CHAPTER 20 - BRYNN
“This place is colder than I remember,” Kevin comments as he rolls up the sleeves of his chef’s shirt. His eyes wander around The Gallows, a heavy frown on his face as if something doesn’t feel right.
I feel it too.
Maybe it’s the weather—the roads only just cleared, but the snow still falls steadily.
Or maybe it’s because I’ve spent the last four or five days in a cabin with the two people in this world who warm my soul, where the air always smelled like coffee and fresh cedar, and the fire was constantly stacked with wood to keep things cozy and comfortable.
The Gallows, on the other hand, hasn't been open for almost a week, thanks to the fire, then the storm.
I tug my jacket tighter and breathe out a sigh that turns to a cloud in the cold air.
“Best we get to warming this place up then,” I say with a heavy sigh, already dreading the process it’s going to take to get this place into full swing for the lunch rush.
“We both know there is going to be a stampede through those front doors the moment we open, because everyone who’s been stuck in town has spent the last week actually having to cook their own food. ”
They’re going to want burgers.
And pizza.
And coffee they don’t have to make themselves.
“Yes, ma’am,” Kevin answers with a grin and a sharp salute before heading back into the kitchen to start cleaning and prepping food.
I’ll do the same out here, starting with opening all the windows to let the place air out. Yes, I’ll probably freeze, but at least that last lingering smell of smoke will hopefully be wafted away and replaced with some scents that are far more enticing.
Food.
One deep breath, and I clap my hands together, forcing myself to move around the bar, opening windows, pulling out cleaning supplies, gathering salt and pepper shakers. All while trying to keep my thoughts from returning to the cabin.
Where I left Jovie trying to convince Grizz to let her use the old Christmas decorations they had pulled from a box up in the loft, to sprinkle some Christmas joy around the cabin.
I wish I’d been able to stay and watch her dramatic presentation she had prepared—which included a baby Jesus carrot and several canned goods dressed as wise men—but I knew if I didn’t come in early to get things done, I wouldn’t have left at all.
I’m twenty-five years old, and I’ve never really felt like I had a home. A place that’s safe, warm, and steady enough for me to step back a little and let Jovie bloom.
But the moment Grizz and I met that first night, something shifted.
He wanted to provide for us.
To protect us.
To make room for Jovie and I in his world.
Not just within his home, his club, or even this town. He’s made room for us in his life, and he’s given us everything we needed. The safety, the warmth, and the stability for my kid to grow bolder and brighter than ever.
“Brynn, you good if I put on some music?” Kev calls, snapping me from my swoony daze.
“Yes, please do!” I call back and begin to unscrew the lids on all the shakers lined up along the bar.
I pause with one in my hand, remembering the one time Kev got hold of the sound system while we were cleaning up after a long night and I ended up sobbing over Hotel California. “Something upbeat!”
“You got it!” he says, followed by a low chuckle.
I wait with bated breath, a bag of salt in one hand and a tiny funnel in the other. It takes a moment, but when Queen’s, Don’t Stop Me Now, starts playing, my entire body relaxes and I let out a huff of laughter.
I can’t be angry about it, it’s a good song.
Though I do make a mental note to ask Kevin how damn old he is.
With a shake of my head, I get back to work, managing to fill all but one salt shaker before the bell above the front door jingles and my pulse suddenly doubles as I wonder how long I’ve been standing here—
“Good morning!” Victoria’s voice is overly high-pitched, matching the forced smile on her face but not the sharp, deliberate click-clack of her heels as she stomps through the bar. “How are you, dear?”
Sarah trails behind her with the sleeves of her oversized sweatshirt pulled down over her hands, and her shoulders hunched. It’s not surprising, though, given she’s constantly carrying around the weight of her mother’s expectations.
I finish up what I’m doing and put the salt away before I respond with a smile.
“I’m good,” I answer, gathering shakers in my arms and offering a polite smile as I pass by them. “Just trying to get things all back to normal again and make sure we’re ready for the rush!”
Victoria leans against the bar, pulling out her cellphone and tapping away a message like she didn’t actually care for the answer to her question, and it was just a formality. While Sarah is quick to walk around and gather what shakers I missed, getting straight to work.
This is why Grizz likes her, it’s why her and I have always worked well together. She doesn’t have to ask what needs to be done, she’s always happy to get in, get the work done, and keep busy.
It twists my stomach a little, considering all the thoughts I’ve had during the past few days, questioning things she said after the fire.
I know my mind can sometimes run away with me, especially when it has to do with Jovie and keeping her safe, but it all quickly floats away when Sarah stops at the table I’m at and clears her throat.
I look up, meeting two very bloodshot eyes with fresh tears balancing on her lashes.
“Brynn, I’m so sorry,” she whispers, loud enough for me to hear her five feet away, but definitely not loud enough for Victoria to hear over Kev’s latest musical number—Wham!
Sarah clears her throat, shifting from one foot to the other and back again.
“If I’d known Jovie was up in the apartment, I would have run up there first to get her, and not wasted time running back into the bar. ”
“Grizz,” Sarah cries. “I’m so sorry, I didn't know Jovie was upstairs.”
“What do you mean you didn't know she was upstairs?” Grizz snaps, his hands curling to fists at his side.
“Brynn, I'm so sorry,” Sarah whispers again, her entire body shaking as she looks at me with wide eyes.
“Sarah!” Grizz hisses, quickly drawing her attention back to him. “Sarah, did you start the fire?”
“No! I swear I didn't. I wouldn't do that. You guys are like my family. I promise I didn't start it!”
Suddenly, her reaction makes sense.
Why she kept saying she was sorry that day.
Why she was apologizing for not knowing Jovie was upstairs.
I shake my head and grab her arms. “Whoa, whoa!” I say with a smile, forcing her to look at me. “You don’t have to be sorry. It’s not your fault. You are not responsible for Jovie. It’s not your job to run into burning buildings for her.”
She inhales deeply through her nose, a couple of stray tears falling when she nods.
“Yeah, and I know you’re right,” she says with a breathy laugh. “But I still feel so guilty that she got caught up in it, you know? That shouldn’t have happened.”
Sarah glances over at Victoria, but with one blink, her eyes are back on me.
I’m not sure if it’s purposeful, and she’s trying to tell me something, or if she’s just being cautious and wanting to make sure her mom is still out of earshot. Either way, there’s a reason Sarah is speaking to me about things while Victoria isn’t close by, and that can’t be good.
“Oh my gosh, Brynn!” Victoria announces loudly across the bar and we both freeze.
“Wait until I tell you about the drama I had this morning…” Sarah and I both take a breath and continue on, sharing glances and smiles as we set out the tables with their shakers, then start on the condiments and cutlery.
All while Victoria rants from the bar. “…bread didn’t even make it to the shelves.
I tell you, we go a few days without deliveries every year, and every year, people act like it’s the apocalypse. ”
I chuckle softly and return to the bar to start cleaning the coffee machine.
“Well, I can’t really blame them,” I start with a grin. “We’ve had fire, then ice. Maybe we should start preparing for locusts?”
Victoria freezes, her eyes widening in shock as she places a perfectly manicured hand on her chest. “Locusts! That’s not even funny!”
She might not think so, but I can see Sarah’s shoulders bouncing with laughter across the room where she’s working on getting the fireplace going.
I just grin and continue to scrub.
When Jovie and I went out with Victoria the day of the fire, we’d actually learned a lot and had fun—one of the reasons it was enjoyable was that the kid and I had made a game out of who could make Victoria more outraged at things we said.
And I’m pretty sure Jovie won with a comment about how she wants to be a garbage man when she gets older.
“Yeah, let’s hope I’m wrong,” I say, just as I get the first whiff of Kev cooking something. “Kev, that smells amazing!”
He pokes his head out, his chef’s hat balancing precariously. “Well, I didn’t get to make Jovie my Christmas Pizza, so figured we’d try again.”
My nose crinkles instantly. “That the fish one?”
A spatula suddenly snaps out, pointing directly at me. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” he orders, quickly ducking away again.
“Where is Jovie?” Victoria questions, suddenly sitting a little straighter, her hands flat on the bartop.
“Oh, she’s fine,” I say with a smile. “She’s just back at the cabin with Grizz and the boys. Grizz will probably bring her in soon so she can have lunch, and then she might go back and—”
“You’re leaving her alone with them now?” Victoria interrupts, her tone sharp and accusing. “Wow, Brynn, I really thought you were smarter than that.”
“Mom, stop.” The edge in Sarah’s voice surprises all of us.
She steps up beside me, shoulders squared, staring down her mother across the bar.
“Jovie is fine with Grizz. He runs this whole bar. I’m sure he’s responsible enough to look after an eight-year-old.
Besides, Brynn doesn’t need to hear you talking negative about him. ”
Victoria blinks, stunned, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
“I see,” she finally spits out after at least a minute. “I guess I’ll just keep my concerns to myself next time.”
She slips off her stool and turns sharply, taking the narrow walkway to the front door like it’s a runway, her floor length coat floating behind her.
Even when the doors slam closed, I stay quiet, still caught somewhere between shock and gratitude as I stare at Sarah.
Her quick defence of Grizz and him looking after Jovie makes something in my chest twist just a little.
I can’t help but wonder if she spoke up because of that crush she still might be nursing, or if she’s maybe trying to make up for the guilt she’s been feeling about things with Jovie and the fire.
Either way, today something sparked in her that I haven’t seen before.
And I can’t help but be eager to feed those new flames just a little, and hope maybe I can help her find a new kind of strength.
And maybe a new Hallowed Springs story for people to talk about in years to come.