Chapter 35 Duke
DUKE
TWO MONTHS LATER
Lukas stared at the help-wanted sign hanging above the cash register. “I’m so proud of you, man. I never thought I’d see the day.”
I snorted, grabbed the cleaner, and sprayed down the bartop. “What? That I’d ask for help?”
“Yeah. I thought you were allergic to it or something.” He leaned forward. “What if I applied? Would you hire me? I know the owner.”
“Fuck no.” I shook my head. “You’d drink my entire stock before we opened, and I’d catch you passed out behind the bar or some shit.”
“Ye of little faith. I haven’t done it yet—”
I raised my brow. “You literally did it the night I got the keys to this place. I found you curled up on one of the tables out there.”
Lukas pointed at me. “Don’t pretend like you weren’t outside of the freezer, shirtless.”
Okay, maybe I had been, but that’s beside the point.
“But I am proud of you. I know the past few months haven’t been easy, so I’m glad to see you prioritizing yourself.”
If there was one thing Lukas and I did well, it was avoiding talking outright about his sister. He tried on two different occasions—both of which I quickly shut down—which left him toeing a line he knew he shouldn’t cross.
Even though I desperately wanted to talk to someone about her, I couldn’t let myself go there. There wasn’t much of a point to asking Lukas how she was, because I knew my girl well enough that she wouldn’t tell her brother the truth anyway.
So, I was left to wonder.
I hadn’t heard from her in nearly two months.
The last text I had from her was when she landed and messaged Harper as she promised.
Sometimes I found myself staring at our conversation thread.
Late at night, when I was too exhausted to pretend I wasn’t in any pain, I’d just watch the screen, hoping for three bubbles to pop up that never seemed to appear.
“It’s time. Harper’s out of school for the summer, and I made promises I intend to keep,” I said.
Sawyer and Ryan agreed to work the bar this weekend so Harper and I could go camping. It wasn’t a giant cabin on the lake, but my daughter wanted the real-deal experience, complete with a tent, sleeping bags, and a fire pit.
So, that was exactly what we were doing.
Thankfully, there were public restrooms and showers at the campground because I wasn’t entirely sure either of us could handle shitting in the woods.
“No, I get it. Like I said, I’m proud of you. Has anyone filled the position yet?”
I shook my head. “Nope, but I’m hoping that someone will come in while I’m gone and apply. People seem to like Sawyer better, anyway.”
“Well, duh. She’s more personable.”
“I’ve never heard you use that word in your life.”
Lukas put his hand over his heart. “I do run a very successful business. I know a thing or two about customer service.”
Lukas checked the time on his phone. It was nearly midnight. He’d stayed well past all my regulars, and it was about time to close shop.
“You sure you don’t wanna crash on my couch? I’ve been told I’m a great cuddler.”
Lukas scrunched up his face. “By my sister, man. And I don’t really wanna think about that.”
Fair point. I didn’t either.
“Nah, I’m gonna head home. I’ve got an early job tomorrow. Today was slow.”
“Alright, man. I’ll see you when Harper and I get back.”
“Don’t forget to take pictures!” he called over his shoulder as he strolled out of the bar.
Looking around, I took a tally of everything I still needed to get done.
Since Lukas had been there to help, or yap long enough to distract me while I mindlessly took care of it, I didn’t have much to do.
I’d already balanced the register and washed the dishes.
All I needed to do now was put away the garnishes and lock up the back.
I grabbed the metal containers and walked into the freezer, marking them with today’s date. I’d just finished when I heard the front door open.
“What’d you forget?” I asked as I stepped out of the cold storage. “My tip?”
I rounded the corner, prepared to hit him with an old man joke, when I slid to an abrupt halt. Olivia Hart was standing behind my bar, only twenty feet ahead of me. She had two shot glasses and a bottle of tequila out. “Hi, Duke.”
“Olivia? What’re you doing here?”
A shy smile curved her lips as she pointed to the door behind her. “I couldn’t help but notice the help wanted sign on your door. Is it still available?”
It might’ve been the old age, but I was struggling to wrap my head around what was going on. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand…”
She took a step forward, dusting her hands on her jeans. “Well, it’s pretty simple. You have—presumably—an available job, and I happen to be in need of employment.” She gestured toward the tequila. “Thought maybe I could show you my skills. It seems like we might be able to help each other out.”
I laughed nervously. There was no way in fucking hell I was about to get my hopes up about a scenario I wasn’t even sure had happened.
Because it sounded a whole hell of a lot like she was saying that she was no longer CEO of Hartstrings Records. And if she was looking for a job here, in Pinecrest, that meant she had plans to stay.
Surely she wouldn’t pull a joke so cruel.
“Don’t you have some fancy pants job already?” I asked, crossing my arms and widening my stance.
Olivia gestured toward the bar. “Wanna take a seat?”
I strolled over and pulled myself cautiously onto a stool. She looked good. Far better than the last time I saw her. There were no red-rimmed eyes or dried tear stains. No mascara smudges lingering beneath her lashes or pity in her gaze.
She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the old, worn wood. I couldn’t help but think about the last time she was here. When I had her spread out before me.
Get it the fuck together, man.
“I’m sorry I haven’t called or texted these past few months.
As you can imagine, I’ve been a bit busy dismantling the stability of my family’s record label.
” She winced. “Correction. My family’s former record label.
That’s going to take some getting used to.
It’s just such a habit.” Her fingers tapped anxiously against her biceps as she eyed the bottle in front of us.
“Would it be terribly inappropriate to take a shot during a job interview? I’m going to do it anyway. ”
Olivia quickly poured two shots, sliding one my way before bringing the other to her lips and knocking it back. I just sat there, gaping like an idiot, at the news she just dropped. “You sold?”
“Is that a no to the tequila, then? Because if you’re not gonna drink it, I will.”
“Until you tell me what the hell is going on—”
She ran her hands through her hair, gripping the roots tightly for a moment before releasing.
“I didn’t want to live another day in a life that didn’t feel like mine.
I didn’t want to go through the motions just to make everyone else happy.
” She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. “I didn’t want to be on my deathbed and see a graveyard of missed opportunities.
So yes, I sold the company. I tendered my resignation the day I signed on the bottom line to hand over control. ”
This woman. I had so many questions, and yet all I wanted to do was walk around this bar and pull her into my arms. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not until I knew exactly what she was saying and what she was asking for.
“How does it feel?”
“I see you have your therapy hat on,” she laughed, looking away.
“Um, I’m going a little crazy. Idle hands, and all that.
There have been so many meetings with so many goddamn lawyers and men in suits that I thought having nothing to do would be a nice change, but I was wrong.
Hence why I’m already back on the hunt for work. ”
I leaned forward, mimicking her stance with my elbows on the bar. “Olivia, you can’t work for me.”
She reached across and laid her hand on my arm, pleading. I relished the heat radiating off her skin. The softness of her touch. “Come on, Duke. I’m desperate. I can’t shadow Lukas again. I’ve been doing it all day, and he drove me out of my mind.”
“You’ve been in town all day?”
“I got in this morning. Lukas had to run some errands, which meant I was forced to tag along. Believe me, it was not my idea of fun.”
I shook my head, focusing on playing the interviewer. “I need someone who lives locally, Ms. Hart. I’m afraid that disqualifies you from the job.”
“Actually, I am local.” Olivia reached across the bar for her purse. Inside, she grabbed a small pink-and-red polka-dotted keychain that held a single key. “This is the key to my new house. I can even provide proof of residency if you need it.”
Stay calm, Duke. Stay. Fucking. Calm.
“You’re staying in town?”
“There’s no place I’d rather be,” she said, hesitating with a smile on her lips. “Everyone I love is here.”
Everyone I love is here.
Everyone I love.
“Yes, idiot. I’m talking about you.” The sweetest pink hue swept across her cheeks.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to say it back, but I do.
God, I love you so much. And I know it’s crazy.
It’s so fast, but I couldn’t wait another day to tell you.
It’s why I had to stay away until now. There was no way I was coming back unless I could commit to being all in with you. ”
“Olivia—”
“And you might not even want to be with me anymore, which is completely fine. I mean, that would really suck, honestly. It’s not going to change the fact that I’m here to stay, though.
I’ll help at the bar or with Harper or whatever needs to be done.
” She burst out laughing, and the sound startled me.
“You know, I have no idea what I want to do with my life, which is a terrifying concept at thirty-seven. But it’s also thrilling in a way?
I get to start over. I get to build a life I want—no matter what that looks like or what other people expect. I just get to be me.”
Her chest was heaving by the time she was done. It was kind of cute how she was staring at me, exasperated by my silence.
“Well, are you going to say anything?”
My lips twitched. “You didn’t need to confess your love in such a dramatic way, you know. My attention was already yours.”
“You ass,” she murmured. The smile didn’t leave her face. “Don’t make me laugh.” She glanced down coyly at the empty shot glasses. Pulling up the bottle, she shook it lightly. “What do you say, Mr. Bennett? Up for one more round?”
Without breaking eye contact, I stood up and slowly walked around the bar. Her back hit the counter as I caged her in. I leaned forward, skimming my lips along her neck as my hands found her ass.
Hoisting her in the air, I set her on top of the counter. There was something so carefree about her. The way her laugh sounded like the tinkling of wind chimes, or how she kicked her feet like a woman who felt free for the first time in her life. It was magical. She was magic.
And she was mine.
“Only one?” I asked.
“Maybe two or three…”
I brought my hand up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Olivia leaned into my touch, kissing the palm of my hand. “How about every single one for the rest of my life?”
“That sounds like a plan to me.”