Page 11 of Against All Odds

Sable laughed, and I was glad the coat I wore covered my dick. This woman was doing a number on me, and she wasn’t even trying.

“I’ve already taken over. But we’ll be working on making some changes this weekend. We’re normally closed on Mondays, but we’ll be closed this Sunday andMonday. So, come on over for a drink on Tuesday, any time after eleven in the morning.”

“I will,” I promised.

I knew that the attraction wasn’t one-sided. I could see it in her eyes that she felt it, too. At least, I hoped I was right about that.

“First round is on me,” she replied huskily.

And just like that, Iwashooked.

CHAPTER 4

sable

Little Sable Nees, who had never worn a brand-new dress—only hand-me-downs—until she got her first job; the same Sable Nees who held a steady bank job and married a nice dentist—that Sable Nees could never have imagined owning a bar.

The Wildflower Tavern was now mine.

I still couldn’t believe it.

It had taken a big chunk of my divorce settlement to buy it—but standing behind the bar on that first day, before opening, felt like I was stepping into the future I’d finally carved out for myself.

It had happened by chance.

After the divorce, I found myself going out more. I didn’t necessarily need to talk to people, but I liked being around them—especially at the tavern that had an almost home-like vibe to it. It didn’t hurt that the chef was excellent, and after cooking for Jack for eight years, I was happy to have someone else feed me.

Every time I was there, Ben Greyfeather and I talked. There was a connection between us. A few months in, he told me he was considering retiring, and that was how it began.

He was looking for a buyer.

I was looking for a change in my life.

I had wondered if I should just leave Aspen after the divorce. I could always get a job in a bank elsewhere, but I grew up here and had friends, albeit only a couple. I realized I didn’t want to change geography—I wanted to change myself.

Ben had been kind and generous, agreeing to terms that a proper businessman would’ve never gone for. But Ben said he knew this was the right thing to do.

“I’ve been running this place for thirty years.” His dark eyes softened as he looked around the tavern, the warm wood walls lined with decades of memories. “But the Wildflower isn’t just a business; it’s part of this community and its spirit. My grandfather always told me, ‘What you take care of will take care of you.’ And I see that in you, Sable. You’ll take care of this place. It won’t just be a job to you—it’ll be a home.”

I was caught off guard, unsure of how to respond. “Are you sure? I mean, you could probably get more money if you sold to one of those big companies that are always trying to buy local businesses. Or someone else. I don’t know anything about running…anything.”

I worked at a bank, so I got all the latest gossip on how large companies like Royal Hotel Group, Marriott, Hyatt, and others were always looking for single-owned businessesto buy and convert into branded properties. And then there was the fact that I worked at a freaking bank and knew nothing about running a business.

Ben chuckled, shaking his head. “Money isn’t everything, not in my culture, and not in my life. My upbringing taught me to believe that when you pass something on, it’s not just about profit—it’s about purpose. You’ve got purpose, Sable. The hell with experience—you have the guts to make this work.”

I didn’t know how he knew that when I didn’t. But as we discussed how to proceed and I began to share my plans for the tavern with him, he told me he was even more convinced that I wastheheir to his business.

When we shook hands to finalize the deal, he’d squeezed mine gently. “One more thing, Sable. The name Wildflower—you know why I picked it?”

I shook my head.

“Wildflowers grow where most things can’t,” he told me with a small smile. “They don’t need the perfect conditions. They just grow. They bloom because they’ve got spirit. Just like you.”

The Wildflower Tavern was a local staple. It was quaint, a little dark and dingy, and desperately needed an upgrade. However, that kind of renovation would come later when I had the funds. For now, I was going for cosmetic and affordable changes.

Over the weekend before I officially took over, I spent the day with Ben and three other workers sprucing up the place.

Now, the wooden bar gleamed with fresh polishunder the afternoon sunlight pouring through the windows. We painted the walls a nice cream instead of the beige that had gone sooty.

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