I pushed open the door to Lake Ridge, seeing a line of people sitting at the bar and various tables filled already. I was so proud of what my brother had done with the bar. He turned it into more than a place to grab a drink. It was a spot to socialize, catch up, and see people you normally didn’t throughout the week.
My brother would be the first to say that it wasn’t just him. That he had help from our dad, Cooper, and his staff inrevamping Lake Ridge, which was true, but it wouldn’t have been possible without his vision and dedication.
Summers tended to be more lively with more nights dedicated to music, dancing, and sitting around the fire pits, but Lake Ridge was truly a year-round stop. Tonight, people were playing pool, darts, grabbing a drink, or stopping by to chat.
Wes had even decorated for the holidays, although that was likely more Jules’s doing. The decorations were simple. Red tinsel garland wrapped around the edge of the bar with candy canes hanging off it. Each chair by the bar had a giant Santa hat on the back of the it, and there were Christmas lights wrapped around the various pillars.
Eliza, who started bartending here over the summer, moved effortlessly as she prepared drinks. When she spotted me, she grinned, waving me over. “Why are you just standing there?”
I smiled back at her, walking up to one of the few open spots at the bar. “Zoned out,” I admitted with a laugh. “I was thinking about how much work has gone into this place. How Wes has really changed it to be a top spot in the state.” My recluse brother, who disliked when new people came to town, created something that drew in people from all across Wisconsin—and the Midwest. He’d been more open since meeting Jules, although the first impression he made on her wasn’t great. Yet, they still found their way to each other.
Eliza nodded fondly. “Yeah, he’s really built on what your dad started. I’ve enjoyed working for him. I can give him shitandget paid for it.”
I laughed at the mischievous smile on Eliza’s face. “The dream, honestly. Has Wes said anything more about hiring a chef?”
My brother wanted to hire a chef to join Lake Ridge and bring a vision for a potential menu. Wes wanted to work with local farmers to source ingredients, minimize food waste, anduse other sustainable practices. He wanted to hire someone who believed in this vision and his goals.
“A little bit. He still has to solidify the timeline, but I think he’s trying to start the search in the first couple months of the new year. He wants them to start in the spring, so they have time to get things figured out before things pick up in the summer.”
“I can’t wait.” I beamed. “I’ll be stopping by every day for a late lunch after closing up the café.”
“Speaking of the café…” Eliza trailed off, raising a brow.
“What about it?” I tried—and failed—to play it off.
She rolled her eyes. “You know what—or rather, you knowwho—I’m asking about.”
I blew out a breath. “Things are fine. Better than last week, that’s for sure. But still …confusing. We’re getting along better, so that’s good. But we still don’t know much about each other, so it’s hard to trust him. Plus, we’re on opposing sides. I don’t think we’ll everfullyget along. I don’t really understand how him being around is supposed to help me. That’s part of the reason why I stopped in. I was hoping to catch Hal before poker to see if he’s thought about the building at all.”
“At least things are better, though?” Eliza offered.
“Yeah, they are,” I agreed. “I mean, we haven’t killed each other yet, so there’s that.” I grinned, trying to play off any indication that there might be something else going on between us.
To be clear, there wasn’t. But my mind did wander to our moment a couple of days ago in the kitchen. And to the other moments throughout the week when it felt like thingscouldbe different, like we might actually get along.
I normally told Eliza everything, but I held back these tiny details, because saying them out loud would imply it meant more and that I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him.
It would mean admitting I was wrong about Gabe, and I wasn’t sure if I fully trusted my judgment yet.
I was grateful he opened up to me, and I meant what I told him. But he still worked for Nelson Group, and that was the part I didn’t understand. He clearly wanted to be doing different work…so what was keeping him working for his father? Was it naive of me to think he could leave?
“Let’s keep it that way,” Eliza said. “I’d rather not bail you out of jail—although you know I would in a heartbeat.”
“And I’d do the same for you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hal coming out of the back hallway with Wes. It took everything in me not to run over to them, but I remained calm.
“Wish me luck,” I said under my breath to my best friend, and she gave me a sympathetic smile before saying, “You got this. I’ll see you later tonight for our movie night with Jules.”
I pushed off the bar and made my way over to Hal as Wes was wrapping up his conversation with him. “Give ’em hell, Hal.” Wes jutted his chin toward the table in the back of the bar set up for the poker game. When I looked over, I saw Gabe sitting at the table with Cooper. He was sitting slightly off to the side, as if he was there to hang out but not play. That was…interesting. I didn’t expect him to be here. I would’ve thought he had no interest in stopping by Lake Ridge or spending time with people in town.
On one hand, I was glad Gabe was spending time with Hal and giving Golden Falls a chance. He deserved to get to know Hal, to have a relationship with him. On the other, my insecurities about the two of them getting closer and Hal potentially giving the building to Gabe because he was his grandson floated to the surface.
Even though Gabe was in a conversation with Cooper, it was like his attention was solely on me when our eyes locked.I watched Gabe bring his beer up to his lips, eyeing how his hand flexed around the bottle and how his throat bobbed as he swallowed. I wondered what was going through his mind. Was he as confused as I was?
Hal’s voice broke me out of my thoughts. “You know I will, but something tells me Cooper has us all beat.”
Cooper lifted his head at the sound of his name and waved over to us, a grin on his face. “Damn straight!” He then turned his attention toward Gabe, and the two resumed their conversation.
