“She has us all wrapped around her little finger,” Brooks tells me.
“I can only imagine. My sisters are both adults, and they still have me wrapped around their little fingers.”
“Thank fuck we have all brothers,” Declan says.
“Agreed, but we have Ramsey now,” Brooks reminds him.
“Speaking of Ramsey, it’s time for a refill. Anyone want one?” Orrin asks.
We all say yes, and he heads off to the bar to buy another round. I almost told him that I would go with him, but I don’t really want him to be there when I see her again. I don’t know how awkward it’s going to be. Hell, with as much as she’s been on my mind, it’s hard to tell what will come out of my mouth.
“Any exciting cases?” Declan asks.
“This is Willow River. Nothing exciting ever happens. Besides, even if there were, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. There is a thing called client confidentiality.”
“Come on, nothing?” he asks.
“Not unless real estate and wills tickle your fancy.”
“Your job’s boring.” He laughs.
“I could say the same to you. No way could I tear an engine apart and put it back together again.”
“Touché.”
“Here you go. I told Rams to stop by on her break and check-in,” Orrin says, passing us each a fresh bottle of beer.
I pretend that my body doesn’t hum at the sound of her name. I block out this overwhelming need to rush to the bar to see her and force myself to remain seated. Today has been weird as fuck, and I don’t need to add to that. I manage to push thoughts of Ramsey to the side and halfway focus on the conversation of my friends around me.
five
Ramsey
“Hey, Rams, I need two drafts,” Hannah, one of the servers, calls out her order as she reaches over the bar and grabs a handful of peanuts. “I’m starving. I thought I’d have time to grab something, but it’s packed tonight.”
“It’s a little crazier than normal. Is there something going on in town that I missed?” I ask as I pour her two drafts.
“Not that I’m aware of.” She shrugs as I place the two drinks onto her tray. “Thank you,” she calls over her shoulder as she bustles her way through the crowd.
“You ready for your break?” Hank, the owner, asks, stepping up next to me where I’m standing behind the bar. Hank is tall with dark salt-and-pepper hair and two full sleeves of tattoos. He’s got muscles for days, and the ladies flock to the bar when he’s here. He’s in his late thirties and still living the single life.
“I can work through. It’s busy.”
“You know better than that. Didn’t I see Orrin and a few of the guys walk in earlier? Go sit, grab something to eat.”
“Let Hannah go first. She’s starving.”
“I’m sending you both at the same time. Chance and I will man the bar until you’re back. They can walk their drunk asses up here to order drinks for thirty minutes.”
“What about serving food?”
“Tabitha just got here. It will be fine. We can handle it. If I have to call out the order, have them come to the bar instead of us taking it to them, I will. That’s why we give them an order number. Now, go.”
“Fine, but if you need me…” My voice trails off because he’s already shaking his head no.
“You work too hard, kid. Go grab some food and visit with your family. I don’t want you back on the clock until your full thirty minutes are up.”
I stick my tongue out at him, and he laughs. “Thanks, Hank.” With a nod, he jumps right into filling drink orders.
Making my way to the back, I think about what I want to eat. We have your typical bar food like nachos and cheese, soft pretzels, potato skins, fried pickles, cheese sticks, wings, easy to order and prepare items. I settle for an order of mozzarella sticks with barbeque sauce to dip them in instead of pizza sauce. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Walking back out to the bar, I pour myself a Dr Pepper before making my way through the crowd to the back of the bar where Orrin, my cousin, told me he and his brothers were sitting.
“There she is.” Orrin smiles as he pulls the empty chair that’s next to him out so that I can sit. “I was beginning to wonder if Hank was going to give you a break.” He smirks, because we both know that’s not Hank.
“It’s crazy in here tonight,” I say, taking the offered seat. I look up to greet my other two cousins that Orrin said were here and freeze. My gaze collides with honey-colored orbs that have been on my mind all day.
“Ramsey,” Deacon's deep voice, which sounds like velvet wrapped around my name, greets me.
My hands are suddenly clammy, and my heart begins to race. “Deacon.” I nod and force myself to look at Brooks and Declan. “Hey.” I smile at my cousins.
“You good, Rams?” Declan asks.
“I’m good. Who has Blakely tonight?” I ask him. As a single father to a little girl, Declan always seems to be more in tune with emotions than the rest of his brothers.
“Mom and Dad. They’re camping out in the living room.” He smiles as if the thought alone is pleasing.
“Damn,” Brooks mutters, “I remember doing that when we were her age.”
“I’m sure they’d let you join them,” Orrin teases.
Brooks points at his oldest brother. “Don’t tempt me, my man. A night of Mom’s cooking and Blakely’s snuggles sound like a good time to me.”
I can’t help but smile at their banter. My cousins, all nine of them, are close. They’re the brothers I never had, and when I called my aunt Carol two years ago, they accepted me into their fold as if it was second nature. As the only girl in a house full of boys, it was challenging to say the least. I’m an only child, so it was an adjustment for me. Even though most of them had long since moved out by the time that I arrived, they’re still there all the time. The relationship they have with their parents is one I’ve never known, and to this day, it still astounds me how close they are and how much love they share.
I hope they realize how truly special and fortunate they are to have that bond. Not only with their parents, but with each other. They’ll never know the loneliness I grew up with.
“How did the photo shoot go?” Brooks asks. “I know you were stressing over it.”
“Fine.” I keep my eyes on his and don’t dare look at Deacon.
“Just fine?” he asks. I can hear the question in his voice. I can also hear the expectation. This is where I would tell them all about it. The good and the bad parts. Instead, I keep my mouth shut. I’m sure they don’t want to hear how I kissed their friend, who is much older than me, and that I’ve thought of nothing but him since the photo shoot.
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” That’s the truth. I imagined torture, but instead, I got… Deacon.
“Who was the guy?” Declan asks. “I know you were worried about it.”
“I shouldn’t have been. Palmer had my back.” Another truth. No way can I tell them it was my best friend’s older brother and their friend. The guy who is sitting across the table from me, and makes my heart hammer in my chest. I knew they were friends. I’ve heard them talk about him, but I’ve never met him. Palmer says he works all the time, and the guys have said the same. However, so do I. If there was a time he was around, I was probably at work myself.