Page 11 of Unearthed Dreams
I nodded at the group.
“HelloKai,” Natalie said. She still hadn’t forgiven me for the time I’d given her a once-over the first week she was back in town. I was always skeptical of strangers in my bar, mostly because they were rare. Hardly any tourists dropped in when there was a perfectly fine bar at the resort.
I catered to locals.
So when she’d come in with Chase last summer, I’d assumed the two were up to no good. Turned out, Chase was up to no good, which was no shock at all. But when Natalie had run out, chasing after Jasper, I’d known somethin’ was up. Rosie’d spilled the beans—or was it the tea; I think that’s what the kids call it these days—to me later that night after she, too, had witnessed the dramatics.
Natalie and Jasper had one of those second chance romances. She’d been gone seven years, only coming back for her dad’s funeral. He’d held a torch for years. Anyone with eyes could have seen how that one’d play out. They got married this spring, and their wedding was the first time I’d seen Charlie.
She’d worn a light pink dress with her hair pinned up in some intricate twist. No glasses. Full makeup. Stunning. But I preferred this version of Charlie, though I was sure any version of her would bring me to my knees.
“Hey, bud,” Chase said with a toothy grin that stretched across his entire damn face. He looked too fucking happy, like he was up to something.
“Chase. Staying out of trouble?”
He was one of my regulars and, on more than one occasion, I’d had to haul his ass to the couch in the office because he’d passed out on my bar.
He was a good guy—just a drunk.
I saw a lot of myself in Chase. Difference was, I was sober now. He was not.
His face transformed from the carefree smile to something more serious, more determined.
“Doin’ my best.” He took a sip of his cider and settled back into his seat.
Charlie’s eyes were bouncing between us, clocking the shift in demeanor just as I had. But Jasper spoke up before either of us could say a word.
“And we all know how much yourbestis worth.”
The mood at the table plummeted.
“Fuck off, Jas.”
“What? Just sayin’ what everyone else was thinkin’.”
Natalie kicked Jasper under the table, but he just crossed his arms over his chest, jaw clenched tight.
“That’s not what I was thinking,” Charlie said, pointing a sharp glare at Jasper.
“Whatever.” Chase pushed his stool back from the table and slammed the rest of his drink. “I’m out.”
He stormed off, his shoulders tight with tension. He’d been doing better lately, but something about Jasper’s comment had hit a nerve.
“You’re such a jerk sometimes,” Charlie snapped at Jasper.
“I’m just being honest. He needs to get his shit together.”
“And you think being a dick about it helps?” Natalie asked.
Their bickering faded into background noise as movement by the door caught my eye, and Elena Stone walked in. Her face lit up when she spotted Chase, but her smile dropped as she took in his expression.
She caught his arm before he could barrel past her. They exchanged hushed words, heads bent close together. Chase yanked his arm away and shouldered past her, leaving her staring after him with a worried frown.
Well, that’s interesting.
Reminded me of a night about six months back. Elena had come into the bar with Tessa and proceeded to get hammered.Chase had one eye on their table all night long, and he ran after them when they’d left while he was taking a piss.
Something was definitely going on there, but it was none of my damn business.
