Well, shit. I’d been found out. “I’m banned from talking to her,” I reiterated. “So you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Why?”
“I ... don’t really stick around.”
Both men stiffened. “Oh,” Mark said.
“You’re one of those playboys then?” Atticus’s tone was cooler than it had been earlier. “We don’t really ... do that around here. We all like connection.”
Of fucking course they did. “That’s why I’m staying away from her.”
“Good. You have some sense.”
“The point is, I just wanna do something nice.” I needed to get them back on track and not lose my mind.
Mark seemed to consider it.
“You know getting involved in the young people’s drama isn’t gonna do any good,” Atticus said to him. “I stay out of it.”
“Yeah, Atticus, and I watch Jade in here trying to forget Gabriel exists.” Mark gave him a flat look.
Atticus rolled his eyes. “Not this again.”
“Do you guys have this conversation a lot?” I asked. “Seems like an old wound.”
Dammit. Was I wanting to know what had happened? Yes. I did.
I was from a small town, after all.
“Every time he comes in here,” Mark said with a sigh. “Welcome to Strawberry Springs. We have a lot of drama.”
“Then let me take one away.” I handed over my card. “Don’t even tell her I did this.”
Mark took the card with one pensive look and then disappeared. “And put my beer on there!”
“Absolutely fucking not!”
“Damn,” I muttered. “What’s a guy gotta do to pay a bill?”
“Mark does that for people he likes.”
I nearly broke my neck looking at Atticus.
“Seriously?”
“You seem like a cool guy,” he said with a shrug. “Other than the sleeping around thing.”
And there it was.
Now that I’d been honest about my intentions, they’d see me differently. Normally, that wouldn’t bother me, but being in a small town made me feel off-kilter, and them knowing me as a playboy didn’t feel as comforting as it normally did.
At least I wouldn’t be here long enough to care.
My card appeared in front of me. “Well, that’s one less call to make. Thanks, Dean.”
I took it. “No problem. I’m gonna get out of here and we’ll all pretend this never happened.”
Mark nodded and Atticus waved. I gave them one last smile before walking out the door.