Distraction (Club Destiny #8)(27)

“Twice last week,” he confessed.

“Is it helping?”

Watching his sister closely, Dylan shrugged. “I’m still sober. I swear.” Even if he wished otherwise, the years of sobriety he’d logged were important to him. Sure, as his sponsor said, it was something he should be proud of, but Dylan was still living one day at a time. It was the only way he could make it through.

When she didn’t pelt another question at him, Dylan knew his sister was getting worked up. Ashleigh had been worried about him for a long time. Hell, she had even put off her own wedding to deal with him and his bullshit. Granted, Dylan hadn’t been at all happy about that, nor had Alex. The fistfight he and Alex had gotten into would forever be a reminder of how shitty he’d treated the important people in his life.

“Are you sure you should go? I mean…” Ashleigh paused. “Are you going there to gamble?”

“Maybe,” he told her. Seriously, if he did go to Shreveport, what else was he going to do? He wasn’t much of a gambler, but then again, these days he wasn’t much of anything. He’d been simply existing for over a decade, and the moment he’d heard about this Bill guy and Sarah, he’d felt the first real spark of life. He just didn’t know how to deal with it. Yet.

When Ashleigh didn’t say anything, Dylan filled in the silence. “It’s good, Ash. I promise. If I go, it’ll be a quick trip. I’d be back on Sunday. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“But I do,” she said softly.

“I know.” It saddened him how much he’d caused her to worry. “I’m not gonna do anything stupid. Trust me.”

He thought for a moment that his sister was going to cry. He was about to reassure her again, but she turned and fled the room, not looking back when Alex called out to her.

Dylan waited for Alex’s wrath. Surprisingly, it didn’t come.

“She’s a little emotional right now,” Alex explained with a heavy sigh.

It took a moment for Dylan to catch the meaning. “She’s…?”

A slow smile took over Alex’s face as he glanced at his daughter, still in his arms. “Yeah. We’re gonna have another baby.”

“Holy shi—” He cut the curse off when he realized Riley was staring at him intently. “That’s awesome, man. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. She’s worried after…”

Yeah, Dylan understood just what Alex was saying. Ashleigh’s first pregnancy hadn’t been an easy one. She’d been confined to bed rest for quite some time, and he couldn’t help but think he’d been responsible for a lot of her stress.

“Is there a specific reason you’re goin’ to Shreveport?” Alex inquired.

“No,” he admitted.

“What if I had another suggestion for you?”

“Like?”

“Luke and Cole are puttin’ on some fancy thing at Devotion tonight. Kicking off the new year and all that. Cole called and tried to convince me to bring Ashleigh. Why don’t you go by, check it out? I know you’ve talked about goin’ to the club since they opened.”

Surprised by the suggestion, especially considering it would be a temptation Dylan wasn’t sure he could resist, he tossed the idea around for a moment. It was true, Dylan had been talking about going to Devotion, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do it. But it didn’t sound like a bad idea. If he couldn’t have Sarah, he could easily find a way to distract himself with someone else. For a little while anyway.

Right. Like that would ever happen. Even if he convinced himself to pursue another woman, Dylan wasn’t sure he could follow through. He wasn’t completely dead on the inside, but something had stopped him all these years. His hand had been the only action his dick had received and until Sarah, he’d been good with that.

But he wasn’t a damn saint. His little head would eventually win out.

“Are y’all goin’?” Dylan asked.

Alex shook his head. “Not into that scene.”

Dylan knew that. And since there wasn’t the risk of seeing his sister there—he didn’t even want to think about what they would be doing if they did spend time in a place like Devotion—then he might as well go. After all, it would save him gas money and give him something to do. What did he have to lose?

“I like that idea,” Dylan finally said.

“But then there’s the temptation…” Alex began.

“Of booze? I’m good, man. Swear it.” He had too much invested in his sobriety at this point. Too many people were depending on him not falling apart again. It wouldn’t be easy, but Dylan wasn’t worried. “Just as long as it’s not some crazy theme party,” he tacked on.

“Optional,” Alex said.

“Good.”

Alex smiled. “Now that she doesn’t have to worry about you leavin’ town, maybe you could go in there and talk to her.”

“Yeah.” Dylan got to his feet. His hand came up to rub the scruffy beard that’d filled in his face. “But then I’ve gotta head home so I can shower.”

“Good idea,” Alex acknowledged with a smirk. “You’re startin’ to look like a grizzly. And the gray… It’s taking over.”