6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Gunnar
What the hell did I get myself into? I think as I shower before heading down to meet Colton in The Bar.
I royally messed up, letting Willow not only work here but move in! The tight leggings didn’t leave much to the imagination, and as soon as she left, I texted my sister that she is to throw away all her leggings. The thought of a man, or worse those preppy frat assholes on her campus, thinking these things about her makes the rage bubble just beneath the surface of my skin. Then I’m reminded that I’m having these thoughts about my friends’ sister, and now my employee.
Yup. Totally screwed.
Colton: At the back door.
Me: Yup, coming.
And there is the perfect dose of cold water my thoughts needed.
Colton is Willow’s brother-in-law, and one of my best friends .
He’s here to install the new bar he built before we open tonight. Saturdays we only open for dinner, not lunch. I need time to recoup after the Friday night rush.
“Hey man.” I greet him, opening the door.
“Hey yourself, heard a little rumor about you today, my friend.” He grins like a Cheshire cat.
“I can only imagine, what did I do this time?” I ask, immediately regretting the question.
“Heard you hired a certain red headed beauty, and invited her to live with you.”
Damn it. Already?
“News travels fast, huh?” I shrug like I’m not nervous about the situation.
“Yup. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lorelei shows up today. She’s not happy with you.” He drops the tools he was carrying in, and stares at me. “Just don’t hurt Willow, ok?”
“It’s not like that, man. She’s damaged, damaged like I was. I can recognize the look and behavior. I simply offered her a place to land and a way to make some money.”
Colton scoffs at my answer. “Sure. We’ll see how that goes. I don’t know if you’ve met Porter and I? But we said the same thing. These Harper women are built differently.” He walks over to his truck and grabs his tool bag out the back.
“Really it’s not, even if she wasn’t the girls’ sister, she’s barely twenty-four, I’m almost thirty. It wouldn’t work. ”
Colton eyes me from the back of his trailer, holding my new bar. “So I see you’ve thought about it then,” he winks.
“What? No! That’s not-” I’m cut off from rambling by Colton’s loud laughter at catching me. “Fuck you, install my bar.”
He salutes me. “Yes sir. Open those doors.”
I’m opening the doors for Colton when I hear yelling from the front.
“Gunnar Keaton! You open these doors right now! I know you’re in there!”
I look at Colton who is just laughing, fully enjoying that I’m about to get torn up by Lorelei Harper.
“Back here, Mama H!” Colton yells.
I whip my head around and give him serious side eye for selling me out.
“Traitor!” I whisper under my breath before going to open the door for Lorelei.
I walk to the front door, taking deep breaths. I know the wrath that Lorelei can bring. She’s small but I’m still terrified of her. No wonder she has four strong-willed daughters, who also scare me.
I open the door to find Lorelei with her hand on her hip, and a scowl on her face. She pushes her way through into the bar.
“Gunnar Keaton! I cannot believe you, of all damn people, would offer my girl a job at a bar !”
Colton snickers behind the bar.
“And you! Don’t you act like you're innocent in all this!” She points at Colton.
He holds his hands up in a peace offering, knowing not to argue with her. “All I did was agree with your other daughters that it would be a good idea for Willow to have a job and maybe get some of her identity back outside of Nashville.”
She stares him down until he retreats back behind the bar, then turns her look on me.
“Listen, she was here last night, crying. I gave her a place to stay. I know what it’s like to be there, Lorelei, and living here above The Bar is what she thinks is best, it gives her a space to feel free, to clear her head of those demons on her own. I have a no drinking policy with my employees. They can’t drink here, period. During shift, after shift, or on a day off. I don’t serve employees.” I hold up my hands as she advances on me.
She suddenly stops. “What? She didn’t mention that part.” Her eyes soften, and the anger seems to dissipate.
“I assume that’s not a part she’s particularly fond of, but I guarantee you I will not let anything happen to her. She needs space to work out whatever it is. I’m just giving her that space. I promise.”
“Fine. But I’m keeping my eye on you, Gunnar Keaton.” She gives me one last warning before walking out. “Don’t let my girl spiral.”
When the door closes I let out a long breath. I knew Lorelei wouldn’t be happy when Willow told her, but I didn’t think she would be that angry with me. Maybe I should have talked to Willow more before offering .
What did I get myself into? I think for probably the hundredth time since I blurted out my offer.
I head back behind the bar to help Colton finish the installation. The reveal is tonight, and everyone is excited. We’re doing a special reveal event to showcase some of Colton’s woodworking. He brought me a bunch of pieces I’ll put out on a table for sale at the front tonight.
Changing the bar was the one big change I wanted to make when I bought the place a few years ago. It's the main focus of the whole space. Before I bought it, the whole place was drab, and the bar matched. The previous owner didn’t do much updating during his ownership. I have updated mostly everything to be a cozy ski lodge feel, but I don’t have the skills to craft a new bar from scratch.
Colton gave me a great deal for some help I gave him when he was trying to get his wife Lacey to agree to date him. Maybe he can get her to help in making her mother see I’m not going to hurt her sister. I’m simply here to help.
I grab a hammer and start helping to loosen the old bar. Some demo therapy will do me good, and hopefully stop me from making stupid offers to a certain red-head.
“Want some advice?” he asks after a few minutes of working in silence.
“Do I get a choice?” I ask, laughing.
“Willow is going through something. I think only Addy knows, and even at that, I don’t think she knows the whole story. Willow is the wild child, and the strongest willed out of the four. Get ready for a battle on most things.” He smirks.
Like I need him to tell me that. I can already tell after our first meeting when she told me she likes her eggs at home. Instead of slinking out the door when she thought we’d had sex, she decided to confront me about taking advantage of her. Something she didn’t think twice about doing in my own home. I can already tell she’s going to make my life hard in more ways than one.
“But, if you can get through to her in whatever way, you seem to be chosen as her safe space, Lorelei will forever be grateful. Willow doesn’t let her in,” he continues, “or any of us.”
“I don’t know that I’m a safe space, as much as the only option,” I say, a little defeated and surprised at how much I want to be her safe space.
Colton laughs as if he’s picked up on how I feel. “Right. Just like I was fine being a shoulder for Lace to lean on throughout her divorce. You better watch those Harper women, man. They sneak up on you then they’re under your skin, and you can’t give them up.”
I just nod, unwilling to let him on to much more as he seems to be able to know exactly how I feel about Willow.
Something that I myself am still trying to work through. Sparring with her turns me on. The pain in her calls to me, and I want nothing more than to protect her from it. I met her once before Scarlett’s wedding and we spent the day setting up for Lacey and Colton’s engagement party. She was funny, kind, and everything I ever imagined wanting in a woman. But now, there’s a sadness to her, something happened.
We pick up the broken pieces of the bar and trudge them out to the dumpster, happy for the physical work after the stress of this morning with Lorelei and the anxiety of seeing Willow tonight.