by Casey Peeler
“”Bout time you got here!” Seth says as I turn to see him standing there.
“Seriously? You wear that shit in here?” Looking down, he shrugs his shoulders.
“What’s wrong with it?”
Looking him head to toe, I answer, “Everything.”
“Well, good to see you, too,” he says and we both laugh.
Seth takes a few minutes to show me around Barger’s but nothing has changed except the price of a beer.
“So, Papa’s wanting you to stop at his house when you get settled,” Seth says as he walks around the bar and tosses a set of keys my direction.
“What are these?”
“Key’s to here and my house. I’m leaving tomorrow morning,” Seth says and I pause.
“Not wasting any time, are ya?”
“Nope. Now let’s go see Papa James before the crowd starts to roll in.”
Walking into Papa James’s house looks the same as I remember with family pictures on the wall and him sitting in his favorite chair, watching the news and reading the paper. He looks up, “Well, I’ll be.”
“Hey, Papa James,” I say as he stands to give me a hug. “How you been?”
“Good, but this boy here will drive you crazy,” he says with a laugh.
“I know, but really, you doing okay?” I question.
“I am, but I’m ready to enjoy being home instead of up at all hours at the bar,” he says.
“I’m sure. Seth showed me around and I can’t wait to get to work. Plus, we’ve got a contract to sign.”
“Yes, we do,” he says as Seth chimes in.
“Papa, you’ll never guess who offered to buy Barger’s today.” Quickly, I turn to look at him. What is he talking about? “Everett Drake.” Everett Drake. Why does that name sound vaguely familiar?
Papa’s head turns to look at Seth quickly. “Like hell a Drake’s going to buy it.”
“I told him that, but you might be surprised at him.”
“Surprised or not, I’ve got my buyer and it sure won’t be one of those rowdy ass boys. Now, Stella, let’s go make a deal.
Entering the kitchen, we take a seat as Papa shows me the deed, goes over the ins and outs, I sign on the dotted line, and hand him my life savings. Barger’s is mine.
Chapter 5
Everett
As I pull back into Bell Distribution, I make sure everything is accounted for and turn in all of my invoices and paper crap before clocking out. Arriving at the farm, I notice that all three of my brothers are home and are already at work on the farm. Giving them a wave, I walk into the house, change out of my uniform into farm clothes, and go help them finish whatever they’ve started.
Once we’ve finished on the farm, we go inside, each grabbing a beer before going to sit on the back porch without saying a word. Instead we enjoy the peace and quiet of our farm in the middle of nowhere with not one soul to bother us.
Jeremiah looks at his watch. “Dude, you got somewhere to be?” Colby asks him.
“Nah, just thought I’d go to Barger’s. Wanna go?” he says.
Looking around at each other, we take a swig of beer and walk toward Colby’s truck.
Arriving at Barger’s, it’s the same crowd, but that Dodge is still in the parking lot which only means one thing. That hot as hell bombshell with a cute little attitude is around here somewhere.
Taking a seat inside at our favorite table, I see Seth behind the counter. We place our order and take a seat at the table we’ve sat at for as long as I can remember. Seth brings them out and starts to turn when I see her. The dark hair is pulled back unlike earlier today and undoubtedly, I’m not the only one to notice.
“Damn, Seth, where did you find her?”
“That’s my cousin, Stella. Papa James sold her Barger’s,” he says and everything inside me goes haywire.
“Like hell,” I say and Seth gets caught off guard.
“Everett, don’t shoot the messenger, but she’ll be good for this place.”
Jeremiah starts to smile, “Oh yeah, she’s going to be good for this place. A lot better to look at than your pansy ass.” They all laugh, but I don’t. Something about the way my brothers are reacting to her pisses me off and I don’t like it or how I feel right now. Seth catches her eye and motions for her to come over.
“Stella, meet the Drake brothers. Beckett, Jeremiah, Colby, and Everett,” her eyes pause when she sees me but doesn’t say a word.
“Nice to meet y’all,” she says with a sweet tone unlike what I witnessed earlier today. “Well, let me get back to work. Let me know if you need anything,” she says as she walks to the other side of bar and every head in this place turns.
“Seth, you’ve been holding out. Where did she come from?” Colby asks.
“The coast. It’s probably been ten years or so since she visited here.”
“When you leaving?” I ask.
“Tomorrow.”
“So she’s who I have to deliver to now?”
“Yeah.”
Without saying a word, I stand and walk to the pool table, rack them, and start to play. I’ve got get the shit swimming around in my head out of it and off of Stella. After clearing the table quickly, my brothers join in the next game.
Stella
The moment I looked at those emerald sea eyes up close, I knew I was screwed. If I thought he looked good in that beer truck, it didn’t have anything on up close and personal. His dark hair is messy, like he’d been running his hands through it and it’s obvious that he’d been working on a farm before they stopped by. When his eyes caught mine a little longer, I excused myself quickly. Staying busy the remainder of the night, I try to refrain from looking their direction.
“Stella, you okay?” Seth asks.
“Yeah, why?”
“You’ve been avoiding the Drake table since the moment I introduced you.”
Pausing from restocking the bar, she says, “Let’s just say that I need to avoid the beer delivery boy if at all possible.”
“Everett?” he questions.
“Yeah, what’s his deal anyway?”
“He started working for Bell Distribution maybe a week ago after getting discharged from the Navy. He wanted to buy this place, but that wasn’t happening.” I don’t say anything but keep working. “Stella,” pausing, I look back to him, “stay away from him. All those Drake boys are trouble. They all seem to have their lives together, but something tells me that’s not the case.”
“Believe me, Seth, I’m not looking for anything. I want to continue to keep Barger’s running and I can’t do that falling all head over heels for someone. Not to mention that Papa would kill me.”
“Good.”
Everett
Every chance I have I steal a glance in her direction, and I can promise that she’s doing her best to keep herself busy, but when a crowd of guys with piss ass attitudes take a seat at the bar, I watch a little closer. She keeps them at a distance and Seth doesn’t leave her side. Looking around, I see we’re out of shots, so I glance over at Jeremiah and ask if we’re ready for another round. With one tip back of the head, I walk toward the bar.
“Hey, Stella, ‘nother round of whiskey when you get a chance.”
Smiling, she tells me yes as she continues to tell the fuckers at the bar every detail about her taking over and Seth leaving tomorrow. Why is she giving men she doesn’t know this info? Looking over at them, I get an uneasy feeling and for the first time in my life I want to protect something other than my country. When she moves over to me, she takes the four shot glasses and quickly pours them for me, then I hear the dipshits at the bar start to run their mouths about her ass when she turns around.
“Hey, dumb fuck, what did you say?” Turning, he looks at me like I don’t know what I’m getting into but doesn’t say a word. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” but when I stand to walk away, the four of them do the same. It doesn’t take me but two seconds to challenge them and that’s when I feel my broth
er behind me.
“You need to learn to talk to a lady with respect. You got that?” I say.
“Mind your own damn business,” one says.
“Look, you can either shut the hell up or we can settle this the hard way,” Beckett says behind me, but before there is an answer I hear that fiery voice from behind the bar.
“How ‘bout this, all y’all fuckers. Get the hell outta my bar,” Stella says with confidence and we stand to watch whoever leaves. “Drakes, that means y’all, too!”
“Seth, she’s not serious, is she?” He tosses his hands up like the puss he is and we take our shots, toss cash onto the bar, and walk out of Barger’s like the Drakes we are, except this time no tables were broken and Colby doesn’t have a broken nose.
Stella
As those eight men walk out the door, I let out a deep breath. My first night on the job and I’ve already had to toss out a few and of course, they had to be Drake’s.
“Seth, please tell me that’s not the normal.”
“Lately, it’s been pretty quiet around here, but I don’t know much about Everett these days. He’s been overseas and you know they say that messes with people.”
“I swear, I thought he was going to go after all four by himself.”
“He would have, but I’m telling you, those boys back in the day loved a good bar fight. Today, Beckett thinks twice because of his job and the others follow his lead. But I’m betting if you wouldn’t have shown how tough you are, there would have been some punches thrown.”
“Maybe. You know those other four?” I question, trying to make sure I know anything and everything around here.
“Never seen them. Could have been passing through or something. There’s been more of that with the new bypass finished. One thing I will say is be careful. I know you can handle the bar, but times are different.”
“Seth, I can take care of myself.”
“Never said you couldn’t, but if you need any backup, the Drake’s are who you want. They might be rough around the edges but they believe in taking care of this town.”
“What do you mean?” I ask as I grab another longneck for a customer.
“Beckett is the chief fire marshal, Jeremiah is a mechanic at Mayes’, and Colby runs the hardware store. They all have that edge, but they were brought up by the Drakes—two honorable residents of this town. Deep down they are good ole boys that like to keep people believing they’re the hellions they were going up.”
Chapter 6
Everett
Walking into work the following morning, I grab my route and get ready to head out when Jason calls me into the office.
“Barger’s has a new owner. When you go by there today, make sure you are on your best behavior.”
“It’s not on my route today.” He points to my list and when I look at the last page, it’s the last stop. “I delivered there yesterday.”
“I know, but I want you to stop by and make sure she doesn’t need anything added before tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” taking the clipboard, I walk to my truck, climb in, and head out for the day. It’s hot as blooming blazes out here today, and when lunch rolls around I know I’ve got to grab a bite of something. Grabbing a pack of crackers and a Coke, I eat them quickly before getting back at it. After all the beer has been delivered, I swing by Barger’s.
Opening the back door like I do for deliveries, I’m met by Stella as she falls out the back door carrying empty boxes to the dumpster. Catching her with my arms, her eyes linger on mine like they did last night, and I don’t move because I can’t.
“You gonna let go of me?” she says with attitude.
“Sorry, thought I’d catch your fall. Need some help?”
“I’m good,” she says but I don’t take that answer. Instead, I take the broken down cardboard from her arms and walk to the trash. Walking back to her, she’s still standing there with her hands on her hips again. “I was good.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t, but I thought I’d help.”
“I don’t need any help,” she says and that’s when something happens. I take a step toward her, invade her space and look her directly in the eye.
“Never said you needed any, but what kind of man would I be to stand here and watch you work?” Her breathing increases as she tries to find the words, and I try to refrain from backing her against the wall and devouring those plump lips of hers. When I’m so close I can feel her breath on mine, I snap out of it and remember why I am here. Taking a step back, it’s almost as if she lets out a whimper when I move away.
“So what brings you by? Everett, right?” she questions, knowing damn well she knows my name.
“Jason wanted me to stop by and see if there was anything you needed added to tomorrow’s delivery.” Pausing, she looks at me.
“Let’s go take a look,” she says, swinging the wooden screen door open and I follow her inside. Walking down the hall, she looks at what is lined up there and then moves into the bar area. Walking behind the counter, she slides open a cooler, takes two beers, passes one to me and takes a pull on the other for herself before walking around to have a seat beside me. “What’s the real reason you’re here?”
“I told you. My boss told me to see if anything needed to be added to your order.”
“Has there ever been anything different added to Barger’s order?”
“No,” I reply and take another drink.
“Then there is your answer,” she says, standing and I take her by the arm.
“You might need to be careful giving all your information out to men you don’t know in a bar.”
Quickly, she turns her head toward me, “What are you talkin’ ‘bout?”
“Those men in here last night. They aren’t from around here and you volunteer way too much info. That’s not smart for a woman runnin’ a bar.”
“Well, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I don’t need it. I can handle myself and a bunch of men. I’m pretty sure I don't need to refresh your memory there.”
Laughing lightly, I get the hint. Standing, I take one more pull on my beer and then walk out the back door without another word.
Stella
The moment he’s out the door, I let out a deep breath and then take another pull of my beer. Processing what he said, I replay my conversation with those four men at the bar. They were edgy but seemed to be nice. They were full of compliments, but when they asked about myself, the bar, and anything else, I quickly volunteered information. Everett was right. That was completely stupid on my part, and I’ll have to remember to keep myself at a distance since it’s only me working until I hire extra help for the weekends.
Going back to work, I shake off how that situation has now made me feel uneasy, but there’s nothing I can do to change what happened last night. I can only move forward.
As the sun sets and the moon rises, the crowd begins to trickle in. Getting in my element, I listen to the jukebox in the background as I take orders and keep my customers happy. Walking down the hall, I walk out to find Papa James on a barstool.
“Hey, Papa! What can I get ya?” I ask.
“Do you even have to ask?” he questions and I grab his favorite a red belly in a can. “How’s it going?”
“Good, but you didn’t have to check on me tonight.”
“Maybe not, but I had to get out of that house.”
Shaking my head, I hear the door open and see Everett walking in alone and taking a seat at the bar.
“Hey, sir,” he says to Papa and I think he’s going to choke on his beer.
“Well, that’s a first,” he says to Everett.
“I can go back to the old way if you prefer,” Everett says with little emotion and then looks to me.
“Drake, I know about last night. Can y’all please keep that shit out of here?”
“No promises, but you’d be proud of your girl. She told us all to get the hell out.”
Papa James looks to me, “Sure did.
Everett, whiskey?”
“Nah, I’ll take a beer.” Taking one from the cooler, I place it in front of him and go back to taking care of things at the bar. Papa leaves after his beer, but for the next two hours, Everett doesn’t move. Instead, he sits there and takes everything into account.
Wiping the bar, I look his direction as he catches my eye with his dark green eyes. “You know you don’t have to sit here all night.”
“Oh, I know, but I like this place.”
“I heard. Did you really want to buy it?”
“Thought about it. I couldn’t let it go to someone who didn’t get what this place means to so many.” Laying the wet rag on the bar, I walk toward him and can’t believe what I’m about to offer.
“You wouldn’t want to help out on the weekends, would you?”
“Help out as in how?” he asks.
“Bartend and keep the riffraff out,” he takes another pull of his beer.
“You want a Drake to keep the riffraff out?”
“I know that sounds absurd. Forget I said that.”
He takes another pull on his beer. “I think I can do that.”
“Good, you start tomorrow.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I wonder if this is a mistake. The moment I saw him in that truck, I knew that I needed to keep my distance and here I’ve gone and offered him a job, but something about this man in this building makes me feel at ease.
Chapter 7
Everett
Watching her behind that bar has me thinking a lot of really bad things. I have no idea why she wanted to offer me a job, but if that’s what she wants, why not? I’ll get paid to sit here, drink a few and watch her fine ass wander around the bar.
Looking at my watch, I get her attention, “Stella, can I get another?”
“Sure,” she says as she walks over and I drink it while I let my eyes roam Barger’s. There has never been much trouble in here except for a bar fight or someone too drunk, but nothing to make me think she needs me to do this job.
