“You gentlemen doing okay?” I ask, ready to refill drinks if needed.
“Sure are, Lizzie,” Tom replies with a smile.
“I’ll take another Pepsi,” Earl states, sliding his glass toward the edge of the bar.
His request sparks another thought. “So, no beer for you?” I ask, using the gun to refill his glass.
“Nope,” he replies. “Never really had a taste for beer, even though I tried a lot when I was younger. And that hard stuffturned me into a person I didn’t like. So, I stick with soda.” He nods in a salute before taking a drink from the straw.
“Nothing wrong with that,” I tell him.
“Coming here is about seeing my friends and getting out of the house for a little bit. I don’t have to drink to have a good time.”
I can’t help but smile. “I agree. Believe it or not, I’m not a huge drinker.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” he states with a smile, repeating my words.
“It’s funny, right? I grew up at the bar and restaurant my dad and uncles own, but it was more than just drinking to me. I enjoyed the people, the good times, the music. The alcohol is always a distant second to me.”
“You’re wise beyond your years, Lizzie,” Tom says.
“You know, I was thinking of having a daily special, like the bucket of beer or a specific mixed drink. What if I also had a featured nonalcoholic option too?”
“That’s a great idea!” Earl announces.
“Just as long as you keep my beer on tap,” Burt adds with a chuckle.
“Always, but I am adding two new ones,” I tell them, even though I haven’t made the announcement yet. When your family owns Crüe Brewery, and the beer is awesome, you make room at your own bar to sell it. And not just cans and bottles, but drafts of their two most popular flavors.
“Whatcha adding?” Tom asks, completely interested in the conversation, as if he’s getting the scoop.
“Well, I know the owners of Crüe Brewery pretty well, and I signed a contract to sell their products. I’ll be adding Night Crüe and All American Crüe on tap.”
“Nice,” Tom replies with a nod. “I’ve heard a lot about those beers.”
“Well, I’m a little partial, but they’re pretty good, if I do say so myself,” I reply with a chuckle. I don’t need to tell the guys who my dad and uncles are, since they got to meet them yesterday. Dad enjoyed getting to know some of the regulars at the bar I now own and told me he felt like I was in good hands.
“Some additional nonalcoholic options is a great idea, Lizzie. You’re doing well,” Earl tells me, offering a friendly, grandfatherly smile.
“Shirley Temples all around!” Burt announces jovially as the front door opens.
I expect to see one of the regulars joining the small Monday afternoon group, but that’s not who enters. I open my mouth to greet Collin, but I instantly realize that’s not who’s here. There’s a lightness in his steps and his smile is quick and a little disarming. Definitely not Collin.
It’s his twin, Cade.
“Well, hello there, beautiful lady,” he announces when he reaches the bar and flashes me a wide grin.
“Hi, Cade,” I respond, moving to where he stands. “What can I get ya?”
“I’ll have a Pepsi with cherry, please,” he states, sliding onto one of the stools. It shakes, one leg missing the protective end on it, and causing him to look up at me.
“Those are getting replaced soon,” I tell him, pouring the pop into the cup and adding a dash of cherry juice. Before I place it on the old, stained coaster, I plop a cherry and a straw in the liquid and hand it off.
“I knew I’d get your cherry,” he states, not missing the mischievous grin on his handsome face.
I snort and shake my head. “Sorry, friend. That ship sailed a long time ago,” I reply.
“Figures. No one saves themselves for marriage these days,” he says, shaking his head and taking a drink.
