“Why would you marry him?” Brax asks, stopping in front of me and leaning on one arm, looking every bit the handsome man in my fantasies.
“Because I loved him.”
“And now?”
“Now, I feel nothing.”
“Not even hate?”
“Some anger, but it’s been so long, he’s not even worth the energy anymore. I rarely think of him at all, actually.”
“That’s healthy,” Brax says. “Your friends are right. You’re ready to move on.”
“You think?” I ask, staring into his beautiful eyes.
“I talk to a lot of people. Being a bartender is kindof like being a therapist. I see a lot of broken people, and you’re not one of them, Iris.”
“I agree with Brax and your friends. It’s time to get back out there. Find someone who treats you well and makes you feel good about yourself.”
Am I ready? Probably. Am I willing to trust again? That one isn’t so easy.
“There’re good guys out there still looking for love,” Brax says.
“Are there?” I ask him.
“There are,” Tate answers before he has a chance. “Brax is single and he’s decent.”
“Decent?” he asks her. “That’s hurtful.”
“Well, you’re my brother. I’ve seen all the boneheaded things you’ve done in your life.”
“He seems pretty great to me,” I say without thinking.
Brax gives me a wink, and I almost melt into the plastic on the stool. “You’re pretty great too, Iris.”
Okay. Okay. Breathe, Iris. He’s just being nice.
This man could have me falling to my knees, begging for his praise. There’s something about him that has me acting unlike myself. I never talk to strangers about my past or problems, but they have me off-axis.
“Not to change the subject, but I’m just about done. You want the key to the apartment, Iris?” Tate asks me as she sets the broom back in the corner where she fetched it from earlier.
“If it’s no bother.”
“No bother at all. The shop is closed tomorrow, so take your time and sleep in.” She fishes a set of keys out of her pocket and unclips a single key. “Just slide the key through the mail chute on the door when you lock up.”
I take the key from her hand, wanting to throw my arms around her neck and pepper her with kisses as a thank-you, but I know it’s too much. “I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Find yourself a great love like I found. That’s what you can do to pay me back. No more shitheads.”
“I’ll do my best,” I promise her as I slip the key into my pocket.
“I’ll walk her over when I finish up,” Brax tells his sister before bringing his gaze to me. “Unless you want to go over there now.”
“I can wait. The warm coffee is too good.”
Tate lets out a loud laugh. “The coffee is shit, but the company is good.” She gives me a wink, and I know she’s talking about her brother.
I have to agree with her. He’s more than good, and spending time with him isn’t a hardship.
