Me: Whenever you wake up, there are coffee pods in the kitchen and cream in the fridge. I’ll be at your restaurant all day today, pulling out the old floor.
With that done, I call Dani.
“Hey, you just caught me before I go in to volunteer in Birdie’s class. What’s up?”
Dani used to teach kindergarten, but after having the baby, she decided to take a few years off to be at home with the kids. She volunteers in Birdie’s class once a week, and Birdielovesit.
“I need your help,” I tell her.
“Of course, anything you need.”
I fucking love my family.
For the next ten minutes, I brief Dani on what I need her to help with, then I walk up to the front of the restaurant, unlock it, and enter.
Minutes later, my brothers all walk in after me.
“God, this is horrible.” Blake scowls. “We should probably all wear masks. I have some in the car.”
“Of course, you do.” Bridger shakes his head.
“Fuck you, I’m a doctor.” Blake flips Bridger off, then marches back out to get the masks.
“I brought saws,” Beckett announces. “A bunch of other tools, too.”
I don’t say a word until Blake comes back inside. Then I stand in front of my three younger brothers, cross my arms over my chest, and sigh.
“Uh-oh,” Beckett says. “He’s gonna blow.”
“I want to punch the fuck out of Bridger.”
Bridge just smiles, the fucker. “For what? Saving Juliet’s ass the other night? You’re welcome.”
“For nottelling me. I should have been your first phone call.”
“Respectfully, that’s bullshit,” Blake says, shaking his head. “You’ve said for years that we should never mention her.”
“Keep her name out of your fucking mouthwere your exact words, I believe,” Beckett adds.
“You’ll punch me if I talk about her, and you’ll punch me if I don’t,” Bridge says. “So which is it, Brooks?”
I drag my hands down my face and turn away from them. They’re right. Hell, Jules is right, too.
I can’t have it both ways.
I can’t expect to know anything if I won’t talk about her, and now I know that I can’t stay away from her.
“We talked last night.” I turn around to find them all staring at me in surprise. “A long talk. The kind that clears up a lot of shit.”
“Are you saying that you and Jules are back together?” Blake asks.
“She’s asleep in my bed right now because Irefuseto let her stay upstairs. We’re going to try to get to know each other again. Start over.” I shrug, then glance around at the restaurant. “I probably made some rash decisions when I was young and stupid, and she’s been through hell and back. It’s time to move the fuck on.”
“Amen.” Bridger pats me on the shoulder. “Now, let’s get this floor out of here. I called the city, and a dumpster will be dropped off for us later this morning.”
“Excellent. Let’s get started.”
It’s not an easy process. Real wood that’s been soaked and then dried and warped isn’t easy to manipulate. We’re all in masks, sawing, pulling, and hauling all morning.
