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2
TRAVIS
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Ted, the old drunk on the other side of the bar, says when the door opens.
I turn to see who came in, finding my sister making her way over to me. She’s wearing a big smile, which is usually a sign that she wants something from me. “What do you want?”
She gasps. “Why do you always assume that I want something from you?”
I smirk as I open a beer and hand it to her. “Because you always do.”
She rolls her dark eyes and tips back the bottle, taking a swig. “Mom wants to know if you want to come over for dinner. Jerry is there, helping dad with his truck, and they’ve decided to repay him with supper. She needs a headcount.”
“Nah. I’m closing tonight, so I won’t be able to make it.”
She nods and takes another drink.
I feel my brows lift. “Is that it?”
Her eyes sparkle and her grin returns.
Nope.
“You still need help around here?”
“Yeah, it’s just John and myself. Why?”
She readjusts on her barstool, leaning slightly toward me. “I’ve found the perfect employee for you.”
I feel relief wash over me. “Great. Who?”
“Riley.”
“Come again?” The world stops spinning.
She giggles. “Riley Peterson, my lifelong best friend? Remember her?”
She knows I remember her. “No. No way.” I shake my head as I turn and walk away to grab a beer for another customer, but really, I’m suddenly too anxious to stand still.
“What? Come on, Travis. She’s moving back to town, and she really needs a job. And you need help. Two birds.”
I grab a beer from the cooler, this time opening it and taking a drink. I think it over. Evie knows I’ll do anything she asks. But this? Riley was a major pain in my ass, but then again, so was my sister. They grew and matured… a little. Truth is, I remember Riley before she left. She and my pain-in-the-ass sister tried to sneak into my bar when they were in high school. I had a dumbass bartender at the time, and he served them. They could’ve cost me my liquor license. Luckily, I showed up and hauled their asses out of here, taking them home. I can’t help but think of that night.
“Go inside and tell Mom and Dad what you’ve done,” I order my sister, who’s drunk off her ass.
She’s swaying her way to the door, and I make sure she gets inside before climbing back into my truck. I look over and find that her drunk best friend, Riley, has climbed into the passenger seat. I scoff and shake my head as I back out of my parents’ driveway.
“You shouldn’t be so mean to her. You can’t tell me you never got drunk when you were our age.”
“You know I did, but I didn’t do it in a bar so the owner would risk losing his liquor license, and I sure as shit didn’t do it to my older brother.”
Riley snorts. “You don’t even have an older brother.” She rolls her eyes and brushes her hair from her face.
I can’t help but laugh and shake my head as she misses the point.
She looks over with a smile, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cause my heart to jump to life. “You don’t always have to be so serious, you know. You should have more fun.”
I snort. “When you grow up, you have more responsibilities, and life isn’t all parties and school dances. You’ll see.”
