I remember when I first met him after Gloria’s first opened. He would come in at least once a week and sit at my tasting counter all night. Eventually, that turned into fishing and skiing together and finally business partners with my brother. He was a mopey mess until she dove into his life. Looking at them now, I’m happy for him. They go together perfectly.
She plucks his drink out of the carrier and hands it to him.
“Thanks, Rainbow.” He gives her a quick kiss and she sinks into his arms.
“Can we get back to business?” We all look over to Slade who has his tablet out, turning it to face us. “I have to be back in Seattle tonight and still need to run a few things by you.”
I roll my eyes and nod. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Slade starts going over the build schedule, permits, and every other minute detail for the new restaurant in Seattle. It’s not exactly an easy city to deal with for permitting and inspections, but shockingly everything is on track. Actually, I’m not surprised that it’s on schedule, because Slade is running a tight ship like he always does. I don’t know how he manages to pull it off. While I run Gloria’s here in Jackson, he’s running the restaurants in Denver and Park City on top of managing the build out of the new one. Even with the catering business I run for Gloria’s on the side, it’s nothing compared to what he puts himself through.
That’s a brutal workload for anyone. The restaurant business is hard enough when it’s going well, but adding on the stress of opening another is a whole different animal. We might be on schedule to open when we planned, but that still doesn’t mean it’s been easy going exactly. Looking at my brother, I can see the signs of it catching up even if he does hisbest to hide it with his intense attention to details. If he’s not careful, he’s going to burn himself out and take me with him.
The sound of clattering dishes pulls my attention away from him. My eyes go right to the source of the noise, a reflex from spending years in busy kitchens. At the counter on the other side of the coffee shop, Monica is struggling with a stack of saucers. I watch as she carefully sets them down, but I still don’t see any sign of her best friend, the shadow that’s haunted me for the last two years.
She’s normally the one that’s here first thing in the morning to open up, but when I got here I was surprised to find Monica alone. Looking at my phone, she must be at least half an hour late.
“Hey.” Slade’s gruff, deep voice pulls my mind back to the conversation. “Are you paying attention to any of this?”
“Sorry,” I say, taking a sip of my coffee. “Just a long day yesterday.”
My brother seems to accept that, but I don’t miss how TJ and Grace look to the counter, then back to me.
“Well, I think we covered everything anyway.” Slade folds the cover of his tablet shut and tucks it into his messenger bag. He gets up and I follow him to the door to see him out.
He opens the door, but doesn’t step out. Instead, he turns and gives me a nervous glance.
“I know you’ve got stuff going on here and you’re helping back at home, but I’m going to need you in Seattle with your full attention eventually.”
Looking into his eyes, I finally see the first crack in his carefully crafted wall of control.
I nod. “I know. I’ll be there when it’s time.”
He nods and fist bumps me.
“Good. I’ll see you soon.”
After he leaves, I head back to my seat across from TJ and Grace.
“Does your brother ever take a break?” Grace asks, looking at me over her steaming cup of tea. She’s still draped over TJ’s lap, who chuckles at her question.
“I don’t think he’s physically capable of relaxing,” I say, slumping down into the oversized, leather chair again.
I grab my coffee and wince, feeling just how sore my hand is after yesterday. I switch my cup to my other and shake it out.
TJ tips his chin at my hand. “Speaking of relaxing, are you going to stop beating yourself up like that? You can’t keep burning the candle at both ends.”
I’m about to tell him that I don’t really have a choice when another familiar sound cuts across the room. I turn to see the big, and frankly scary looking, German Shepherd weaving through the customers and chairs in the coffee shop, beelining right for me.
A smile spreads across my face and I brace for what I already know is coming.
“Oh, Felix,” I laugh as he jumps into my lap and pins me back in the chair. He’s completely unaware that it’s insane for a ninety pound dog to jump in my lap like this, but I don’t care. I breathe a sigh of relief because I know that if he’s here, it means she got here safe and is probably behind the counter trying to avoid me.
I scratch him behind his ears as he licks my forehead. “Who’s my favorite boy?”
CHAPTER 3
KELSEY