Anna gave Reagan a small smile and nodded. “Okay, I’ll look into it. We can be brave together.”
Callie lifted her glass in response. “Cheers to that ladies. We are three badass women, achieving our dreams and living our best lives.”
As the girls laughed and clinked their glasses together, Anna found herself filled with a nervous excitement at the thought of going back to school. Maybe reclaiming her dream of being a kindergarten teacher was the perfect way for her to feel like she had her life back after Tim destroyed it all.
Fast on the heels of that excitement came dread. How could she possibly plan for a future, when there was a very real chance that Tim would find her? She shivered, as fear laced through her at the thought of what he might do to her when he found her.
Oblivious to the undercurrent of Anna’s emotions. Callie and Reagan had carried on laughing and talking. Jake’s voice suddenly boomed over the speakers, announcing that Chase would be performing in five minutes.
“Oooh, Reagan, your man is coming on soon!” Callie nudged Reagan playfully.
“Are you dating Chase?” Anna asked, surprised that Ryan had not mentioned that the two were together.
“Oh my god, no! Callie is just being annoying.” Reagan’s face went bright red under her auburn hair.
“But she wants to,” Callie exclaimed brightly. “I still don’t know how you are so oblivious to the fact that he basically stares at you the entire time he’s on stage. He’s got it bad.”
Reagan scoffed. “You’re delusional, Cal. Now can we just drink and enjoy the music please?”
“Uh huh, the music. Sure. That’s what we’ll be enjoying…”
Anna giggled at the easy teasing between Callie and Reagan. She thought wistfully how nice it must be to have that kind of easy and close friendship. That was one thing she’d never had, even before Tim. With her parents passing, and then moving in with Aunt Theresa, she hadn’t had the chance to form deep friendships. Maybe someday, she could settle down long enough for that to be possible.
Callie turned her attention back to Anna. “Anna, tell Reagan she’s insane for thinking Chase isn’t interested in her. Just watch the way he looks at her when he sings. I swear the heat that he projects could burn this place down!”
As the handsome singer took to the stage, Anna watched him closely. Sure enough, his gaze strayed to Reagan frequently as he sang a cover of Maroon 5’s song ‘It Was Always You.’
Callie leaned over to speak softly so only Reagan and Anna could hear. “You hear those words? He’s singing that to you, Reags.”
Reagan blushed, but didn’t say a word. Anna noticed how her eyes were trained solely on Chase, electricity jumping between the two of them. She had to agree with Callie. Reagan had to be blind not to see the attraction he held for her. Hopefully, it would only be a matter of time before one of them was brave enough to do something about it.
* * *
Ryan watched Chase on stage from behind the bar. His energy and talent certainly brought in a crowd every time he performed at the pub.
“Signing him was the best business decision we’ve made.” Jake’s words confirmed Ryan’s opinion.
“Damn right. Hey after this set, let’s hand the bar over to Mark and sit down with the girls for a bit,” Ryan replied.
Jake ran his hands through his hair, a telltale sign that he was stressed. “That sounds perfect, I need a drink.”
“Everything okay?”
“Oh yeah, everything’s awesome. Just busy. Trying to plan a wedding, run a business, and somehow have time for my fiancée is not easy.”
Ryan could feel empathy for his friend, but had to get a dig in. “You’re just getting too old, bro. I guess Callie’s too much for you to handle already.”
“Shut up. You’re only younger than me by a few months. Callie is not too much. She’s fucking perfect. I just want to give her everything, but I can’t do that and be here so much.” Jake sighed, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to dump all over you, Ry. It’s fine, really. We’re doing so well with the pub; I should be happy.”
“Well sure, we can be happy about our success, but that doesn’t mean we have to keep going at this pace. Like you said, we are doing well, so maybe we need to hire a manager or something. Somebody who can take on some of the administrative stuff for you, and maybe take over some of the bartending shifts for me too.” Ryan was quiet for a moment, envisioning his future. “Who knows, maybe someday I’ll be where you are, trying to plan a wedding and think about a family. We can’t be giving everything to this place forever.”
“Wait a fucking minute. Is Ryan ‘the playboy’ Carlisle talking about settling down someday?” Jake’s voice was incredulous as he carefully studied his best friend to see if he was serious.
“Yeah, man, I guess I am. It’s Anna. She makes me want things I never thought I would want. It’s fucking terrifying, but, kind of cool too.” Ryan shrugged, not afraid to admit to Jake how serious he was feeling. “I can see a future with her. She’s incredible.”
“Damn. I’m happy for you, man, let’s go and have a drink with our incredible women,” Jake replied as he slung his arm over Ryan’s shoulders, and the two men walked over to the booth. Ryan could feel his pulse jump just looking at Anna. She was beyond incredible. She was the only thing that soothed an ache inside him, an ache he had not known existed until she came into his life and cracked the shell surrounding his heart. An ache for a love that he could call his own.
Sitting down beside Anna, he pulled her in to press a kiss to the side of her head. It felt intimate, despite being such a simple action. As if he was marking her as his.
