23. Nash

Chapter 23

Nash

A fter pumpkin pancakes and bacon, I head to my apartment for a quick shower. I have plans today but am not ready to share those plans with Everly yet. Waking up with Everly nestled in my arms and spending the morning with my two favorite girls, I felt like we’re a real family. Something I can picture and long for every day starting and ending, from now on until forever.

I practically bounce with happiness as I head down to the kitchen and check in with Hayley, who is quiet and brooding as she bakes. She glares at me. “Why are you so chipper?”

Before I can say anything, her eyes widen, and she hisses, “Did you sleep with Everly? You did, didn’t you?”

I cross my arms and lean on the doorway. “No, and don’t be a dick. ”

“It’s like we’ve switched places. I’m broody, and you’re chipper. Not fair,” she mumbles.

I pour myself a coffee and hold it up to her to see if she wants some. She nods, and I top off her Yeti mug with the bar logo on it.

“What’s up with you? Other than Grandma. You haven’t been yourself lately.”

Hayley shakes her head as she stirs something in a bowl and doesn’t look at me.

“What are you doing today?” she asks, changing the subject.

“Going over to city hall to talk with Sullivan. Want to come?” I say in a tone that is more clipped than I intended.

I’m going to bat today for the people who I love. I’m not afraid to dig up the dirt and get my hands dirty if it means keeping my family safe and happy. My thoughts drift to when I was younger, when it used to be my fists that did all the talking in fights, but now that I’m older and have much more at stake, I realize knowledge is power. And I’m ready for battle.

A look of surprise passes her face, and she shakes her head. “Hell, no. I can’t stand them. I can’t be trusted around them. I can’t even fix my face to be normal around them. Plus, I’m too pretty for jail.”

I laugh at that. “Yeah, it would be a shame if you went to jail. No one would bake like you do, and we’d all starve,” I say as I reach out and snatch one of her mini cinnamon rolls. She playfully swats my hand with a towel, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, and she seems restless and caged.

“Everly would bake,” she says, but it’s still not lost on me that she isn’t looking like her usual self. She’s sullen and subdued, more reserved and sadder. Not the feisty spitfire Hayles that loves to pick at me.

“What gives, Hayles?” I ask gently, noticing her face etched with worry.

She takes out her frustration on her dough and says, “I am upset about Grandma, and I’m worried about Everly and the library.”

“It’s going to be okay. We won’t let them get away with this,” I promise. “I’m headed over to deal with that now.”

“And you stay out of jail, too. Let me know what happens,” she calls as I close the door and head out the back and down the alley to the sidewalk.

“No promises,” I call back cheerfully.

I push the door into the glass building of city hall and stride past the receptionist, who jumps to her feet, exclaiming, “You can’t go back there. You don’t have an appointment.”

Richard Sullivan sits at a long table with the town council members with his leg crossed and a smug look on his face that seems to disappear when I walk in. The conversation pauses, and the room feels tense.

“Leave immediately, or I will have you physically removed,” Richard spats out, his face growing red. I can tell whatever he was in the middle of doing was not something he wanted to share with the class, and especially not me.

“Calm down, Richard,” I say evenly as I stand in front of the room. “The only way I’m leaving is if you make me, and with all due respect, I don’t think you have what it takes.”

Crickets. Yeah, they didn’t expect that.

“Now that I have your attention,” I announce. “I think you all should think long and hard before you come after the library or any other buildings already happily occupied. I have dirt on each one of you, and I’m not afraid to ruin every single fucking person in this room,” I say as I look at each one of their faces to make sure they know that I see them.

“Your decisions in here today affect the entire town, and you’re not thinking clearly.” I continue.

Richard starts to interrupt, and I hold up my hand. “With as much disrespect possible, shut the fuck up.” I bite off the last few syllables as I glare at him, and he sits back down and sputters.

You could hear a pin drop in the room.

“Working at one of the most popular pubs in town here for the past twelve years, I know who is fucking who, who has a little gambling addiction, whose wife is fucking one of you.” The last one got them all looking at each other with suspicious stares. Good, they can turn on each other.

“I will take down every single one of you, and I will enjoy doing it. So think long and hard before you vote to build something in a place that pushes your own agendas and not what’s best for this town. You want your arena? Fine, build it somewhere else. I know where all your fucking skeletons are, and I’ll lay them out one by fucking one, bone by fucking bone for everyone to see. All. Of. Them. I will simultaneously destroy you all.”

I tilt my head to Richard as I notice his face is pale with disbelief and rage. “Anything to say?”

“You’ll pay for this,” he sputters about as his face flushes red.

“Ah, ah, ah, no, I won’t. And you better reinstate the library budget today if you know what’s good for you. And Sherry,” I say the last part with a smug smile.

“Are you kidding me?” Barry asks since Sherry is his wife.

“You all have a great day now. I’ll leave you to it. You have some things to straighten out.”

No one in the room utters a sound, and jaws are dropped. I turn and head back out. The door shuts, and I pass the receptionist following me. When I get to the door, she whispers loudly in awe, “That was so awesome.”

I tip my hat to her and head out and down the block. I just made a ton of enemies, but I hope I got my message across. If they want to take down the library, they’ll have to go through me first.

Everly

Thanks for staying with me last night. Do you have to work tonight?

No problem, beautiful. Yeah, I’m working.

Everly

I’m going to come in and bake for Hayley tonight. Anne Marie is keeping Willow for a sleepover.

Does that mean you get to have a sleepover too? ( Devil smiley emoji)

Everly

Ummmm

Or I can come hold you again, but it won’t be until after I close the bar.

Everly

Close the bar early. Lol

So I’ll see you at the pub tonight?

Everly

Yes.

See you tonight.

Music plays loudly, and we’re surprisingly busy for a weekday night. I’m not complaining. Marcus and I have been going nonstop, and our server staff has been on their toes as well.

We have orders coming and going in the kitchen, and Everly is in the back of the kitchen where the ovens are going. The back door is propped open because it gets sweltering back there. I check a few times because I don’t like it, but it’s better than cooking the staff.

Everly wears a fitted T-shirt with an apron over it. Her hair is pulled up on top of her head in a knot, a few tendrils trying to escape. Her bright lipstick is on, she’s focused and concentrating, and I try to stay out of her way, but I can’t help it. She’s there. And I want to talk to her.

Our karaoke event starts at eight, and that’s always a big draw for the crowd. Tonight, we have a bachelorette party, and their songs of choice are mostly Taylor Swift. Some of them are good, and the crowd is into it.

Everly comes and stands next to me behind the bar, touching me as she stands close. I wrap my arms around her and pull her in, kissing her cheek.

“I love this song.” She sways slightly into me.

“What’s it called?” I ask as I span my hands over her abdomen, keeping her close.

“‘All Too Well,’” she says. “It’s one of my favorites. It’s what got me through when I lost you.”

My heart sinks, and I lean in to murmur in her ear, “You didn’t lose me, beautiful. I’m here.”

She breathes a deep sigh and looks up at me as I lean down and kiss her.

“Get a room!” someone teases from across the bar.

“Later,” I murmur in her ear.

Her eyes sparkle as she looks at me, then heads back to the kitchen. She’s washing dishes now, so she must be close to finishing.

Having her here is what I need.

She approaches the door and motions to me, and I come over. “I’m going home to shower, and I’ll be back. I’m covered in flour and sweaty from baking in the hot kitchen. Do you need anything before I go?”

“Got any soup at home?” I’m hungry, and her food has been so good.

“I do. I’ll bring food when I return. Think you’ll be able to get away and eat?”

I look at her and say, “I can definitely get away to eat.”

And I wasn’t talking about soup.

She freezes, but a grin appears on her face as she takes off her apron and throws it in the linens bag.

“See you soon,” I call as I work to get everything cleaned up and ready for close.

“What?” I say as I stock all the clean glasses and wipe down the bar, one of our regulars smiling smugly.

“You got it bad, man,” he says as he takes a pull from his beer.

I know I do. Everly is it for me. Always was, always will be. I will do anything to make sure I don’t mess this up with her.