Though I do make a mental note to ask Kevin how damn old he is.
With a shake of my head, I get back to work, managing to fill all but one salt shaker before the bell above the front door jingles and my pulse suddenly doubles as I wonder how long I’ve been standing here?—
“Good morning!” Victoria’s voice is overly high-pitched, matching the forced smile on her face but not the sharp, deliberate click-clack of her heels as she stomps through the bar. “How are you, dear?”
Sarah trails behind her with the sleeves of her oversized sweatshirt pulled down over her hands, and her shoulders hunched. It’s not surprising, though, given she’s constantly carrying around the weight of her mother’s expectations.
I finish up what I’m doing and put the salt away before I respond with a smile.
“I’m good,” I answer, gathering shakers in my arms and offering a polite smile as I pass by them. “Just trying to get things all back to normal again and make sure we’re ready for the rush!”
Victoria leans against the bar, pulling out her cellphone and tapping away a message like she didn’t actually care for the answer to her question, and it was just a formality. While Sarah is quick to walk around and gather what shakers I missed, getting straight to work.
This is why Grizz likes her, it’s why her and I have always worked well together. She doesn’t have to ask what needs to be done, she’s always happy to get in, get the work done, and keep busy.
It twists my stomach a little, considering all the thoughts I’ve had during the past few days, questioning things she said after the fire. I know my mind can sometimes run away with me, especially when it has to do with Jovie and keeping her safe, but it all quickly floats away when Sarah stops at the table I’m at and clears her throat.
I look up, meeting two very bloodshot eyes with fresh tears balancing on her lashes.
“Brynn, I’m so sorry,” she whispers, loud enough for me to hear her five feet away, but definitely not loud enough for Victoria to hear over Kev’s latest musical number—Wham! Sarah clears her throat, shifting from one foot to the other and back again. “If I’d known Jovie was up in the apartment, I would have run up there first to get her, and not wasted time running back into the bar.”
“Grizz,” Sarah cries. “I’m so sorry, I didn't know Jovie was upstairs.”
“What do you mean you didn't know she was upstairs?” Grizz snaps, his hands curling to fists at his side.
“Brynn, I'm so sorry,” Sarah whispers again, her entire body shaking as she looks at me with wide eyes.
“Sarah!” Grizz hisses, quickly drawing her attention back to him. “Sarah, did you start the fire?”
“No! I swear I didn't. I wouldn't do that. You guys are like my family. I promise I didn't start it!”
Suddenly, her reaction makes sense.
Why she kept saying she was sorry that day.
Why she was apologizing for not knowing Jovie was upstairs.
I shake my head and grab her arms. “Whoa, whoa!” I say with a smile, forcing her to look at me. “You don’t have to be sorry. It’s not your fault. You are not responsible for Jovie. It’s not your job to run into burning buildings for her.”
She inhales deeply through her nose, a couple of stray tears falling when she nods.
“Yeah, and I know you’re right,” she says with a breathy laugh. “But I still feel so guilty that she got caught up in it, you know? That shouldn’t have happened.”
Sarah glances over at Victoria, but with one blink, her eyes are back on me.
I’m not sure if it’s purposeful, and she’s trying to tell me something, or if she’s just being cautious and wanting to make sure her mom is still out of earshot. Either way, there’s a reason Sarah is speaking to me about things while Victoria isn’t close by, and that can’t be good.
“Oh my gosh, Brynn!” Victoria announces loudly across the bar and we both freeze. “Wait until I tell you about the drama I had this morning…” Sarah and I both take a breath and continue on, sharing glances and smiles as we set out the tables withtheir shakers, then start on the condiments and cutlery. All while Victoria rants from the bar. “…bread didn’t even make it to the shelves. I tell you, we go a few days without deliveries every year, and every year, people act like it’s the apocalypse.”
I chuckle softly and return to the bar to start cleaning the coffee machine.
“Well, I can’t really blame them,” I start with a grin. “We’ve had fire, then ice. Maybe we should start preparing for locusts?”
Victoria freezes, her eyes widening in shock as she places a perfectly manicured hand on her chest. “Locusts! That’s not even funny!”
She might not think so, but I can see Sarah’s shoulders bouncing with laughter across the room where she’s working on getting the fireplace going.
I just grin and continue to scrub.
