by Jami Wagner
After she places her phone back inside the truck, I do the same with my own. Then Sara grabs all the blankets in one big pile. I shake my head at her.
“What? I got this,” she says and heads for the spot I picked in the trees.
I know she can do it on her own—they are just blankets after all—but she has me now. Her days of doing anything alone are gone. I jog up behind her and swing both her and the blankets into my arms. Attempting to be as romantic as I can, I carry her the rest of the way. I set out the blankets and pillow and Sara sits between my legs, leaning against my chest, as we settle in to watch the movie.
Everything about this moment is perfect. The girl in my arms is both my best friend and my girlfriend. I can talk to her about almost anything, but my worries about contacting my sister and Sara being in a whole other state with another guy—those issues will have to wait another night.
“Did you bring snacks?” she asks.
“Maybe, maybe not,” I say and listen as she laughs. I squeeze her tighter and kiss the back of her head.
“I miss this stuff. The easy ‘we can just be here and do nothing together’ stuff.”
“Me too. Tell your dad you quit and come home.” I say it jokingly, but on the inside I’m serious.
“I wish I could do that, but I want this too much. I want to be successful now while I’m young.”
“Yeah, but you’re really young. Twenty-three is a little early to be planning retirement, isn’t it?”
“No, not if one day I plan to start a family, and I want to make sure they are taken care of before kids happen.”
I nod my head in silent agreement. Those exact words are what I should be saying to her. I should be the one working my ass off to make sure she has all those things. Maybe if I had been more driven in high school and not so focused on college life and parties or on finding my sister, I’d be able to provide for her right now and we wouldn’t have to be apart.
“I don’t tell a lot of people this, especially not around my dad since he has that whole ‘relationships ruin people’ thing going on and I guess I used to think he was right, but I want kids and a house and to be able to make enough money that I don’t have to be on a schedule all the time. What about you—do you want kids someday?” she asks.
“If it’s with you, I want everything.”
Sara twists around, she studies me as a slight grin appears and then touches her lips to mine. She moves swiftly to straddle my lap and turns her soft kisses into passionate and desperate ones. I grab her hips to hold her in place as I slide my tongue past her lips. The movie starts in the background, louder than I’d anticipated but extremely appreciated at this moment because I have no intentions of stopping whatever Sara is about to initiate.
“I like this snack,” she says, breaking the kiss and traveling kissing across my jawline. I love that she wants to be in control right now, but I can’t let her do that. In this moment, I want to show her how much fun it is to lose control.
Lifting my hips, I push her up and then flip her over, wrapping my arm around her waist to lower her gently to the ground. A smile appears on her lips but I hide it when my mouth meets hers. One thing I’ve never understood but will never complain about is how Sara has always carefully planned her life out. She’s polite and caring and considerate of others. All those things together, I would never think that sex in a public place would be an option for her. Yet, it happens with us all the time.
I pepper kisses from her lips to her ear, tugging on the lobe and sucking. A hum of pleasure is barely audible from her lips, but her grinding hips is louder than any noise. Inching my fingers up her thigh, I grab hold of one leg, pulling it to the side, and let myself fall between her legs. Her back arches the moment my hand moves from her outer thigh to her inner one. I slide my hand toward her core, but before I reach it, she pulls me up, latching her lips onto mine. She tries to flips us over, but I hold my position. If she thinks I’m going too slow, I’ll change that.
I pin her between me and the ground with just enough pressure to keep her from trying that again. Then I skip the slow movement and place my hand right where she needs it. Pulling her panties to the side, I slide two fingers into her. She moans loudly, but I know no one can hear it but me. Her hands spring from my hair to my jeans as she makes quick work of the buttons. Pulling them down just far enough to make people still think my pants are on, I remove my fingers and enter her slowly.
Fully inside her warmth, I kiss her hard and thrust into her harder. It’s easy to lose myself when I’m with Sara.
Chapter Ten
Logan
It took everything I had to get out of Sara’s bed this morning. It took even more work for me to leave her this afternoon and come to work. I don’t want to be here because I dread spending any time with Liam. I’m usually pretty cool with everyone, but there’s something about this guy. He just shows up out of nowhere and all the sudden lands a job working with Sara every day. Then, after one week, he’s traveling home with her. Even if he isn’t staying with her, something about this entire situation doesn’t seem right. Either something is going on or I’m jealous and can’t handle the fact they work together alone. They may be just coworkers, but I don’t like it. And I really don’t like that I’m the one training him.
A passing car and chatter outside brings my attention to the door opening.
Look at him. Walking in here like he owns this place. Thinking he’s all fancy with his clothes cleaned and pressed. I hold back my laugh. Doesn’t he know he works in bar now? Something is going to get spilled on him before the night is over. I roll my eyes as I catch him smiling at a few girls like a professional player. Disgusting. Real men don’t act like that. They are calm and cool, like me—in every other moment of my life but this one.
I watch him with intensity as he steps closer to me. I’m standing behind the bar. I don’t like this guy, and there was no way for me to hide it. I won’t try to be friends with him or even get to know him. All I have to do is train him—that doesn’t require me to be nice to him.
Shit.
I hold back another eye roll as Sara’s dad follows Liam into the bar. My fists tighten as I realize I’m going to have to play nice until her father leaves. He scans the room on his way to the bar. His eyes stop on me.
Force a smile, Logan.
Do it!
“Liam, Dean.” I reach out to shake both their hands. “Good to see you again.”
“Oh, you’ve already met?” Dean sounds surprised. He tilts his head, but his eyes remain on me. I nod and he looks to Liam.
“Yeah, yesterday at Sara’s apartment,” Liam shares with him in a cheery tone. “Logan was picking her up for a date, and I just happened to be leaving at the same time.”
“I’m surprised you made it to my house in one piece.”
He’s staying with her family?
“Of course.” Liam gives a slight chuckle but glances my way with questioning eyes. “Any friend of Sara’s is a friend of mine.”
Friends, Logan. Liam even said it himself: they are just friends.
Dean watches me for a moment. He can give some pretty intimidating looks and I’m positive he can read my mind. He knows I don’t like Sara and Liam working together. The fact I just learned he’s staying with her family isn’t helping. Obviously this new guy already has her father’s approval, and me, I’m still busting my ass to earn it. I really want to look away from his gaze, but I don’t. I can’t let him or anyone see any signs of weakness.
“Alright,” Dean says, clapping his hands and then rubbing them together. “Since we don’t need to cover introductions and I assume my daughter filled you in on Liam’s role with her new bar, I trust you will teach him everything you can in the one night.”
“Yes, sir.”
Teach him on the busiest night of the week? Yeah, Dean, no problem.
“And, since you can’t train him on his whole job in one night, I plan to bring him back throughout the summer
until we are confident he can run the place without supervision.”
Yes! That means Sara will be coming home more too.
“In the meantime, Sara will be training him in Colorado, along with other new employees. Things are growing busier by the minute with The Silver Tap.” Dean smiles wide. “That girl is going to be successful. I will do anything I can to help her.”
Yeah, anything that means keeping her away from me. I’m not the idiot he thinks I am, but damn, I’m crazy about his daughter. I’ll put up with this shit to have her in my life.
“Sara is one of kindest people I know—anyone would do what they could to help her,” I reply. He needs to know I’m as fully supportive of her career as he is.
“Then you better get started,” he says, giving Liam a pat on the back before leaving us.
I step around the bar to Liam’s side. We stand in the middle of the room as the door closes. The music has stopped playing and he glances as me with a half-smile, shrugs, and then looks away. Only dead silence and a shitload of tension follow. I glance at him one more time, keeping my eyes narrowed. He’s not facing me anymore. Instead he’s taking in the bar. His head starts to bob up and down.
“Did Sara give this place its look? If so, the place in Colorado is going to be a huge hit. I wonder if we can get a jukebox too,” Liam says. “What do you think?”
I hate to admit it, but the tone of his voice almost convinces me he might actually only be here for a job. Nothing more.
“Sara is beauty and brains. The bar will be huge success either way,” he adds.
Like I said, I was almost convinced.
Someone needs to set this guy straight. Warn him about his actions before it’s too late. Seeing as how I would be the one to enforce punishment, it only seems right I explain the rules, too.
“Her father mentioned you recently started playing live bands again. What are your thoughts on doing that in Colorado? I mean, not right away, of course. If we added that to the list, Sara would be gone a lot longer, and we both know that is definitely not something she wants.”
I nod my head. “Yeah, I think eventually it would be a great idea, but you definitely want to make sure you can bring in enough to compensate what you need to pay the bands. New businesses are hard to make those kinds of bets on. I have no doubt Sara will open a bar that’s going to be a huge hit, but you still don’t want to make those kinds of commitments until you have the facts.”
“I completely agree. So, what are you going to train me on first?”
Yeah, okay, this guy might be harder to read than a girl. Either that, or he’s one of those guys. The kind who is a ladies’ man but oddly enough knows they aren’t the man for your woman so they are just nice enough to make friends with her and you.
Fuck. This would be a whole lot easier if he were just an upfront dick. Now, I’m not sure what to make of him.
I open my mouth, but the sound of the door opening and a hysterical blonde running inside takes my full attention.
“Logan! Logan, I need the night off!” Abby says between sobs.
Looks like his first part of training is going to be how to deal with an overdramatic employee who finds the craziest ways to get out of work. I definitely don’t have this part of the job perfected.
Abby just stares at me with black smudges running down her face. This could be one of two things. Either she was dumped or something bad really did happen. I’m going to go with option A, because it happens at least every other month.
I take two steps to meet her and she falls into me, burying her face in my chest. With my hands out at my sides I find myself in unfamiliar territory. My arms stay there, hanging in the air as I look back at Liam. For what, I don’t know. Advice maybe. When he just shrugs—something I notice he does a lot— a look of horror hits his face. I let one hand gently pat her back.
“Um, it’s okay, what happened?”
“I got dumped again!” she cries, pulling herself away and running toward the back room. I watch in silence until the back door slams closed, and I take a deep breath.
“Lesson one, don’t hire females—got it.” Liam chuckles. “How about we start my training after you handle that.” He points behind me and I let out a sigh of defeat.
“I guess you can wait out here.”
“Logan, seriously, that girl has got to pull it together. I can’t work with her when she’s like this.” Beth comes out from the same room Abby just ran to. “You have got to tell her this is the last time she can pull this stint. Maybe tell her to stop dating all together.”
I take another deep breath and look at my watch. It’s only five. The bar won’t be busy for a few more hours. There are only a few people here now, who are all females focused on us, reminding me once again I need more guys working here. Still, I better take care of this before business picks up. Why can’t Abby go about her job like everyone else? Half the time, I don’t even notice who else is working because they aren’t bringing attention to themselves.
“Hey”—I glance back at Liam— “how about you follow Beth for a bit?”
“I’d love to help.” Beth smiles at Liam.
“Cool.” Liam smiles back at her.
Interesting … maybe I could set these two up. That would sure take care of one problem.
Whoa.
Am I so afraid to lose Sara that I want to play matchmaker? Fuck. What is wrong with me?
I shake the thought from my head. Right now I have bigger things to worry about. Abby sure as shit better have it together before Sara and the others get here. I have to show Sara I’m doing a successful job here while she’s away, and having a crying employee isn’t going to impress anyone.
Sara
I walk in to the BA and immediately my eyes and my heart search for Logan. When I don’t spot him right away, my heart drops. I’m not getting to see him as much as I had planned this weekend. Go figure he has to train Liam the night of Kelsey’s birthday party. Thank goodness Kelsey chose here of all places to spend it—I may have done some convincing to help with the decision. Otherwise, I’d only get to see Logan tomorrow before I left and that is not okay with me.
“Where’s Logan?” I ask Beth, who’s behind the counter. I pretend to be distracted as I pull up a seat. I don’t want Beth to think I’m desperate. Kelsey pulls up a seat next to me and Ethan on the other side of her. Some birthday party. It’s been just the three of us since we left dinner. I should really not employ all my friends at the same place—this leaves no room for us to have nights off together.
“He’s in the back. Abby came in a blubbering mess again, and he is trying to calm her down. I think this is the third time she has needed to have a ‘moment’ to pull herself together tonight. We thought she was good there for a couple hours, but something set her off again.”
Beth’s air quotes and annoyed tone don’t go unnoticed. It’s probably another ploy of Abby’s to get Logan alone. I swear, that girl has had a crush since the day she set eyes on him. I don’t blame her, I was the same way. The only difference is I didn’t sleep with every man in the meantime.
“Don’t do that.” Beth shakes a finger in my face. “Don’t make that sad face, and you suck in that bottom lip before he comes out here. This place is starting to pick up, and I don’t need him getting all distracted. You being here is bad enough for the guy.” She winks at me with a tight smile and then greets a few new customers who are sitting at the bar.
I watch her for a moment and then glance over to Kelsey. Am I really pouting? Oh geez, kissing already, I can’t take these two anywhere.
“Whoa, you two, this is a bar, not a hotel.” My eyes dart to the storage room. How long does it take to calm her down?
“Sorry, sometimes I just can’t help myself when it comes to my wife. She’s so damn beautiful.”
I want to roll my eyes at them, but they deserve to be happy. After that stunt Ethan pulled this last year while I was away, he better tell Kelsey how beautiful she is every day,
maybe even twice a day. He was such a scumbag. He’s lucky we love him, or I would have never forgiven him.
“Aw, babe, you’re pretty handsome yourself.”
Okay. I can only handle so much of this when it involves my cousin.
“Stop it,” I interrupt with a laugh. “At this rate, Clara won’t be an only child for long. Hey, isn’t your brother coming out tonight or was he just going to dinner because I’m thinking he is the perfect candidate to relieve Logan of whatever he has going on back there with Abby?”
“Sara, your family own this bar. You don’t need anyone’s permission to go back there.”
Very good point.
I point to Kelsey and wink. I always knew there was a reason I liked her. Sliding off my stool, I casually make my way to the storage room. If I weren’t in a bar full of people, I would totally be running to Logan. I’d tackle him in the storage room and do things to him that should never be done in public place. I laugh to myself and push open the door. Public places are starting to be our thing.
My humor is immediately gone when I see Abby wrapped in Logan’s arms. My entire body heats and I swallow slowly before I jump to conclusions. Abby looks up at me over Logan’s shoulder and a glint of happiness flashes in her eyes. Oh, she would. She totally planned this. I clear my throat. Logan turns around quickly and his eyes go big.
“Sara this isn’t—”
I hold up my hand. “I know. Abby get back to work.”
“But you’re not—”
“Now, or this time I swear I will fire you, and I won’t feel any guilt about it.”
She stands there, next to Logan, and glances between us. A smile tugs at her lips before she steps away. “Thanks, Logan. You know how much I love your hugs.”
