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I rock back on my heels, thankful that she will honor our agreement. It’s one of the biggest catering jobs I booked this summer. “Then your secret is safe with me. Besides, I kind of helped you two get together.”
“What are you talking about?” Carter cocks his head and studies me in his way. It always makes me feel like he’s trying to figure out my deepest, darkest secrets.
I only have one, and I know there is a good chance those gossipy old women will get pissed if they find out I told on them. But sometimes, it’s fun to live on the dangerous side.
“Well, the LOLs asked me to be flirty with Piper that day when both of you came into the restaurant.”
“The fuck?” Carter shakes his head. “Those crazy old women knew I wanted her.”
I laugh as I remember that day. “Yeah, they said something about getting you drunk one night, and all you did was talk about Piper.”
The LOLs have a mission to keep the younger generation in town, especially a popular doctor like Piper. In their mind, if someone finds love in Juniper, they’ll stay in town. I hate to admit that it’s a reasonable assumption. And it proved to me that I should avoid drinking with those crafty women. There’s no way I am going to spend any time with them after drinking.
Piper laughs and kisses his cheek. “You’re so easy.”
“Why did you help?” Carter asks.
I shrug. “Keeps them off my back.”
The cabal of LOLs rule that town with an iron fist, and they know everything going on. It’s best to divert their attention. At least I still have my brother in my back pocket. I won’t hesitate to throw him at the LOLs to save myself. Now that these two are together, they might start pushing women at me. It hasn’t happened yet, but they might just be biding their time.
Piper leans forward and kisses me on the cheek.
“Thanks for keeping our secret and helping the LOLs. I know it must be strange that we got married here.”
It is, but when you grow up in Juniper, you get used to weird. “Weird? Carter’s brother and my sister didn’t know each other’s last names until they ran into each other months after starting their relationship. Oh, and Everly was pregnant with Esme. Nowthat’sweird.”
The elevator dings, and the doors slide open.
“This is my floor. Have a good time,” I say, stepping off the lift. I find myself smiling. The two of them seem so happy. I’m not ready to settle down, but it’s nice to see when two people find happiness together.
As I make my way to my room, I think about how I’ve changed, and I’ve been thankful for that. I’ve had relationships, but my focus has been on building my restaurant and my reputation. In South Texas, that isn’t easy. My forte is barbecue, and while that’s popular in Texas, I live in Juniper Springs, less than an hour outside of Austin, where Aaron Franklin lives and works. The competition is tough, and it isn’t for the weak-hearted.
I had a lot of help. My brother Wyatt has run his own bar and grill for almost two decades, and a family friend, Jason Gold, invested in my dream—just like he helped Wyatt. Even with that assistance, it wasn’t a sure thing, but making it to the top of the list inTexas Monthlyhelped me even more.
Once I’m in my room, I find myself out of sorts. I spent all day thinking that all I wanted was to get away from the crowds, but now I don’t know what to do. Maybe it’s Vegas. There’s an energy here, or perhaps it’s the oxygenated air in the casino. It makes it hard to settle down.
My phone buzzes with a call, and there’s only one person who actually calls me, and that’s my older brother Wyatt.
“Hey, loser,” he says as soon as I click to accept the call. I roll my eyes.
“What do you want?”
“How did your day go? Did you learn all the secrets of the restaurant biz?”
Wyatt doesn’t like going to these things, so I tend to handle all this kind of work. We both run different places. The Mason Jar specializes in lunch and dinner featuring exceptional barbecue and fried chicken. Wyatt’s—and yes, that’s what he named his place because he’s Wyatt—is a bar and grill featuring live music on the weekends and traditional bar food. We’re always on the lookout for new vendors.
“I knew that shit before I came here. I did make a few contacts with a couple new distributors.”
“Good to know.”
There is a beat of silence, and I look over at the time. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”
He grunts. “Billy is handling the shift tonight. He’s a godsend.”
“So, you were lonely and called me. I’m touched. I love you too, Wyatt.”
“Fuck off. I was checking to make sure you didn’t do something stupid like get married.”
