Okay, it’s only temporary.
This is just a stepping stone—a place to stay while I fix up my grandmother’s house.
I have no idea how I’m going to makethathappen.
But at least I get to try.
With a little help from power tools and a lot of wishful thinking, what could go wrong?
CHAPTER 3
YOU KNOW I DON’T WATCH TV.
Tucker
The bell chimes overhead as I enter Seven Stools for my lunch break, and I immediately find Griffin scowling behind the bar.
I hold up my hands in defense. “I haven’t been here all day. Maybe you should learn how to disconnect it yourself if you hate it that much.”
He rolls his eyes, which only makes me laugh.
My coworker, Levi, chuckles next to me, shaking his head. “I love watching you piss him off.”
“It’s the best part of my day.”
While Griffin may technically be my cousin, he’s been more like a brother to me since I moved into his parents’ house when I was younger. Even though I love pissing him off and seeing him get angry, it’s all out of fun and games for me to keep the people around me laughing.
I take my seat at one of the seven barstools lining the bar. “Any specials today?”
“Tucker,” he warns. “You literally work behind this bar every night. You know we don’t do specials, and today is nothing new.”
He’s right. This is my second job and my second favorite place to be. There aren’t many places in town to grab a bite to eat, so Levi and I try to come in a few times a week to grab lunch between construction projects. But one day, I hope to walk in and see that Griffin has changed his mind about adding specials. He’s spent years in a grumpy mood to the point that he was barely tolerable. But not long ago, he fell in love again. The kind of love that’s head over heels and makes me sick to my stomach. Yuck.
But Blair makes him happy, and that makes me happy.
I smirk. “Well, do you have a menu then?”
“It’s the same as it’s been since we opened.”
“Maybe I want something different today.” I shrug.
Griffin leans in close, resting his elbows on the bar before crooking a finger as if he wants to tell me a secret. I lean in, smiling, ready for whatever he’s about to say to me. “This is how it’s gonna go. I’m going to give in to your request, as I always do when you come in here on your short lunch break. You’re going to look over the menu and then you’ll order the same chicken sandwich, with extra bacon, and the spicy ranch on the side.”
“Maybe this week I want r?—”
“Ranch on the sandwich,” Griffin and Levi both finish for me at the same time.
“Fine,” I concede. “I’ll take the chicken sandwich, extra bacon, and the spicy ranch on the side.”
Griffin nods, standing up again. “Good choice.”
“I’ll have the same, but regular ranch,” Levi tells him.
Griffin writes down the order and places it in the small window leading to the kitchen staff so they can start preparing it.
“Are you two busy today?” Griffin asks.
“Not too bad,” Levi answers. “But it’s definitely about to get busier.”
