Page 5 of Loving You

I blow out a breath and get up.

“I should get back to work. I need to keep my mind busy.”

I take a twenty from my wallet and place it on the bar top before telling my brothers goodbye and walking out the door onto Main Street.

Lovers isn’t a big town. The only reason it’s so successful and busy is because of Lovers Lake and Lovers Lodge next to it. The lodge is known as one of the most elite locations for weddings. More celebrities have been married there than the non-famous type. Once, out of curiosity, I looked into the pricing, and truth be told, despite its glamour and reputation, it’s not as expensive as I would have imagined.

I glance to my right, where the lodge sits, just past the end of Main Street. It’s close enough to be a part of our town but far enough away to give the locals and tourists space to breathe. That said, those damn tourists love to flock into town all damn day long and year-round.

I’m not ungrateful for them. I own the only mechanic shop in Lovers, so anyone who travels here and needs something comes to me. Plus, I’m pretty damn good at restoring classic cars, and when some of the wealthier visitors notice, they provide me business all year round. One especially has brought me more business than I ever imagined. I’m pretty sure he could take it away just as fast as it came.

I don’t have social media or anything to show my work, so I think many of my customers also love the discretion I can offer them.

Speaking of work, I now have two cars in my shop that need my attention. If all goes right, one will be finished today.

I head in the opposite direction of the lodge toward my shop, but I only make it one door over from the bar. B’s Bakery has the best treats, and I like the reward at the end of the day, so I dip inside.

My brothers tease me that the sweets and baked goods will catch up with me one day, but I don’t care. My mom used to bring me a sweet treat anytime I finished a goal. Whether it was for school or fixing up cars, she always noticed and would appear with something to celebrate my hard work. Even though she passed away when I was fifteen, and I’m almost thirty-one now, I’m pretty sure she’d love that I kept our tradition and continue to do this for myself.

“Surprise, surprise,” Brooke says the moment I step into her sugary wonderland. Brooke, also known as Sadie’s best friend, bought the bakery from Sadie at the end of last summer. It’s a long story, a pretty great one if you ask me, but Brooke is the perfect person to own this shop.

“I’m a creature of habit,” I say just as I notice Sadie sitting in the corner. “Afternoon there, sister-in-law.”

She beams a smile. “Technically, not yet.”

“Technically, that doesn’t matter to me.”

She rolls her eyes and goes back to her laptop.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever get past the fact that I never noticed how flirty your entire family can be.”

“Um, did you just accuse me of flirting with my brother's fiancée?” I cross my arms.

Sadie smirks. “Can you call me that one more time?”

“What? You are the fiancée to my brother, Hudson Asher, right?”

“Oh my god, can you two stop?” Brooke groans. “Shedoesn’t need to be reminded. He’s already been here three times to practically make out with her while she works.”

“Why aren’t you doing this work at the bookstore?”

“Because of what Brooke said. At least here it’s only little pop-ins. If I were next door, then it would be back-room visits, and those are?—”

“I got it. No need to finish that sentence.” I chuckle and then point to the caramel brownie bites in the display. “I’ll take three of those.”

“Three,” Brooke shrieks. “You always get two of something. Always. Just two.”

“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Sadie chimes in, rising from her seat to stand beside me.

“Nothing is wrong.” I grab my wallet to pay for the food.

Brooke slowly puts my treats in a bag and hands it to me.

“Is it because your dad doesn’t want to move into the apartment you built him?” Sadie asks.

I glance at her, but I don’t say anything.

“Or because it’s tourist season?”

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