Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Gunner
I sauntered into the bar five minutes before noon and greeted my father at the door. “Morning, dad.”
“Morning.” He grumbled. He stood behind the bar in front of the coffeepot, pouring himself a mug. “Want a cup?”
“No thanks. I only like it iced.”
Dad cocked an eyebrow at me. “Only iced? Must be a New England thing.”
“Probably. Can’t have it any other way.”
After a long sip, he set his mug down on the bar.
“Let’s get down to business. I need you to fill in as a bar back on the nights we don’t have one.
That means running the dishes to and from the bar, stocking the supply fridges, checking inventory, and keeping the place clean.
You’ll also do some prep work like slicing fruit, cutting up fresh herbs, and anything else we might need for drinks.
On the nights a bar back is on the schedule, I have a few odds and ends I need help with, like a deep clean of the cooler and a few various other tasks. ”
“Sounds easy enough. I’m good at fixing things up, too. I noticed the door handle gets stuck on your front door and—”
“No, that’s okay. I can take care of it.” Grizz cut me off, his voice stern. “I’ll show you around and introduce you to a few others you’ll be working with.”
I followed my father around the bar as he ran me through a list of to-dos, showed me where everything was, and left me slicing fruit at the end of it all.
The hours ticked by and around quarter past four, I headed outside for some fresh air and a quick break. As I walked towards my truck, the scent of fresh cut roses wafted past my nose. A scent I recognized.
From where?
My head jerked up and I came face to face with Raemina. That’s where.
“Hi.”
“Oh, hey. Gunner, right?” Raemina paused, hoisting her purse up higher on her shoulder.
“The one and only.”
“Grizz said you’d be starting today. Going okay?”
“Yeah, if you call almost slicing your thumb off okay, then sure.”
Raemina chuckled. “Good ole’ fruit slicing, hm? They’ll get you every time.”
“Tell me about it. Well, I don’t want the boss coming after us. See you around.” I winked, knowing her cheeks would redden. I fucking loved it.
Seeing how she reacted to me and knowing it felt like the same way when my own body reacted, drove me crazy. In all the best possible ways.
“Yes, I’m running a bit late, so I need to get in there.
See you.” She said before tucking her hair behind her hair and taking off towards the door.
I couldn’t help but watch her walk away, her curvy hips swaying with each step she took.
She had curves for days and I wanted to sink my teeth into them, drag my tongue across every inch of her skin, and push my way inside her, feeling her insides squeeze against my hard cock.
Fuck. I needed to knock it off. Or soon I’d be walking around with an endless hard on.
Ignoring my growing dick, I hurried to my truck and locked myself inside until my heart rate settled and my cock behaved.
How the hell was I going to ignore her when there was such a strong pull between us?
I wanted to focus on two things- making money and rebuilding a relationship with my father.
A relationship with Raemina would cause nothing but problems.
Yet somehow, I couldn’t get myself to even really care. Because why not at least form some type of connection with someone when my father barely seemed interested in holding a simple conversation with me.
As the week progressed, I threw myself into learning everything about The Broken Antler. I spent most of my time there, either on the clock, or helping out just because I wanted to.
Despite telling myself I didn’t care about what my father thought or if he wanted to get closer, I still tried to prove myself to him. The loose back doorknob? Fixed. A hole in the wall from an angry drunk customer? Patched. The leaky faucet in the employee bathroom? Stopped.
Grizz acted as if these little fixes weren’t a big deal, but his face told me a different story- he loved it. So, I continued my handyman tasks and hoped for the best.
There was only one problem.
Raemina.
I noticed her everywhere I went.
When we passed by each other on the way to the cooler, a playful smile tugging at corners of her cute pouty mouth as we made eye contact.
When she breezed by me as she grabbed a bottle of syrup or liquor and I stole a glance at her, taking mental snapshots of her beauty.
Or when we bumped shoulders in the back hallway as I took out the trash and she scooted into the bathroom, her soft giggle turning me on.
What I wouldn’t give to grab her, push her against the wall, kiss her, and make her mine.
But my father’s voice rang clear in my head- waitresses were off limits, especially Raemina.
Besides, in my experience, love only fucked shit up. I watched it happen to my mother time and again and I watched it happen to me. The ex I left behind in Appleridge was pregnant. By the guy she cheated on me with.
“What’s going on up there?” My father’s voice reached my ears, and I looked down at him standing next to my step stool.
“The shelf is loose. Almost lost a few tequila bottles.”
“Shit. I keep the good ones up there. Thanks for fixing it.”
“Anytime. I enjoy staying busy.” I tightened one last screw and checked the sturdiness. “Looks good. Mind handing me the tequila?”
Dad picked up the bottles off the counter and handed them to me one by one without a word. After I lined them up, I climbed down and tipped my head towards him. “Good as new.”
“Thanks.” He said while holding eye contact, his soft gray eyes revealing his true inner feelings. He was finally coming around to me. At least, I liked to think so.
“You’re welcome.” Dad turned to go.
“Do you want to have dinner sometime?” I asked, the words falling from my lips before I could stop them. My breath caught in my throat as if my lungs filled with ice and froze solid.
Grizz said nothing at first, only looked at me while rubbing his beard. It was a long shot, but I wanted to try. Who else did I have besides him? No one. No other family, no friends, nothing. When I left Appleridge, I left everything behind.
“You know, actually, that sounds like a great idea.”
My heart kick started back up in my chest. He thought it was a great idea? “Really?”
Dad nodded. “Listen, I’m sorry I was an asshole when you first arrived. You have to understand, I didn’t expect you to show up out of the blue. Hell, I never expected you to walk through the doors of my bar. But you’re here. I’d be a fool to let this go for a second time.”
I swallowed hard, a sudden lump forming in my throat. “Thanks, I appreciate that.”
“There’s a lot of shit that happened in the past, Gunner. Maybe one day I’ll be able to explain it all. But I’ve never stopped caring or being proud of you.”
“It was hard to know that when you weren’t around. When I watched Mom struggle with basic necessities, or dating shitty men just for money, it made me angry towards you.”
“I imagine it would. But I sent your mother money. Please know I never stopped caring about you.”
“You did?”
“Of course I did.” Dad clapped his hand on my shoulder, the first time he’s ever made contact and hope flooded through me. “Let’s do dinner tomorrow evening at the diner.”
“Okay.” I said as my father walked away. I turned to grab the step stool and there was Raemina, her blue eyes darker under the dim bar lighting.
She opened her mouth but closed it again.
“I assume you heard our conversation. It’s okay. You can ask.”
“It’s none of my business. But it sure is nice having you around.”
My body went into overdrive. If I thought working on my relationship with my father was nerve-wracking, being around Raemina proved me wrong. Not being able to grab her face and kiss her damn near killed me.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.” She said softly, her voice low. Seductive almost.
There’s no way…
As she walked away, she brushed against me, her shoulder grazing along my bicep. Instantly, my cock responded and I let out a soft growl.
Raemina tossed me a smile over her shoulder as she sashayed away.
What I wouldn’t give to take her….right here…right now.
Fuck, I was in deep shit.