Page 83 of The Other Half

Shaking my head, I smiled. “You’ll always be my friend. My brother. But if you so much as look at this girl sideways, I swear to God I’ll finish what I started at the Ox.”

He raised his hands against my glare. “Hell. No! Never again! I’d sooner pluck out my own eyes before I covet your girl again. I’m still chewing slow after our last encounter.” Rubbing his jaw, he gave me that playful smile I’d missed so much.

Smiling, I gave him a nod. He was worth forgiving. Worth a second chance. The bonds of brotherhood between us were woven too tight.

“Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Bars closing. You’d better go get your girl.”

With a nod, I walked off. There was one other person I needed to forgive tonight.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Cassie

“Seriously, Jo. Go home. I’ll close up. It’s the least I can do after leaving you short-handed this week.” I pushed the rag down the bar.

“You sure?” she asked. The exhaustion shone through her eyes from almost a week trying to keep the Blue Ox afloat in high-season without me.

“Positive. I owe you a lot for giving me a second chance.”

“Let’s be honest. I was just short-staffed.” She laughed, giving me a little well-deserved side-eye.

“Well I’m still grateful for the chance to come back. You don’t understand how much this job, and this place, mean to me.”

“So, you’re really not going to take any money from your grandpa? You could be traveling in jets and limos, and you’re going to keep driving that rust-bucket around?”

“It’s my rust-bucket, and I kind of love of it.” I grinned, pulling glasses out of the dishwasher.

“You’re a strange bird, Cassie. But I dig it. Good for you to stand up on your own. You know how I feel about rich people, so I’m glad you’re no longer one of them.”

Laughing, I sucked the air through my teeth. “I mean, I do have a hefty trust fund headed my way someday, but maybe I can change your mind about rich people.”

“We’ll see. If you can survive on your own for a while, maybe, just maybe, I won’t hate you when you inherit your millions.” She winked.

“Yeah. It’s about time. I mean, I’m sad I lost the chance to run the company, but this will be a good place for me to start climbing up the ladder myself. Just like my grandpa did.”

“You really think you could have run a billion-dollar company?” She arched a brow. “The girl who couldn’t figure out what went in a gin and tonic?”

Bursting into laughter, I shook my head. “I actually have an MBA from Columbia if you can believe it. Waitressing, bartending, fishing? No clue. Running a company? That I’ve got down pat. Or, I would have, if I’d been given a chance.”

“I’m sorry you missed out on it.”

“Me, too. But I can’t blame Grandpa for giving up on me. I was a disaster.”

“Hey,” she said, showing a glimpse of her softer side. “You went through a lot. I get that now. At least he’s forgiven you. That’s a start.”

“Now if I can just get Jake to forgive me.” I sighed, wondering if that wish lived in the same forest with leprechauns and unicorns.

Blowing out a puff of air, she grimaced. “That’s going to be an uphill battle. But give it some time. He may come around.”

“I hope so. I was really falling for him, Jo.”

“Falling?” She scoffed. “I saw the way you two looked at each other. The word you’re searching for is fell. You both fell for each other.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but I knew any words other than “I fell for him. Hard.” would be a lie. And lying wasn’t something I was ever going to do again.

“You’re right.” I smiled. “But it won’t matter if he can’t forgive me.”

“Just give him some time, Cassie. You never know.”