Reserved

by Tracy Ewens

  Kenna hugged him back and then leaned in to kiss Karen on the cheek.

  “You look wonderful.” Karen Conroy was clearly being generous, as always.

  “Thank you. You guys do too,” Kenna said, handing Paige’s bag to Bill.

  “So, anything we need to know about Little Miss here?” Bill ruffled Paige’s hair and she grabbed his hand.

  “Oh, I’m sure she’ll give you an earful, but no medicines; she’s great and very excited to spend time with you guys.”

  “Yes, I am,” Paige exclaimed.

  “What will you do with yourself for four days without her? Sleep probably.” Karen laughed.

  “Mama’s going to start dating.”

  Makenna thought she’d experienced awkwardness with Travis these past few weeks, but this topped it.

  “Oh,” escaped her in-laws’ mouths in unison.

  Makenna crouched down next to Paige. “Honey, where did you hear that?”

  “Mama, sometimes I use my earphones to trick you.” She giggled, and so did Makenna.

  “Okay, good to know.” She stood and tried to soften the concern in Adam’s parents’ eyes, but before she had a chance, Bill put his hand on her shoulder.

  “There’s no need to explain to us.”

  “Of course not. You’re a young, beautiful woman, and it’s been a long time.”

  “Frankly, we were surprised it didn’t happen sooner.”

  “You were?” Kenna was relieved.

  “Honey, we want you to be happy, and he . . . Adam would want that too. You know that, right?” Karen seemed to be forcing herself to say her son’s name as if it was some coping exercise, but Makenna still saw the same raw pain in her eyes. She was pretty sure she always would.

  Kenna swallowed back things she thought had gone away. “I do. Thank you.”

  “We don’t need to get all crybaby,” Paige said. “Let’s go so Mama can meet someone like My Travis.”

  Kenna was sure shock was all over her face.

  “Okay, that’s enough. You can tell Nino and Gigi all about your lunches and your Travis during the car ride.” Kenna rolled her eyes and moved her daughter and her dead husband’s parents out to their waiting car. Her life had never been a sitcom and hadn’t quite reached reality show crazy yet, but sometimes it felt pretty close.

  After Paige was safely tucked away with her grandparents, Makenna went to work. She checked off a little more than half her to-do list, which included meeting with the handyman again to explain why the hand sanitizers needed to be installed right side up. His assistant had installed them upside down and when he first arrived to observe what Kenna thought was a clear mistake, he looked at her and said, “Looks kind of cool like that, no?”

  It often amazed Kenna that something so simple, which seemed obvious to her, was lost on some people. “No, it’s not cool,” she had responded, and they spent a good part of the morning making things right. She’d earned a lunch, so she sat with Sage to tell her about Paige sharing her new dating status.

  “Oh wow, so they were cool with it?” Sage asked, after serving burgers to the couple two stools down.

  “I don’t know why I thought they wouldn’t be. It’s not like I was hiding anything from them, but when she blurted it out, I felt like I was going to fall over. I’m going to talk with her when she gets back. She’s obviously smarter than I’m giving her credit for. She seemed to joke about it, but the idea has to be weird for her too. It’s just change, more change.”

  “Speaking of change, it’s been a few days since you told Travis about the dream. How are things? Back to normal?”

  Makenna wasn’t sure she knew what normal was anymore.

  “Things are good. I haven’t really seen him that much, but things are fine.”

  “Back to normal?”

  “What does that mean?”

  “By normal, I mean not just good. I mean he’s back to annoying the holy hell out of you. That you couldn’t possibly ever imagine stripping him out of those cargo pants he wears all the time and running your tongue up his—”

  “Okay, okay. I understand the question.” Kenna sipped the new tea Kara was making her try for her nerves. She would have killed for a Coke.

  “And the answer?”

  Kenna looked at her and even though she was still running her hands up Travis’s chest in her mind, she was trying to get back to normal.

  “The answer is, damn it, I don’t know. I still see him differently. He doesn’t drive me nuts. I mean he does, but in a different way. I don’t get it. It’s like that dream gave me permission or opened a door.” Kenna shook her head. “It doesn’t make any sense. You don’t just do a one-eighty with someone because of a dream. That’s why I need to date.”

  “Maybe you’ve always had feelings for him.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, you know, the love-hate thing. Lots of people start off that way. There’s tension that leads to passion.”

  “Aren’t those called dysfunctional relationships?”

  “Not always. Sometimes, they’re just windy roads. Were you immediately attracted to Adam?”

  “Yes.”

  “You guys got along instantly?”

  “Yes. I met him in class, he made me laugh, and I thought he was gorgeous. He asked me out two weeks later.”

  Sage blinked as if she’d turned down the wrong way and was trying to find her way back.

  “Okay, so that was a bad example. Well, sometimes the rest of the world has a more complicated time finding love.”

  “What’s going on with Travis has nothing to do with finding love. It’s purely physical, some kind of reaction I’m having because he’s maybe the most sexual guy I know, so that’s why I put him in my kitchen.”

  Sage went to interject, but Kenna finished up. She was sick of thinking about this.

  “Anyway, it doesn’t matter because I got it out. I told him and we’re moving on now. Have you looked at any of the profiles Match sent? How are things going on your dating front?”

  “Kenna, the man is your brother’s best friend. He makes your daughter lunch.”

  “Yeah, what’s with that? He made her mac and cheese last week. Came in on his day off to make her lunch.”

  “Right, so there’s a detail you overlooked in that party boy story you gave me a couple of weeks ago. I don’t really think it’s just physical for you. Don’t you think you should at least—”

  “No, no I don’t. I’m a single mother. My idea of a good time is reading and planting flowers. I own a bunny, Sage. I’m not his type and he’s not mine. It was a fluke, so please,” she pleaded, “let’s drop this and move on.”

  Sage sighed. “Fine. I’m not really seeing anything so far in the profiles. I told you I had a couple of coffee dates, but nothing really.”

  “What about the guy with the tattoos? Seemed like you were talking with him a lot.”

  “Yeah, we finally met yesterday at Starbucks. He designs bikes, hotter in person, but his favorite movie is Princess Bride.”

  “So?”

  “So? I can’t do that. I mean he’s all man on the outside and then you hit me with that? I overlooked that he ordered a Frappuccino, but Princess Bride? He even took my hand and said, ‘as you wish.’” Sage mocked a shiver, or maybe it was a real shiver.

  “You know most women would love that combination: tough yet sensitive. Not you, huh?”

  “No. I mean, figure out who you are. I’m not really interested in the new modern man. I’d rather have genuine. I’m meeting the cowboy, bull rider I think, tomorrow.”

  “A real bull rider, or one of those candy asses in the sparkly jeans who hang around Sharky’s pretending to be bull riders?” Garrett walked into the bar, nodding as he let two women who were getting up from their stools pass him before he took a seat.

  “Do you lurk around corners waiting for your cue?” Sage asked, eyes locked and drifting from Garrett’s face to his chest. He was wearing a button-up work shirt an
d looked surprisingly clean, maybe even right out of the shower. Kenna was sure Sage noticed all of that and more. She cleared her throat, hoping her friend would snap to before her chin hit the bar.

  Garrett smiled. “I’m all about timing.” He winked.

  Makenna laughed. “Oh please, do you practice this garbage in the mirror?”

  “Don’t have to. I’m the real deal.” Kenna wondered how much of Sage’s speech he’d heard and if he had heard the whole thing, what game was he playing?

  “You certainly are,” Sage whispered as she bent across the bar to take Kenna’s lunch plate.

  “Stop it.” Kenna almost laughed, and her friend simply smiled.

  “Beer, Garrett?” Sage asked as she put their plates into a dishwasher bin.

  “Nah, I’m thinking of having one of your creations.”

  Sage stopped cold.

  “Are you for real?” Kenna asked.

  “Didn’t we just cover that when I walked in?”

  Kenna could see Sage pulling herself together.

  “Okay, what did you have in mind?” Sage asked, leaning one hand on the bar.

  “Oh, wow. Now, if anyone practices in the mirror, little sister, it’s your friend here.”

  “What are you talking about? I’m a bartender. That’s my line. You said you wanted one of my creations, and I’m simply asking you what you want. I need more than just make me something.”

  “Why? I’m not the drink master, you are.”

  “Mistress, it would be drink mistress, and actually, I prefer the gender neutral, mixologist.”

  Garrett laughed, and Kenna enjoyed the show. Sage was handling her brother like a pro.

  “Got it. Okay, well, what do you recommend?”

  “Let’s do this. Give me a base—gin, whiskey, tequila?”

  “I’ve been in here enough. You tell me.”

  “Oh, come on, this is too easy.” Sage smiled, and it was like she and Garrett were the only two people in the bar. She was focused and he was intrigued. Kenna had rarely seen her brother intrigued by anything that wasn’t growing or mechanical. It was a treat.

  “I’ve gotta go with your last name, Rye. Yeah, we’ll start with rye whiskey, that’s your base,” Sage said without hesitation.

  Garrett had no idea who he was dealing with. Sage Jeffries was an expert on all things booze and Garrett.

  “Okay, now what?” he asked.

  “Well, I usually ask for a flavor or an essence someone is looking for. I once had a guy tell me he was from Seattle and wanted me to describe Seattle in drink form.”

  Garrett smiled. “What did you make him?”

  “It was my own creation, but when I was done, it looked like a cloudy sky.”

  “Huh, so you want me to give you a flavor? I’m kind of a—”

  “Classic, you’re a classic.”

  “I am?”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “Okay, so I’m a classic and the base of my drink is rye.”

  “Right. Got it.”

  Garrett looked over at Kenna as Sage grabbed a crystal mixing glass, added rye, and what Kenna thought looked like vermouth. She dropped in a couple of ice cubes and stirred with a rhythm all her own. Eyes on her creation, Sage was in her groove and Kenna recognized a strength that was pretty damn sexy. Her brother seemed to notice it too. Sage took her long metal straw, tasted it, threw the straw in the sink, and strained the chilled liquid into a martini glass. Deftly fishing a cherry out of a jar, she dropped it into the glass and added a few drops of something from what appeared to be a tiny soy sauce bottle. Then, she twisted a piece of orange rind over the drink, balancing the peel on the glass. She glanced up at Garrett, who was glued to her movements, and slowly pushed the drink toward him. Kenna thought maybe she needed to have her hormones checked because she was pretty sure she’d just watched her best friend seduce her brother without even touching him.

  “Sip, it’s not a gulp drink.”

  “What is it?”

  “A Manhattan.”

  “Ah, I’ve been there once. Here’s hoping your drink is better than my trip.” Garrett sipped and his eyes warmed. He looked at Kenna again as if to say, “get a load of her, will ya?”

  “It’s good, really good.” He smiled, his voice deep and rich.

  Sage instantly went from hot sexy bartender to girl in high school who trips, dropping her books on the way to the library. Her hand slipped off the mixing glass and it almost fell to the floor. Garrett reached over and steadied the glass, his hand over hers, and Sage turned bright red.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” She pulled her hand away and put the glass in the sink. “I’m good. Fine. I’m glad you liked it. I need to . . . I’ve got an order to get in the back.” Her pleading eyes quickly darted to Kenna and she disappeared behind the door. Kenna was sure her friend was on the other side of the back kitchen door desperately trying to catch her breath. The woman had it bad. Kenna’s clueless brother finished his drink, popped the cherry into his mouth, and smiled. When he left a twenty on the bar, leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, and turned to leave, Kenna thought about saying something, giving him a hint, but Sage would kill her, so she kissed her brother back and let him go.

  Sage returned to the bar, delivering two grinder sandwiches to the balding man and his female companion who’d placed her gorgeous gray coat on the stool next to them. Sage handed them two silverware rolls and refilled their drinks; then she took the twenty Garrett had left on the bar and removed his glass.

  “Was I a complete loser?”

  “Not at all. You were pretty badass there for a while, and then he smiled at you and you clearly didn’t notice his bottom two teeth are stupid crooked because you about melted into a puddle.”

  Sage shook her head. “I don’t know what it is. It’s not like I haven’t been around my share of intimidating guys. He’s just different. Not intimidating actually, but this force that messes with me. I swear I lose my balance, physically, when he’s around.”

  “It’s because you don’t really know him. See, same with me when it comes to Travis. I’m weird because of what he represents in the dream, but I don’t really know him. If you knew Garrett, not the dream you’ve conjured up in your mind, you’d be out of love with him.”

  “I’m not in love with him.”

  “Right. What is it Oprah says? You’re in love with the ‘idea of him.’”

  Travis lived at The Gas Company Loft on Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles. It was next to the Staples Center, which meant he was surrounded by a dozen cookie-cutter sports bars that served crap food, most of it in a pocket or covered in cheese. Somehow, he’d managed to find a great Ethiopian place, and there was always the Grand Central Market.

  His apartment was on the ninth floor and his furniture was from Crate and Barrel, all of it. He remembered the day he bought it, all in one day. He’d arrived in the morning, bought everything he thought he would need, and made Amber the saleslady’s day. She even gave him her number. They slept together and two weeks later, she texted him her thanks and asked if he wanted an invite to her wedding. Women could be so strange. Not that he wanted to marry her. He hadn’t even thought of it actually, but it seemed lately, most women weren’t interested in marrying him, either. Well, Trixie would probably marry him, but the few times they’d slept together, he awoke to her crying or staring at him, playing with his hair. Yeah, Trixie had to go and fast. But there were women in his life he’d thought about spending more time with, and they didn’t want him. Maybe it was a vibe he gave off or he had some sign on his back that read “temporary.” Not that he was complaining, but sometimes he wondered where this was all going. He wasn’t a kid anymore and if he was honest with himself, he did think about having a family. He just wasn’t sure how to do that without becoming the family he came from. Yeah, he’d stay single forever before he’d end up in some minivan, bullying his kids into cracking helmets every Saturday until it was the only way th
ey knew how to define themselves.

  Travis didn’t allow much time for thinking and didn’t spend much time at home. In fact, his place wasn’t really a home; it was more like a display. Sure, he’d hung a few pictures of his family and friends around his place, but he’d recently started thinking he should buy a home and set up something permanent for a change. He had still been in Seattle working with Benji when Logan called him and said he was opening his own place and wanted to do it with him. That’s how he’d said it, not that he “wanted to give him a job” or “come work for me.” He’d said, “I’m opening a place and I can’t do it without you. Get down here and let’s do this together.” There was no way he could resist. Logan had become his best friend, and his ideas for the not-yet-named Yard were inspired.

  Travis had pissed Benji off when he gave notice, and a little over three weeks after Logan’s call, he moved into the apartment where he now stood drinking two shots of espresso. The weekend he arrived in Los Angeles, he had dinner at the Rye farm. He’d previously met Garrett and Logan’s dad when they came up to visit him in Seattle, but until that night, he’d only heard of Makenna. He’d been with Logan the night she called about Adam and had taken him to the airport so he could wait on standby and get the last flight out that night. He didn’t know her back then, but watching his friend try to get to his sister’s side broke his heart.

  The night he met Makenna, Paige had just celebrated her second birthday and her husband had been gone for almost as long. Travis thought she was beautiful even back then. Long dark hair, freckles, and sun-kissed skin, Makenna Rye looked like a farm girl. Her cheeks were always pink because she was usually outside or coming in from outside, and the way she carried herself was refreshing. She almost didn’t seem aware of her body. He was pretty sure she knew she was a woman, but she must not have received the gender memo that her body was a weapon. She was a bit of a tomboy, which was expected because her mother had run out on the family when she was only five and she was surrounded by men. Yet, Travis thought that brought out her moments of softness even more. He had been drawn to that, intrigued by the way the light played on her face, the way she laughed in spite of her pain, and how she clearly loved her family.