by Sarra Cannon
“That’s what I was coming to talk to you about, anyway,” he says. “You’ve been doing real good for yourself working bars, but don’t you think it’s time you got a real job, son? You need to be thinking about setting down roots, getting a steady paying job that will help you support your family when the time comes. No more of this bartending business.”
“I like working at the bar, Dad,” I say. “I’m doing just fine.”
“Fine for a guy who’s got no one to support, but what happens when you decide you want to settle down?” he asks. “It’s your job to be the man of the family, Colton. You can’t spend your whole life partying and being irresponsible. Now I’ve been talking to my old boss. You remember Neal, right? He says all you have to do is come in and fill out a few forms, sit through an interview, and he’ll make sure you get a spot in training with the company. The interview and stuff is just a formality, but the job’s yours.”
I swallow the anger in my throat and inhale slowly. “Being a trucker is not really at the top of my list of life’s ambitions, Dad. But thank you.”
“Dammit, Colton, I’m tired of hearing this mess from you.” He throws his cigarette to the ground and stomps it out, a long stream of smoke coming from his lips. “You think you’re too good to be a trucker like your old man?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You’re always acting like you’re a hotshot with your Fairhope job catering to all those rich college kids, but slinging drinks is something any fool could do,” he says. “It’s not a real career, and I want to see you make the best of yourself.”
“And you think driving trucks is the best I can be?” I ask, knowing I’m pushing my luck here.
“See, there you go again, thinking you’re too good.” He lights another cigarette. “It’s time to grow up, Colton. Take some responsibility for your life.”
He steps toward me, takes a long drag on his cigarette, and then points it at me with two fingers.
“I set up an appointment for a week from Monday at nine sharp,” he says. “Move out to your own place if you want, but if you leave, don’t expect to come crawling back when you’re late on rent or things fall apart, because with you, they always do. I expect you to be at that interview next week, Colton. Show me what kind of a man you plan on being.”
He walks away, and I have to stop myself from punching a hole straight through the side of my truck.
Nothing I do is ever good enough for him. He wants me to follow in his footsteps, but as I watch him disappear into his house, I hope that someday I can work up the nerve to tell him that his footsteps are not ones I care to follow.
Chapter Six
Colton moves into the small apartment above our garage on Sunday afternoon. I meet him out front with a set of keys and a cup of coffee.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
I expected him to show up with a truck full of stuff, but he’s only got a duffle bag and two boxes in the back of his truck.
“I pack light,” he says, slinging the bag over his shoulder and picking up one of the boxes.
“I’ll get the door.” I unlock the garage and show him up the stairs to the apartment. “There are two different keys. One for the outside door, and one for this inner door. They’re each marked with a different color.”
“What about cable and internet?” he asks. “Do I need to call and set that up?”
“Nope,” I say, opening the door and scooting to the side so he can get past me. “We’ve got it all setup to use the cable and internet from the house, so you don’t have to do anything. Utilities, too, all included.”
“Are you trying to seduce me?” he asks. “Because this sounds a little too good to be true.”
I ignore the twisting in my stomach at the word seduce.
“Knox was living here rent-free since he helped us so much with the bar, and before that it was empty for a long time. He did a lot to fix this place up in his spare time, so it’ll be nice just to see a little income from it,” I say. “We don’t need much, and if it’ll help you out, we’re happy to do it.”
Colton sets his things down on the kitchen table. “I really appreciate this,” he says. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to afford one of those big places by the campus, so you just saved me the horror of living with my parents for the next year or however long it would take for me to save up for a place of my own.”
“No problem,” I say. I hand him the extra cup of coffee, feeling awkward for just standing around. I thought it might take an hour or so to get all his things moved in, but one more box and he’s done. Not that I was looking forward to spending time with him or anything. “Want a tour?”
“Sure,” he says, glancing around. “Doesn’t look like it’ll take long.”
I laugh. “I told you it was small.”
I show him around the kitchen, pointing out the small collection of basic pots and pans, plates, silverware, and all that. I walk past the table where he set his belongings and he runs a hand over the smooth wood.
“This is gorgeous,” he says. “Knox?”
“Yeah, he made that after he moved in,” I say.
“That guy’s got some real talent,” Colton says.
“If you think that’s good, you should see what he’s done out at his house on the lake. It’s absolutely gorgeous,” I say. Then, just like the other night, words start tumbling out of my mouth before I realize it. “I hope you’ll think about coming out with us next weekend for the barbeque. The weather should be perfect.”
“That sounds great,” he says. “I haven’t had a chance to see the place in a while. Who all will be out there?”
“The usual suspects,” I say. “Knox and Leigh Anne, of course. Daddy. Me. Penny and Mason, probably. Preston and Jenna said they’d come out if they got home in time.”
“Where are they?”
“They went to some craft festival down in Savannah for the week,” I say. “Jenna’s been building up her art business and is trying her hand at selling at some of these craft fairs. I think she’s doing pretty well with it.”
“I’m sure she is,” he says. “Have you seen some of the work that’s on display in her store downtown? It’s gorgeous. I never even knew you could do so much with paper.”
“I’ve been down there a few times,” I say. “That won’t be awkward for you at all, will it?”
“What?”
“Hanging out with Preston and Jenna. I know you and Jenna used to date.”
I hold my breath waiting for an answer. I saw the way he used to look at her. Does he still have feelings for her? I’ve never really known him to be in a serious relationship, and I don’t know why I even care, but my heartbeat quickens just thinking about it.
“Oh, no, not at all,” he says, and I can tell from the look in his eyes he’s being sincere. “I love Jenna, but we never had what she has with Preston. I’m happy for her.”
“That’s good,” I say, exhaling. “Are you, uh, seeing anyone these days?”
My little tour of the apartment seems to have stopped before we got a hundred feet in, but this is a question that’s been on my mind for a while, whether I want to admit it or not.
“Why so interested?” he says, causing my heart to rise into my throat. “You thinking of asking me out?”
Warmth creeps up my neck, and I just know my cheeks are probably bright red. Shit.
“No, I just was wondering if I should be expecting there to be a lot of late night visitors to the apartment,” I say, trying to cover my tracks.
“Uh huh,” he says, a knowing smile crossing his lips. “Well, don’t you worry your pretty little head about that. I may have my eye on a girl but until I work up the nerve to ask her out, it’ll probably be quiet up here.”
I try not to react, but the thought of him interested in another girl makes my heart fall right to the bottom of my stomach like a stone.
I will not ask him who it is. It’s none of my business.
“That’s
good,” I say, clearing my throat and avoiding his eyes. “Let me show you around the rest of the place real quick and then I need to get going. There’s a new shipment coming in this afternoon and I need to make sure the storeroom is cleaned out.”
“You need help?”
“I can handle it,” I say. My voice comes out sharper than I intended.
I take him through the living room with its loveseat and recliner, a simple coffee table also made by Knox, and a nice-sized TV with a Blu-ray player. The second I step into the bedroom, my awkwardness is back in full force. If the thought of him having another girl over here bothers me, the thought of him bringing another girl into this bedroom nearly makes me want to jump out a window.
The bedroom is sparse and simple, with nothing more than a bed, a nightstand, and a chest of drawers. There’s a bathroom attached, but it’s small.
“Sorry it’s so tiny in here,” I say. “I hope this will be good enough.”
“This is a mansion compared to what I’m used to, trust me,” he says. “This is more than enough, and I really want you to know how much I appreciate this, Jo.”
He sounds so sincere and heartfelt, it catches me a bit off guard. Colton is always sweet, but he’s usually more of a surface kind of guy. Always happy and smiling and joking around, but not one for getting into deep conversations or sharing his innermost thoughts about life.
“You’re welcome,” I say. “You can stay as long as you like.”
“Thanks.”
We’re standing in the doorway to the bedroom, and I’m aware just how close he is to me. It’s getting hotter in here by the second, which means it’s time for me to go.
I don’t need this kind of complication in my life, especially with him moving in next door.
“I should go,” I say, ducking back into the living room and heading straight for the exit. “Let me know if you need anything.”
I don’t wait for him to say a word in response. I shut the door behind me and race down the stairs.
I don’t dare look back, practically running all the way back to my house and into my bedroom. I close the door and place a hand over my heart. What in the world have I gotten myself into?
It feels as if there’s a boulder rolling down a hill and it’s too late to stop it now.
I sit on my bed and close my eyes, listening to a tiny little voice deep down inside that says maybe I don’t want it to stop. Maybe I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen for a very long time.
Chapter Seven
I stroll into work Monday afternoon with a smile on my face. I’m still on a high from Saturday night’s crowd, and I’m looking forward to another great night.
At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself.
Okay, so there might be a small part of me that’s looking forward to spending some more time with Jo. It’ll be just the two of us tonight, and those are my favorite kinds of nights here at the bar. Mondays are usually pretty slow, and it gives us a chance to fool around and talk.
I couldn’t believe it when she actually sat down and had a shot with me after work on Saturday night. I think that was the most we’ve actually talked since I started working here over the summer, and gosh, I don’t think I’ve talked about my family that much to anyone in as long as I can remember.
It felt good to really connect with her, and no matter how much I tell myself it’s a long shot that a girl like that would ever want to go out with me, I’ve been thinking about asking her anyway.
There’s a fifty-fifty shot she’ll slap me across the face, but I’m willing to take the risk.
“Hey¸” she says when I walk through the door. She’s wearing her hair in two separate braids that hang over her shoulders, and she’s got my favorite pair of jeans on tonight. “You’re early.”
“Easy commute,” I say, and she laughs. “I thought you could maybe use my help getting the tables and chairs back on the floor, but I see you guys already took care of that.”
The place looks back to normal.
“Knox came over earlier and helped me set it up,” she says. “It’s going to be a pain to keep pulling those tables and chairs out every weekend, but I don’t see any way around it right now.”
“We could always expand,” I say, half-teasing.
She takes in a breath and puts her hands on her hips, looking around the place. “In a dream world, maybe,” she says. “It would be nice to have a bigger stage and more bar space, but there’s no way we could afford that right now. Maybe after a year of great nights like we had this weekend. We ended up taking in over a grand on the covers alone, if you can believe it.”
“Considering it took me most of the weekend before I started to feel my feet again, I believe it.”
She laughs, and the sound reaches into my heart and speeds it up like a drug.
“It was worth it, though, huh?”
“You bet your ass it was worth it,” I say. “I’m already looking forward to this weekend.”
For more reasons than I want to admit. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Knox’s invitation to the lake next Sunday. I’m looking forward to spending some time with Jo outside work to see if this little spark I’m feeling is something more than just a work thing.
“We’ve got that band coming from Alabama this weekend,” she says. “I need to get some flyers printed out and start posting them around town tomorrow. I’ll see if Leigh Anne can pass some out around campus for us, too.”
“I can help if you need it,” I say. “What can I do to help you get things ready for tonight?”
“Would you mind restocking the coolers? I haven’t had a chance to do it yet.”
“On it, Boss,” I say, and she rolls her eyes. Man, I love getting under that girl’s skin.
I wonder if she has any idea just how much she’s getting under mine.
The bar is busier than normal for a Monday, and as much as I need the money, I’m disappointed I haven’t had more time to talk to Jo. We’ve been slammed for the past few hours, and there just hasn’t been a chance to hang out. It’s finally starting to clear out, though, and there are only a few tables left and a few regulars sitting at the bar.
I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to ask her out, but so far, I can’t think of anything clever enough to say. I can’t even think of where I should take her if she actually happens to say yes. Nothing seems good enough for a girl like her.
My normal dinner and a movie or a walk on the beach won’t cut it. I need something really spectacular. Something totally wild and fun that will pull her completely out of work-mode. I want her to have the time of her life.
She deserves something like that.
“Earth to Colton,” she says, and I clear my throat.
“Sorry, what happened?” The back of my neck grows warm. Totally busted.
She laughs. “I asked you if you wanted to head home early tonight,” she says. “I know we were all exhausted after Saturday and it looks like it’s really slowing down now.”
My heart sinks. She’s sending me home?
“I don’t mind sticking around a little longer.”
She shrugs. “It’s your call,” she says. “I just thought you might have something else you wanted to do tonight.”
Normally, yes, but right now all I want to do is be with her. Does she have any idea how I’m feeling? I’m worried that it’s written all over my face. I’m not used to being nervous about asking someone out. It’s awkward, and I feel like I’m fifteen years old all over again.
“What did you end up doing yesterday?” she asks me.
“I slept like the dead,” I say with a laugh. “Didn’t get up until about noon, and then I went over to my sister Cammie’s house for a little while. She just had a new baby a few weeks ago, so I watched Emma while my sister got a little bit of sleep.”
Jo raises an eyebrow. “You were babysitting on your day off?”
I keep my hands busy washing glasses. Why am I so nervou
s around her tonight?
“When you have as many nieces and nephews as I do, you get used to babysitting here and there,” I say. “Don’t look so shocked.”
“I guess I just never pictured you as the babysitting type,” she says.
“What did you do?”
“I spent most of the day here at the bar doing inventory,” she says, twisting one of her braids around her finger and driving me out of my mind. “Dad put in a huge order this morning just to restock what we sold over the weekend. It was insane.”
“I bet,” I say. I cannot take my eyes off that finger. I suddenly want to pull her close and take those braids out of her hair. I want to kiss her and show her what it could be like to give in every once in a while.
Man, what is wrong with me?
I force my eyes away, glancing briefly at the door to the bar as it opens. Two guys walk in, laughing and leaning on each other. It’s obvious they had a few before they got here.
“Shit,” Jo mutters.
I assume she’s referring to their inebriated state, but when I look up, her entire face has gone sheet white.
“What?” I ask.
“Joey, long time, huh baby?” The taller of the two guys slaps his hand against the bar and Jo visibly jumps.
My hand tightens around a glass.
“Don’t call me that,” she says. “What are you doing here?”
“What? No welcome home?” the guy says, placing a hand on his chest and flashing a shocked look at his companion. “A guy can’t come back to his old stomping grounds and get a drink these days? Jesus, Joey, you don’t have to be so uptight. From what I remember, you used to know how to have a good time.”
At her sides, her hands are fists, and her jaw is so tight I’m afraid she’s going to break it. Are those tears welling up in her eyes?
Oh, hell no. I’m not going to let some jerk rattle her up like this.
“Jo, weren’t you about to go check in the back to see if we had more of that thing we needed?” I ask, touching her hand. Her skin is freezing cold.
