“Aw, man. This will be the first one I’ve missed in a long ass time. You better honor my legacy, Ronin. Make us look damn good.”
“Of course. I already pulled out the photos of last year so I can make sure I get every detail right.” My eyes roll up to the ceiling, but I’m smiling. “So, how’s your dad? Anything new?”
Will sighs wearily. “Well, that’s why I’m calling actually.” He pauses, and the space between his words is heavy. “You still serious about buying the diner, Ro?”
My heart stutters for a second as his words echo in my ear. “Yeah, uh, yes. Definitely still serious. Does this mean?—”
“I don’t think I’m coming back home, no.”
My gut sinks. This is not at all the way I wanted to earn the diner from him.
“My father—he’s stable, but it’s gonna take more than my mom to take care of him now. He needs me. They both need me. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Of course, yeah. I would do the same if I were in your shoes.”
“Well, let’s pray you never are, Ronin. This has been—” Will’s voice catches, turning low and rough “—much harder than I thought it would be. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you stepping up for me. It’s made for one less thing weighing on my mind these last few months.”
“Anytime, man. Seriously. And if you need anything at all, you let me know, alright?Anything.”
“Thanks, Ro.” Will pauses. “I know this offer has come at a hard time, but I need you to know that I’m really fucking proud of you, man. You deserve this. You’re gonna keep Double Shot in great hands, I know it.”
I thank him with a boulder of emotion in my throat, and we wrap up the somber conversation, making plans to get the paperwork going for the diner as soon as possible.
After hanging up, I sit quietly in my office, staring blankly at the wall in front of my desk. There’s a recent addition there, a painting done by Brooklyn from Bree as a cheer-me-up gift. It’s an abstract mix of colors and shapes, and I love it. Teal and cream weave across the canvas, splashed with amber—the exact color of Mel’s eyes. Those colors bend and blur together as tears threaten to escape. I swallow hard.
My heart breaks for what Will and his family are going through. I cannot imagine if anything of the sort had happened to my grandparents or my mother. In a lot of ways, my grandma and grandpa raised me more than my own mom did. The thought of any of them in pain makes my chest hurt, my heart clenching and twisting.
Finally getting Will to sell to me doesn’t hold the same excitement that it did before.
I really wish Mellie was here. I want so badly to walk down to the bookstore, pull her into a comforting hug, and tell her everything that just transpired. I miss her scent, her soothing mixture of vanilla and lavender. I miss the way she can calm me with her very presence, a squeeze of her hand in mine or her gentle touch rubbing my back.
I just really fucking miss my girlfriend.
I settle for the next best Baker and call her brother.
“Thanks, Cat.” She places a beautiful charcuterie board in the center of the dining room table where Evan and I are seated,and I give the spread an appreciative smile. “This looks fantastic, you really didn’t have to do this.”
“Psh,hush. It’s nothing,” Catalina replies, but her brown cheeks go rosy with delight. Excusing herself, she heads down the hall toward their bedroom, leaving us on our own.
“I can’t believe that you’re finally going to buy Double Shot, man,” Evan muses, leaning back in his chair. He snags a piece of meat from the board.
“Yeah, me neither. Not how I thought it would go down, but I’m still in shock that it’s actually happening.”
“So what’s next?”
I take a sip of my whiskey and grab a snack before answering. “Well, we’ll be meeting with our lawyers next week and I’ll know more then. It might take a few months to finalize all of the closing details. I don’t really know exactly how long the actual process takes.”
Evan nods. “What about replacing you? Are you thinking of taking on another manager to help out?”
This was something I’d been considering all day long. I’ve been managing the place side by side with Will for years now, but that was mostly due to him wanting to take a step back to focus on other areas in his life. Technically, I could still do my job while taking up all of the other duties he will be leaving behind. But, I’ve been doing it by myself for months, and it’s beenexhausting. If the diner can afford it, I want to bring someone else on.
“Actually, yeah. And I think I have the perfect candidate in mind.”
Evan’s dark brows raise in question as he helps himself to another bite.
“Kian.” I sip my drink and lean back in my chair. “He’s already got the experience, and I imagine he’d probably love to get out of that pirate place he’s been stuck at.”
Evan laughs. “Dude’s been there since like, high school, I’m pretty sure.”
