Page 83 of Untethered Heart
When I walk through the open doors, I take in the space. It’s clean but dated. Three of the walls are floor-to-ceiling windows that make the space bright and airy. You can see the beach in the distance, and there’s a nice, grassed area on one side with children running around a playground shaped like a pirate ship.
Considering it’s a public holiday, the tavern looks almost full. Waitstaff are navigating the tables with plates of food and trays of drinks. There’s easy rock playing over the speakers, and when my eyes finally land on the bar, I spot Lex and her brother.
They’re standing side by side, laughing as they pour drinks from the beer taps. Lex has her red hair tied up in a high ponytail, with a white scarf wrapped around it. She and her brother both wear black shirts. When Dylan turns around to reach for a bottle on the shelf, I see the logo for Jedidiah’s taking up the whole back of the shirt. A white anchor withJedidiah’swritten in rope font.
I stroll over, delighted when a bar stool opens up right in front of Lex. I have to quickly remind myself that her brother doesn’t know about us. I can’t do the usual flirting I do with her when she’s behind a bar. Definitely not the usual flirting I do with her when we’re behind closed doors.
“I hope there’s no slacking off happening back there.” I smile as I drop onto the seat.
Lex’s grey eyes fly up to mine, her immediate reaction is to smile, which she quickly drops as she realises where we are.
“Mr Heart,” she coughs out. “What are you doing here?”
I click my tongue. “None of that, Lex. Please call me Caleb.” I cross my arms over the bar top and lean toward her. Fuck, I’m going to be as obvious as a neon sign on Broadway. With the effort of a toddler resisting candy, I pivot my attention to her brother.
“Did I forget something on my schedule? I wasn’t expecting you.” Dylan is as friendly as he is confused.
“Not at all. The visit was an impulse. Work was slow, and I hadn’t made it here yet to see the place in person. I figured this would be a good time for a getaway.”
“So, are you just up for the afternoon?” Dylan asks.
“I was able to score the last deluxe suite at The Driftwood Hotel. I’ll head back to Heart City the day after tomorrow.”
“That’s how long Guppy’s up for, too.”
“Guppy?” I grin, taking in Lex as her cheeks blush.
“That’s the nickname Dyl’s always used for me.”
Fuck, I love learning things about her. Especially when it comes to her family. It’s such an important part of my life, and I know her brother means a lot to her too. I like that we have that in common. Family is everything.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Lex asks.
“I wouldn’t mind some Legacy Malt. How about Voyage on the rocks?”
“Lex sampled our newest one last night if you want to try that. It’s the one I was telling you about a few weeks ago.”
“I would love to.”
Lex nods and takes off down the bar, disappearing through a blacked-out door. Once my eyes lose sight of her, I look back at the bar only to be met with calculated attention from her brother. My foot bounces with nerves on the rung of the stool, waiting for the moment he’ll call me out. Jesus, the one thing Lex asked for was keeping this from her brother, just for the time being, andI’ve already stuffed it up. I shouldn’t have come down here. I was selfish in my need to see her. I should have just let her have this time with Dylan. I really didn’t think I’d be so obvious.
Dylan doesn’t say anything in the time Lex is gone. Just keeps flicking his eyes to me as he pours drinks.
“Still on the rocks?” Lex asks when she comes back, and I nod as she uncaps a bottle with gold ink scribbled across the glass. Maiden.
“Voyage, Captain and Maiden. I don’t know if Isabelle has asked you this yet, but will you keep the branding the same for each recipe?”
“I like the idea of mixing it up,” Lex says as she pours me a glass. “Having an icon for each blend rather than just the font, but I don’t want to get to the point where we run out of new things to do.” She looks at her brother, who agrees as he shakes up a cocktail of some sort.
“Not possible when you’re working with Isabelle. Trust me.”
“We already have an anchor on the Jed’s logo and a trident for Legacy Malt, but a helm would be great for Voyage, and I thought a tricorn hat would be good for Captain,” Lex says.
“What about Maiden?” Dylan asks.
I take a sip of the whiskey. There’s a sweetness to it, like caramel or toffee. It feels creamy and full-bodied on my tongue. Perfect, just as it is.
“A siren,” I say, my eyes closed as I savour the faint traces of cinnamon.
