Page 50 of Worth the Wait

“I love creating new drinks and experimenting with flavors. It’s so much fun,” Bella answered with a big smile. “But I don’t feel like it’s really necessary or appreciated here.”

“Speaking of”—Addi thumbed toward the saloon doors—“what’s with the fancy-looking restaurant out there on Main?”

Chills raced down my body. I’d forgotten all about the place, and I should have known that Addi was going to see it at some point while she was in town. I tried to hide my discomfort and hoped she wouldn’t notice.

“Oh, some tourist tried to come in here and open a five-star, thinking the town would support his endeavor,” Matthew answered before I could.

Addi let out the sweetest laugh. “Let me guess. It lasted three months?”

“Four,” I said, trying to get my body to calm the fuck down.

I was a shit liar, and Addi could always see through me. I didn’t want her to put these pieces together quite yet.

“I noticed all the furniture and kitchen equipment were still in there. Is the person coming back for it or something?”

I should have known that Addi would have put her face up against the glass to get a good look inside.

“Heard the guy left it all,” I said, and everyone looked at me like they wondered how I knew that little tidbit of information.

“No one does that,” Addi said, her face sporting that signature look whenever something didn’t make sense. “You don’t close a five-star restaurant and leave everything behind. You sell it off. But you don’t leave it.”

I made a noncommittal expression and was thankful when Bella spoke up. “It’s been like that for over a year now. Just sitting there, like it’s waiting to open when it’s never going to again.”

“That’s so weird,” Addi said, her mind clearly racing.

“I’ll get started on those drinks,” Bella said.

She turned around and started reaching for the ingredients she needed to make two Christmas cosmos, whatever those were.

“It doesn’t make sense.” Addi was still fixating.

Sarina cleared her throat. “How come it couldn’t stay open? I don’t get it.”

It was in that moment that Sarina reminded us all that she wasn’t from here. She was a stranger, just like that restaurant guy had been, with no clue as to how Sugar Mountain worked.

“How do I say this nicely?” Matthew tried to explain. “Uh, Sugar Mountain residents don’t like being taken advantage of.”

Sarina shifted on her stool, uncrossing and then recrossing her legs. “How is opening a nice restaurant taking advantage of the residents?”

“Because that guy didn’t care about the town. Or the people who lived here. He just wanted to cater to the fancy tourists. You can’t build an entire business based around tourist season and pretend like the regulars don’t exist or live here year-round,” I said, hoping that my explanation made a little more sense.

“So, you guys don’t like outsiders,” Sarina said plainly. “You’re tougher than New Yorkers.”

Bella started shaking the contents in a shaker; the sound of ice hitting the tin cylinder was loud and distracting. We all focused on her as she opened the top and poured the contents into two chilled martini glasses before putting a cranberry with a sprig of green on top.

“Damn. That’s really pretty,” I said as soon as she slid the glasses toward the girls.

“Nice touch.” Addi smiled at the cranberry-sprig thing before taking a tentative sip. “Oh, Bella. Your talents are truly being wasted here. You could open your own cocktail bar, you know.”

“This is really good,” Sarina agreed as she downed half the contents in one gulp. “Now, I want to try them all.”

Bella laughed. “Thanks.”

Sarina finished off her drink in another gulp and shoved the empty glass away from her. “I’ll take the next one on the menu,” she said with a smirk.

“I mean it about the bar. Look what your drinks do to people.” Addi laughed, and Bella offered her what looked like a polite smile.

“I don’t know if that’s something I want to do. Owning a business is a huge commitment. I don’t mind working for other people. I think I might prefer it actually,” she explained.

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