Page 19 of Game Over
Based on what she’d learned so far, the man was nothing like the boy she remembered. The old Deke had been jealous and insecure. He’d felt inadequate and embarrassed about his upbringing. The new Deke was comfortable in his own skin and made no apologies to anyone. She loved that.
“I just need time,” Harper said. “To figure things out. I’m just coming off a bad relationship and the last thing I need is to make another mistake.”
“You really think Deke would be a mistake?”
No. “I don’t know. But I need time to figure that out.”
Chapter Seven
Deke was talking to Rylee on the phone, filling her in on Harper’s tattoo, so she could collaborate with him on the revised design. He was normally comfortable with intricate re-designs, but this one was personal and he didn’t want to screw it up. When it came to tattoos, he’d earned a reputation as a master in the field, but with Harper he was still a novice working on his masters. He knew he still had a long way to go, but now that she was back in his life he was willing to take it one day at a time until she could finally look him in the eye and say those three little words that had been haunting him since the last time he heard her say them.
“It’s pretty straight-forward right, Deke?” Rylee said. “I’m surprised you’re stressin’ about this. Seems like the kind of thing you could do in your sleep.”
Rylee worked for a buddy of his, Nate, who owned a tattoo shop. She was a sweet girl with a dark past, a loner, who’d claimed her tattoo family as kin. He could relate to her story, so they’d bonded over drinks one night and had kept in touch ever since.
“You remember that girl I told you about once… Harper?” They’d had a few drinks after a show they’d both attended and he’d spilled his guts about the love of his life and how stupid he’d been to let her go.
“Oh yeah, the girl who went off to college and left you, right?” She chuckled. “Still can’t believe you dumped her like that, dumbass.”
That’s why he loved Rylee, because she could be brutally honest and didn’t give a shit about offending him. “Neither can I. Anyways, the tattoo is hers.”
“And the name?”
“Her ex-fiancé.” He spit it out through clenched teeth. “Asshole cheated on her, so she dumped him.”
“Can’t say that I blame her for wanting to wipe out the ink then. What were you thinking?”
He’d love to replace it with his name, but knew that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. “Something colorful, feminine.” Like the lady herself. “I don’t think she’d mind making it a bit bigger, if need be, to make it better.”
“Sounds good. So you two getting back together, or what?”
“Let’s just say we’re getting closer.” He smiled, thinking if they kept moving at this pace they’d be engaged by Christmas. “She’s looking after my nephew for me this summer.”
“No way! How’d you talk her into that?”
“She’s a teacher. Between jobs, since she just moved back to the area. I needed someone to watch Drew and she needed the money.”
She laughed. “Call it fate, huh?”
“I’d like to think so.” Whatever force brought her back into his life, he’d gladly hit his knees every night to praise it.
His gaze drifted to the door when the buzzer indicated a visitor. “Uh, speaking of, guess who just walked in?” His smile spread as he watched Harper chat with the college student manning the front desk.
“In that case, I’ll let you go. Hey, Deke. Good luck with the girl.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll text you later with some ideas for the tat.”
“You’re the best.”
“Just remember, you owe me.”
There wasn’t a price too high to get rid of the reminder of the loser who’d stolen too many precious years from her. “Just name it, you know that.” There was nothing Deke wouldn’t do for his friends. They’d become family and his success meant he could afford to be generous.
Harper waved as he disconnected the call. She looked adorably shy and uncertain, like she wasn’t sure if she’d overstepped by paying him a visit at work. He would gladly welcome her into all parts of his life, but when a few of his tattoo artists started smiling, trying to catch her eye, Deke clapped his hands and said only loud enough for them to hear, “Back to work, assholes. She’s off limits.”
A collective groan rang out before they returned to cleaning stations and inking bodies.
