Page 142 of On The Rocks

Hearing his name my dog came around the bar and toddled through the crowd. A few people moved out of the way. He was a damn big pit bull, but most just oohed and ahhed over him.

He sat down next to Justin, tongue lolling.

“New mascot?”

I laughed. “Seems so. He’s usually stuck to my leg, but he’s been getting all the attention today. Think he’s addicted.”

“Me too, pal. You wanna come to the kitchen with me?”

Elmer wagged his tail and gave a happy bark.

“Guess that’s a yes.” Justin huffed out a laugh.

“Dawn might kick my ass, but see if she’s got any leftover chicken without any spices on it for him.” I nodded to the nextperson who also asked for a Hot Honey and exchanged a bottle for money.

“Will do.” Justin gave a c’mon gesture. “Let’s go, tank.”

“Elmer,” I reminded him.

Justin shook his head. “What a name.”

Elmer’s head swiveled to me then to Justin with a small whine. “It’s okay. Go with Justin.”

He tipped his head, his ears flopping.But then Justin strode off with my dog waddling behind.

Once they left, I didn’t have time to think. The night blazed on by. Since it was mid-week, the bar closed by midnight and the kitchen closed an hour before. Without food, most people moved on a little after eleven. Especially out on the patio. Even with the solar lights and overhead string lights, it was black as pitch. It was a clear night with a bite to the air since it was still only April.

We buttoned up the outdoor bar then hauled cases of bottles to be reused at the bottling building in the main orchard. On the way back we helped the dining room which was a helluva lot more trashed.

“What is up with people lately? Pigs.” Ronnie said as she cleaned off a table.

“Imagine what their homes look like?” Annette had a bussing bin on her hip, half full of plates and glasses.

“No thanks,” Ronnie answered. “Based on the dating pool, I’ve seen the worst of it lately.”

“Same, girl. Same.” Brandi, one of the other servers, gathered napkins in a soft bag.

The women laughed, but I noticed Annette didn’t join in. A small frown dug between her eyebrows as she tossed plates into the bin.

Justin took the bin from her. “Let me get that, Annie.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Don’t start that crap.”

“Annie?” Brandi asked with a wide grin. “Aww.”

“I’ve known Annie since we were teens. Her dad worked the fields and used to bring her around. Little Annie with her braids and freckles.”

“Shut up.” She wrenched the bin back from him. “You can do the trash,” she said over her shoulder.

Justin just threw his head back with a laugh. “She loves me, just doesn’t like to show it.”

But he went right over to the trash can and pulled out one of the industrial bags, quickly tying it up and trading it for another. Justin never said no to work that was for sure.

Or to women.

I’d been at the orchard for a while now and I was pretty sure I’d never seen Annette date. The rest of the crew either played in this sandbox or with the patrons that came in. Turnbull was a damn small town and the pickings seemed slim. Not that I had been looking at anyone other than Lennon since the day I landed at the orchard.

Regardless, I was pretty sure Justin had been through the entire town’s female population. And somehow they all still liked him.

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