“Why does he hate me so much?” I ask Harper, hating the vulnerability weaving through my words.
“Honestly, I don't think he hates you. I think Lukas hates himself. I think he hates seeing other people happy. I think his head is so far up his ass he's forgotten the man he used to be.”
I twist to look back at her, surprised at the bluntness in her words. “You know, Harper, you have a lot of wisdom for someone your age.”
She barks out a laugh, clapping once as if it was the funniest thing she's ever heard. “Tell that to my parents, who are passively disappointed in me for living the life of a bartender and not working on the family farm or going to college to better myself.”
“Are you happy bartending?”
She shrugs. “Is it my dream job? Hell no. But until I find out what that is, it's better than wasting time andmoney going to school to study something I won't want to spend the rest of my life doing.”
I nod in agreement. From what I know, Harper has worked full time since graduating high school. She pays all her own bills, owns her car, rents her own apartment, and even though there seems to be a running joke in the family that she's flighty or a troublemaker, I think there's a lot more to her than meets the eye.
I watch Grayson and Lukas go back and forth for a bit. Theo speaks up every now and then, and it looks like they're finally hashing something out amongst one another.
“Lukas is also extra pissy because he and Candi broke up.”
“What?” I squeak. “Who is Candi? How can I just be hearing about her when we didn’t even know he was dating someone?”
“I mean,” she says with a pointed stare. “I don't know if they were seeing each other or just sleeping together, but it was the first step toward a relationship he's taken since his ex. So, for Lukas, it was a big deal.”
“How long ago did he and Magnolia break up?”
Harper pulls the side of her lip in between her teeth, working it back and forth as she thinks. “I think it was a year ago maybe, but no one really knows besides the two of them. It’s hard to explain what things were like between Lukas and Magnolia. Imagine falling in love with someone who you've known your whole life. They were together as teenagers and into their early twenties, but it just got messy. He— ”
She cuts herself off when movement at the end of the bar catches her eye to the gentleman who had arrived an hour or so ago wearing a custom three-piece suit that definitely screams “I'm not from Copper Ridge.” He sat at the end of the bar, nursing one drink and making small talk with her every time she went back there. His glass is pushed forward, and he's reaching into his wallet to throw a wad of cash on the bar.
“Can you excuse me for a second?” She turns and walks down toward the suited man before I even respond. They exchange a few hushed words as I watch. He's much older than her, likely closer to my age, but the way he's looking down at her tells me that he is for sure interested in our spunky Harper. She tries to push the money back toward him, and he gives her a serious look. His hand covers hers and pushes the wad of bills back, noticeably squeezing once before he steps away. He leaves through the side entrance, turning to glance again at Harper right before he leaves. Her feet are glued in place, watching his every move until the door slams behind him.
Since her back is turned, I quickly take the opportunity to step behind the bar and shove a hundred dollar bill into her tip jar. Another bartender watches me, smiling and giving me a nod as I do. I'm guessing it's the same trick that her brothers pull. I'm back on the other side of the bar when she returns and I give her a playful smile, seeing if she'll tell me who that guy was.
“Anyways, what were we talking about?”
“You were just about to tell me who the suit is.” I gesture with my head toward the back exit, and she has the audacity to turn and look as if she's not sure who I'm talking about.
“Oh,” she says. “That guy? I call him ‘suit daddy.’ He comes through Copper Ridge every now and then for work, I guess. I don't know, did you guys need anything else?”
“We were just heading out.” Grayson's hand slides along my lower back, and I lean into his embrace, still feeling the tension radiating off of his body.
“Everything okay over there?” Harper asks, nodding to the table where Lukas and Theo are sitting together. Lukas looks like he's whispering a few more words, hopefully dealing with some of the demons that are trapped inside of him.
“We all know that Lukas is struggling,” Grayson tells his sister. “I think we've been kind of avoiding it because he's such a bear, but…”
“He needs us,” she finishes, and Grayson nods once.
“Why don’t we stay?” I offer to Grayson. “If you guys want to hash things out, I'm happy just to sit here and sip my glass of wine and chat with Harper when she has time.”
Grayson looks down at me as a devilish look flashes across his face. “He needs a little time to cool off; I'll talk with him tomorrow.” He turns back to Harper, telling her good night, and then his arm is around my waist, whisking me away from the bar.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Grayson
We crash through the front door, and I have Holly up and pressed against the wall before she can even slip off her sparkly cowboy boots.
I take both of her arms and clasp them with a hand, raising them up above her head to hold her still. I take advantage of all this bare skin, of the tiny straps that hold together the measly triangle of fabric she’s called a halter top, and I lick a straight line up her neck to her jaw, brushing my lips across her cheek to find her mouth.
“Grayson,” she moans, pushing her mouth to mine in a hard kiss. “I’m waiting…”
