Page 6 of Forbidden Kisses
“No.” Jack shook his head. “I want Tristan Capps. How about we make a deal with him? He helps fix the launch or you file charges?”
“Are you crazy, man? Working with a teen version of Dewy is likely to get you thrown in jail on attempted homicide charges.”
Jack laughed. “Maybe so. But I want to do it.” Plus, Jack didn’t want to do all the work on his own. He loved to build, but he’d always had his best friend, Chris, by his side.
“All right. If you’re sure. I’ll call Dewy this afternoon and let him know.”
“Great. The job starts tomorrow afternoon.”
Gabe shook his head. “Might want to stop and get yourself a few drinks at Castaways before heading over. You’ll need a couple.”
“Right.” Jack might need to go there and start knocking a couple back right now. He’d had two bad ideas already today, both of which would probably bite him in the ass tomorrow.
—
After the week Grace had already had, a couple of drinks was exactly what she needed to funnel away all of the tension building at the base of her skull. Since her encounter with Jack this afternoon, her mind had been chattering nonstop. She wasn’t sure how she was going to make it work; she only knew she had to.
Grace took a breath, suddenly feeling hopeful. Working for the Sawyers wouldn’t be easy at first, but she was certain that she’d be great at the job. And if they saw how capable she was, maybe their working relationship would be at least tolerable. They didn’t have to like her. She certainly wasn’t that fond of them, especially her ex-stepfather, Pete Sawyer. After the divorce, she’d never heard from him again, which had been painful. He’d pretended to love her as a daughter during her mother’s five-year marriage to him. Then he’d turned his back on them.
“It’ll be fine,” Grace whispered under her breath—her motto these days—as she approached Castaways, a high-end bar that was a mile’s walking distance from her apartment. After making sure her mother was tucked cozily into bed, she’d taken the hike here for a change of scenery and a drink, which she had no business spending her money on. But the drinks were only a dollar on tap tonight, and if she didn’t let loose soon, she felt like she was going to explode.
Entering the bar, Grace paused for a moment to look around. The music was lively with the sound of the crowd’s chatter threaded through it. She immediately felt more relaxed somehow just being here. She moved her gaze around the room, looking for a familiar face—not that she minded sitting alone. That meant possibly having to ward off undesired men, though. She didn’t want a man tonight. Not unless his last name was Sawyer.
Grace shook her head. Jack was already in her brain. Now she needed to drink him away.
Relief hit her as she spotted Krista Nelson, one of her oldest friends from high school. Grace knew that Krista worked as a pediatric nurse at the hospital during the day. She was sipping beers with Abby Sawyer, Sam’s estranged wife and a local chef. Abby’s head was thrown back as she laughed at something, and Krista’s hand clutched her chest as she struggled to breathe through her own laughter.
Grace headed in their direction. They seemed to be having a good time, which was exactly what she needed tonight.
“Hi, ladies,” she said, walking up to them.
Krista and Abby looked up from their conversation.
With a squeal, an obviously tipsy Krista jumped up and wrapped her arms around Grace, nearly knocking her over. “Grace Donner! I haven’t seen you in forever! I’ve missed you!” Krista pulled back, her thick black hair swinging behind her shoulders from her sudden burst of movement. “Have a seat, friend. I’ll buy you a drink.”
“You don’t have to—” Grace began, but Abby held up a hand.
“That’s how we roll. She buys you a drink now and in thirty minutes you return the favor. So it evens out. Makes us feel like we’re doing a good deed, though.” Abby winked.
Grace nodded and pulled out a chair. “Oh. All right then. I’ll have what you two are having.”
“Of course you will. It’s Thirsty Thursday. We drink until we need help walking to the bathroom. Then we call my brother, Joey,” Krista said, using her hands to smooth her hair back into place.
“Joey?” Grace was having a hard time following.
“He’s a cab driver. He always makes sure we get home safely.”
“I see. That sounds like a perfect setup,” Grace said.
“Aren’t you glad you decided to join us?” Krista signaled the waitress, who placed a beer in front of Grace.
“Yeah,” Grace said, pulling the glass to her lips. “I am glad.” This was exactly what she needed tonight. Cheap beer and friends. She’d let her friendships fall to the wayside over the years while caring for her mother and working nights. “Don’t let me drink too much, though. I start a new job tomorrow morning.”
Both women raised their brows in interest.
“Well, don’t leave us wondering, where will you be working?” Abby asked.
Grace took a long gulp. “I’m going to be the new office manager at Sawyer Seafood Company.”
