I’d been sitting on a bar stool when I saw her on the dance floor and was stunned at how her hair was loose, howfreeshe looked. I froze in place, unable to look away. First, the sight of her had made me want to slide my fingers through those silky tresses, then it had made me want to grab a double handful, yank her head back, and kiss her until she melted into a puddle.
“Did you two go out?”
I shook my head. “Friday night I decided to go to Salty’s. I was tired and wanted to be invisible. Salty’s is a good place for that.”
Chase nodded. “Go on.”
I explained about the asshole and how seeing that Jules was clearly not into him had made me go full-on caveman. I’d been so full of testosterone, I’d been ready to punch the guy into the next county.
Chase listened intently, his hazel eyes thoughtful. When I finished, he leaned back, a slight smirk playing on his lips. “You know, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you this worked up over a woman before.”
I rolled my eyes, but my stomach did a little flip. “Come on, man. It’s not like that.”
“Isn’t it?” Chase challenged, his voice gentle but firm. “Eli, you’ve been my best friend since we were kids. I’ve seen you with plenty of women, but never once have I seen you this… contemplative. You’re actually concerned about her feelings. That’s new for you.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I took another swig of beer, buying time as my mind raced. Was Chase right? Was Jules different?
The thought didn’t please me.
I didn’t want different. I liked my superficial, fun relationships with no strings.
I stared at the condensation dripping down my beer glass, memories of my parents’ bitter divorce flooding back. Mom’s tear-stained face as Dad packed his bags. Her thunderous silence in the weeks that followed. The way Mom had retreated into herself, becoming a shell of the vibrant woman she’d once been. It had taken all of us as a family to pull her out of that, while we were dealing with our own pain over the fallout.
“You don’t get it, Chase,” I said quietly. “Commitment changes people. Look at what happened to my folks. One day they’re a steady force in my life, the next they’re done. He’s gone. And Mom never recovered from that. She just… gave up.”
I could feel Chase’s concerned gaze on me as I stared at the table. “That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen to you, Eli.”
I shrugged, trying to shake off the heavy memories. “Maybe. Maybe not. But why risk it? Things are good now. Jules and I are finally getting along. For the first time ever. Why rock the boat?”
But even as I said the words, I knew they rang hollow. Because deep down, a part of me—a part I’d been doing my best to ignore—wanted to rock that boat with Jules. Wanted to rock it like hell.
Before Chase could respond, a whirlwind of light hair and enthusiasm burst into the pub.
“Uncle Eli!” Finn exclaimed, bounding over to our table with a grin that could outshine the Florida sun. “Guess what? I’m on a super important mission!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh yeah? What kind of mission, buddy?”
Finn puffed out his chest, clearly relishing the attention as he bounced his gaze between us. “Mom asked me to bring this to Uncle Braden, and it’s very delicate.” Pronouncing the last word carefully, he held up a small electronic device. “It’s for the sound system, I think. Pretty cool, huh?”
“Very cool,” Chase agreed, ruffling Finn’s hair. “You’re quite the responsible little man.”
I watched their interaction, struck by how natural Chase was with kids. Finn had taken to him practically from the moment he could walk.
My nephew looked at him with more than a little worship in his eyes. “Have you built any more skyscrapers lately?”
Chase laughed, a warm, rich sound that filled the brewpub. “Not lately, bud. Not since that big one in Fort Lauderdale.”
“Whoa,” Finn breathed, clearly impressed. “That’s so awesome! Can you teach me?”
“Maybe someday,” Chase said with a giant grin and pointed at the sound card. “For now, better finish that important mission of yours, huh?”
Finn nodded seriously, cradling the device against his chest. “You’re right. Gotta get to it. Bye, Chase! Bye, Uncle Eli!”
As Finn scampered off, I turned to Chase. “Speaking of building things, I didn’t ask you here to talk about mylove life. We need to talk about the resort. The family has been talking about getting a formal consult on which repairs and renovations to prioritize.”
“That’s a solid idea.” Chase tapped his chin. “What do you have in mind?”
“We want to hire you officially. To get your take on what we need to focus on first. Maybe some structural assessments or whatever else you think might be necessary.”
