Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
REMEMBER, WE ONLY HAVE SEVEN STOOLS.
Griffin
Tucker
What's the town buzz about a possible karaoke night?
Me
Not happening.
Tucker
Sounds kind of fun.
Me
Not. Happening.
Tucker
Noted.
The bell to the front door chimes.
I really hate that damn thing. I should get rid of it.
Lily, Autumn, and Blair come walking in. My eyes immediately land on Blair. She’s laughing with the girls as if someone in the group had just told a joke before they entered. She has the type of laugh that can light up even the darkest of hearts .
There’s something about her that always has me on edge.
A feeling that’s driving me fucking insane.
Ever since I caught her watching me at the ranch from a distance, I can’t get the image out of my head. I fell asleep with the vision of her whiskey eyes on me while I led Storm into the stable.
They walk toward the bar; each step she takes lulls me into a trance. Jean shorts rest high on her thighs, which isn’t helping my urge to run my hands over every inch of her legs. Today, she’s wearing a light brown sweater, and I’m convinced she wore it because it brings out the color of her eyes that much more.
I want to get her out of my head.
She’s entirely my type if I were looking. And I’m not looking.
Shaking myself out of my daze, I turn to face Lily. “Just because your brother owns the place doesn’t mean you can come here and eat for free all the time.”
“Oh, Mr. Tough Guy,” Lily says, “when have I ever asked for a free meal?”
“We’re always paying customers,” Autumn adds. “Not that I’m your sister or anything. Gross.”
I turn to face Blair and she’s just smiling at the interaction, forcing me to back down from the made-up fight.
“Find a booth.” I gesture toward the sitting area. “I’ll bring over some menus.”
Rounding the bar, I grab the menus from where we keep them next to the register. Every single one flies to the floor, and I groan. Letting out a string of curse words under my breath, I before bending down to pick them up.
Seeing Blair laughing with the girls has flipped my world on its axis. Clearly.
I grab three menus and make my way to the table. When I get there, I notice it’s just Lily and Autumn.
“Why do you get so flustered when she’s around?” Autumn asks .
“I don’t,” I answer quickly.
Of all people, Lily is in my business more than Poppy is. Being that Autumn is her best friend; she goes along for the ride and knows everything that Lily does and thinks. She’s not my sister, but she might as well be with how much she knows about my life and how many family dinners she’s attended. I just don’t need them knowing they’re right at this moment.
“We know you pretty well, big brother. And you most definitely do,” Lily scoffs.
Dammit.
“It’s just annoying that you keep bringing her around,” I lie.
“I think she gets under your skin because you have the hots for her,” Autumn says.
She’s always been the blunt one.
“She’s my neighbor and nothing more,” I affirm.
“There can always be more.” Autumn winks.
“Cut it out,” Lily tells her. “She’s been through enough shit.”
I’m taken aback by her words, and my eyes narrow at Lily.
“What do you mean by that?” I ask.
“Have there been any visitors at the ranch lately?” Lily asks with a wink, ignoring my question.
“No?”
“You know, someone just sitting on the south end of the ranch where the land ends to…watch the sunset?”
Lily is clearly nudging for information right now. Leading me to believe she sent Blair down there that evening I saw her. I knew Blair wouldn’t voluntarily go to Barlow Ranch, knowing it’s my name attached to it. I also know Lily frequents the ranch in the same spot to catch the sunset and get her mind off things when she isn’t riding.
What she needs to find peace from…I’ll never know.
Before I can ask more questions, Blair chooses that moment to come back to the table.
I don’t need an answer because it will only make me want to talk to her that much more, and I don’t need the small talk that comes from staying at their table. I leave them alone without another word. But I find myself glancing in their direction more and more, wondering what it is about her.
Why am I so triggered by her?
She bought a home here, is friends with my sister now, and works next door. The least I can do is actually be…nice.
I internally groan.
We don’t need to make this a whole ordeal. I can be nice, but we don’t have to be friends.
I’m not even making sense in my head.
Every time I see her, it alters my brain chemistry even more. It’s like my mind and body have this pull closer to her. One that I can’t control.
And I like being in control.
Perhaps it’s been too long since I’ve felt this way about a woman—the way I feel about Blair. I want to see all of her and discover what she’s concealing beneath her tough exterior. She makes me want to open up, which I never do. And most of all, I want to know what led her to Bluestone Lakes in the first place.
But can I learn to trust again?
The bell to the front door chimes again, forcing me to throw my head back in aggravation. I’m ready to rip that thing from the door frame right now.
Despite my better judgment, I look to the door, and in strolls Nan.
“I’m here to remove the pin,” she says, standing tall.
“Excuse me?” confusion etched in my tone.
“Karaoke night.”
I roll my eyes. “Would you give it up already?”
“Never,” she says, with a fist in the air and a deep gravel in her voice. “I’m old and persistent. Besides, what if I die tomorrow?”
“You can’t die tomorrow. You haven’t caught up on your soaps. ”
“It’s unbecoming how you know the status of my soaps.”
“And you’re over dramatic. You should consider medication for your psychotic behavior,” I tell her.
“The only medication I take is for the headache you give me. Now, hear me out,” she says, hands in the air like she’s painting a picture. “Karaoke.”
“You said that. So far, you’re not selling me on it.”
“Because you didn’t let me finish, Grumpy Griffin.” Nan laughs at herself.
“Continue.” I wave a hand in front of me, signaling that she has the floor to speak.
I wipe the counter, not wanting to hear a minute more about an idea that could make this place packed. Because it just means I’d have to stay here longer than I want to be here.
“We make it a weekly thing,” Nan starts.
“Nope.”
“You can choose Thursdays or Fridays,” she persists. “They’re my only free nights.”
“I was going to say yes, but it would have to be Tuesday,” I joke, without so much as a smile.
“That would inconvenience the pickleball team because I’d have to move their day to Thursday,” she groans.
My eyebrows pinch. “So then, Monday.”
Her hands fly to her hips. “You know that’s book club night.”
“Okay?”
She throws her arms out, shaking her head. “Griffin! I can’t have the town moving everything around for me.”
Staring at the most persistent woman I know, my features harden. I don’t want to concede and do this. Not here. Not at my bar. While more people would mean me working more, it would also mean more money into the place to keep it alive. More money I can use to stock up on better supplies and drinks.
But would Blair come?
I hate myself for caring if she would come or not, but the idea of seeing her here, drinking drinks I make for her, and laughing with her new friends is something I most definitely want to witness.
Don’t ask me why.
She irritates me, remember?
“Fine,” I finally say.
“Fine as in…we can do it?” Nan says, her tone full of hope.
I nod. “Under one condition.” I hold up my index finger in front of her.
She shrugs. “Can’t make any promises.”
“You do the marketing for it. I don’t have time, nor do I want any part of it. If you can drum up interest, I will stay late and help behind the bar that night.”
“Yes,” she cheers.
“One night!”
“You won’t regret this,” she sing-songs, turning to walk away. “You should already know I’ll have this place packed to the brim.”
That’s what I’m afraid of.
“Remember, we only have seven stools!” I shout.
“You’re going to need more!” she says just before exiting the bar.
I don’t have time to think before my sister raises her hand from her booth.
She did not just raise her hand to beckon me over to their table.
Shaking my head, I reluctantly make my way there.
“We’re ready to order.” Lily smiles up at me.
They all order grilled chicken sandwiches. My eyes don’t leave Blair when they each tell me what they want. Wouldn’t. No matter how hard I tried to look away. I even fumbled with the menus when they handed them back to me, even though Blair said little her entire time here other than to order. This only gives Lily more ammunition to harp on me over the fact that I do indeed get flustered when she’s around .
I’ve never seen someone as beautiful as her come through this town.
But her being here is driving me insane.
She annoys me equally as much as she intrigues me.
I still can’t help but want to explore it more.
I’m consumed by the desire to unravel everything about her.