“There you are Mr. Boone. It’s time for your medicine.” The woman smiled at Gus as she passed by and positioned herself behind Porter’s wheelchair. She was small, barely five feet, with short cropped purple hair and more piercings in her ears than Gus had ever seen on a woman. She had an easy smile and kind eyes, and Gus pegged her at forty or so. “You must be the new handyman. I’m Gina. Mr. Boone’s nurse.”
“Is that what you call it?” Porter grumbled, pulling on his blanket.
“It certainly is.” She laughed and released the brake. “Now let’s get you inside so we can look after a few things, and you can have your nap.” She winked at Gus. “Nice to meet you.”
He moved out of the way, and she pushed his father past him. The old man glanced up as they moved by, but he didn’t say another word, and Gus watched them until they disappeared inside the house. He rubbed at the back of his neck and then rolled his shoulders before leaving the deck. He tossed his bag into the back of his truck and climbed inside, a glance at his watch telling him that it was mid-afternoon. He should go back to his place and start working on an estimate. He should check in with Walker, his business partner, and see if anything needed his attention back home. At the very least get in touch with Dozer.
He should call his mother because she’d been blowing up his phone all morning. He should call his sister and see how she was making out.
And yet, as he put his truck in gear and drove away from the Boone home, he pointed it toward the far end of the lake.
He didn’t want to think about his fucked-up family. Didn’t want to visualize how weak and old his father looked, even if hewas a bastard. Didn’t want to think about Ford or Sunday or any of it.
He wanted a cold beer. The Dock was calling his name, and damned if he was going to ignore it. He thought that maybe Faith would be working if she was well enough. Then swore and shoved that thought aside as fast as it had come.
Gus knew that he needed to keep his head straight, and Faith, the woman with no last name, was the kind of complication he didn’t need.
Because she was the kind of complication that could linger. The kind that could get under skin. And Gus had no time for that shit. He wasn’t even sure why he was in Fire Lake anymore. He’d come to this place with zero expectations, and at some point, he’d be gone. The only question was when.
Chapter Five
Thursday was Faith’s first training shift at The Dock. She would have been happy to have started the day before, but Hal had insisted she take one more day and rest up. He’d also told her to bring Taco along. He and his wife, Samantha, lived above the bar, and there was a private yard that Taco could use.
She was glad for the extra day because, truthfully, she felt almost as good as new.
“You got those salt and pepper shakers done?” Cassidy, a tall, voluptuous woman with silky blonde hair, tanned golden skin, and big blue eyes, looked like she’d just stepped off a beach in California. In fact, she was a townie home for the summer after graduating from Columbia with a degree in engineering. She was open and friendly and had made Faith’s first shift much easier than she’d expected.
“Just finished.”
“Perfect. You can drop them on all the tables, inside and out.” Cassidy checked her watch. “We’ll be getting hit in about thirty minutes with our second rush.” She rolled her eyes. “The golf course boys, the cottage families, and the out of towners looking for a cold beer and cheap burgers.” She sighed and made a face. “Dani called in sick, so you might have to work some of those tables on your own.”
A nervous flutter made Faith’s stomach roll. It must have been reflected on her face because Cassidy grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on you, and I think Hal managed to get one of the other servers to come in on his day off. We’ll be fine.” She winked. “You’ll be fine, and you’ll be happy with your tips.” She glanced over Faith’s shoulder. “Okay. Here come a group of four locals fresh off the greens. They’re nice guys so I’ll seat them in your section and drop off some menus while you set out the shakers and away we go!”
It was nearly four in the afternoon, and as she dropped the small glass shakers on each table, she noted several more groups of people show up. She now had two tables in her section. She could panic. Or have a meltdown. But neither of those was an option. Quite simply, she needed to work to make money so she could eat. So, Taco could eat.
Okay, she thought, pasting a smile to her face.I can do this.
The first table of men was easy. In their mid-to-late fifties, they’d enjoyed a family-free day on the golf course; three out of the four had played exceptionally well, one of whom had scored the coveted hole-in-one on the thirteenth. The tab was on him. They were happy and more focused on discussing golf than paying any attention to Faith other than putting in their food and booze order.
“And a round of tequila shots,” hole-in-one man said as she moved away.
With a nod, Faith looked at her notes and, after three attempts, managed to input the order on the computer screen. After dropping drinks with her golf guys, she headed to the family of six. Before she knew it, the time was closing in on eight o’clock, and she was tired, famished, and wired.
There’d been a few bumps. She’d dropped a tray of drinks, but that was on account of a large man who’d turned without looking and nearly took Faith out as well.
It was slowing down food-wise, but the bar appeared lively. Aware that her neighbor, Gus, had been sitting at the far end for a few hours, she debated on whether she should say hello or not. Would it be weird if she ignored him? Would it be weird if she didn’t?
The man made her nervous, and she had no idea why. In fact, other than that first day when he’d brought her the goulash, she’d barely seen him.
“He’s yummy, isn’t he?” Cassidy was off the clock and undid her ponytail, then shook out the silken mane like she was the star of a damn shampoo commercial.
“He’s handsome.” It was the truth, no way around it.
“Handsome?” Cassidy giggled. “He’s more than handsome. He’s so hot my lady parts have been singing halleluiah since he walked into the bar.” She pretended to fan herself. “Seriously. Those eyes? That body and those tattoos? God, I love me a bad boy.” She winked at Faith. “I think tonight’s the night to shoot my shot.” She applied some gloss to her lips and made a beeline for the bar.
“Cassidy is too young for Gus. Too bright and shiny.” Samantha appeared from the kitchen.
“I don’t think she cares about that.”
