Wishing for Always (The Silver Lining #2)

Prologue

Shawn

The fire roars to life as I roll my shoulder to loosen the pain that randomly shoots through my arm right around this time of night.

“You’re too stressed,” my boss Lottie says as she walks behind me and massages my neck. “I think we need a rope session soon.”

I smirk as I look over my shoulder at her. “You just need to work out some aggression,” I tease. “Or an excuse to touch me.”

She shrugs. “What can I say? You’re pretty.”

I find myself laughing for the first time today as my new friend Ryan sidles up to the bar and gives us a curious glance. “If you’re into ropes, we could use you at the fire department,” he quips.

I think we all know what kind of ropes I’m into, but I’m glad he’s not going there.

“Oh yeah, you guys looking for help?” I ask, more curious than I’d like to admit.

Lottie pats my shoulder, presses a kiss to my cheek, and whispers, “Seriously, call me later if you’re in need of a session,” before leaving me to man the bar.

Ryan leans his arms on the bar and lifts his chin. “What the hell was that?”

I shake my head. “Not what you think.”

He arches an eyebrow as he stares at me.

“And I’m not discussing it either,” I say, folding my arms as I stare him down. He may be a big guy when he’s standing up, but behind my bar, I’m king.

Ryan sits back and mimics my stance, then gives me a skeptical look. “Does she whip you?” he asks, a small smile ghosting his lips.

I roll my eyes as a laugh escapes my throat. “No. It’s a stress thing.”

“That’s what the kids are calling it these days?” Ryan jokes, scrubbing his chin with one hand.

I throw my hands down onto the bar and push close to him. “I’m being serious. I met Lottie years ago while I was on the road with the Dodgers. She taught me about Shibari. Look it up. It’s not a sexual thing…it’s for stress.”

Ryan reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone, and I shake my head. “Actually, don’t look it up,” I grumble. “Google will make it something it’s not. Just trust me on this. Ropes can be used for stress. That’s what I use them for. Mostly by myself. Now can we change the subject?”

He laughs. “Fine. Let’s talk about your next career as a firefighter.”

Before I can reply, a woman with gray hair and a big smile interrupts us. “Shawny-boy!” she greets exuberantly. I immediately recognize her as one of our regulars, Dolores, and I offer her a hello, but before I can get it out, she’s back to talking. “I just had to tell you about my wish!”

I grab the marker, assuming she wants to make a wish like every other insane person in this bar. I’m the lucky bastard who gets to listen to everyone tell me about what they really want in life. Makes sense to put it on a dollar rather than actually doing something about it and changing your own life. But what do I know? “Here you go, doll. Do you need me to explain how it works?”

I’ve only given this spiel a thousand times. Why not give it another go?

“No, I already made my wish. And it came true! My grandgirl Gwen found herself a nerdy hottie biscotti to dust her off after she finally dumped numbnuts!” She points her finger with a cheeky smile. “I told you they come true!” My smile falters as I turn to Ryan…it can’t be, but before either of us can react, she heaves a heavy sigh. “Well, except for that blasted one about the Niners taking me out for a good time!”

Ryan’s eyes widen, but Dolores just keeps on talking. “Anyway, since I’m here, I’ll celebrate with a high baller!” She moves to make herself comfortable on a stool when a burly man wearing scrubs and a parka saunters in and crosses his arms, clearing his throat pointedly. Dolores looks over her shoulder, scoffs, and rolls her eyes. “Shawny-butt, can you put that in a to-go cup?”

I mix her favorite drink and put it in a foam cup with a lid. All the while, my head spins with memories of that damn dollar that fell off the wall. I think Ryan is just as spooked because he keeps looking at the wall and back at Dolores, as if she’s on fire. I slide the drink across the bar and murmur that it’s on the house. She nearly falls off her stool before blowing me a kiss and sauntering out. But not before she shoots the guy beside me an evil look.

As soon as she’s gone, I turn to Ryan and shake my head. “That’s…crazy, right? I mean, it can’t really be the dollar that did that.”

Ryan breathes in a deep breath and smiles. “I’m not normally one to believe in magic but…oh, hey, look,” he says, pointing to a spot behind me.

I turn to search and see another dollar bill sitting on the floor. “What the…?”

Ryan’s face lights up, and he motions me forward. “Go on, look at it. Let’s see whose wish is next.”

I laugh. We sound like a pair of old women. This can’t be real. But even as I think that, I grab the greenback off the ground and read the wish aloud.

“I wish Skye was mine the way I’ve always been hers.” Immediately, I know whose wish this is. Brody, another local, is just as lovesick over his best friend as my buddy Ryan here. “Hm, sounds like he wants his best friend…a little friends to lovers, maybe?”

Ryan laughs. “Friends to lovers…who even talks like that?”

I shrug. Not at all embarrassed. “I read romance novels…”

“You what?” he says, his eyes going round and his brows jumping to his hairline.

“Let’s not make this a thing.” I put the dollar down, and Ryan picks it up.

If anyone understands how the guy who wrote on this dollar feels, it’s him. He’s got it bad for his best friend Tessa, whether he’ll admit it or not.

He grins. “I hope he gets his wish.”