I ignore him.Jack isn’t the kind of guy to give a shit if a contractor he recommended doesn’t work out.Me, on the other hand?
It will bother the fuck out of me if I recommend someone who ends up ghosting a friend or delivering a subpar product.
So yeah, I’m invested.
That’s all.
Em’s trademark boisterous laugh rings out as the door closes again, and sure enough, Jack’s larger than life wife has swept into the restaurant.Her red hair’s longer and curlier than ever, probably thanks to the drizzly day outside, but it fits her wild personality perfectly.Tara and Ward stand next to her, and Tara gives me a little wave and a knowing look that has me shifting uncomfortably.
I glance around them, waiting for Sylvie’s golden blonde head to appear behind Ward, or behind the cloud of Em’s ginger curls.
But there’s no sign of our newest shopkeep.
I paste a smile on my face, happy to see everyone else.She’s busy; I know how much she has on her plate.
“Over here,” I yell.Needlessly, considering Jack’s already gathering the group up and leading them to the corner table we asked the hostess to hold for us.
“Hey,” Tara says with a smile, Ward giving me the patented sup-bro chin jerk, and Em squeals, wrapping me in a huge hug.
“Aiden, you big goober, how are you today?”
“Em, you literally saw me last week,” I say with a laugh.“I’m good, though.”
“Of course you are, you giant ray of sunshine.”She punches me playfully in the ribs as Jack tucks her back into his side.“What’s this I hear about the new love of your life?”
“I did get a new lure to test in your stocked pond, I’m so glad you asked.It’s a top-spin, and I really think the bass are going to go ham over it.As far as it being the love of my life, jury’s still out.”
Em rolls her eyes dramatically as Jack pulls her into the booth next to him, and one of the waiters comes over, bringing our favorite appetizers to share.
Perks of owning the place.
Fried pickles, a steaming tray of loaded potato skins, a charcuterie board for the girls, and a fig and honey flatbread all jockey for space among the plates.
“We’re going to each have the seasonal flight,” I tell him over the noise of my friends all laughing and joking.“Thanks, man.”
He nods, immediately setting off for the bar.
“Seasonal fliiiiight,” Tara says, arms wide as she pretends to be an airplane.Ward grins at her, and they’re so clearly happy and in love that it almost makes me jealous.
My eyes skip to the door again, looking for blonde hair.
“I’m shocked Aiden’s not already yelling about all the tasting notes in the different seasonal beers,” Tara says, and there’s a knowing glint to her expression that has me rolling my eyes.
I place my hands wide on the tabletop, giving her my best brewer-of-the-year smile.“I would be more than happy to give you all the entire spiel, but I find that it might work best if you sample each as I go.”
“Uh-huh,” Ward says, and Tara elbows him.
“You wouldn’t happen to be waiting for a certain new bookstore owner to show up?”
“Well, of course, it would make the most sense to wait until our entire party is seated to regale you with the story of the pumpkin sourcing for The Salt Circle’s most festive October flavor yet.”
That earns a few chuckles, even Jack giving me a slight smile.
“How’s your aunt, Tara?”I ask her.
I don’t mind being the center of attention, not at all—but I don’t want them getting the wrong idea about how I feel about Sylvie.
That wouldn’t be fair to our town’s new bookstore owner, after all.She needs friends and support, not gossip about her love life.No matter how well-meaning Em and Tara might be, they’re both still in the honeymoon phases of their respective marriages and want everyone else to couple up, too.
