Just as I open the door to jump in, she stops me. “Hey, Tucker?”
I turn around and see she’s exactly where I left her. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for…everything today.”
The corner of my mouth lifts, and there’s that grip in my chest again. “I told you I’ll be whatever you need, Scottie. I’m here to help you. I…wantto help you.”
She grins and gives me a quick nod before turning back to the porch.
“And I’m sorry,” I add, forcing her to face me again.
“For what?”
“That we can’t do the swing on the porch you wanted.”
She waves me off. “I think it’s coming along perfectly. It would have been nice to have the hanging swing as a place to relax, but hey, that’s what they make rocking chairs for, right?” She smiles and it nearly takes me out, before facing the house again.
I stare at her for another moment, taking her in. I’d stand here all day just looking at her if I didn’t have a shift at the bar. I’ve been late to work plenty of times and walked away from plenty of things that mattered less.
This is the first time that walking away feels like the hard choice.
CHAPTER 11
THE ONLY THING I’LL BE SIGNING IS A LIABILITY WAIVER.
Tucker
“You’re late.”
“Griffin,” I say, shaking my head and making my way around the back of the bar. “My shift starts at five, which means I have four minutes remaining before you start paying me.”
He eyes me before looking me up and down before the bell chimes over the door. Griffin groans, but I ignore him and turn around to see Dallas walking in with Poppy and Lily beside him.
I smile—a cheesy one—seeing my best friend and my two cousins walking in. Dallas Westbrook moved here with his daughter at the end of last year when he needed a break from the major leagues. He was looking for a breather, but ended up coaching the kids here in town. I’ve had the honor of assisting him in coaching the kids. It gives me something else to do—something else to keep my schedule packed during the season.
Dallas is also the only one outside of my family that I’ve ever opened up to.
It was after one of the little league games. The date on the calendar always weighs heavily on me but it felt even louder than the crowd that day. He noticed before I could try to hide it. He was calm and patient. Not wanting to break through mywalls if I wasn’t ready. Instead, he just stayed and listened. He’s the kind of person who sees your worst days and doesn’t turn away.
Now, he’s dating my cousin, Poppy. They’re happy—like,reallyhappy. Which is great for me because he’s like family now.
“Well, well,” Dallas says with a lazy grin, headed for his usual stool before he takes a seat. “Look who’s slumming it with the rest of us mortals.”
“Can someone fill me in?” Griffin says, arms out wide.
“Talkative Tucker here is the lead contractor for that little fixer upper show,” Dallas says.
Griffin moves to grab a bottle from behind us to pour Dallas a drink, and then narrows his eyes at me, so many questions floating through his head. “That part I know.”
“Which means he’s going to be a bigwig TV star now.”
Poppy laughs. “You’re going to be signing autographs behind the bar in no time.”
“The only thing I’ll be signing is a liability waiver.”
Everyone laughs, including Griffin, which makes me smile. Hearing my family and friends laugh is the only thing that keeps me going most of the time.
“We met Scottie a few days ago,” Lily says. “Well, Blair and I did when she stopped in for muffins. She is exactly what the internet says she is…a walking ray of sunshine. I wanted to bottle it up.” She laughs. “And I know this sounds nuts, but even just the few moments she spent in the bakery, I felt like my day was better just from meeting her.”
