Page 120 of Unforgettable

But there was something more. In the decade I’d known Rhonda, she appeared nervous. Her wide gray eyes were uncertain, and instinctually, I straightened, preparing for what was coming.

“I’m gonna sell the place.”

What? My mouth opened and closed, but I couldn’t form words. My bouncing leg and my racing heart had both stopped completely, and something like shock filtered through my limbs.

“Please understand that this is not an easy decision to make. I’ve thought about it for the last year, and I can’t keep up anymore. And—”

As politely as I could manage in my shocked state, I held up a finger. I caught her nod out of the corner of my eye, but I wasn’t all there.

Murphy’s was like a second home to me. In college, I’d spent more nights playing pool or sitting at the bar than I did in my own fucking apartment. It was where most of my favorite memories took place.

And sadly, some of the worst moments were also contained within its walls.

Valerie using our bar as a place to hold Hazel hostage was always going to gnaw at me. The kick of the gun in my hand and the silence that followed the bang would continue to haunt me.

But all of the bad—from the occasional bar fight to the horrific—didn’t outweigh the happiness the place had created in my life. The people I’d met. The good that was done.

The thought of it no longer being there was devastating.

Because I knew the likelihood of someone buying it and keeping it exactly as it was and running it exactly as Rhonda had for the past, however many decades, was slim to none.

My eyes fell to the table as I took a short trip down memory lane. “When?” I asked, not looking back up.

“I’d like to be out of here in the next few months. I’m hoping to find a buyer that doesn’t want to change too much because the place has been here so long and we just did those renovations. But I know that’s probably not possible, which is why I brought you here. I want to give you first dibs.”

“Dibs?” I asked, my voice cracking over the word.

She nodded. “I understand this place holds a lot for you, too. Lots of it good and plenty bad, but it’s been like yours for a while now, so I wanted to offer it to you. I mean, you’d still have to buy it, but I’d make you a good deal. Give you a nice little discount if it comes down to it.”

My mind began racing, and I felt like my entire world was falling apart around me. The high I’d felt coming off my several days with Reed and Amanda was replaced by doubt and uncertainty.

I wasn’t going to kid myself—I didn’t know what my future held, but it wasn’t that. I hadn’t made any definitive plans, but I’d at least thought about how the next several years of my life would play out. In all of my plans about what could happen, Rhonda selling Murphy’s hadn’t appeared in my wildest scenarios.

And knowing it was going to happen suddenly changed everything.

“Rhonda, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t have the cash for that. And I’m also not confident in the possibility of getting a loan.”

I’d saved up enough to last me several months in case anything were to happen and had recently begun investing—at the urging of Reed. But I wasn’t liquid enough to buy a business. It was nearly impossible. An unachievable dream.

“Well, you could find investors, and I wouldn’t completely write off the loan idea. Just…” She trailed off and for only the second time since I’d worked for her, Rhonda softened. She reached out and placed one of her hands over my own. Lines around her eyes and mouth appeared when she smiled, showing that she’d lived a happy and full life.

“Just don’t dismiss the possibility yet. There are a few people interested, but if you can come up with something, you’re first in line. No matter what. I’ll give you until the beginning of May. Until then, I don’t need an answer. Okay?”

As gentle as her tone was, there was also no room for argument in her request. So, I nodded and she patted my hand before letting go.

“Good, now get the hell out of here. I’m going to go yell at the plumber some more and make sure we’re open. I’ve got tonight covered, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

THIRTY-SIX

Reed

We werein the midst of the longest drive to Amanda’s ever. Josh was quiet and contemplative. And his muted demeanor had me on edge. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his jaw work. He was likely grinding the shit out of his molars in an attempt to tamp down whatever he was feeling.

His hands—ones I’d grown fond of over the past week with their large veins and thick fingers—gripped the door handle with unrelenting force while the other nervously tapped against his thigh.

I’d already asked him twice if he was okay, which was my usual quota—after that, I’d butt out of his business because it wasn’t my place. But the new dynamic we’d established meant new rules. My gut reaction was the same one I’d had if Amanda was in Josh’s seat—I would have reached over and halted the nervous tapping with my own hand. I would have weaved my fingers through hers and then demanded she tell me. Or threatened to pull over and fuck the truth out of her.

But my usual unwavering confidence had faltered when it came to Josh. How did a person act with their best friend turned boyfriend? After more than ten years of friendship, it was hard to know what behavior was acceptable.

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