Chapter 21
Knox
As I walked from the far back of the parking lot to the main entrance of the Barn Bar, I wondered what the hell I was doing. I had no business—and very little interest in—wasting an evening at an overcrowded bar among people half my age.
Holden had convinced me to join him for a drink. I’d never been here before but had driven past it a few times in broad daylight. I’d had no idea what I was getting into.
As I neared the back of the building, I spotted a couple against the outside wall, kissing, grinding against each other, oblivious to everything but each other, not noticing—or caring—they were illuminated by the security light and the nearby shrub did nothing to hide them.
Nor did they seem bothered that the temperature was dipping down toward the forties.
Even when I was in my twenties, I didn’t remember ever losing my mind so much over a girl that I couldn’t make it to privacy with her.
Ahead of me, a group of five young women, barely of legal drinking age, decked out as only females on the hunt for mates could be decked out, made their chattery way to the door.
There were so many threads of conversation among the five I didn’t know how anyone could make sense of any of it, but I did gather that the redhead hoped Shane, whoever that was, would show up as he’d promised, and the blond was sure he would.
They turned the corner to the front of the barn, and I gave serious thought to hightailing it back home. I’d told Holden I’d be here though.
After an evening with him and Chloe, Hayden and Zane, my father and Faye, plus Harrison and Juniper, I felt like I’d made some progress with half of my family.
On the way home from Nashville, Holden had suggested we have a drink sometime.
Chloe, who was six months pregnant and said it was past her bedtime, encouraged us to do it tonight.
I’d agreed as long as I picked up my SUV from home first, and here I was.
When I opened the main door, the roar of a crammed bar on its busiest night smacked into me. All I saw at first glance was a crowd of about two hundred more people than I usually spent time with. And didn’t I sound just like the old man Quincy teased me about being?
The lights were low and drinks were flowing as I walked through the clusters of people toward the bar. Holden had texted me he was saving a seat at the counter, on the right side, so I headed that way.
Once I neared the bar, I spotted him easily. As I made my way to him, he called out to someone at a pool table, then joked with the bartender, then made a comment to the guy sitting next to him, all in the thirty seconds it took me to reach the empty stool on the other side of him.
“Hey, bro,” he said, his voice inviting and jolly like only Holden could be. He gestured to the bartender. “This is Donovan. This is my half-brother, Knox.”
Donovan and I exchanged greetings.
“What can Donovan get you?” Holden asked. “This one’s on me.”
I sat down and ordered a Rusty Anchor beer, impressed they carried Holden’s brand. “Thanks.”
Holden nodded at someone seated on the opposite side of the bar, facing us, then said to me, “I was starting to think you’d changed your mind.”
“I considered it,” I told him. “Not going to lie, I’m feeling old. This is about ten times crazier than the Fly gets.”
“That’s the truth. This place packs ’em in, particularly when they advertise their drink specials on the Tattler. You’re not old though. Take a look around.”
I did, and I saw more twentysomethings than at a college graduation. I shot my half-brother a raised brow of disbelief. Donovan set a mug of cold beer in front of me.
Holden nodded toward the pool tables. “Over there we have Lyle and Jerry. They’re both close to seventy, as are half the people watching their game.
” He turned partway around and indicated a table near the outside wall.
“That group is in their fifties and then some. There’s Davis Morten over there with Tony Wall and Jeannette Ditmer. ”
They were clearly closer to retirement than middle age, but the clusters of older patrons didn’t make me feel any more at ease.
“It’s more of a lifestyle thing than an age thing, I guess,” I told him.
“There was a time when a scene like this was important to me. During college. In my twenties. Maybe even in my early thirties. But there came a point when I figured out I prefer a peaceful night at home or at a movie to this chaos.”
“I get it. I’ve been out a lot less since connecting with Chloe. Why didn’t you say something? We could’ve gone somewhere more low-key.”
“We’re here now,” I said, glancing around again, smiling to soften my complaints. “I’ll get over my old self in about five minutes. Things like this are useful for filling the creative well. Besides, I’ve hoped for months to one day be able to grab a drink with one of my brothers.”
“It’s cool as shit,” he said, grinning.
“Glad you think so.”
“Cash will come around eventually. Tonight was a good time, right?”
“Tonight was good.” In part because Cash wasn’t there.
Hayden and Zane had invited us all for an impromptu dinner.
Seth and Everly couldn’t make it because they had plans with Everly’s producer, Gin, and her husband, Tucker.
Cash was working the dinner shift at Henry’s, and Ava had plans with Magnolia, so it was just the nine of us including the kids.
I chuckled at that. “Our partial gathering of nine was a huge family get-together in my world.”
“Better get used to it fast,” Holden said. “But then you’ve already had a sample of full-on Henry-North chaos.”
“Overwhelming. Mostly in a good way.” I sobered. “You think Faye and Simon are okay with Juniper overnight? I’m not sure I should’ve taken them up on the offer.”
“Oh, hell.” Holden laughed. “Those two are in grandbaby heaven. As soon as ours is born, there’s no one I’ll trust more than Faye.”
I relaxed a degree. “Not only am I not used to having a child, but I’m not used to having family to rely on,” I said, keeping my tone light.
“Both will take some getting used to, huh?”
“Understatement. Good beer can only help.” I took another drink.
I’d been warned, plus witnessed it myself, that Holden knew everyone in town. As if to further prove it, two guys stopped to say hello on their way to the dartboards.
“Levi Dawson, Nick Carlisle, have you met Knox?”
“Hey,” Nick said. I’d met him through Seth.
“Good to see you,” I said, then held out a hand to Levi. “Dawson. Is Max your brother?”
“Afraid so,” the other tall, built guy said. He didn’t have the look of an office guy, more like he did physical labor of some kind. Both of them actually.
“And his younger sister, Dakota, tends bar at Henry’s,” Holden said.
“Ah, yes. I know Dakota. She’s a sweet girl.”
Levi’s brows shot up. “She’s something,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t usually use the word sweet.”
“I met Max a couple of days ago,” I said. “He invited me to a single dad group.”
“That sounds like Max. He’s got his hands full with that baby.” Levi’s expression—as well as Nick’s and Holden’s—washed into sorrow as he shook his head, and I remembered Max had said Daniel was his cousin’s baby. Levi had clearly suffered a loss too.
“I’m sorry to hear about the baby’s parents. That’s a terrible thing,” I said.
“I’ll say. Max seems determined to do right by the little guy. I help when I can, but it’s a drop in the bucket, you know?”
I said, “I’m sure everything is appreciated by your brother.”
“You’re the guy with the surprise baby, aren’t you?” Levi said, as if just realizing it.
“That’s me.”
“I admire you for stepping up,” Levi said.
“Yeah, that takes some steel balls,” Nick added.
I tried to laugh that off, but my laugh felt hollow. “We do what we have to do, I guess, right? I never expected to be in this position.”
“And now he’s head over heels for that cutie,” Holden said, lightening the tone, to my relief, and making everyone laugh.
“She’s irresistible, in my biased-as-hell opinion,” I said.
After more small talk, Levi and Nick wandered off. I was just starting to relax when a blond head on the crowded dance floor on the other side of the bar caught my eye, and my heart skipped a beat.
I could swear that was Quincy, but she was on the other side of a tall guy with a cowboy hat, so I couldn’t verify. Taking another swallow of beer, I kept my gaze locked on the back of the guy, hoping for another glimpse of his dance partner.
I nearly dropped my mug a second later when the couple shifted and I got a full view of Quincy.
She was stunning, the prettiest girl in the place, with tall boots, a short skirt, a barely there top that revealed her navel piercing, and an open sweater over it. Her long, blond hair was down, falling everywhere as her body moved to the beat.
One look at her and I was suddenly burning up.
“You watching Quincy?” Holden said, apparently following my gaze, jolting me back to the awareness that I’d been staring for too long.
“Wasn’t sure if that was her,” I fibbed. “Who’s the guy?”
Holden sized him up and shrugged. “Probably some out-of-towner.”
Whoever he was, I didn’t like that he was dancing with my nanny.
My nanny, I repeated in my head to my dumb-ass self. Not my girlfriend.
“How’s it going with her?” Holden asked, eyeing me. I couldn’t tell if it was a loaded question or innocent conversation about my daughter’s caretaker.
“Going well,” I said, endeavoring to keep any expression off my face. I went for a drink to cover.
“Is she not supposed to be here tonight?”
“She has the night off, so she can be wherever she wants to be.” I realized once the words were out that they were more of a snap than I’d intended. “She deserves a night off,” I said to smooth it out.
“It looks like she’s put herself back on the market after her breakup.”