by J. Sterling
“I forgive you too,” Rachel said, wearing her smart-aleck grin when I glanced at her. “Yeah, I heard you.”
“Brooke?” Nick said. “While we’re doling out forgiveness here, how about you?”
Brooke took a few seconds to think. “Two hours ago, I hated you. But I’ve never heard a guy say the kind of things you said to Jess tonight, unless it was in a movie. If Jess and Rachel forgive you, then so do I.”
Nick smiled bigger than I’d seen in a long time as he pulled something from his pocket and flipped it in the air. I grinned, knowing exactly what it was. His grandfather’s lucky poker chip landed in his palm, and he brought it to his lips and kissed it.
“Thank you,” he said to the chip before putting it back into his pocket. “I knew it would bring me luck. I just didn’t know it would bring me this much.”
“You two are grossing me out. Get a room,” Rachel said before recanting. “No. No. Do not get a room. Because then I won’t have anywhere to sleep, and I need a good night’s sleep before that hellish drive tomorrow. Dammit, Nick!” she yelled, switching gears. “Why the hell couldn’t you have done this yesterday so we could have carpooled? Now we both have to drive back to LA separately, and it’s awful. Trust me. The drive sucks. And you don’t even have your phone,” she added, laughing.
“It’s kind of nice, actually,” he said before grabbing my legs and throwing them on top of his. “I like being unreachable right now.”
As I finished off another slice of pizza, Rachel said, “Can I ask something obvious?” When no one said anything, she asked, “You both realize that you’re going to date long-distance, right? Is that what’s happening here? Because I thought your dick would fall off if you did that, Nick.”
Nick choked on his pizza as he punched at his chest. “My dick will be just fine, Rachel, but it appreciates your concern.”
“You forget that I was there when you broke her heart and told her you couldn’t date anyone long-distance without cheating.”
“I lied,” he deadpanned.
Rachel spit out a laugh. “I knew it. We both did. Hell, we all did.”
“Yeah?” Nick cocked a brow in my direction.
“We assumed,” I said, clarifying, “but I believed that you meant what you said.”
“I’m sorry. Again.” He kissed my cheek.
“I know you are.” I offered him a small smile. That day when he broke up with me no longer felt like a moment that had just happened, but more like something that happened eons ago.
“Will you be my girlfriend, Jess Michaelson?” Nick asked loud enough for the girls to hear without straining.
“I thought I already was?” Annoyed, I narrowed my eyes on him. I had assumed that my forgiving him and him being here meant that we were back together, no questions needed.
“You were, but I still wanted to ask you. Officially.”
“You two are going to ruin me, I think,” Brooke said as she reached for another slice of pizza. “How can any relationship compare to this?”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Be thankful you weren’t there when they were at State together. You dodged a bullet, my friend.” Looking at Nick and me, she said, “Although I couldn’t be happier for the two of you. Really. I mean it.”
I smiled at my best friend, knowing that her words were sincere. I didn’t care if Nick and I made people sick. I’d never care about what people thought about us ever again.
Like Nick said, it was us against the world, and God help anyone who got in our way or tried to break us apart ever again.
Epilogue
Jess
Fifteen months later
If Nick and I had any qualms about being in a long-distance relationship, you’d never know it. He came to visit me every chance he got, even if it was only for a day. I thought it was sweet but not necessary, considering how busy we both were. I tried to tell him to stay home, but Nick refused to listen, claiming that he wanted to spend all of his free time with me. He said it didn’t matter where I lived—he was going there.
After he left that weekend, he had gone straight to the bar to pick up his phone from Ryan and fill his brothers in on what had happened between us. Nick’s dad was sitting in the bar drinking a beer when he arrived. Apparently, Nick had been surprised but thankful to see everyone in one place, hoping to mend any broken fences once and for all.
When his dad presented him with paperwork releasing him from his contract at the company, and then Frank tossed him a partnership agreement offering him a one-third ownership in the bar, Nick couldn’t sign each one fast enough. The day he called to tell me that news was something I’ll remember until I die. I’d never heard him so happy, relieved, and excited before. Everything was finally falling into place for my guy, and that thrilled me no end.
I parked my car in the bar’s small reserved lot and hopped out with a smile on my face, wondering for a moment if I’d ever stop smiling. When I graduated with honors this past spring, I moved back to Southern California the very next day, not wanting to delay my life with Nick another minute. Seeing him sitting in the crowd at graduation with my parents was one thing, but coming back home to him where I belonged was another.
“Hey, Jess,” Kyle said from his perch handling security outside the door.
“Hi, Kyle.” I greeted him with a bear hug as the bar noise from indoors filtered out.
“Busy night?”
Shaking his head, he shot me a look. “What do you think?” he said sarcastically, and I laughed.
It didn’t seem possible that Sam’s could get even more popular, but after Nick bought in and started working there, that’s exactly what happened. Word spread that there was a third Fisher brother, and that brought in even more customers and all kinds of publicity.
Women had their bachelorette parties there, posting clips and pictures all over social media, thanks to Nick. He had created a special filter for Snapchat you could only use when you were inside the bar, as well as a clever backdrop for posting pictures only to Instagram. He really was brilliant, using popular social media sites to his advantage.
Local news channels featured the brothers at least once a week, and every type of reality television show wanted to film scenes at the bar, claiming to love the vibe there. But we knew the truth—it was the three gorgeous brothers the cameras loved, not to mention the audience. Tourists insisted on visiting the “bar hotties with the bodies,” a new catch phrase that came out of one of those reality shows.
Pulling the door open, I stepped inside the packed room, searching for my guy. I spotted him behind the bar with Ryan at his side as they mixed drinks with big smiles on their faces. Frank was at the other end, craning his neck so he could hear someone shouting their order to him.
There wasn’t anywhere to sit at the bar, so I hung out in the back while I waited for Rachel to show up.
“I see the love of my life,” Nick shouted, his voice rising above the bar noise, and I glanced up to see him making a beeline straight for me.
When he reached me, he slid one arm around my waist and pulled me into a deep kiss, our bodies connected. The crowd cheered, and some girls groaned their disappointment. I was used to it.
“Glad you’re here,” Nick said with a wink. “But I have to get back to work.” He planted a quick kiss on my cheek before turning to run off.
I smacked his ass as he hustled away, thanking every single star in the night sky that this guy was mine as Rachel walked in.
“Holy shit, this place is a madhouse!” she yelled before pulling me into a hug.
“Summer,” I answered with a shrug. The summer months were always the busiest time of year at the bar.
“I saw him kiss you.” Rachel shook her head. “I can’t believe he did that in front of everyone.”
I ran a finger across my bottom lip, still feeling his lips there, and smiled. “He does it all the time.”
Nick often advertised the fact that he wasn’t single, definitely wasn’t available,
and he never pretended otherwise. Whenever I walked into the bar, he pointed me out to everyone, sometimes introduced me, but he always greeted me with a kiss.
I tried to explain to him one night that I knew how important the illusion of being available was to a lot of bartenders, especially when your clientele was mostly women. It made good business sense to want to keep the women happy, to keep them coming back for more. To do that, you sometimes flirted, acted single, or pretended that the women had a shot in hell in dating you someday.
But Nick didn’t want any part of that. “I won’t pretend to be something I’m not, Jess. And I absolutely refuse to let women think they have a chance with me. It’s not happening. If they want a Fisher brother, they can flirt with Ryan,” he’d argued one night, and I let it go because I loved his answer. Absolutely loved it.
“Where are we going to sit? Can we sit? Is there anywhere to sit?” Rachel shot rapid-fire questions my way, her head swiveling as she looked for seats.
“It will clear out soon. They have to close.”
“I need a drink,” she shouted to me over the noise.
As she spoke, Nick reappeared carrying two No Bad Days. He handed us each a drink, greeted Rachel, pressed a quick kiss to my cheek, and hurried back to the bar.
“What’s this?”
I smiled. “Just try it. You’ll love it. It’s my favorite drink here.”
“Really?” She took a sip and her face lit up. “Dear God, this is amazing.”
“Ryan’s a cocktail genius.”
“I love that man,” Rachel said with a sigh, and I narrowed my eyes.
“No, Rachel.” I felt like I was scolding a bad puppy.
“I know, I know.” She waved me off, but her eyes told me otherwise. She’d take a chance with Ryan in a heartbeat, and I knew it. But so would most women, so I couldn’t blame her for it.
“He’s just so delicious,” she said dreamily. “I mean, look at him.”
I turned my head, but my eyes sought out Nick instead of Ryan. He was the only Fisher brother I could see, the only one I wanted, the only one I needed. Nick’s eyes met mine, and he paused for a second before giving me a wink. My insides melted at the gesture. Everything he did went straight to the core of me.
Eventually, the bar cleared out, leaving Rachel and me alone with the guys as they cleaned up.
“I heard a rumor the other day,” Ryan said over the music that played in the background.
“What kind of rumor?” I asked.
He laughed. “That your best friend moved to London and was being wooed by a prince, or something to that effect.”
I turned to Rachel, wondering why she was sitting next to me if she was supposed to be in London.
“Not your real best friend.” Ryan gave Rachel a nod. “Carla.”
“Oh.” My eyes widened when everything clicked. “Shut up. A prince?”
“He’s not a real prince, but she’s playing like he is, posting all over social media with him.”
“As long as she’s over Nick, that’s really all I care about.” I practically groaned as I remembered the hell she’d put us through. Nick and I had come so far since then, our relationship so solid, so beautiful, so completely fulfilling.
“I hope he’s a prince who lives in some small-dick country, and she marries him and has to live there forever,” Rachel blurted.
When she downed the rest of her third cocktail, Frank doled out five shot glasses that were only partially filled.
“To small-dick countries and staying there forever.” He lifted his shot glass in the air, and we all repeated the toast before downing without question whatever he had poured.
“Speaking of other countries, Dad called today,” Nick said, drawing everyone’s attention. “He said he loves Italy and he’s never coming back.”
The brothers’ relationship with their father was better than ever. He’d apologized profusely, to me as well, seeming truly remorseful for his behavior. We had family dinners when we could get everyone in the same room, but more often than not, Mr. Fisher could be found sitting here at the bar, tossing one back with his sons. It warmed my heart to see that relationship mended.
“Hell, can you blame him?” Ryan said with a laugh. “Next time I go there, I might not come back either.”
Frank scowled at him. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“I might, Frank. You never know,” Ryan said, trying to goad him.
“I’ve always wanted to see Italy,” I said with a grin. “I’ll go with you, Ryan.”
Ryan leaned across the bar and placed his hand on my arm. “We’d have the best time, sweetheart,” he said.
“Hands off my woman,” Nick said in a threatening growl. “I don’t care who you are.”
Ryan removed his hand slowly, his fingers lingering as he dragged them away, and I fought off a laugh.
Rachel squeezed my thigh under the bar. “That was hot. A little crazy, but totally hot,” she whispered.
“You like crazy.” I rolled my eyes, and she nodded.
“I’d better go,” Rachel said almost an hour later. “I’m exhausted, and I have to work tomorrow. ’Bye, guys,” she shouted before they each stopped to tell her good night and to drive safe.
Rachel hadn’t found the job of her dreams yet, so she was currently working at an upscale boutique. But working in retail meant that she worked on weekends and most nights. It was part of the reason why we didn’t get to see each other as often as we wanted. Our schedules tended to clash more than they meshed, even though my job was Monday through Friday and normal business hours, for the most part.
I’d gotten an entry-level position at one of the big studios in town. It wasn’t my dream job, by any means, but it was in my dream department, movie production. I had my foot in the door and was able to meet people I’d otherwise never get the chance to. I was grateful and I worked hard, putting in overtime without complaint whenever they asked.
“You have to work? Why didn’t you say anything?” I whined before pulling her into a hug, not wanting to let her go.
“Because I wanted to see you. I miss you,” she said with a pout. “And it’s always fun to hang out here.” She smiled as she walked out the back door, and I found myself missing her already.
I agreed wholeheartedly. It was fun. My life, my relationship, the bar, it was all perfect.
Nick walked over, his hand extended as he waited for me to hand over my car keys. This was our routine whenever I came to the bar and stayed until closing. I’d drive here, let loose and have some drinks, and he’d drive us home, completely sober.
“Let’s go, babe.” He wrapped his arm around my midsection and pulled me tight against his side.
“Wait!” Ryan called out, and we both stopped walking. “You’re not even going to give me a hug good-bye?”
I laughed before wiggling out of Nick’s grip, which had tightened the second Ryan started teasing him.
“Night, Ryan!” When I squeezed his broad shoulders, he picked me up and twirled me around, just to get a rise out of Nick.
“Night, Frank,” I said before giving his giant body a hug as well. It was far less dramatic hugging Frank than it was hugging Ryan.
I was back in Nick’s arms within seconds, my body melding to his because that was where it belonged, that was where I fit.
“You ready to go home now?” Nick asked. “I’m tired.”
I nodded, practically drooling at the thought of crawling into our bed with him and closing my eyes, snuggled in his arms.
Home was where Nick was, where we lived together. And I never wanted it any other way.
The End
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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Acknowledgments
This book was a lot of fun to write. Don’t get me wrong,
it took a toll on my emotions as well, and I might have been a mess on more than one occasion, but I hope that you enjoyed reading and getting to know Nick and Jess (not to mention the other boys). I might sort of be in love with them, and I hope you are too. :)
I based Sam’s bar and the drinks in the book off of my current favorite local bar, Mario & John’s in Petaluma, California. Micah, Danny, and Nick (no relation to the real Nick Fisher, LOL) were kind enough to let me borrow their drink names for the books. If you’re ever near Petaluma, make sure you stop by and have a No Bad Days (you won’t be sorry), and tell the guys I sent you.
I want to thank every blogger who takes the time to read my books, promote them, and tell people to read them. This job is so very hard when you do it all alone, so I am very appreciative of all your tireless effort and hard work. You don’t have to do it—but you choose to—and I am so thankful. Thank you.
Thank you to my #Squad, and to the Kittens in my private Facebook group (come join us). Thanks also to Krista Arnold, Jillian Dodd, Tarryn Fisher, Colleen Hoover, Claire Contreras, Corinne Michaels, and Tara Sivec. To Josh for being just what I needed for this cover. To Michelle Warren for once again designing something I can’t stop looking at. To Pam for taking my words and making them far better than they were before you read them. To Brina and Stephanie for your unwavering friendship, especially right now. To Blake for being the best thing in my life. To Peter for being the best dog to ever grace Snapchat (LOL).
And to you. Yes, you.
Other Books by J. Sterling
In Dreams
Chance Encounters
10 Years Later – A Second Chance Romance
Heartless
Dear Heart, I Hate You
* * *
The Game Series
The Perfect Game – Book One
The Game Changer – Book Two
