Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Andi
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” I took in the appearance of the building and grimaced.
This place looked more like an old shack than the local beer joint.
With its weather-beaten tin roof and worn wood siding, there was absolutely no way that this was the place Belle was talking about.
My eyes trailed up to the darkened neon sign that read “The Rusty Spur, Bar and Grill” and I scoffed.
“You got the rusty part right.”
I was baffled and bemused, and not just from the appearance of the building, but more for the fact that I was actually going to be asking to work there.
It was a far cry from the upscale bistro I used to wait tables at on the weekends back in Northview.
That was before Heath, though, when I still had a life that was my own.
Back then, the weekends were mine to earn a little “mad money,” as my mom liked to call it, and a welcome break from my full-time job during the week.
Now, though? This dusty dive bar was where I’d have to start over.
A slight fluttering motion stirred in my stomach, and I wondered if it was nerves about getting the job or whether the building would collapse on me.
I let out a long sigh and fell back against the driver’s seat of my newly acquired pickup truck—thanks to Belle calling in yet another favor for me with Willy.
The faded blue Chevy was at least twenty years older than me and, in my opinion, had seen better days.
Rust covered the bumper and surrounded the bottom edge of the doors.
The dark blue vinyl on the bench seat was cracked in places, exposing the foam interior. But the radio worked—that was a plus.
“Well, here goes nothing.” I turned off the ignition, only for the truck to let out a loud, horrifying sputter followed by a backfire.
I jumped, letting out a startled squeak.
Heart racing, I pressed a hand to my chest. “Damn…I hope I didn’t just kill it.
” A light knock on the driver’s side window made me spin in my seat.
I gasped at the sight of an older man with ginger, gray-streaked hair peeking out of a worn cowboy hat standing there, peering in at me.
I cautiously rolled the window down halfway. “Yes?”
“You need help with something?” he asked kindly.
“No, I’m good. Thank you,” I replied, already reaching for the handle to roll the window back up.
“You sure? If it’s the truck, I can take a look. I’ve seen my share of stubborn engines.”
I hesitated. This had to be small-town normal—everyone knowing everyone and not minding their own business. I sighed. “No, I think it's fine. I’m just waiting to get into the bar.”
His gaze flicked to the building, then back to me. “Bar doesn’t open for another hour.”
“I know. I’m here to see Red. Belle said he might be looking for a waitress.”
He studied me for a beat. “You must be the one Belle called me about. Andi, right?”
I nodded slowly, still not quite ready to get out of the truck.
“Harland Jennings, but everyone calls me Red,” he said, offering his hand and adding when I hesitated, “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”
His easy smile and weathered face eased some of my tension. I reached out through the open window and shook his hand before stepping out and shutting the door behind me. Rust flaked off the truck and scattered across the dirt and gravel like confetti.
“Belle mentioned you’re new in town,” Red said, walking alongside me toward the front door.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“You got family here?”
“No, sir.”
“What brought you to Tarnation, then?”
I let out a small, humorless huff of air. “Poor navigation skills,” I said honestly. “I was on my way to Heaven when my GPS lost signal.”
Red just chuckled. “Folks always think those little robots in their pockets are smarter than they are…until they steer you the wrong way and you end up in a cow pasture.”
“Thankfully nothing like that happened,” I responded with a soft laugh.
“What’s in Heaven, then? You got family there?”
It was a simple question, but it caught me off guard—the double meaning behind it.
I hope so, I thought as a soft ache bloomed in my chest.
“I just…needed a temporary change of pace,” I replied with a nonchalant shrug. “Plus, it’s far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, where I’m from. I figured a smaller town might be quieter.”
Red gave me a thoughtful glance but didn’t press.
“Well, you found quiet, that’s for sure.
” Inside, he flipped on the lights and I paused, surprised by what I saw.
The inside of the bar did not match the outside, whatsoever.
The wood floors had a worn but polished look.
The dark-stained tables and chairs looked solid, and the long bar housed a mirrored wall with shelves of liquor that went all the way to the ceiling and gleamed beneath the glow of the overhead lights.
“Wow,” I said under my breath.
“Sorry?” Red turned back to me.
“This place is…nicer than I expected,” I admitted.
He chuckled. “Most people think the outside is gonna match the inside. I like to surprise them.”
I followed him to the bar and perched on a stool. “So,” I started, “do I get an interview, or…?”
“Belle already did most of the talkin’. Said you’re looking for some work but didn’t go into detail, but she trusts you. And Belle’s not the type to hand out trust lightly.”
That warmed something in my chest.
“Still,” he added, “I like to do a little vetting of my own.” He poured whiskey into two glasses and slid one across to me. “You ever waitressed before?”
“Yes,” I said smoothly. “It’s been a while, but back home I worked weekends waiting tables at a little bistro.”
He nodded at that. “You show up on time, work hard, and don’t skip out when things get busy?”
“Absolutely.”
“You plan on sticking around?”
“For a little while, yeah.” I hesitated. “I kinda messed up my car on the way into town, so I’m here for as long as it takes Willy to fix it.”
Red eyed me for another second, then nodded. “Fair enough, and I appreciate the honesty. I’ll give you a trial shift tonight. You do okay, the job’s yours. Pay’s not much, but the tips can be decent—especially on weekends.”
Relief flooded my entire body, and I fought the urge to sag against the bar. “Thank you.”
“And we’ll keep things off the books for now, just until I see how you fit in. Then we’ll make it official.”
It was the most informal interview I’d ever had but, then again, there didn’t seem to be much that was formal about this little town.
I liked that—how unpretentious it was. And I liked Red, too.
He was straightforward and no-nonsense, and I liked that I didn't have to wade through any of the usual bullshit—the fake smiles, the subtle power plays, the endless pretending I’d grown used to back in Northview.
I smiled, grateful for the chance and his generosity, and nodded as we tapped our whiskey glasses together.
“Bottoms up,” Red said, and I attempted to follow his lead as he tossed back the entire shot in one go. But when the whiskey hit my throat I all but managed to swallow it before falling into a coughing fit and slamming the shot glass back down on the bar.
“Oh, that burns,” I said between coughs.
Red laughed and took my shot glass, placing it in the sink to be washed. “Not a whiskey girl?”
I shook my head and shuddered, pushing to my feet as I met Red’s amused eyes. “What would you like me to do first, boss?”
“We need to check the stock on the ice chests and get all the chairs down,” he said. “But Norah should be here any minute, and I’ll get her to show you the ropes.”
“Norah?” I asked.
“Yep. My other waitress,” Red replied, just as a rumbly truck pulled into the lot. “Speak of the devil.”
I turned to the door, expecting someone middle-aged or older considering how old-fashioned her name was.
Instead, in walked a sun-kissed blonde, probably around my own age, with long legs and confident steps.
Her jeans and tee were nearly identical to what I was wearing, which helped ease my self-consciousness a bit.
Norah beamed as she crossed the room. “Hey, Red!” Then her gaze landed on me. “Oh, you’ve got company.”
“Not company. New hire,” Red said. “She’s taking Laurel’s place and helping you out from now on.”
“About time,” Norah teased, turning to me. “Hi, I’m Norah McKade.” She held out her hand.
“Andi Ford,” I said, shaking it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Well, Andi Ford, it’s great to meet you, too.”
Red clapped his hands. “All right, now that we’ve got the introductions out of the way, let’s get this place ready.”
“Come on, I’ll show you around.” Norah rested a hand on my shoulder and guided me toward the back room. “You new to Tarnation?” she asked, lifting a case of beer and handing it to me.
“Kinda,” I replied, taking the offered case. It was heavier than I expected, and my knees dipped under the weight. But I recovered quickly. “Just stuck here for a bit thanks to some car trouble.”
“Ah,” Norah said as we carried the cases to the bar. “That’ll do it. So, are you just passing through or…?”
“Something like that,” I answered vaguely.
“Where are you from?”
“Louisiana.”
“Look at us practically being neighbors.” Norah’s eyes lit up as she grinned. “I went to New Orleans a few years back—not for Mardi Gras, though. I’ll give you this…Cajun food’s hard to beat, but I’m loyal to my Texas barbeque. Don’t hold that against me.”
I laughed. “I won’t. But you’re right… Cajun food is hard to beat. The bistro I used to work at had this crawfish étouffée that could bring a grown man to tears.”
Norah let out a low whistle. “Ooo, sounds fancy.”
“Yes and no,” I said with a little shrug.
“The atmosphere was on the fancy side, but the people were all down-to-earth—a lot of locals and a few regulars with deep pockets, but mostly just good folks who loved good food.” I set my case down with a soft grunt.
“I only waited tables, though. No bartending or anything like that.”
“Eh, don’t worry,” she said, waving me off as she started unloading her case of beer into the ice chest behind the bar.
“This place is as no-fuss as they come. Mostly beer, whiskey, the occasional tequila shot. If you can open a bottle and carry a tray without dropping it, you’re halfway there.
” She shot me a wink. “So, what brought you out here?”
My asshole ex and shitty navigation skills. But I didn’t say that. Instead, I told her, “The need for something new.” I worked next to her, trying to keep up. “Someplace quiet and a little slower.”
“Girl, you picked the right spot to get stranded in if that’s what you’re looking for,” Norah said, chuckling. “Nothing ever happens in Tarnation. So, how’d you hear about the job?”
“Belle Dawson told me,” I replied, leaning against the bar and heaving a breath. It was embarrassing how out of shape I was, but sitting like a trophy for so long will do that to you, I guess. “She owns the diner across town.”
“I thought those clothes looked familiar,” Norah said with a kind, knowing look, as she deposited the last of the bottles into the ice chest.
“Huh?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “You got those from Belle, right?”
“Yeah,” I said cautiously, but then... “Wait, are you her niece?”
Norah laughed and nodded.
“Oh, wow. I hope you don’t mind,” I said. “I know they were meant for something else but Belle offered them to me. I didn’t really pack for country life.”
“I don’t mind at all. I’m just glad someone’s getting use out of them,” she said and tipped her head for me to follow. “Now come on, let’s get the chairs down before Red throws open the doors.”
Together we worked our way around the room, flipping down chairs and tidying up. By the time we finished, I was already sweating.
“Girls,” Red called from across the bar. “I’m opening up. Norah, can you start the jukebox?”
“On it,” she called back. Then to me she said, “He plays the same song every night.” She playfully rolled her eyes. “Total creature of habit.”
She dropped a coin in the jukebox and pressed G. Hank Williams Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends” blared through the speakers just as Red unlocked the doors. People started pouring in almost immediately.
I followed Norah behind the bar, wide-eyed at the crowd already forming.
“Is it always this busy?” I asked over the noise.
“Yes, ma’am,” Norah said, pulling her hair into a messy bun. “You’ll want to tie yours back, too. You’ll be sweating in no time.”
I already am. “I didn’t bring one,” I admitted, silently kicking myself.
“Here.” Norah handed me a spare hair tie. “I always carry extras.”
“Thanks,” I said, scooping the hair away from my damp neck and into a ponytail.
Norah grabbed a tray and disappeared into the crowd with practiced ease. I watched for a second, then grabbed my own tray and straightened my shoulders.
I can do this. It’s just drinks and trays. In a honky tonk. How hard can it be?
Then I stepped out from behind the bar and into the crowd, hoping it was as easy as Norah made it look.