Tell Me It’s Right (Sweetspire #1)

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

LIAM

“You get stood up?”

I give Fletcher an unamused smile as he refills my beer. “Very funny.”

So Leo’s half an hour late. He’s never been particularly punctual. He’s always lived in his own little world that way. I’d be surprised if he knew what day it was. Add a new marriage into the mix, and I’m lucky he still agrees to meet up on a weekly basis.

I fear it’s genetic with the Collinses. Even as kids, no matter if it was a playdate, a summer camp, or school, five minutes late was early for whoever was dropping him off.

Gracie being the exception, of course. Now that she’s been getting herself to work, she’s beaten me to the door nearly every day this week.

Fletcher disappears to clean up the other end of the bar as a group of women shoves their stools back and heads for the door. I check my watch. Ah, 6:00 PM.

Once the High Dive’s three-dollar happy hour ends, it loses most of its appeal for people.

Not for me. It’s one of the few places around here without my last name on the front, so I’ll happily take sitting on a shitty bar stool that might break at any moment and sipping watered-down beer in near-darkness.

Light spills through the door as Leo finally stumbles his way in, highlighting the dust swirling in the air. He ditched the coveralls before coming, but there’s no mistaking the grease coating his hands.

“Dude,” I say as he slides onto the stool next to me.

He grimaces and reaches across the bar for some napkins. “I know. Sorry I’m late. Tommy fired someone again , leaving just the two of us with a slammed calendar all day. It’s a miracle I made it out when I did.”

“What’d they do this time?”

“Fucking breathed too loud, I don’t know. Thanks, Fletch.” Leo accepts the beer from him and takes a long drink. “What’s up with you?”

“Oh, you know. Living the dream.” Fletcher pops his eyebrows, wets one of the cleanup rags, and hands it to Leo.

Leo winces and scrubs at his hands some more. “How’s the home improvement project going?”

“If you want to help knock some shit down, you can come see for yourself,” says Fletcher.

“You never invited me,” I say.

Fletcher braces his hands on the bar and raises his eyebrows. “Do you want to come work on the house?”

I smile. “Not even a little bit.”

Leo laughs as the front door swings open behind him. Fletcher sighs and exchanges a wave with the newcomers.

“Regulars?” I ask.

“They sit at the bar for at least three hours and never tip,” Fletcher says out of the corner of his mouth before heading that way.

“How’s everything with the shop?” asks Leo. “My sister making you regret hiring her yet?”

“No, she’s doing a really good job so far, actually.”

Leo turns the corners of his lips down as he sips his beer. “It’s only been a week. Give her some time.”

I chuckle. “Why? Things not working out well with your new living situation?”

Leo tries to hang on to his smirk, but the fondness in his eyes whenever he talks about Gracie is plain as fucking day. I don’t care what he says. I know he’s thrilled she chose him over their parents. To anyone who doesn’t know them, their relationship probably looks contentious—full of bickering and shit talking. But I know they both love every second of it.

“Okay, so it’s nice having her around again,” he mutters. “It was weird having her so far away for four years.”

“How’s Keava doing with it?”

He shrugs. “Good, I think. She’s got three sisters, and I know she misses them. I was hoping she’d like having another girl around, you know? And since she and I got together while Gracie was off at school, they’ve never really had the chance to get to know each other.”

I hum noncommittedly, my mind drifting to the conversation I had with Gracie the other day at the shop—to the weird vibe of Keava’s questions in the kitchen, even as Gracie got visibly more uncomfortable by the second. I don’t know why the memory makes me clench my teeth.

But maybe Leo’s right. She and Keava are basically strangers to each other. It could just take some time for them to feel each other out. It’s an awkward situation on both sides, and Leo’s too fond of both of them to be anything but oblivious.

“And Gracie always said she wished you were a girl, so,” I offer lightly.

He smirks. “And there’s that.”

“I’m a little surprised Gracie asked you, to be honest.”

“Oh, it was my idea.”

My eyebrows rise, and he shrugs. “I love my parents, but those two extra years I stayed with them while I wrapped up trade school?” He shakes his head and raises his eyes to the ceiling like he’s watching it all back. “Made me feel like I’d never feel like an adult, you know? Just didn’t want that for her. Especially because I could tell she’s been taking the job hunt hard. Anyway, how’s everything going with your family?”

“Who the hell knows?” I mumble as I drink my beer. “Called an emergency family meeting tomorrow night.”

“Oh God. What for?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

Leo hums thoughtfully. “Asher got someone pregnant.”

“Or several someones. Maybe Taylor found a way to buy a personality.”

Leo chokes on his beer. “Your family’s hidden past with the Mafia has finally been revealed.”

I throw my hands up. “ Finally .”

“They just can’t decide on the name for the new taffy flavor.”

I nod solemnly. “It’s been an ongoing debate.”

“What are you two snickering about over here?” asks Fletcher as he digs beneath the bar for more glasses.

“Theorizing about what the latest Brooks family meeting could be about,” says Leo.

Fletch waves a hand as he sets the glasses on the bar and fills them with water. “Oh, that’s easy. They need Liam to model for the next ad campaign.”

Leo bursts out laughing so loud the group at the other end of the bar turns to stare.

I scowl. “Why is that funny?”

But that just makes Leo laugh harder. He gasps as he wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. “Did you— see —the last—ad—your family—did?”

I frown, trying to think back, but I stopped paying attention years ago. Between the Brooks Candy Company and the million little businesses along the shore we’ve acquired over the last century, it’s impossible to keep up with it all.

Now Fletcher’s shoulders are shaking like he’s holding back a laugh.

“What?” I demand.

“That collab they did with the candy-flavored hard seltzers?” says Fletcher. “The girls on the beach, with their bikinis made of…” He gestures vaguely to his chest.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I slap Leo’s arm, who’s now bent over his knees, laughing so hard that no sound is coming out.

“I’m—picturing you—buck-ass naked—holding a lollipop over your?—”

I raise my beer to my lips to cover my smile. “Neither of you are funny.”

“All I’m saying is, if you do it, I’ll frame it and hang it over the bar for free,” says Fletcher.

Leo points at him. “Put one in your new house as décor.”

“Make sure to get a copy to Gracie so she can post it all over your new social feeds,” says Fletch. “You’ll be swimming in customers.”

I groan and cover my face with my hands.

“ Helloooo? ” complains a woman down the bar. “We’re still waiting over here.”

Fletcher sighs, scoops up the waters, and heads that way.

“Good riddance!” I call.

Grinning, Leo tries to pat me on the back, but I move a seat away.

“Run all you want. We are bonded for life .” He holds up his pointer finger, exposing the scar from our stupid blood brothers ritual we did when we were ten.

I wag my own scarred finger in the air. “And it’s all been downhill since then.”