Page 21 of Love Me

“Hey, man, where’s the fire?” Carter greets me as he loosens the tie around his neck.

“Take a seat, little brother.”

He picks up the whiskey on the rocks I ordered him and does a scan of the room. My hand comes quick and hard to thebackside of his head, causing his teeth to clang against the glass and slosh alcohol across the bar top.

“Eyes over here, fucker. We’re not here to pick up pussy.”

“Asshole. That’s what you think. Get on with it, what’s the emergency?”

“I’m in love with Hannah.”

He finishes dabbing up the spilled alcohol and takes another sip, his expression unchanged before facing me, the picture of composure. What the fuck?

“Okay? You think everyone in AR hasn’t known that? Surprised Han doesn’t know that. And don’t abuse the code phrase, asshole. What if I was doing something important?”

“Were you?”

He shoves his middle finger in my face like a prepubescent boy, and I smack it away.

“We’re dating. And I want to take her out this weekend, just the two of us, but we don’t have a sitter.”

Hannah’s sisters, Harlow and Hailey, would be a sure thing to help out but they won’t be back in Aspen Ridge this weekend.

“You’re shitting me right now. No. Ask Mom.”

“I’m not ready to tell Mom we’re dating. We’ve been keeping it to ourselves for as long as possible,” I lie. “I just want to take her to the drive-in. Charlie will be sleeping for like ninety percent of the time we’re gone.”

“Who the fuck wants to go to the drive-in in the middle of winter? What about Ivy?”

“Dude. No. You. I used the code phrase. It’s important.”

He drops his head back and groans up at the ceiling, and I know I’ve got him.

“You’ll owe me.”

“Big time. Cash in whenever you want.”

As I leave my brother to corrupt whatever innocent womenmay be left in Aspen Ridge, I pull out my phone to text Hannah.

Me: I’m on my way over.

The walk up Main Street is a cold one. It’s been a harsh winter this year, and my breath turns to mist as I exhale into my fists to warm them up. Snow crunches under my boots in a thick layer that has built up over the last few weeks; people are getting lazier and lazier about shoveling as the season wanes.

The town is already still as I continue up the cobblestone sidewalk toward Bean Haven, the kind of stillness that only a small mountain town can bring. The smell of fresh pine mixed with the smokiness from woodstoves burning is strong as I take a deep breath, the air sharp as it fills my lungs. I love this town. The seasons. The elements. The people. I especially love the distillery and being able to create a product that people can enjoy. The only thing I’m missing in life is a family of my own. A family with Hannah and Charlie.

I make the trek up the back stairs of Hannah’s apartment, stomping my boots until the snow shakes free. Opening her door, I toe them off and drop the boots outside before walking into the warmth of the little place, excitement over seeing her heating up my veins faster than the house can.

I find Hannah lying on her side on the couch, stretched out like a cat sunbathing in a window. Her tiny sleep shorts leave little covered, the thin, delicate vines of her floral tattoo peeking out the bottom of the hem as I take a moment to peruse her fine body. A crop top reveals a strip of bare skin on her midriff, and knee-high chunky wool socks cover toes that she keeps painted black. Her eyes are closed, and she looks so goddamn peaceful like this.

Gently picking up her legs, I take a seat at the end of thecouch, resting them back on my lap and rubbing her feet to rouse her. She comes to slowly, her eyes heavily lidded and slightly groggy as if she’s been sleeping for a while.

“Hi, beauty.”

“Hi. What are you doing here?”

“Wanted to hang with my favorite girls. You two aren’t up for partying?”

She playfully snaps her leg out to smack me in the chest, my instincts kicking in and grabbing her foot in my hand.

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