Back to Luke by Kathryn Shay Page B

“You gotta be kidding me.”
     

    H ARRY’S B AR in the center of town was frequented mostly by laborers: builders, plumbers, electricians, construction workers and city maintenance people. Luke liked its lack of pretentiousness and—okay, he’d admit it—the male atmosphere of the place. Women rarely darkened its doorway and he appreciated the camaraderie and talk of work, as well as the sports blaring from the three overhead sets. The place always smelled of fresh beer and the peanut shells strewn on the floor.
    Snagging a stool at the end of the scarred oak bar, he ordered a Coors. Right about now, he could use a double Manhattan. Though he used to favor the drink in his old life, he stayed away from it these days. As he sipped his beer, he thought about the liquor and everything else he’d given up. And maybe because he and Naomi had talked about her the other day, he had a clear vision of Elizabeth Madison, the woman he’d become involved with after Jayne left him, handing him a rocks glass full of booze….
    She’d sat on her white leather couch, a martini, dry, two olives, in her hand. Funny, he remembered the pretty ice-blue dress she’d been wearing. “Here you go, darling. You seem like you could use reinforcements.” Her dark looks always pleased him, as did herrefinement. Her sophistication had reminded him of Jayne. At one time, he thought he wanted that in a woman.
    “I’m thinking of leaving New York, Elizabeth.”
    She’d studied him carefully. “Look, I know you’re upset about Tim. But forsaking everything you’ve built up here is foolish.”
    “Timmy’s not the only reason I want out. I hate this life now.”
    “You’ll get over that.” She moved in close. “And I’m here.”
    “I thought you’d come with me.” He had picked up her hand and rubbed the obscenely expensive diamond he’d given her. “We could settle in Riverdale. Raise our kids there. A big city like this is no place to have a family.”
    Drawing back, she’d peered down her nose at him. In bed she was hot and needy. Outside of the bedroom, she could turn as cool as a February night. “I was raised here.”
    It took him a while before he realized what she was saying, what ultimatum she was giving him. He called her on it, and she refused to leave with him. They’d parted with hard feelings, even though her father had understood Luke’s need to go home.
    “Hey, boss. Where are you?”
    He looked up to find Ranaletti had joined him at the bar. “Nowhere important.”
    “Thinking about Her Highness?”
    “Nope.”
    Ranaletti took a seat next to him. The guy was about his height, but thinner. “How long is she sticking around?”
    “I’m not sure. I didn’t bring her to the job.”
    “Jess did. I don’t blame him. She looks like that old movie star…what was her name?”
    “Elizabeth Taylor.”
    Some of his other men had moved in closer. One, Zeke Huff, a bulky son of a bitch who helped out on the electrical stuff with Cal, wasn’t Luke’s favorite person. He’d had run-ins with the guy on many Harmony Housing jobs. Zeke must have overheard Ranaletti’s comment, because he said, “She’s a nice piece, all right. Got Jess pussy-whipped.”
    “Watch what you say, Huff. Rumors hurt people.”
    “What, you think somebody in here’s gonna go running back to wifey and tell her Jess is thinkin’ with his johnson?”
    “I said shut the hell up!”
    The man’s dark eyes narrowed. “It ain’t just me who noticed. It’s happening all over the site. Now, if you’re thinkin’ about getting in her pants, that’s a different story. I wouldn’t mind some myself when you’re done.”
    Luke scraped back the stool and stood. He wanted to rip the guy’s face off for his crude comments about Jayne. The only thing that stopped him was the door opening, and Mick O’Malley stumbling through it. Mick scowled at Luke, made his way down the bar and took a seat. A different kind of emotion filled Luke. Guilt