AllFreeNovel
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Daisy shook her head. “I couldn’t do that to you.”
“You did it for me the other night. It’s the least I could do.”
“My feet are killing me,” she confessed.
“Good. It’s decided.” I glanced at the corner of the bar. “Did you want to grab a cheeseburger or something?”
She chewed her bottom lip for a split second and nodded, her gaze landing on mine. “You don’t mind?”
“Kitchen’s still open,” I said, smiling.
Perry gave me a nod and went to place the order for us.
We stole a corner booth toward the back of the bar. The low hum of Christmas music wafted through the air.
My eyes connected with hers. “Everything okay?”
She smiled and let her shoulders relax as she leaned against the booth. “Yeah. I just saw a mom and son at the bar. They were arguing about something so petty, and I had a flashback to my brother and mom. They got into a squabble right before they left the house.” She laughed softly. “It was about the most ridiculous thing.”
“Yeah? What about?”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “Where my brother wanted to spend New Year's.” She traced her fingers along a napkin. Her gaze snapped to mine, and I felt that familiar pull swim through me. “Why are you so easy to talk to?”
A smile tugged on my lips, and I shrugged. “I didn’t know I was.”
Daisy nodded, glancing around the bar. “Did you always want to own a restaurant or bar when you grew up?” She used air quotes aroundgrew up.
I chuckled. “Since we’re using that term loosely…”
“You know what I mean.”
No one had ever asked me that. I didn’t even want to ask myself that.
I shook my head. “No. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew that I was great at throwing ragers.”
Her brows shot up with a snort. “Ragers?”
“Keggers. College parties,” I explained. “And I’d taken a business class and really connected with the professor. He thought my way of looking at business was unique.”
Daisy nodded, her gaze not leaving mine. “That’s incredible.”
“He kind of saved me from myself. I was definitely more concerned with partying than school.” I shook my head. “So stupid and such a waste. If he hadn’t hired me to work on my off-hours, I probably would have flunked out. He… uh… eventually got sick, and I helped take care of him and this place.” I couldn’t believe I was reliving this moment in my life.
“While in school,” she said. “Millie mentioned something about that.”
I smiled in surprise, shaking my head. “She did?”
“Yup.”
“He was a good friend, a great mentor, and he surprisingly left me this bar. Honestly, all I’ve wanted to do since was make him proud. I miss him every single day.”
Daisy nodded, reaching for my hands across the table. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it?”
“What’s that?” she asked.
Perry brought over the cheeseburgers with fries for us, noticing Daisy’s hands in mine.
