16. Sable
CHAPTER 16
sable
I should’ve taken Alexa’s threat to ruin me seriously because she’d started the process. A week after she came storming into the Wildflower, the change was undeniable. Business had slowed to a crawl. The tourists were still coming, but they didn’t make up for the loss of the locals.
At first, I didn’t quite understand what was going on, but after a week of low revenues , Mackenna explained it to me.
“Alexa’s told everyone that going to your place is going against the Vikar family.” She tightened her apron as we stood by the bar, anger radiating from her in big, fat waves. “And since her daddy sort of indicated the same at a Better Business Bureau meeting...well, the cowardly people of Aspen are staying away.”
I stared at her, feeling like the floor had dropped out from under me. “Daniel Vikar said that?” I squeaked .
He was the freaking ex-mayor, the uncrowned king of Aspen. How could he do this to me? And why? Because his daughter’s ex and I were in a…what the fuck were we in?
Mackenna sneered. “Oh, he didn’t say it outright, but you know how he is. He didn’t need to. A lot of the business owners look up to him, and they’re loyal to the Vikars. He’s such a dickhead.”
Regardless of how his head looked, Daniel Vikar’s condemnation of the Wildflower, combined with Alexa’s reputation for being able to charm or intimidate anyone into her corner, was very bad news for me and my business.
“Thanks for letting me know, Mac.”
Mackenna pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, Sable. I really am. And this makes me so angry. You’re doing an awesome thing here.”
But for how long ?
“You should talk to Heath. He needs to handle this.”
I just smiled in response and gave a noncommittal nod. I doubted he’d handle this. He’d been very clear about not wanting to flaunt us in front of Alexa and Juno. I didn’t think Juno gave a hoot because she’d come by and seen me at the Wildflower, asking me if the tavern would sponsor her lacrosse team. I’d told her I had to think about it because the business was still not stable. She was fine with that and asked if she could come for trivia night with friends, even though they were only sixteen. I told her the tavern was a family place, and she absolutely could. She didn’t seem flustered at all that her daddy was dating former trailer trash.
So, this was all about Alexa.
By the time Ben showed up that evening, I was holding on by a thread. It was trivia night, which was usually a big draw, but tonight, it felt like I’d planned a party no one wanted to attend.
The Wildflower was half-empty, the energy subdued. The few locals who had come sat in a cluster by the bar—Marla, Dale, and a couple of others I recognized as loyal faces. They were loud in their laughter, ordering drinks and food with a kind of defiance as if their very presence was a middle finger to the Vikars.
But there weren’t enough of them.
Ben took a seat on the barstool across from me, looking at me like he was Yoda and I was young Luke Skywalker. I poured him a glass of water without asking.
“You look like hell,” he clipped.
“Thanks, Ben,” I retorted flatly. “That’s what I’m going for these days. It’s all the rage in the fashion magazines.”
He leaned an elbow on the bar, studying me as I wiped down a glass. “How bad is it?”
I let out a heavy breath, setting the glass down with more force than needed.
“Bad. Really bad.” I lowered my voice, not wanting my staff to overhear. “If this keeps up, I won’t be able to make payroll in a couple of months. I sunk everything I had into this place. I don’t have enough in savings to keep us afloat for long.”
Ben’s expression said that he already suspected as much. “Ski season is over, that’s when it gets slow. Every place has its lulls and ebbs.
“You don’t believe that’s what’s happening here,” I replied, frustrated. “The Wildflower has always been a local place. Tourists come and go, but the locals? They’re our bread and butter. And now...they’re gone.”
His gaze was steady. “I can talk to Daniel.”
I shook my head. “No point.”
“Heath?”
I gave him a look. “He’s trying to balance his ex and kid.”
“His ex is fucking with you, and he should know that.”
I had tried to talk to Heath about it, but he wasn’t listening. He just threw platitudes about the summer being tough for everyone. I’d noticed how he shut down whenever I brought Alexa up, so I’d stopped entirely.
“It’s complicated.”
“No shit.” He took a sip of water, his gaze steady. “I won’t lie to you, Sable. This isn’t a normal lull. It’s a storm. And I know you feel like you’re drowning.”
“Because I am , in fact, drowning.” I slumped forward, bracing my forearms on the bar. “This town always had it out for me. I was barely scraping by on goodwill as it was. Alexa’s just...pushed me off the cliff.”
Why did I think I could make this work? How stupid was I to believe that this town would want me to succeed? I should’ve left Aspen. Taken the money from the house, went somewhere else, and started from scratch. I was so foolish, so vain—and so desperately wanting to fit into a place where I should’ve known I couldn’t.
Ben’s expression darkened, the lines of his face etched deeper. “Alexa’s been making her rounds—stopping into shops, talking to people, even putting pressure on suppliers. You know what her family means to this town. She’s using that to twist the knife.”
I closed my eyes, fighting the rising panic in my chest. “How do I fight this, Ben? I can’t compete with the Vikars. I’m just...me.”
“You’re not just you,” Ben snapped, his voice cutting through the haze of my fear. “You’re the woman who took over this place and gave it a heartbeat again. The Wildflower is more than a bar—it’s home to the people who need it. People like Casey. Elijah. Hell, even me.”
“Ben, that’s great to say, but words aren’t going to pay my bills,” I said bleakly.
“No, they won’t,” he agreed. “But giving up won’t, either. You’re smart, Sable. You’ll figure this out. Did I tell you about the time…it was like years ago. People got food poisoning at the fucking summer party we threw. Shut the place down. You’re doing fine compared to what happened then. It took a while to get the locals back in and get the tourists to stop listening to rumors about people dying after they ate here. The Wildflower survived that. Alexa Vikar is a bug you can squash.”
I smiled at his confidence in me. “Yeah?”
He reached across the bar, resting his hand over mine. “Absolutely. You don’t have to do it alone. You’ve got people in your corner. Don’t forget that.”
I nodded, blinking back tears that I refused to let fall. I’d never had people in my corner. I had no idea what that felt like.
By the end of the night, trivia was over, and the small group of locals had filed out, leaving the Wildflower quiet and empty again. I stood behind the bar, staring at the rows of clean glasses lined up on the shelves, feeling despondent as hell.
Ben had helped me close up. After, we both sat at the bar with a nightcap. I went for scotch, he for bourbon.
“Do you regret it yet?” he asked me, genuinely concerned.
“Regret what?” Being with Heath? No…and yes.
“Buying this place.”
“Not at all,” I replied without hesitation.
I was so proud when I signed the papers. I was so happy to see this place full of people, music, and life. It wasn’t just a tavern to me. It was a chance to prove myself. To the town. To everyone who thought I wasn’t good enough. To myself.
“But I’m afraid I’m going to be the reason this revered establishment will fail,” I added.
Ben stood, pushing his glass toward me. “Shit happens, Sable, and you know that since you’ve had more shit than most. This too shall pass.” He winked at me. “Maybe like a kidney stone—but it will pass.”
I laughed. “Aren’t kidney stones supposed to hurt like a mother? ”
“Yeah.” Ben grinned widely. “It’s gonna get a lot worse before it gets better. I speak from experience.”
“And what if it never gets better?” I asked forlornly.
“You left the trailer park and emerged successful. You’re a fucking warrior, Sable. So, you know it always gets better.”
Well, it first had to get worse, which it did.