The Barrel House Series: Boxed Set: Bourbon Love Notes, Bourbon on the Rocks, Bourbon Nights, Bourbon Fireball
Page 87
“What’s your story?” Luke asks her. I wonder how Luke keeps track of the information he inherits. He’s a good man, always asking people about their troubles, taking them in, digesting the long drawn out stories that could likely be shortened to a few sentences. He’s good at giving them a listening ear they often need. I’m not sure I could do what he does, but maybe he’s going for sainthood.
“I don’t have a story,” the girl says.
Luke directs his attention to the glass he’s drying, giving the girl a minute in case she changes her mind. “I see, but everyone’s got a story, don’t they?”
“No,” she says. “Not everyone. In fact, I just finished a story. It was a horrible, miserable plot in the worst book I’ve ever read. In fact, the story was so bad, no one else should ever read it.”
“Okay then. I can respect that. Do you at least have a name?” he asks.
She glares at him for a minute in between her long drawn out sip of the remaining whiskey in her glass. “Do you ask the name of every woman who sits down at your bar?”
“Well, yes I do. And the fellas too,” he argues. “Let me introduce you to a few of the regulars. That’s Dill.” He points to the guy sitting two seats down from me. “That’s Phillip.” He nods toward the guy on the opposite end of the bar. “And that there is Chance.” Luke gestures to me, and I drop my head, avoiding eye contact. I don’t want her to think I’ve been tuning in to the conversation this whole time. “Oh, and I’m Luke.”
“Okay, Luke,” she drones. “Well, I’m August, but we still aren’t friends.”
Luke lifts his palms up in defense. I know he meant nothing bad by his attempt at small talk. “Understood. I’ll just carry on over here, and you—” Luke twists his lips to the side and nods his head in a circle, “just do whatever it is you’re doing over there.”
No one ever turns down a friendly smile like Luke’s. The guy makes more in tips than the techies in the high-rise buildings downtown. I’ve told him a time or two he should take it up a notch and get his behind over to a bar that is friendlier to women. Between his good looks and charm, he’d make more cash somewhere else. Though, I doubt his wife would be too fond of that idea—money or no money.
“Dude, what is happening?” Luke utters, leaning his hands down on the bar-top in front of me. “Did you hear all that?” He’s being quiet, but I’m not entirely inconspicuous. I get the feeling Miss August is giving us a lethal look but I don’t want to look over and catch any part of that.
“Yeah, something crawled up her skirt,” I mumble beneath my breath.
“Chicks don’t come into this place. I don’t remember the last time I served one. Do you?”
I’m here every night, so I should remember just as well. “Nope, I don’t recall the last time a dame walked in through that door.”
“You look like you had a rough one today. You sure you had a good day?” Luke asks, grabbing a rag from his back pocket to clean up the smudge in front of me.
Luke and I are the same age, went to high school together, and started working on a housing development project down the street to build up a suburban community within the city. When that ended, I kept up with construction, and he landed a job here at Kenny’s Whiskey Bar. He eventually bought the place from the old man he worked for, and after all this time, I finally see how our decisions affected us. I look like I’m rounding forty, and he still has his baby flubber cheeks with doll-like dimples. Luke doesn’t give a shit about his looks, though. He’s never had a reason to care. He was snatched up by Annabelle Bloomer senior year of high school, and they’ve been together ever since.
“The humidity was high today.The roofing project at Dunn's house was rough.”
“Damn, I don’t miss that crap,” Luke says.
Maybe I picked the wrong job. Hell, maybe I’d settle down with a wife and kids if I worked in a bar too. “Yeah, it never changes. That’s for damn sure.”
“Saw you checking that chick out, August. Want me to get her number for you?” Luke jiggles his brows and pinches a toothpick between his lips.
“Are you crazy, man? She’d probably pull a pistol on you just for asking.”
“Probably,” Luke says. “I love ya like a brother, but not that much.”
“No offense taken,” I say, taking a peanut from the straw basket next to me.
“Funny, Chance. Real funny.”
Another local walks on in through the front door and Luke straightens his posture to greet the guy which offers me another minute to study the scene at the other end. With an elbow propped up on the bar, August leans the side of her head into her fist while she scrolls through her phone with the other hand.
This girl is so out of place here with her long flowery skirt and white shirt hanging off the sides of her shoulders.
“What are you lookin’ at?”
I can’t help blinking a few times before I realize August is gawking at me, demanding an answer.
I hold my hand up in the form of an apology. “I—I ah was watching for the guy to step out of the bathroom so I can take a leak. Is that okay with you?”
August cups her hand over her mouth. She has long, slender fingers, and wearing too many rings, but not one of them is a wedding band. I guess I can scratch off the assumption of a cheating husband from the list of possibilities. “I’m so sorry. Chance, is it? I apologize.”
“No worries, hun. I’m sorry for interrupting you.”
August twists around in her seat and takes a handful of trail mix while fixing her eyes on the TV behind above the shelves of liquor bottles.
There’s a surprising trait. She accepts being wrong ... even though she isn’t.
When the bathroom empties, I fulfill my fib by walking past her as if I didn’t know she was still sitting a few seats down from me. If I glance at the bar mirror, I might see her looking at me, but I won’t risk our eyes making contact.
I take my time in the bathroom, but not too much time. When I step out, I watch August polish off the rest of her whiskey, slap the glass down on the bar, and strut off toward the door as if she knows something about the world I might die to discover.
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About the Author
Shari J. Ryan is an USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary Romance and Women’s Fiction.
She lives in Massachusetts with her wicked awesome husband and two amazing sons. Shari started her career as a graphic artist and freelance writer, then found her passion for writing books back in 2011. She has been slaying words and creating imaginary friends ever since.
Some of Shari’s bestselling books include: Bourbon Love Notes, Shattered Stars, Last Words, The Other Blue Sky, A Heart of Time, and Man Flu from the Man Cave Collection.
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Web:
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Also By Shari J. Ryan
Women’s Fiction / Contemporary Romance
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Fall to Pieces - Releasing 12-07-20
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The Barrel House Series
Bourbon Love Notes - Book 1
Bourbon on the Rocks - Book 2
Bourbon Nights - Book 3
Bourbon Fireball - Book 4
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Shattered Stars
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The Last Words Series
Last Words
The Other Blue Sky
Unspoken Words
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The Heart Series (3 Books) Boxset
Ravel
Red Nights
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Romantic Com
edy
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The Man Cave Series (5 books)
Queen of the Throne
Spiked Lemonade
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Romantic Suspense
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Darkest Perception
Raine’s Haven
No Way Out (3 books)
TAG
Acknowledgments
In no particular order because I love you all …
My alpha readers/friends/support/everything … Tracey, Heather, Emily, Heidi, Freesia, and Linda — thank you for keeping up with me when I needed you the most. I’m so grateful for the help and support you give me.
To all who have had a part in helping with this book, thank you so much!
PR & Marketing: Foreword PR & Marketing
Editing by:
Samantha Shawhan
and
Cindy Dimpfl
Photographer: Reggie Deanching
Cover Models: Aidan Stuart and Clint Wright
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Readers: I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. Thank you for giving me unconditional motivation to keep writing!
My family—Mom, Dad, Mark, Ev, Lori, Phil, Ava, Chase, Grandma, and Papa—I love you so much.
My two boys: Bryce and Brayden, my sunshine and sweetest soul, I love watching you grow into the amazing people who will become.
Josh, I love you more than I can ever put into words. Thanks for having my back and being my partner in crime for life. Love you!