Page 7 of Choosing You

Ugh…why am I putting this much effort into chasing a girl who clearly doesn’t want to be found?

Good question.

Fortunately, he was saved from having to continue the conversation when the phone rang.

“Sweetbriar Ridge Auto Care! This is MacKenzie. How can I help you?”

That was his cue to leave. With a quick wave, he made his way back out to the garage bay and pulled the Corolla out and parked it out in their parking lot. There were other cars that needed the spot in the bay. Back inside, he checked the schedule before consulting with Devin on which car he needed to work on next.

The rest of the day flew by. When he was done for the day and said his goodbyes, he stepped outside and just sighed. Going home alone was getting old, but so was going and hanging out at all the usual places. He couldn’t wait for the new bar to open up just because it was someplace different. The sign had gone up earlier this week, but the opening date kept getting moved. So where did that leave him?

“I guess I’m going home,” he murmured as he climbed into his pickup. He’d made a batch of chili last weekend, so he knew he could heat that up for dinner. Then maybe he’d watch some TV, and if he got bored, he’d go out to his garage and tinker on some of his projects. It was his usual pastime and it was perfectly fine, but he was also bored.

“Hey, Will! Wait up!” MacKenzie called out as she jogged out of the shop and over to his truck. He rolled down the window and waited.

“Everything okay?”

Breathless, she nodded. “Would you mind dropping something off at the bar for Max Calloway? He ordered a pump and a couple of gas tanks and…”

“Gas tanks? Seriously?”

“Oh, yeah. They’re a blend of CO2 and nitrogen, which is known as beer gas. His supplier was jerking him around, so he reached out to Devin and we ordered them for him. I’m hoping that means The Ridge will be opening soon!”

“Let’s hope so,” he agreed. “And sure. I don’t mind dropping the stuff off to him. I go past there every night on my way home.”

“Awesome! Thank you! Let me just go and grab everything!”

Will was already climbing from his truck. There was no way he was going to let her carry anything. “I got it, Mac. Just tell me where it is.”

“You’re the best, Will. Thanks!”

Five minutes later, he was back behind the wheel and pulling out of the parking lot. He loved driving through the downtown area. So much had changed over the years. A lot of new life had been breathed into the town and, for some goofy reason, it just made him smile to see it all. Books & Beans was probably his favorite. He loved coffee, and thanks to the shop, he started to enjoy reading.

“Note to self: stop in there tomorrow and see what’s new on the shelves.”

In no time, he was parking in front of the bar. The building actually housed a yoga studio too—owned by Max’s wife—and Will thought it was the oddest combination, but it seemed to work.

No sooner was he out of the truck than Max Calloway was walking over to greet him.

“Hey, Will!” he said, shaking his hand. “Thanks so much for delivering this stuff. We are so close to finishing and hope to open late next week. I’ve been practically living here while we make all the final adjustments, and Devin getting these tanks and the pump was a real lifesaver. I’m trying to get home to Hailey and our baby, so you’re saving me a lot of time.”

“That’s right! I heard that you and Hailey had a baby. Congratulations!”

“Thanks!” And like any proud new father, Max immediately pulled out his phone and began showing Will pictures.

But, thankfully, not too many.

“Here, let me help you carry these inside,” he said when Max put his phone away.

As soon as he stepped inside, he stopped. “Holy crap, Max. This place looks amazing!”

Grinning, Max walked behind the bar to put two of the tanks down. “You think so?”

“Oh, absolutely! All this dark wood just freaking shines! And the TVs? Just enough so people can watch a game, but not too many that it’s overwhelming.” Turning, he took it all in. “Pool tables? Darts?” Laughing, he walked over to where Max was. “You created the perfect man cave!”

“Well, we’re hoping it’s not just guys that want to hang out here. Hopefully the female population will come and check us out.” He took the tanks from Will. “Our goal, really, was to create a place that wasn’t specifically geared for families. So many of the places here in town went that way. Even the pub became more family-friendly than I ever thought it could. No matter what time of day or night you go in there…”

“There are kids,” Will finished for him. “Yeah, I noticed that too. It felt weird sitting at the bar, drinking a beer when ten feet away there was a group of kids coloring at their table.”

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