Chapter Twenty-Six
Brad
“Are you sure you’ll be okay with the bar while we are away?” I ask Henry for the hundredth time this morning. Chad sits on the other side of the bar and is laughing at us.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Henry says with a huff. He’s sick of me asking, but I need to be certain. I’ve never left Happy’s for this long before.
“If he needs help with anything, he can call me,” Chad offers, trying to calm me down. “I’ll check in, and if all else fails, I could always send Logan over to help.”
I scowl at my twin before looking back at the paperwork in front of me. Last-minute wedding plans may be the death of me.
“Not helpful,” I grunt, while signing off on the invoice for the caterer.
“Logan isn’t that bad. I was sceptical at first, but he’s proven himself. Even if he did turn my bar into a sex toy exhibition that day.” Chad hits me with a scowl similar to my own. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that.”
“It was his fault. He shouldn’t have been here snooping. You can thank your in-laws, though. They are the ones who took the idea and ran with it.” I laugh, knowing there is no way Chad is ever going to be mad at Mady’s parents.
“It took days to get the lube out of some of the chairs.” Chad shakes his head at the thought. Henry has gone out the back to do something, so Chad takes the opportunity to speak more freely. “You need to give Henry a chance. I know you love this place. I felt the same way about Grumpy’s, and then Mady came along, and my priorities changed. It’s why I decided to give Logan a chance. I wanted to be home more and be able to do things with my girl.”
I understand what Chad is saying, but giving up control is hard. Happy’s is my baby, and I know Dylan loves it as much as I do. He’s right, though. I do want to spend more time with Dylan and be able to say yes to things with our friends. Working most nights sucks, and I know the further Dylan gets into her degree, the more time consuming it will be.
I may not be able to help her study, but I can be there to support her when she needs it.
And to provide snacks.
The girl definitely loves her snacks.
“I’ll talk to Henry and see if he is interested,” I say to Chad, and he smiles.
“Who would have thought an eighteen-year-old girl with an attitude problem would be the one to make you see some sense?” he says with a chuckle.
“Watch it. I didn’t give you any shit when you told me you were getting into a relationship with a girl who already had three guys at home,” I retort. I didn’t understand at first, but after seeing Mady with all her men, it made sense. She has a lot of love to go around, and if it works for them, who am I to judge?
“I’m not judging. I’m just happy to have my brother back. Has Ralph spoken to you recently?” he asks.
I don’t miss his comment about getting me back. I was always here, just shut away from the world.
“About the portfolio and investments he kept from us?” I question.
Our older brother has been secretly making investments on our behalf and has grown quite a bank account for us.
“Yeah, it’s weird. I get why he kept it from us, but I’m still pissed. We never struggled, but knowing there was a safety net would have been nice,” Chad says, sipping his Coke.
“He wanted to make sure we were set up for the future. I get that. He tried to pay for the wedding,” I tell Chad, and he chokes on his drink.
“How’d that go?” he asks, after clearing his throat.
“I told him he could pay for the next one, because statistically speaking, there is a good chance Brad will be going for round two before he hits fifty,” Dylan says from behind Chad. Neither of us saw her come in.
“I told you, woman, I’m one and done. If you decide you are going to divorce me, that’s it for me. There is no one else.” Then I practically growl my next words. “You. Are. It.” I make my way around the bar and pull her small frame into my chest.
She rises up on her toes and plants a kiss on my cheek. “Awww, I love it when you go all caveman on me.” Her soft chuckle eases the tension in my body, and I relax.
“Well, I guess this is my cue to leave.” Chad gives me a pat on the back before making his way to the door. “I’ll see you bright and early on Saturday morning,” he throws over his shoulder as he heads out.
“What are you doing here?” I ask Dylan, who’s still wrapped in my arms.
“Ella called. She said we needed to sign off on the last of the arrangements, so I figured I’d come and help.” Dylan steps out of my embrace and leans over the bar to get the paperwork I was signing off on.
“Didn’t you have to do something at uni?” I ask as I pull out a bar stool beside her and rub my hand down her back.
“I’ve already done that. Roman dropped me off after,” she says as she scoffs at the invoice from the caterer. “Why the hell is the food so damn expensive?”
“No idea, but it will be worth it. Are you going to tell me what you needed to do at school?” I ask. She’s been planning something, but I wanted to wait until she had done it before I pushed the matter. School has always been a touchy subject for Dylan. I didn’t want to pressure her decisions.
“I was changing my degree. I’ve decided I want to become a youth counsellor so I can help kids like myself and Vada.” She looks at me with uncertainty in her eyes, and it breaks my fucking heart. One day she’ll see just how amazing she is, and until she sees it, I’m going to keep showing and telling her.
“That’s incredible, Dylan. I’m proud of you for taking this step. You’ll be great at it, and I’m here for you, no matter what.”
She offers me a small smile. The uncertainty is still there, but she’s doing her best to be in the moment with me.
“Henry,” I yell, so he can hear me out the back.
“Yeah, boss?” He pokes his head out the door to the back.
I replay what Chad said earlier and make a decision that will be better for both Dylan and me.
“How do you feel about moving up to Bar Manager?” I ask. It takes a minute for Henry to pick his jaw back up off the floor.
“Are you serious?” He’s hesitant, and rightfully so. I’ve never even hinted at being ready to step back from most of the day-to-day stuff at the bar.
“Yep. I’ll stay on until you’ve finished uni and to help with the transition. But you love this place as much as Dylan and I do. There is no one I’d trust more with Happy’s.”
Dylan places her hand on my thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze of encouragement.
“Is that okay with you?” I ask her, and she nods. Happy’s is half hers, so she needs to be on board for this to work.
“Yep, Henry deserves it. But I’m still working here as well,” she demands, and we both chuckle.
“Of course.”