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While I never had the pull of getting away from our hometown, I know what it is to disappoint your family. I’ve seen it on my parents’ faces each time I ended a relationship. Evan deserves to carve his own path, even if it is away from here.
“Each day that goes by without him coming back is another day Dad worries about finding a replacement chef. He may joke about staying in that kitchen until he’s six feet under, but we both know at some point his food will begin to slip. He can’t work dinner service like he used to even now. Evan needs to come home, to take up the mantle.”
“Not everyone wants to be Hope Crest townies like us their entire life.” We both take a sip of beer.
“And those people are losers. Where else do you get the beauty of this land, the river so close by, all the restaurants, the community?” Liam waxes poetic.
“Sheesh, getting soft on me?” I tease him, but I know how much he loves this town.
Valerie Notson and Rae Turner walk into the bar, and I see Val wave as they head for stools at the other end.
“Val is here. She been trying to get in your bed again?” I ask Liam because she’s always had a thing for my brother.
He makes an annoyed sound. “Only every other day. The other night she actually drove the cables I needed out to the farm, as if I couldn’t just pick them up from her dad’s shop the next day. I fucked up when I slept with her.”
“You did tell her it was only one night, right?” Not that I want to discuss who my brother is fucking, but Liam is an enigma when it comes to women.
“Of course I did. I don’t see anyone past one night. They all know that.”
“The whole town knows that.” I snort.
Liam waves the bartender down for another beer. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s widely talked about that you inform your guests that they’ll only be attended to until sunrise.” I bat my lashes at him like I’m trying to piss him off.
Which I do. “You make it sound like I’m some sort of asshole.”
“If the shoe fits—”
“Hey guys, sorry I didn’t realize you were being serious about coming over here.” Warren slides onto the stool next to Liam.
“Sorry, we kind of hightailed it out of there. Dad was driving me nuts,” Liam grits.
“He was on one tonight. Made me clean the counters with a toothbrush. He was scouring the freezer supplies when I left. Your dad is one diligent motherfucker, I’ll give him that.”
A laugh bursts from my throat. “Warren, that’s the first time I think I’ve ever heard you say a bad word about my father. Welcome to the club.”
As I clap him on the back, he looks nervous. “Jeez, I didn’t mean that. It’s just … I’ve been working in the kitchen with your dad for a long time and he’s becoming more and more paranoid. Maybe we should talk to your mom.”
“Now he wants to bring Mom into it? You’re asking for an ass-whooping.” Liam chuckles.
Warren gulps a large swig of beer, and we all fall silent.
“For a long time, I thought you kissed his ass so hard ’cause you were trying to sleep with my sister.” Liam shudders.
Warren laughs and shakes his head vehemently, but I catch his expression. He isn’t fooling me, or probably anyone, about how he feels about Alana. But I don’t push, those two need to figure that out on their own.
All the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I know why. When I turn, Cassandra has walked into the bar in a cream sweater dress and fuck-me black velvet boots, making my cock thicken in my jeans.
She hasn’t seen me yet, and I watch as she laughs at something Wilson, the guy who runs the playhouse, says. They move to a table and order some drinks. That’s when she looks around, her eyes catching on me. A slow, shy blink is sent my way, and it’s so goddamn adorable I want to stomp across this bar and sweep her up into my arms.
In just two weeks, we’ve developed the kind of secret language couples who have been married for years adopt. I ask her with my eyes how her night was, and she shrugs, telling me everything in just that gesture. That her night was good, but she missed me and plans on us in bed together when our separate evenings are over.
“Excuse me, I have to, uh …” I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Oh good God, Dad is going to murder you,” I hear Liam mutter, and when I look back at my brother, he’s waving the bartender down. “Might as well give me two fingers of your dirtiest whiskey, I’m going to need it.”
“You don’t know her.” A hard tone makes its way out of my throat.
