Page 4 of Forgotten Pieces

He looks at me skeptically. “Okay. Does that mean you wanna stay here with Harper and me?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

He switches baby Theo from his right hip to his left, gently coddling his baby. “Okay. I let Rae stay for a bit so I will let you. But same rules apply. My house, my rules.”

I pop my hip and cross my arms. “And what exactly does that mean?”

“T, you are a bit wild. Always have been. No parties and no bringin’ guys back here. And please be quiet when you stroll in the house at two in the morning.”

I roll my eyes. “Please East, you really think I would have the audacity to bring a guy here. Gross. I am not fucking someone with my brother’s room next to me. Besides, it violates my cardinal rule.”

He pushes his shoulder length hair back with his free hand. “Do I even want to know what that is?”

I smirk. “Probably not.”

He sighs. “At least I know you are somewhat responsible.”

“I am very responsible,” I say. “Now put your baby down and help me get my stuff out of the car. Be mindful of the open wine bottle in the front seat.”

“What?” he says, his eyes bugging out.

“I am kidding, East. Jeez.” I see him relax so I continue. “I bought the cheap twist off kind so it’s capped and won’t spill. See, responsible.”

I walk past him toward the house and pat him on the cheek, his mouth gaping open.

* * *

“How long are you gonna be in town for?” Laney, my best friend growing up, asks me.

“I’m not sure. At least a month or two. I need to find a job and make some extra cash so I don’t blow through my savings at the bar while I’m here,” I joke as I take a sip of my martini.

“Well, I am glad you are here for a bit. You rarely ever get back here and this town is in desperate need of your crazy antics.” She laughs.

I shake my head and look around the inside of the bar we are at. “You mean nothing crazy has happened in Sawyer’s since I left?” I ask in reference to the bar.

Laney snorts then sips her beer. “You sure as shit know nothin’ ain’t been happenin’ around here.”

I groan and throw my head back. “Please don’t tell me these things. That’s why I didn’t want to come back here.”

“The last time anything crazy happened had to do with your family. Like when your future sister-in-law’s ex showed up and caused a scene. Or when Rae’s husband got arrested for fightin’ in the bar. Maybe you should continue the tradition.”

I smirk.

“I was kidding, Tacoma. Wipe that diabolical grin off that face of yours.”

I lean over the bar to get the bartender’s attention. “You’re putting ideas in my head, Laney. You know that’s never a good idea.”

Trace, the owner of Sawyer’s and Easton’s long-time best friend, saunters over to us. “Well, well, well, if it ain’t Tacoma Calloway in the flesh. What brings you back to this neck of the woods besides Easton’s wedding?”

I grin at Trace. We’ve always had an easy friendship, like brother and sister. Sometimes he felt like more of a brother than Easton did when Easton was raising me and my sister, Raelynn. “Oh you know, just thought I needed to bring some trouble back here. Heard the town was getting a little boring and dried up without me around.”

Trace rings a towel around his hands. “You know this town’s always been borin’ without you around. But I think we’ve all been gettin’ along just fine with the boring. I don’t think the Sergeants can handle Calloway trouble.”

I break into a huge grin. “Well then, I guess it’s time, I reintroduced trouble to White Creek.”

“Oh boy.” I hear Laney puff out next to me.

“Trace Sawyer I am gonna need six shots of your best tequila,” I say loudly.

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