Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Brooks

Sawyer took a seat on the barstool in front of me, slumping to rest his forehead on his crossed arms.

"Are you okay?" I asked with a small laugh.

He mumbled an unintelligible reply against his arm.

"What?"

With a weary sigh, he straightened. "Work has been kicking my ass. Hudson is organizing that Dock Hop event, so I covered the early tours for him the other day, then flipped back to nights."

"Sounds brutal."

"And Ashton was a total tool last night."

"Mm-hmm." Sawyer had a lot of run-ins with Ashton, a guy who drove for the DreamBoat tours across the lake. They weren't really competition, because they catered to larger parties, but that wasn't how Sawyer saw it.

In fact, he always had a beef with Ashton. They had a long and complicated history, but more than that, the guy just got under his skin.

"I need a beer," he said.

"I don't think so," Vera called through the order window to the kitchen.

Sawyer huffed and leaned to the side to catch her eye. "Last I checked, you weren't a bartender, Mom!"

Vera chuckled. "Last I checked, you were exhausted. You shouldn't drink if you're working tonight."

"She's right," I said before he could argue. "Go have an energy drink. Or even better, take a fucking nap. You work too hard."

"You're one to talk, man. I never see you outside of this place."

"Well, I don't look like I have a hangover before drinking, at least."

"Ouch." He rapped the bar with his knuckles. "Well, don't worry, you two. I'm off work tonight, and I'm headed home for that nap you suggested right after this. I just want a beer to wind me down."

I glanced at Vera, and she nodded her okay. I knew better than to get on the wrong side of my cook.

"All right, bro. One beer." I grabbed a mug and moved to the tap that carried a local favorite brewed by the Ozark Beer Company.

"You should take some time off tonight, too," Sawyer said.

"I wish."

"I'm serious." He hunched forward, watching as I pulled the lager, tilting the glass so I didn't get too much foam, then straightening it to finish the pour. "You need a break. I'll cook out. Everyone can come over and chill."

I placed the pint glass on a coaster in front of him. "That's how you want to spend your night off? Having people over?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I work too many booze cruises to hang out much." He lifted his beer and took a sip, sighing as he lowered it. "And you spend all your time here. Coming by our table for a two-minute chat is not a social life."

I smiled wryly. "What social life?"

"Exactly. So you'll come?"

I hesitated, tempted. "I don't know."

"You're killin' me. I need you there. Someone has to counterbalance Cash's nonsense."

"It's just that Skylar Addison has been coming in most nights."

"The owner's son?"

I nodded.

"I take it he doesn't know about your living situation."

Sawyer was the only person who knew the full truth of how I lived. He'd offered to let me crash at his trailer with him down at the RV park, but that thing was so tiny we'd be on top of each other. I appreciated the offer, but no thanks.

"Nope, and I need to keep it that way."

So far, Skylar had done little more than observe when he came in. He hadn't asked about the stockroom again, but he had to be curious. If I went out, he might decide to explore.

Even if he didn't, who would make sure he ate dinner if I wasn't there to provide it? The man never asked to be served.

Sawyer finished his beer. "Bummer. I really think it'd be good for you. Think about it?"

I glanced over my shoulder at the door, considering. "Maybe. Felix has been asking for more hours. I could toss the kid a bone."

"Yessss. Now you have to come." Sawyer slid some cash across the bar and stood. "I'll text the others and make a plan."

Business picked up as we got closer to the dinner hour. Bartending didn't take much brainpower. I'd made so many drinks that it was mostly muscle memory as I pulled the taps, mixed liquors, and made chit-chat with customers. The hardest part was the energy drain. Smiling for tips and charming strangers took effort.

A petite brunette with big brown eyes bought the act, though. She watched me over the rim of her margarita, a flirtatious tilt to her lips.

I stopped by when her glass was two-thirds empty. "You want another?"

"Oh, I don't know if I should. It might give me naughty ideas." Her gaze scanned me over, and I was pretty sure her ideas were already slanted in that direction. "What's your name? I didn't catch it earlier."

"Brooks."

"Nice to meet you, Brooks. I'm Tracy."

I flashed her a smile. She was pretty, and it had been a while since I'd made time to hook up. Maybe if I didn't make it to Sawyer's tonight, I could still do something for me.

"Well, Tracy, I think you should definitely have that next drink," I teased.

She giggled. "All right, but I blame you if I do anything embarrassing!"

"Not possible."

The door to the pub opened, and I flicked a glance that way. Skylar walked in.

I let out a breath. I'd wondered if he'd come by tonight. Whenever he didn't show, I spent the evening hours watching the door, waiting.

"Brooks?" Tracy said, and by the sound of her tone, it wasn't the first time she'd tried to get my attention.

"Sorry." I shook my head. "Let me get you that drink."

I scooped ice into a cocktail glass, then grabbed the bottle of tequila and the mixer. When I set the drink in front of Tracy, she smiled. "Thanks. You're so good at that. So, uh, are you working all night or—"

"Sorry, I've got to serve another customer," I cut in, already moving toward Skylar.

He looked up as I approached, his lips curving into a tiny smile. It wasn't much, but it was a damn sight better than the first reactions I'd gotten out of him.

"Hey, Sky. You're not tired of watching me yet?"

He ducked his head. "I can go if I'm bothering you."

I leaned my forearms on the bar. "I put my foot in my mouth when we met, but you don't bother me, Sky. As I've told you a few times now."

He nibbled his bottom lip. "But I know you'll probably be happy when I move on."

My brows drew together. As much as I worried about Skylar reporting my improper living conditions to his dad, that really wasn't true.

"Nah, you're cool."

He gave me a disbelieving look. "Right."

"I mean it. You've got a chill vibe. I can dig it." I winked playfully, watching pink creep into his cheeks.

Oops, had I turned up the charm too much? I didn't want to mislead him.

I straightened. "Want your usual drink?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"And I bet you haven't eaten."

He smiled sheepishly. "Guilty."

"Do you want the special or—"

His phone rang, cutting through the chatter at the bar. He picked it up and silenced it.

"What's the special?"

"Fish tacos tonight. Vera made this siracho mayo for them that's—"

His phone rang again.

He winced. "Sorry."

"You can answer it."

"I'm not sure who's calling." He picked up the phone and frowned at the screen. "I don't recognize the number."

"They've called twice. Could be important."

It stopped ringing, but then started again immediately.

"I guess they really want to talk to me." He gave a nervous laugh, then accepted the call. "Hello?"

I watched the color drain from his face. As much as I'd worried about misleading Skylar by making him blush, this was so much worse.

"How did you get this number?" he asked, voice toneless.

It was nosy as fuck, but I leaned in, shamelessly eavesdropping on the call.

Skylar sucked in a sharp breath, and I heard a few of the words being said to him.

"… leave me? You pathetic…beg me…take you back."

"I won't," Skylar said in a shaky voice.

He didn't sound as if he believed himself, and the guy kept pouring poison into his ear. As he did, Skylar's protests grew weaker. Why wasn't he telling this guy to fuck off? Or at least hanging up on him?

I held out my hand. "Give me the phone."

Skylar's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

The asshole who must be his ex-boyfriend continued ranting, not even noticing that Skylar wasn't responding to him.

"Let me talk to him," I ground out. "You don't need to listen to that crap."

Skylar hesitated a beat, then shoved the phone toward me as if it were a rattlesnake.

I lifted it to my ear, interrupting the tirade still pouring forth. "Listen up, fuckhead. Skylar has moved on. Stop calling."

"Who the fuck are you? Put Sky back on. This is between me and my guy."

"He's not your guy anymore."

"He sure as fuck is. I don't know what he's told you, but—"

"He's told me everything." In a stroke of either genius or madness, I added, "I'm his new man. He traded up, asshole. So lose this number, fuck off, and never talk to him again. You hear me?"

Then I mashed the Disconnect button with my finger and held the phone out to Skylar.

He gaped at me. "Why did you say that?"

"He wasn't getting the message. You left the douche, if I overheard correctly, and he's trying to convince you that you need him and a bunch of other toxic bullshit." I paused. "I didn't get that wrong, did I?"

He looked down. "No."

I grabbed a glass and filled it with water, then placed it in front of him. "Here, drink. You're shaken up. I'll put in that dinner order for you."

He sipped the water. "I'm not hungry."

"Is he harassing you a lot? You should block his number."

"It just started, but I'll block it now." He picked up his phone, punching at buttons with trembling fingers. "He didn't call from his own phone. I'd have known it. I got a new number when I left so he couldn't reach me, but the other day I got this weird voicemail. It was just breathing, you know? It could have been anyone, but I knew. Deep down, I knew it was him." He grimaced. "I shouldn't have answered, but I thought I was just being paranoid. I'm so stupid ."

"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong."

He met my eyes, a fragile, wounded bird of a man. "I did everything wrong. How else has it come to this?"

I didn't have an answer for that. Not one that would make Skylar feel any better.

I couldn't fix his past, but I could help distract him.

"Hey, let's get out of here."

"What?" He glanced at the bar full of people. "You're working."

"I've got a part-timer coming in soon," I said. "And my friend is having a cook-out. I promised I'd try to swing by."

"Oh, I don't want to intrude."

"You won't be. It's low-key, and you could use a change of scenery, I'm guessing."

"Is it that obvious that I'm practically a hermit?"

My lips quirked. "If you are, you're no worse than me. As I recall, you were shocked to see me in the outside world."

He tried for a smile and missed it by a mile. "I should probably just go home, but…"

I sensed what he wasn't saying. He wasn't ready to be alone after that phone call. Hell, I didn't want him out of my sight, either. Not until he recovered the light that asshole extinguished from his eyes.

"You'd be doing me a favor. My friends all think I work too much. Come along and have a burger? You can help me show them I'm functional outside of a pub setting."

Skylar gave me a skeptical look. "You could take that pretty brunette who keeps staring at you. She'd probably be better company."

"Maybe, but it's not her company I want."

Even though I'd entertained the idea of a hookup with her, making sure Skylar was okay was more important. I could get laid anytime.

"It'll be good for you to meet some other people in Swallow Cove, right?" I pressed. "Don't let your ex ruin your time here."

"Okay."

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath, his shoulders lifting with it, then met my eyes. "Yeah. I don't really want to be alone with my thoughts right now."

"All right, then." I waved to Felix as he came through the door. "My bartender is here, so we can go sit outside with the mosquitos, eat overdone burgers, and listen to my friends trash-talk each other about their sex lives."

Skylar gave a surprised laugh. "That sounds really good."

My chest warmed as his expression lightened.

"Yeah, it really does."