. Someone was saying something about the police. Ginny didn’t quite understand it all because she was looking at her former friend.

“I think I will go. There’s nothing for me here.” Dakota turned and even though she’d just taken a punch, there was a nasty smirk on her face as she walked by. As if to say “I might be trash, but you’re worse. You’re pregnant trash.”

The door closed behind Dakota and then all the focus shifted.

Brittany shook her head. “Naturally you show up. My evening of humiliation is complete.”

Marcus put an arm around Brittany, drawing her back to his chest. “You can’t punch that one, baby. I think the MMA fight is over for tonight.”

“I wouldn’t hit her. She would definitely call the cops on me. We don’t want to damage that baby now do we, Ginny? Tell me something. Do you think you’ll get a nice chunk of the Rush estate for your baby now that you’ve lost the Salt money?”

Ginny took a deep breath. She’d known it was going to be bad. Logan had moved out from behind the bar and joined them. He was watching her every move. He’d been the one to tell her she needed to make things right. Well, now was the time to start. She owed Brittany an explanation. “It wasn’t about the money. I don’t care about money. Your family doesn’t have anything to fear from me. I promise. Please tell your mother if she’s worried and needs me to sign some kind of legal document that I won’t come after the family for cash, she should send that to me.”

Brittany’s stance relaxed enough that Marcus let her go. He didn’t move from behind her, but he didn’t seem to think he would have to stop her from physically assaulting Ginny.

Ginny could have told him that. Dakota had pushed Brittany past all calm. Ginny intended to soothe her.

“Somehow I don’t see that happening,” Brittany said with an edge to her voice.

“I can take care of my baby. I’ll do anything for this child. No matter how he or she was conceived, I still love my baby.”

Brittany’s chin tilted up, a sure sign she was planning on being stubborn. “The baby is innocent.”

You’re not.
Those were the obvious words left unsaid.

“Just because the kid didn’t ask to be born doesn’t mean it won’t face the music someday,” Logan pointed out. “Doesn’t matter. People will still whisper about the gossip and the fact that the baby’s birth started a feud.”

Brittany frowned. “No one should make the baby feel bad.”

Ginny held a hand out, waving off the issue for another day. “Don’t worry about it, Brit. Right now worry about your mom and brother. Please know if there’s anything I can do to make things easier on them, I will. I know I made a mistake.”

“You slept with my father.”

Ginny nodded. “I did. I made that choice and I have to live with it. But the choice I made doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Brit. It means I was selfish and foolish and I have to ask for your forgiveness.”

Brittany stood there, staring at her. There was accusation in her eyes, but something else was there, too. Years had bonded them and Ginny had broken that tie, but there was nothing broken that could not be fixed. With patience. With time. With love.

“I will ask it every day if I have to.”

Brittany stepped back but there was a sheen of tears in her eyes. “What if I told you the best way to help my mom and brother was to leave town?”

“Hey,” Logan began.

Marcus held a hand up to stop his friend. “No. Let them talk this out. These two don’t need a ref. They’re adult women and they need to discuss this if there’s any chance at all for them to have a relationship later on.”

“I don’t know that I want a relationship with her,” Brittany replied.

She understood that. What she’d done might be unforgivable, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try. “I want a relationship with you. I miss you. I’ve missed you all day. It’s hard to get through a day without talking to you. Brit, I can give you time and space. I can beg for forgiveness. But I can’t leave town. That would be cowardly. This is my home and I make my stand here. I make my life here and so I’ll be here every single day. If you ever need me, I’ll be here.”

“And if it’s hard for you to raise your kid here? If people give your kid hell because of how he was conceived?”

“I’ll make that decision when I come to it.” She prayed she never had to.

Brittany turned away, her hand finding Marcus’s. Just when Ginny thought she would walk away without another word, she looked back.

“My mother would never punish your kid. She won’t try to punish you. I think she thinks you’re a victim in all this. I don’t understand everything that’s going on with her, but you should know she’s not coming after you. Neither would Jeffry. I don’t know about my dad. I don’t really know him at all it seems, so I can’t promise he won’t come after your kid.” Brittany nodded her way. “But I can promise you one thing, Ginny Moreno.”

Ginny braced herself for the worst. She knew she deserved it. It simply hurt so much coming from the woman who’d been her friend for so long. “What’s that?”

“If he comes after that kid, he’ll have to go through me to do it.” Brittany turned and walked away.

One moment of kindness did what all the pain couldn’t do. Ginny turned and ran out before anyone could see the tears pouring from her eyes. A sob caught in her chest and everything came crashing down on her.

She’d been numb before, calm almost, but now the primal horror of what had happened couldn’t be denied. She tried to move to her car. Had to get away. Had to get someplace where she could scream.

She hit something and started to fall forward when strong arms caught her, hauling her up.

Logan. He’d followed her, caught her when she fell, lifted her up, and she could smell his aftershave and for a second she felt safe.

“Hold on.” He moved quickly, hurrying her away from prying eyes and more gossip. “Just a minute more. Hold on.”

She clung to him though she knew she didn’t have the right to. She’d hurt him as much as she’d hurt everyone else and yet here he was, protecting her. She did what he asked, bit back the tears, held in the wail that threatened.

He eased her down onto the back porch of Murphy’s where they were protected and the world was quiet. He set her down, but his arms stayed around her. “Go on now. You cry. I can’t. I can’t do it so you do it for us both.”

Tears. So many tears. Tears for her and for Celeste and for Brittany and Jacob. Tears for Logan. Tears for herself.

Ginny cried and let herself moan as the pain shot through her system. So much heartache and she’d brought it all on herself. If only she could take it all back. If only she’d been brave enough to admit her mistakes in that moment when they’d told her about the baby.

It had seemed so innocent, but now she saw the truth.

Her body shook, but Logan held her tight, his arms giving her a safe place.

She cried for the girl she’d been and somewhere in those tears, somewhere she started to forgive herself.

After what felt like forever, she finally quieted, the sobs coming at longer intervals, and yet Logan held her. She could feel his warmth, the safety and comfort of his strength, and she knew he would hold her for as long as she needed. All she had to do was keep crying, keep holding on to him.

But he wasn’t hers anymore and the way to get Logan back was to find her own strength for once in her life.

Slowly she managed to sit up and find her balance. “I’m sorry I lost it like that.”

He was silent for a moment and she felt the loss of their momentary intimacy. He’d been so close to her. Or he’d merely been Logan. A hero who wouldn’t turn away a crying woman simply because she’d lied to the world and ripped him apart. “I think it’s understandable. It’s been a rough day. You hadn’t cried?”

She shook her head. She wanted to reach for him again, but she could feel the distance between them now. He was still here, but he’d retreated. “No. I cried a little, but I didn’t want Marisol to hear me. She’s been through enough.”

Logan turned away, his eyes leaving her. He stared out into the night. “Marisol is tough. I think she would want you to be comfortable enough to cry around her. You need to rely on your family now.”

They’d been so close mere moments before, but now she could hear the awkwardness in his tone. Their moment was over and she worried that it would be a very long time before they truly had one again. At one point he’d felt like family. He’d felt like the future. Not anymore. She’d ruined that.

“I think you’re right. I’m sorry I dragged you into this again.”

“Why did you come here tonight, Ginny?” His jaw was tight, his eyes dark as he finally looked back at her.

How to answer that? She let the cool of the night air flow over her, taking it in before she replied. “I wanted to see you. I wasn’t actually going to talk to you. I was going to have something to eat and know I was in the space you were in.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

It hurt her heart, but she had to ask. “You don’t want me to come here again?”

“I don’t know.” He put his hands on his knees. “I need time, Ginny.”

She swallowed, trying to be mature. Not sure if he needed time before they made up. Or before he walked away altogether. “All right. I feel like I need to be out in the world, though. I can’t hide away, and we’re in the same town. I need people to understand I’m still here. I’m a member of this town and whether they like me or not, I’m going to raise my baby here.”

He was quiet for a moment. “How’s Little Bit doing?”

“Little Bit is going to be okay because I’m going to make sure of it.” She took a deep breath, feeling something lift from her spirit, something that had weighed her down before. “I’m going to work through all of this so when this baby is born, he or she will only feel love.”

Logan nodded, but he was staring out into the night again. “That’s good.”

“One day you’ll understand that I never meant to hurt you.”

“Maybe. Maybe some of this is my fault. I put you on a pedestal. I thought you were different.”

“Nope. Turns out I’m just human.”

“Yeah, well so am I and I can’t switch on a dime, Ginny.”

“I understand. I really do. And I will give you the time you need, but you should understand that what I said for Brittany goes for you, too. I’m here if you ever need me. I’m here if you want to talk or if you need to yell at me. I can take it. I’ll do almost anything to win back some of your trust. The lying was never about you. It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about loving Jacob. It was about being ashamed of what I’d done. This was about me.” It felt good to acknowledge that. “I was ashamed of sleeping with my friend’s father. I was ashamed of sleeping with another woman’s husband. I was ashamed of valuing myself so little that I would do that to myself. The funny thing is you taught me I’m worth more.”