1. Mitch

Mitch

“ Y ou did what? ” Axl laughs, polishing a damp pint glass fresh from the sanitizer and stacking it.

Despite knowing him for years, sharing that I accidentally fucked my sister’s girlfriend isn’t something I thought I’d divulge tonight. We have more of a working relationship, but when he asked why I was drinking so much, the truth spilled out of me like a damn avalanche of word-vomit.

I may or may not have had too much tequila.

“In my defence,” I grumble, hands poised in surrender, “I didn’t know Greta was Tara’s girlfriend when we hooked up.” After downing my shot, I chase it with a lime wedge between my teeth.

Axl pours a half-full fifth— or seventh —shot into a salt-rimmed glass with a lime wedge, then slides it to me. He chuckles, shaking his head. “I have to tell Beth when she gets here.” Beth, being Axl’s girl, likely already knows. She's also good friends with Jen, Tara’s new girlfriend, who owns the allegedly haunted bookstore, The Dead End. My sister’s an author, it’s no surprise she would fall for a bookish kindred spirit. I’m honestly shocked Axl didn’t already know I fucked Greta earlier this year. Three degrees of separation.

Fucking small towns where everyone knows everything.

As if things weren’t already a soap opera, I’ve heard Greta’s currently dating Beth’s ex-boyfriend, Troy… and her friend with benefits, Jaxon. The three of them are living in some sort of polyamorous bliss. Zero judgment here—I’ve shared women with Jasper before. To each their own.

“Bro code; you can’t tell Beth. It’s bad enough I have to see Greta next week when Jasper’s Christmas tree farm opens to the public.” I never should’ve offered to help Jasper for opening weekend, even if he is my best friend. This is all a fucking nightmare.

Axl frowns, pausing before lifting another pint to dry and polish. “Why would she be there?”

I blow out a long breath and take my shot, hissing as the tequila hits my throat. “Greta ran into Jasper at the opening of The Dead End a few months ago. To be honest, I don’t know why she was there, but I bailed as soon as I saw her. Jasper told me later that she offered to help opening week. She starts tomorrow.”

If this year doesn’t go well, Jasper will have to shut down the tree farm. I’m grateful someone will lend a hand for free; I only wish it wasn’t Greta helping. After we hooked up and discovered Tara was my stepsister, she asked Tara if I would be down for a threesome. I don't mind a bit of taboo fun in the books my sister writes, but I draw the line at sharing someone in real life with my sister—even if we’re only stepsiblings. It’s a line I won’t cross.

“That’s rough, man, but I get it. I lose my shit every time Troy comes into town. I’d never have to worry about him stealing my girl, but it still puts me on edge, you know?”

Axl pours me a glass of water, then finishes with the pints and helps a few other patrons. I pull up a romance novel Tara insisted I read and dive in. It opens with two men treating a woman like a finger trap Chasing Amy style, and my cheeks turn light pink. I glance to either side of me to ensure no one is reading over my shoulder. Sucking in a sharp breath, my eyes land on a hot blonde two stools to my left.

A groan escapes me as I shamelessly check her out. She’s fucking gorgeous, with delicious curves accentuated by her tight black tee and dark denim jeans, and her hair is tied up loosely in a messy bun. There’s a small, faded ace of hearts tattoo behind her ear, almost as if it was impulsive ink from when she was younger. My cock twitches at the thought of fisting her hair as I trace her tattoo with my tongue, and?—

“Need another?” Axl asks, startling me.

I quickly look away from the goddess and reply, “Yeah, one more, and one for the new girl.”

Axl glances at the sinfully beautiful woman, then back to me. “Amy? She’s not new… Hey, Ames?” She looks over at us. “Is it going to be a hard seltzer night? Or are you doing shots with us?”

How the hell does he know her ?

“Shots?” She laughs, tightening her bun. “Fuck, I haven’t done shots since college. Why the fuck not?” As she slides onto the stool next to me, I can’t take my eyes off her. She smiles and offers her hand. “Hey, I’m Amy.” I take it, and while her profile had me interested, I’m stunned into silence at how beautiful this woman is. The dusting of freckles on her nose about does me in. “I take it the shots weren’t your idea.”

“I, uh… No.” I clear my throat. “I mean, I’m drinking tequila, but shots are always Axl’s idea.”

“My treat,” Axl chuckles, pouring tequila into three tall, thin shot glasses. One is only half full—presumably mine. He sets one in front of Amy and my suspicions are right with my pussy shot placed in front of me. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He takes a lime wedge from the plastic compartment behind the bar and places it on the rim of my glass. “There ya go, princess.”

“Fuck off.” I take the shot and chase it with the lime wedge, as God intended. Amy and Axl finish theirs without the same fanfare. Feeling a tinge braver, I dare to ask, “So, Amy, visiting for the holidays? I haven’t seen you around here before.”

“As if I’d tell a man who hasn’t given me his name and can’t do a full shot of tequila.” Amy quirks an eyebrow with a teasing smile dancing on her lips.

“Leave Mitch alone,” Jasper huffs, sitting on the stool to my right, and simultaneously scaring the ever-loving shit out of me. “You closed the hardware store early? I went by to pick up spray paint, but it was locked up. ”

“Yeah, in preparation for the tree lighting tonight,” I reply with a shrug. Most of the town closed up early for it.

“There’s a tree lighting tonight?” Amy beams, then asks Axl, “Can we go?”

“I was going to ask but I was distracted by this drunk one.” Axl points his thumb my way.

I groan in protest. “I’m not drunk.”

“Fine, partially inebriated. Beth should be almost done with her brother and Myles with set up. Let me text her to see what time she wants to go, and I’ll close up here.” He pops the cap off a beer for Jasper and sets it in front of him, then pulls out his phone to text Beth.

Curiosity gets the best of me and I gesture between Axl and Amy. “How do you two know each other?”

“She’s my cousin, Mitchey. Off. Limits,” Axl grumbles as he types.

“I wasn’t…” I feign innocence, then lean in to whisper to Amy, “Unless you’d like a date to the Christmas tree lighting.”

Amy links her arm with mine and a devious smirk tugs at her lips. “No need to worry, dear cousin, it seems I have my plans worked out for the evening.”