Until now. Until I was staring up into bright green eyes that made my heart race every time they met mine.
Feeling that way was dangerous. Duke and I had no future. Eventually, I’d have to return to my job and leave Pinecrest behind once again. Each day I stayed, each moment I let myself indulge in the freedom I’d been gifted, was one step closer to the end.
I wasn’t sure if he felt the same curiosity I did, but for my sake, I should’ve made up some excuse to leave his house before I spent another day wishing I could stay.
But I didn’t.
Charlie and Harper came bounding into the room, both laughing about god only knew what, as Duke and I stepped apart. He cleared his throat, forcing a smile, before he said, “Y’all ready to work?”
They nodded enthusiastically as we walked out of the house. The girls each grabbed one of my hands. Harper reached out for her dad’s, waiting patiently for him to take it. The smile he gave her, soft and full of tenderness, made me weak at the knees.
We walked like that, hand-in-hand, the short distance to the bar. Charlie hummed some song that was stuck in her head while Harper bobbed along to it. I looked over to Duke, who was fully grinning. The sun shone down on the four of us, bathing us in warm light.
As we stepped into Frank’s, Charlie and Harper immediately went over to the jukebox to pick a song.
“So much for helping,” Duke muttered.
I patted his chest, trying hard not to focus on the heat seeping through his clothes. “You knew that wouldn’t last long.”
“Hey, guys!” Sawyer said from behind the bar. She paused when she saw me, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “Olivia, right?”
I walked over and held out my hand. “Right! And you’re Sawyer?” The young girl nodded. “I hope your boss gave you the tip I left last time I was here,” I said, giving her a wink.
“You know damn well I did!” Duke called from somewhere in the back.
“I don’t know…” Sawyer drawled. “How much was it again? He only gave me a twenty.”
I gasped. “Duke Bennett, how dare you pocket the other eighty!”
Sawyer and I broke out in a fit of giggles as Duke rounded the corner, a scowl already forming. “That’s a damn lie, and you—” he paused, pointing between the two of us. “I can already tell this is a bad idea.”
“Why, sir, whatever can you mean?” I asked, thickening my accent. “Whatever you’re accusing me of is slander, and I won’t stand for it!”
Duke pinched the bridge of his nose, which only had us laughing harder. “Yup. Terrible idea.”
“I don’t know,” Sawyer said. “I think it’s the start of a beautiful friendship.”
“Or a definite pain in my ass,” he sighed. “Listen, the mop and bucket are in the closet over there. Why don’t you make yourself useful and leave my staff alone? She’s got work to do.”
I gave him a salute as he disappeared into the cramped storeroom. “Sir, yes, sir.” Leaving Sawyer to finish what she was doing, I walked back toward our daughters. “Alright, girls. Let me teach you a thing or two about Coyote Ugly.”
While I couldn’t be sure, I swore I heard Duke cursing beneath his breath.
DUKE
When John Hartcalled me this afternoon, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sometimes, I’d run errands for him if he wasn’t feeling well. Other times, I would help him with things that needed fixing around the house or yard. If there was a big project, Lukas would haul my ass out to help with whatever needed to be done.
But today, John hadn’t given me a single clue as to what he needed. The bar was slow enough that Sawyer could handle it on her own until Ryan showed up later this afternoon. So, I’d jumped in my old truck and driven across town to his property.
When Lukas told me his uncle was sick, I never expected it to be terminal. The man felt infallible. He was bigger than life itself, and every single person in town would feel his absence.
If it hadn’t been for John, I never would’ve been able to help my mom get set up in a care facility after her stroke. I damn sure couldn’t have afforded it after my divorce, when it was taking everything I had to keep Harper and me afloat in the aftermath.
Looking back, the signs of his illness were there. The lowenergy, the bruises across his skin. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it did. I hated that he was refusing to fight. It wasn’t fair to him, and it wasn’t fair to us.
As I pulled onto the property, I noticed Olivia’s black SUV parked outside. I stopped beside it, hesitating with my hand on the ignition, wondering if it was too late to drive away or if I’d already been noticed. My truck wasn’t that loud. Surely I could just sneak off.
As if on cue, I saw movement through the large arched window in front of me. The curtains pulled back, and a very familiar face peeked through the fabric. A face that had started haunting my dreams at night.