“It would have been okay if they hadn’t shown up until tomorrow,” Holly says. “We still have other things to work on.”
Mikey’s nose scrunches up. “What are you guys talking about? I thought we were getting a drink at Jane’s dad’s brewery.” He turns toward me, confused.
“We’re also building a computer,” Jane says in a rush.
Mikey’s eyes fly wide. Hell, mine probably do too.
What’s this about getting a drink? This wasn’t part of the plan.
Holly claps a hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to the brewery for a drink to cheer you up about Butterscotch and toast in Applejack, Mikey. The rest doesn’t matter.”
I narrow my eyes. “What’s this about? Did Mikey lose a shit ton of money on horse races?”
Holly bursts out laughing. “No, but close.”
Mikey looks like he’s about to explain, but I hold up my hand. “Never mind. Your gambling addiction is your own business. Let’s go, Jane.”
My daughter glances up at the woman next to her, then gives me a pleading look. “Can I ride with Holly? Please? I want to ask her why we coded our avatars’ fingers the way we did instead of how we coded the ends of their hair.”
I push out a sigh. “You can’t just invite yourself to ride in someone else’s car. Besides, I’m sure Holly’s had enough work talk for the day. She probably needs a break before she jumps into helping you with the computer.”
Mikey glances between us. “Am I the only person who didn’t know this whole computer building thing was going on?”
“It’s not like we held a summit about it,” Holly says, then turns to Jane. “I’m cool with you riding with me. I’m always up for talking about coding.”
Irritation rises up, and I try to stuff it down as I turn and walk out the door, grumbling, “Then why the hell am I even here?”
Part of me wants to tell Jane no, that I drove to the school to pick her up, the least she can do is ride with me, but that’s petty. I love that she seems so excited about this, especially since she’s given up on other things she used to love, like basketball.
I get to the brewery first, grab an apron, and head behind the bar.
Brittany does a double take. “I thought you were taking the afternoon off.”
“Yeah,” I say in a surly tone. “Things changed.”
She looks confused, and the sight of Holly, Mikey, and Jane walking through the front door only makes the furrows on her forehead deepen.
Jane points to a booth close to the bar, and the three of them take a seat, Holly and Jane on one side and Mikey on the other.
Sighing, I head over to the table to take their order. I have snacks and drinks upstairs that I bought for the computer-building session. I had no idea it was supposed to start with happy hour. But maybe this is for the best. It’ll help keep distance between Holly and me.
Jane’s eyes zero in on my apron, then she glances up at me in surprise.
“What can I get y’all?” I ask, all business.
Holly’s eyes cloud over, like maybe she’s confused about why I’m waiting on them, so I turn my attention to Mikey.
His face flushes. “Is it too early for beer?”
I release a short laugh. “We start serving beer when we open the doors at eleven a.m. Definitely not.”
“Then I’ll take your IPA.”
I nod. “Good choice.” My gaze swings to Holly. “I take it you want a Buchanan Home Sweet Home?”
Shit. I just admitted I know which beer she usually orders. While I know the drinks of over a couple dozen regulars, Holly’s not exactly a regular.
Something flickers in her eyes, but she doesn’t comment. “Sounds good.”
