Abbi Glines - Never Too Far

After I got their drink orders I headed for Woods’ table. All three guys smiled at me as I approached and Thad winked. He was the pretty boy who liked to flirt and everyone knew it. So ignoring him was easy. “Good afternoon, boys. What can I get you three to drink?” I asked as I put their water glasses in front of them.

“You look chipper this morning. It’s nice to see you smiling again,” Thad said as he reached for his glass of water and took a sip.

The blush was back in my cheeks. I could feel it. I glanced over at Woods who was watching me with a knowing look. He was smart enough to figure it out. “I’ll have coffee,” was Woods’ only reply. I was extremely thankful he wasn’t in the mood to tease me.

“Bethy wouldn’t let me touch the donuts Jimmy brought over this morning. I didn’t realize donuts would put you in such a good mood.” The smirk on Jace’s face said he knew exactly what had happened. Was the entire club going to know about my sex life now? Was it that interesting?

“I happen to love donuts,” I replied, studying my pad instead of looking at any of them.

“I just bet you do,” Jace chuckled. “Bring me a Honey Brown, please.”

“I feel like I’m missing something here and I hate being left out,” Thad said leaning on the table and inspecting me closer.

“Back off and order your damn drink,” Woods snapped at him.

Thad rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat. “Everyone’s so touchy. I’ll have a bottle of spring water.”

I wrote it down then glanced down at Woods. “Would you like me to bring fresh fruit to the table?”

He nodded. “Please.”

Glad to be done with those three I headed back to the kitchen after being stopped by Mrs. Higgenbotham who wanted a Mimosa for her and her daughter who looked to be about eighteen.

Jimmy was loading up his tray when I walked back into the kitchen. He glanced back at me over his shoulder. “I know I’m being nosy but I gotta ask, who was the girl Rush ran off and left here yesterday?”

Meg. I didn’t know anything else about her. Just Meg, an old friend. I had actually forgotten that Rush had left her here. “She’s an old friend of his. I don’t know much else.”

“Woods knew her well too. He went and talked to her after the two of you ran off. I figured she wasn’t new if they both knew her.”

I reminded myself that she was a part of his past. I had no reason to feel jealous of her in any way. They were old friends. Just because she was one of them didn’t mean I had to feel inferior.

I put Woods’ fruit on my tray and grabbed the drinks everyone had ordered before going back into the dining room.

I focused on delivering drinks to my tables before doing a sweep of the room while I walked toward Woods’ table. I saw Woods cut his eyes from me to a table to my left. It was in Jimmy’s area. I glanced back to see if that was a hint for me to help someone when my eyes locked with Rush’s. I stopped. He was here. A smile started to form on my lips when my eyes shifted to see Nan sitting beside him with an angry snarl on her face. I swung my attention back to Woods and decided to pretend they weren’t here.

“Here’s your fruit.” I could hear the nervous tone in my voice and I prayed the guys didn’t notice. “And here are your drinks. Y’all ready to order now?” I asked, forcing a smile.

All three of them stared up at me making this all the more uncomfortable. This was something I was going to have to learn to get over. Nan was his sister. She’d be in my life if Rush was. Learning to live with someone hating me was a part of life I’d need to learn to accept.

“It’s his sister. You do this thing with him and you have to deal with her too,” Jace told me as if I didn’t already know this. I didn’t like feeling as if every emotion I had was on display. I’d always been a private person. This was too much.

I ignored him pulling my pad out and looked pointedly at Woods. He cleared his throat and ordered. The others did too without anymore words of wisdom.

Rush

“I called and asked you to have lunch with me. Could you at least give me thirty minutes of your attention? It’s been weeks since we’ve had time alone together. I miss you.” The hurt in Nan’s voice tugged at me. She was right. I was ignoring her. I wasn’t sure what she’d even said since Blaire had walked into the dining room. I’d been so focused on making sure she wasn’t carrying anything too heavy and that no one was mistreating her… or flirting with her, that I hadn’t been much of a lunch date for my sister.

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” I told her and tore my eyes off the door where I’d been watching for Blaire to walk back through. “Tell me again about this sailing tournament you’re doing with the new guy… you said his name was Charles.”

Nan smiled at the mention of the guy’s name and then nodded. She reminded me of the little girl I’d hovered over when she looked all excited about something. Not the angry adult she’d grown up to be. “Yes. He is the Kellars’ grandson. He’s from Cape Cod and he is big into sailing. He sailed down here for the summer. Anyway, there is a sailing tournament he entered and he wants to take me with him. It’s just for a few days.”

I listened as she rattled on about Charles and his sailboat and tried extremely hard not to look around for Blaire. I needed to find a balance between the two women in my life. Blaire came first but I love my sister and she needed me. Even if it was a lunch date listening to her prattle about her latest conquest. No one else ever listened to her talk.

She stopped talked and scowled at something over my shoulder. “She needs to focus on her work and stop looking over here at you. God, I don’t know why Woods doesn’t just fire her.”

I glanced back to see Woods, Jace, and Thad all smiling and joking around with a blushing Blaire.

“She’s not looking now. She’s too busy flirting with other guys. She just cares about the money. It’s pathetic really. I wish you’d see through her ridiculous act. I mean, I can see it—”

“Nan, shut up,” I growled. I hadn’t meant to but hearing Nan bad mouth Blaire and watching guys flirt with her and make her blush was a little more than I could handle. I was going to go make sure each one of those horny bastards understood she was mine.

“You’re going to leave me for her? She’s flirting with them, Rush. I can’t believe you would just get up during our lunch to go stake your claim on some cheap whore.”

The jealous rage I had been feeling immediately switched its focus from the guys to my sister. A red haze settled over me as I swung my attention back to her. “What the fuck did you just say?” I asked keeping my voice low and even as I towered over her.

She opened her mouth to speak but I knew I’d lose it if she said anything else bad about Blaire.

“Don’t. If you want to walk out of here with your dignity then don’t. If you ever say anything like that about Blaire again I will cut you loose. Do. You. Fucking . Understand.”

Nan’s eyes went wide. I’d never spoken to her this hard before. But she’d gone too far. She jumped up and threw her napkin down on the table. “I can’t believe you. I’m your sister. She’s just… she’s just…”

“She’s just the woman I’m in love with. You need to remember that,” I finished for her.

Nan’s eyes flashed fire as she spun around and stalked out of the clubhouse. I didn’t care. I needed her to leave before I said anything else. I didn’t want to hurt her. I loved her but I hated the words that continued to pour out of her mouth.

A hand touched my arm and I jerked in response before I realized it was Blaire. Her blue eyes were full of concern. This was what she’d been afraid of. Nan and her hate. I couldn’t blame her but I also couldn’t live without Blaire. However, right now I needed to be alone.