“I see you made some improvements to your uniform.”
She looks down and smiles sheepishly. “It was way too big. I hope this is okay.”
Given the flashback I just played in my mind in very vivid detail, I don’t think there’s anything Violet could do to make me disagree. “You look good.” I tear my eyes away and push open the swinging door to the saloon so that she can walk through first. “After you.”
Violet steps past me toward the door, and I notice her hair is shorter than I saw it last. I almost forgot that she wore it longer when she worked for Malik, either at the private events or at the bar. I like this version of Violet better. Without the fake hair and fake eyelashes. Not that she didn’t look gorgeous then, but there’s something so sexy to me about authenticity. Violet doesn’t need all that fake shit to be beautiful. She just is.
She places her palms on the swinging door but doesn’t push it open. Instead, she tilts her head like she just thought of something and looks over her shoulder at me. “You ever going to name this saloon?”
Grinning, I shake my head. “Not yet. Anderson’s tasked me with that mission. Any suggestions?”
She purses her lips. “Why not Bexley’s? That’s about as unoriginal as everything else here.”
I gasp at her obvious tease before stepping closer and placing my palm on the door above hers. “Funny. I happen to recall who planted the seed for the saloon years ago. You didn’t think I’d actually submit the idea to my brothers, did you?”
She laughs. “I certainly did not. Guess I’m glad you did now.”
We’re joking, but there’s a buzzing in my chest that’s all too real. “Yeah, me too.”
Our eyes linger for another long second, before she turns back toward the door and we both push it open.
Once we’re inside, I lead her around to one of the registers behind the bar. “You remember how to clock in?”
Violet nods and taps a few buttons on the register, then she looks at me. “I figured out my schedule if you want me to write it down somewhere.”
“Sure. I’ll get you set up on the app, and you can just enter your availability there. As for tonight, I’ve got three other new hires that I’ll be training. I figure you already know your way around after working last weekend, so I’ll keep you behind the bar. We’re expecting a party, so we’ll be pretty busy.”
She shrugs. “No problem. I’ll be fine if you want to focus on training the others.”
I nod. There’s no doubt that Violet will be fine, but I can’t guarantee my focus will be where it belongs. Not when I know that I’ll be keeping Violet in my line of sight all night long.
Chapter Fifteen
VIOLET
Jami’s eyes follow me all night. Or maybe that’s my imagination talking. It’s been years since we’ve been in the same room like this—on purpose and for hours on end. Until now, it’s been accidental sightings, masked meetings, and innocent curiosity. But tonight is something different. I work for the man I thought I would never see again.
Admittedly, I didn’t want to see Jami again. Because seeing him only brings forth the guilt that I’ve spent years shedding. The man was my ride or die, my life support, my hero. Jamison Bexley was always my end goal, no matter what I ever told myself or others, but all it took was one night, one big mistake, and our future was destroyed.
“Two dry martinis, three lemon drop shots, and a double tall Grey Goose soda,” Hannah calls out with a giant grin. I can tell the new hire is proud of herself for remembering the order. I give her a wink in lieu of a pat on the back. She’s flustered, and I get it. Tonight’s crowd creates an insane training condition. Even Jamison has been on the floor all night tending to guests.
I’ve actually been proud of myself for maintaining my own cool throughout a night like tonight. It’s not until a long-haired blonde walks in with a giant male escorting her that nostalgia hits me.
“Silver?”
The blonde hears me immediately, and she snaps her head in my direction. Her eyes illuminate with surprise before she’s pushing past the throng of guests to get to me. I push past the swinging door of the bar and wrap my arms around her, my heart practically beating out of my chest.
“Oh my God, I’ve missed you.” My gush comes as a surprise to even me. Silver was the sister I always wanted. The day Andrew, Jamison’s father, hired Silver was a turning point for the Bexleys. Two years after Tyson died, no one was healing. Not even close. But Silver’s presence created a new purpose for the Bexley family—one that attempted to put a stitch on a very deep and gaping wound.
Silver was only seventeen at the time, four years my junior, when she first arrived at camp, but there was a mysterious vibe that I’d always loved about her. She was gorgeous, full of wisdom and passion for helping others, but there was so much none of us understood. There was even a time when I was a little jealous of the blond vixen that had stolen the Bexley brothers’ hearts. But it wasn’t until I met her for myself that I realized their love for her was purely platonic. Like a sister. And that was exactly what she became.
“I’ve missed you too.” Her voice sounds so choked, it creates emotion in my own. “Where have you been?” She tilts her head at me, her eyes imploring.
I’m no stranger to the fact that she’s come and gone from the camp, and she’s started her new life in Seattle with her NFL husband, Kingston. But while I’ve heard all about her in the media, nothing can replace the friendship we once shared.
“I didn’t go far.” I smile. “I got married, had a baby, and now that baby is five years old.”
Silver gasps. “You are not a mom. You’re too young.”
I laugh. “I am very much a mom. I heard you became the camp nurse here for awhile. Do you still come back to work?”
“I pop in on occasion, but not usually to work. I’ve definitely been reconsidering ever since Cayson got injured.” She waves her hand, gesturing at me in my uniform. “I didn’t know you were working here again.”
I smile. “Jami needed a bartender, so here I am.” I decide to change the topic quickly so as to not linger on the details. “Anyway, I plan to bring Brayden—that’s my son—by soon. Maybe you’ll get to meet him.”
She perks up, her pretty gray eyes sparkling back at me. “Tell me when he’ll be here, and I’ll make a trip out of it.” Silver grabs my arm. “We have so much to talk about. I want to hear all about you. And my life has changed so much since you stopped working here.”
My smile is big and filled with emotion because I’m beginning to feel the impact of all that I left behind. It wasn’t just Jamison. It was the entire Bexley family and everything they’ve built in what I used to call my home away from home. And I can’t help but notice a very drastic change in Silver. She was always friendly, but back when she first moved here, everyone got the sense that she was hiding something. She rarely smiled and never looked a person directly in their eyes. My heart always ached for her, and I loved watching her gain confidence and trust with the Bexleys. Now, her happiness is practically exploding from her, and I can’t help but wonder if the tall man standing behind her is to thank for that.