AllFreeNovel
Share Us
In the meantime, getting The Grange up and running kept all of them occupied. While everyone was being released from the hospital and through rehab and therapy, then relocating to the small, mostly rural town a couple of hours northeast of Denver, Magnus had been busy.
Obtaining the funding had been a slow climb until he got in contact with a local veteran who ran a grant fund for other vet-focused businesses. Once the money was in place, they’d hooked up with a construction company to bring The Grange up to code before they could even start refurbishing its appearance.
While all those things plowed along, Ford had gotten serious about learning the brewing process and started turning out decent beer, which turned into good beer, which turned into beer that made national judges sit up and take notice.
It took nearly two full years since Magnus saw that dusty old tap to get where they were now, just a few days from officially opening the doors on a business that had once only been a dream whispered on the desert air.
Just in time for Greer Holloway to walk into his bar and into his arms.
He gestured to the space off to the side of the main barroom. Unwilling to go another moment without touching her, he laid a hand on the small of her back and walked with her to the transomed opening of what had originally been a meeting room.
“We haven’t begun booking events yet, but this area would probably work for you. How big is the party?”
“We’ve had fifteen RSVPs, but there are always a few extras to balance out the few who don’t show. It’s Stephanie Buckley’s bachelorette party and her parents wanted to find somewhere local, rather than in Denver. We were all set to use the event space next to campus, but they canceled unexpectedly and I need to find a place I can use tonight.”
Right. He’d been invited to the wedding, but turned it down without a second thought. His family and the Buckleys had known each other for generations and he vaguely remembered Stephanie being a slightly prissy little girl who desperately wanted to be a princess, but even though he liked her, he had no interest in putting on a suit and tie when he had plenty of other shit to do.
However, if having a bunch of drunk bachelorettes fill a room would make Greer happy, he was all in.
She looked around the space while he looked at her, then exhaled when she smiled. “This is really nice. A little bare right now, but my assistant and I can fix that up.”
“Let me guess. A lot of pink?”
She laughed, a light chuckle that made her eyes sparkle as much as her bling. “Yes, but that’s not on me for once. Her theme colors for the wedding are, umm, vibrant.”
“Vibrant?”
Blue eyes lit with mischief. “Neon. It’s an 80s theme, kind of early MTV vibes. She wanted me to book Cyndi Lauper for the reception.”
“Wait.Girls Just Wanna Have FunCyndi Lauper? I was born the year that song came out and Stephanie is a hell of a lot younger than I am. What the hell is she thinking?”
“Retro is in right now.” Greer shrugged and he watched the way it made her tits rise and fall. He fucking loved how that soft sweater skimmed her curves, and he desperately wanted all that softness in his hands. In his mouth.
His dick, which had risen with every breath she’d taken once she recovered from her asthma attack, pulsed with new desire, and he gritted his teeth.Down, boy. It’s not your turn yet.
“Cyndi’s rep was very gracious when she turned us down. She said Cyndi was flattered by the invitation, but she’s touring right now and wasn’t available.”
Magnus snorted. “Steph probably lost her shit. She doesn’t like being told no.”
“I’m sure she’ll be a lovely bride,” said Greer diplomatically.
“I’m sure she’ll run roughshod over everyone who gets in her way.”
His sparkle-girl made a humming noise and he flinched. “Oh shit. How bad is she?”
“She’s not the first challenging bride I’ve worked with and I’m sure she won’t be the last. I just opened up my own shop here in town after working in Denver for five years.” Greer fished a sparkly pink planner out of her tote bag and made a notation before she continued. “Anne Sonneberg established an event planning business in Hedby back when God was a boy, and when she announced she was retiring and wanted someone to take over her client list, I knew it was time for me to step out on my own. So here I am.”
“Here you are.” She stood before a wide window where the sun lit her up like an angel who was far too sexy for heaven. “In my bar. How did you know we were even open? We’ve only been in contact with a handful of people on an early review list. The official opening isn’t for another week.”
“The door was open and I walked right in. Just got lucky, I guess.” She smiled and it was a gift far too sweet for a man like him. How was he supposed to resist this much temptation?
“I think I’m the lucky one, sparkles.”
She was so goddamn pretty when she blushed, but she didn’t let it stop her from speaking up, and he appreciated the hell out of that strength. She’d already shown her backbone, getting up when she’d been knocked down, and now she was asking him to meet her as an equal.
Magnus knew he was a rough sonofabitch. His folks had tried their best to raise him to be decent, but the Marines had scraped away any softness he might have had growing up as a big golden fish in a small-town pond. Becoming a Raider, the toughest of the tough, had permanently embedded those gnarled edges. Flirting with a pretty woman didn’t come easy anymore, if it ever had.
But for this woman, he tried.
