Chapter 23
Twenty-Three
Louise
“How’s the hiatus going?”
Cringing, I duck behind the bar at Bliss Garden, pretending to dig below for a cleaning cloth for the wine glasses.
“Hmm?” I ask from below the ledge. Fuck me I don’t want to have this conversation right now. “Sorry, Wils, can’t hear you.”
“I asked how the hiatus is going,” Willow says a little louder, standing on her tip toes on the other side of the bar so I can hear her better.
Fumbling and clattering things in my hands loudly, I call back up toward her, “Oh, yeah, you know. It’s fine.”
The scrape of chair legs against the wood floor sounds two seconds before her head pops over the edge of the bar above me. Her hazel eyes are narrowed on me. “Louise Nicole Miller.”
“What?” I ask, feigning innocence, eyes wide.
“I’m gonna need you to look me straight in the face and tell me how this hiatus is going, woman.”
Staring up at my best friend from my crouched position, I try my best to keep my features neutral as I say, “It’s fine. Totally one hundred percent going great.”
“And you’re a shit liar. Who is he?” she demands, sliding further onto the bar top above me.
Her light brown hair is down, creating a curtain around her face.
Her eyes narrow on me again. “Is it the hottie dad from next door?” When I cringe, she groans.
“Lou. The divorced dad? This is exactly why you’re on a hiatus. Your picker is broken.”
“My picker is not broken,” I grumble, pushing to my feet. “I just… I just see the best in people. I want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.”
Willow shifts so that she’s leaning on her forearms against the bar top, her entire upper body resting on the smooth top. Her ass is in the air, knees on the barstool.
“It’s a good thing we’re closed,” I grumble at her, nodding at how she’s sprawled out on my bar. “Get your ass down before you catch me a health code violation.”
Willow rolls her eyes but slides off the bar and back into the seat.
“I know it’s in your nature to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and that’s an admirable trait.
Not something a lot of people can do. But…
it also gets your heart broken nine out of ten times, Lou.
I don’t want to see you get hurt again because this guy is still struggling with his own broken heart post-divorce. ”
The look on my face must give me away, because she sits up straighter in her seat and demands, “What’s that look for? What aren’t you telling me?”
Groaning, I let my body sag in defeat. “He’s not exactly divorced yet, Wils.”
“Oh no. Oh no no no. Nope,” Willow snaps, shaking her head emphatically. Leaning on her arms on the bar again, she sits forward. “Louise. He’s still married?”
“Technically, yes,” I admit grudgingly. “But he’s in the process of a divorce, and they’ve been separated for almost two years—”
“Ohmygod this is so much worse than I thought. Have you slept with him already?”
“No!” I rush to say, perhaps a little too quickly. Willow eyes me skeptically. “I haven’t. I swear.”
“But you want to.”
I laugh and nod. “Yeah.” Bracing my hands on the edge of the bar, I straight arm myself against it. “Please don’t give me that look. Don’t give me those judgey eyes.”
“I’m not judging,” Willow says gently, softening her features. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. You know that’s all we want.”
“I know. I’m being careful. I’m not falling for this one.”
Lies.
She doesn’t need to know I have a crush already. Or that I’m probably running headlong into this without looking back.
“I don’t believe you for a second. I’ve never met someone that falls quicker for walking-talking red flags than you.”
“He’s not a red flag,” I grumble, swiping the stack of drink menus off the edge and putting them away. “He’s very sweet.” I can’t help the snort of laughter that escapes. “He’s actually quite grumpy. In a really endearing way.”
“Endearingly grumpy…” she says, tone laced heavily with skepticism.
Shrugging, I give her a half-smile in the hope of relieving some of the worry that’s etching her forehead. “I’m not jumping into anything.”
Willow blows out a breath. “Pfft. You’re not jumping into anything, because you already done jumped, girlfriend.”
I can’t even respond, because she’s not entirely wrong.
“Okay, next hard question: have you brought up that job opening with Andi’s company to your mom or your sisters yet?”
My shoulders slump. “No,” I admit sullenly.
“That position isn’t going to stay open long, Lou.”
“I know that,” I grumble. Spreading my arms wide to indicate the barn as a whole, I mumble, “How am I supposed to leave now, when Darci and Mom need me more than ever?”
“They’ll figure it out,” Willow insists gently, sitting back in the chair and folding her arms across the bar top. She stares me down until I’m fidgeting beneath the weight of that look. “Lou… Don’t you think it’s time to do something for you? You quit college to come back after your dad passed.”
Wringing the bar cloth between my fingers, I shrug again. “I came home because I was homesick.”
“I didn’t believe that excuse then and I don’t believe it now.
Yes, you came home because you were grieving the loss of a parent…
but you didn’t go back because you felt obligated to help here.
Which is admirable, babe, for sure. You started cosplaying for birthdays to make extra cash to help out more.
Don’t even get me started on how long it took me to get you to move into your own place. ”
“I was helping with bills—”
“It was never your responsibility.”
“Now you sound like Mom and Grandma Jude.”
“Wise ladies,” Willow deadpans, crossing her arms over her chest and raising one eyebrow at me. “Call Andi. Stop by her office. We both know she’s worked with Sienna on multiple different weddings. She’s seen the events you put together here. Just, do it before you miss out and regret it, okay?”
“Okay,” I whisper, dropping the cloth onto the bar. “I will.”
“Promise me,” Willow demands, sticking her hand out over the bar, pinkie raised. “Pinkie swear it.”
Laughing, I hook my pinkie around hers, and we both lean in, kissing our fists. Just like we did as kids. “I promise.”