Story of Us

by Jody Holford

  What he really wanted was someone who could take on a management role when he wasn’t around, take over the office tasks even when he was around, and help him expand his business. On Dec was his pride and joy. But it wasn’t like he’d gone to business school. He knew he could use some help in the publicity department. Particularly since Brockton Point was not the tiny town it once was.

  Sophia grinned, all traces of the unsure woman he’d just glimpsed gone. “I can do more than manage. I have a double degree in marketing and business management. I’m better than any candidate you’ll interview, and you know you can trust me. I have insight into how to help with marketing, promotion, and building your business. On top of that, I come from a large Italian family, so wrangling your tipsy patrons will be a piece of cake.”

  Declan laughed, charmed by her enthusiasm. While a minute ago he was cursing fate for bringing this woman to him when he was looking for the perfect partner, maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe Sophia was exactly what he needed. What your bar needs. Not you.

  He’d been encouraging Marcus to grow a pair and talk to his old man about the beer since they wanted to do a tasting before bringing it into the pub and Pop’s place. He’d used the fact that he was looking to bring in a manager as leverage—proof he was serious. Now it was time to take it to the next level. Declan didn’t think his friend was going to be real pleased if he hired his baby sister, but on the other hand, if Sophia was looking for work anyway, wasn’t it better that she was here where someone the Strombi family trusted could keep an eye on her? As long as you keep your eyes and not your hands on her.

  He could do that. He had his rules. Maybe he ought to write them down after all. Right after keeping his hands off any women connected to relatives of friends, he also didn’t play around at work. Business and pleasure were not a good combination, and he’d never crossed that line. It didn’t make him feel great that it was this realization that pushed him to decide. If he hired her, he’d stick to his own unwritten code. Hell, it would probably fade five minutes after working with her anyway. What he felt right now was just pent-up energy brought on by a self-imposed dry spell. That’s all. He’d hire Sophia Strombi, his friend would thank him for it, and doing so would be like a guarantee he’d keep his hands off.

  “You have a resume I can see?” he asked, ignoring the way her grin tangled his insides. “I can’t just hire any person off the street, you know.”

  She laughed and opened the suitcase she probably called a purse, pulling out a folder and sliding it along the bar to him. When he took it, their fingertips touched, and Declan wondered how it was that just that simple touch had him more excited than he’d been in longer than he could remember.

  He shook his head, opening the folder. He was either doing the right thing, or he was setting himself up for a life-changing disaster.

  Chapter Three

  Sophia expected a slow, easy introduction, seeing as it was New Year’s Day. She thought she’d observe and learn the ropes, ignoring the fact that while she had her employment settled, nothing else in her life was. She might have come home, but maybe she hadn’t changed all that much. She could hear her father’s voice in her head as clear as if he were standing next to her: You jump without looking. Make a plan. The only plans she truly excelled at were professional ones. In Arizona, she helped turn more than one business around with her marketing and promotional expertise. Her worries were sidetracked by the surprise of how many people walked through the double doors of On Dec within minutes of opening.

  “You really don’t have to stick around today. Don’t you need to get settled?” Declan turned the blinds, letting in the deceptive sunshine. He glanced at her over his shoulder, and she realized she was staring at the way his muscles bunched with each movement. Right. Way to be professional.

  Getting settled meant she would have a place to stow her luggage, and at the moment, she didn’t. After getting the lay of the land, she’d check into a hotel or something and then pull on her big girl undies and stop by Pop’s. Maybe. She hadn’t set foot in there in more years than was acceptable.

  “I’d rather know I have my employment settled,” she said.

  Declan walked beside her as they went back toward the bar. “I’m pretty sure an extra day isn’t going to hurt anything. Unless you’re avoiding seeing your family.”

  She looked up at him and smiled at his knowing expression. She’d only ever known him through her brother, despite her teenage fantasies, but apparently, she was an open book. Or he was just too good at reading what she didn’t say. Or good at reading women in general if all the rumors are true.

  A woman came from the hallway and went behind the bar. Declan took Sophia’s elbow and led her in the same direction. She shook his hand off, a little disconcerted that his touch managed to make her elbow feel like a hot spot.

  “Hey, Cora. Happy New Year,” Declan said. He went behind the bar, but Sophia stayed on the other side. Today, she was an observer.

  “You too, honey,” the tall, lean woman with sculpted arms and purple hair said as she hugged Declan. He kissed her cheek, and Sophia felt her muscles twitch. He was every bit the charmer and ladies’ man he had been years ago.

  Looking over at her, he smiled, and she knew it was silly to feel that the smile he gave her was more intimate, more familiar, but she couldn’t help it.

  “This is Sophia Strombi. She’s the new manager. Sophia, this is Cora.”

  Cora came around the bar, her hands behind her back as she tied her apron and then extended one hand. “Welcome to On Dec. Strombi? Isn’t the owner of the pizza place named Strombi?”

  The waitress looked back and forth between Declan and Sophia.

  Declan smirked, giving Sophia a you-can’t-hide-for-long nod. “That’s Sophia’s dad. She’s been gone a long time, but she’s back now. And we’re lucky to have her. We’ll have a staff meeting this week to introduce everyone, but for now, why don’t you show her around?”

  “I’ll show you the office first. And the break room. Our kitchen staff is probably already prepping,” Cora said, jumping into her duty with ease.

  Dec grabbed some half-empty bottles from a shelf before saying, “I can show her the office. I’ve got to get her set up on my laptop, anyway. I just need to change a couple of kegs.”

  “Okay, boss,” the waitress said with a cheeky grin.

  Declan shook his head and walked to the far end of the bar, out of sight. Cora led her into the kitchen, where she met two line cooks who barely looked old enough to be in the bar. They, too, recognized her last name, and Sophia realized news of her arrival, and employment, would travel before long. You can’t avoid them. She didn’t intend to. Not for good, anyway. The plan was to get her bearings, secure employment and some semblance of control over her life, and then visit her family.

  Cora showed her the coolers, the break room, storage, and the kitchen exit. Leaving the kitchen, they turned the corner to walk down the hallway she’d come down when they’d arrived this morning.

  See? She knew how to make things happen. Her plan was in motion. She just wished the nausea that kept her company would abate. Everything is going to work out fine. If she said it enough, she might believe it.

  “So, these are customer restrooms. This one here is for staff only. And this is Declan’s office.” Cora opened the door, and Sophia stepped into a surprisingly organized and neat space. It was a decent size with a desk, chair, and a small couch against one wall. There was a door to what Sophia figured was a closet. It was mostly covered with a ‘Welcome to the Dark Side’ poster.

  Cora gestured to it. “That’s the entrance to the upstairs apartment. It can be accessed here or up the stairs out back.”

  Her interested piqued, upping her heart rate. Maybe she could solve more than one problem today. Sophia bit her lip, thinking for a moment. “There’s an apartment up there?” Did Declan live at his bar? Vague memories of Marcus telling her, a while back, that he’d helped Dec move flitted
through her mind.

  “Yeah, Dec used to live up there, but he bought a house not too long ago,” Cora said. She pulled her phone out of her apron pocket and glanced at it.

  Before either of them could say anything else, Declan appeared in the doorway.

  “Hey.” He looked at Cora. “A few customers have shown up. Can you handle the floor and the bar for a bit?”

  She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her thick lashes. “Pretty sure I can handle a couple of regulars who couldn’t rustle up their own breakfast.”

  “Thanks for the tour,” Sophia said.

  “No problem. Glad to have you here,” Cora said with a wave.

  Declan came all the way in and leaned against his desk. Meeting her gaze, he held it, saying nothing. She felt like a fool for the way her heart fluttered from his intense gaze. Had she learned nothing? Flirting with a co-worker, her boss no less, and Declan James at that, was a new level of ridiculous. Won’t happen. Can’t happen.

  “Thanks for giving me a chance,” Sophia said, mostly because the silence was unnerving, but also because she needed a distraction from the butterflies flitting around in her stomach.

  “Didn’t have much choice. You told me I wouldn’t be sorry. Felt like a challenge,” he said.

  Sophia laughed and took a couple steps, so they were standing closer together. She had little doubt that he wouldn’t have hired her if he hadn’t wanted to. “You still like a challenge, huh? Same old Declan?” She remembered her brother and Declan getting into some interesting situations. According to the gossip, Declan never backed away from a dare.

  He frowned, crossed his arms over his chest. She did her best not to watch the way his muscles bunched when he did that.

  “You were just a little thing when your brother and I were hanging out. What do you know about the old Declan?”

  She tilted her head to the side. “I might have been younger, but all the girls talked about you. Including my sisters.”

  He groaned, making her laugh again. “And of course, everything that everyone said was absolutely true.”

  Crossing her own arms, she hoped she seemed more confident than she felt. “If that’s the case, then you deserve your legend status.”

  Like he felt uncomfortable, he ran a hand through his hair and rounded his desk. He pulled a second chair over and gestured for Sophia to sit beside him. He took the rolling office chair that had been tucked under the desk and opened his laptop. When he swiveled in his chair, their knees touched.

  If you’re going to work here, you need more than resolutions, you need some damn restraint. Okay, he’s hot. Duly noted and observed. He’s not the only hot man you’ve ever met. Though, she didn’t know any that she’d dreamt about at thirteen that would be able to inspire fantasies this many years later.

  “I’ll show you the scheduling. We’re down two waitresses, leaving us with only six. I have a stack of resumes I haven’t been able to get to, so that’ll be your first task. There are three bartenders including myself. We could probably use another, but maybe just a part-timer. I have a rotation of seven kitchen staff, but we need a dishwasher, like, yesterday.”

  Feeling more at ease with the conversation, Sophia leaned in to look at the spreadsheets he brought up. She inhaled a teasing hint of his sexy cologne. It was outdoorsy and crisp. It made her feel alive. Focus, Sophia. She’d heard the words so many times growing up that now, even when she only said it in her head, it was her father’s voice.

  “You bought a house,” she said.

  Declan turned his head. Their faces were close enough to share the same air, but neither of them moved back. “I did. Never thought I’d want the responsibility of a mortgage on something other than this place. But…I don’t know, in the last year or so, I’ve been restless. Like I needed more than a crash pad upstairs.”

  Perfect transition. “Cora mentioned that, too. That there’s an apartment upstairs. Any chance you’d consider renting it out?”

  Declan straightened in his chair and turned it so they were facing each other, knees almost touching. “To you?”

  She didn’t want to ask for favors, but she nodded.

  His lips tipped down. “I just signed a lease with a new tenant. If I’d known you were coming, I would have held off. Sorry.”

  Warmth flooded her cheeks. Could she possibly ask him for more in one day? “Please, don’t be sorry. I just thought I’d ask.”

  The furrow in his brow deepened. “But you’ll stay with your parents then, right?”

  Sophia looked at the spreadsheets and reached out to click the mouse. “The schedule looks straightforward in terms of staff. I’ll start looking through the resumes today and see about scheduling some interviews. I can look at your invoices, deliveries, and accounting. I’m guessing you don’t mind if I take over placing orders and reaching out to vendors?”

  She felt his eyes on hers but didn’t turn her head.

  “Sophia,” he said. His breath whispered over her cheek.

  “I’m good with taking over the books, as well. I’d like to take a look at what specials you run, which nights, and the different ways you’ve pulled in crowds over the last six months. It’s a new year, might be time to try some new things. Do you have bands?”

  He waited, and the only sounds were the gentle buzz of the computer and their combined breaths. Hopefully only she heard the heavy beat of her heart.

  His fingers came to her cheek, and he turned her to face him. It was a nothing touch, and he dropped his hand quickly. But the heat lingered in that spot. “Are you going to stay with your parents?”

  Stretching her mouth into a phony smile, she shook her head. “No. Would you move back in with your parents at twenty-eight?”

  He snorted out a laugh, leaned back in his chair, and gripped the armrests. “Not in this lifetime. I love them, but no way would I bunk with them again. But that’s different. I haven’t been gone ten years.”

  “I bet that even if you had, you wouldn’t crawl home.”

  Declan stared at her, his dark eyes too intense for the roller coaster of emotions Sophia was juggling. “Your parents—your family—love you, Sophia. Whatever happened, they’ll be thrilled you’re home. That their entire family is where they belong.”

  Her heart ached at the word “belong.” The feeling was an anomaly to her—the sense of rightness and certainty that came with knowing you were where you should be. She’d gotten tired of chasing that dream and decided if she wasn’t going to find it, she might as well be in Brockton where her family was.

  “What are you scared of?”

  Another word she detested. Even more, she hated feeling it. “I’m not scared. I’m an adult. I’ve moved back into town, and I’ve secured employment. Next on the list is a place to live. Then I can show up and tell them I’m just fine.”

  Declan reached over and took one of her hands. He rubbed his thumb over the back of it, and sensations tumbled around like her emotions. It wasn’t even noon yet. How could she feel so freaking much?

  “Are you?”

  Her eyes shot up to his. “Am I what?”

  He leaned into her space again, and she wondered what it would be like to press her mouth to his. It was hardly the first time she’d wondered if his lips were as soft as they looked. She wanted to run her hand along his strong, square jaw and feel the rasp of his stubble against her palm. Against her neck.

  “Are you fine?” His voice came out a husky whisper.

  Blinking back tears and taking a deep breath, she nodded. “I am. Stop worrying. I don’t need another big brother, Declan. I needed a job, you gave me one. And I stand by what I said, you won’t be sorry.”

  As they turned back to the spreadsheets and he showed her his accounting program, Sophia wondered if she’d be sorry. Sorry for coming back, for staying away, for keeping secrets. Stealing side glances at Declan while he spoke, she wondered what her life would have been like if she’d stayed. Would she have worked for her family, se
ttled down, married someone they approved of and had a happy little family? Like each of her siblings.

  Sophia put a hand to her stomach and swallowed the lump in her throat. No sense wondering “what if” when she had a whole hell of a lot of “what now” to face.

  Chapter Four

  Declan went about his day as usual: changing kegs, filling orders, chatting with customers, but everything felt different. Electrically charged. Sophia spent most of the morning getting comfortable with his computer programs and inventory. She’d already set up three interviews, and he could actually feel the noose of all the tedious chores he hated loosening. While that felt great, he also felt something else. Something he didn’t want to feel. Not for a buddy’s little sister who had trouble and sadness written all over her.

  Marcus talked about his family frequently. Mostly his wife and the kids if they were just shooting the breeze, but with them spending more time together perfecting their craft beer recipe, other family members came up. Whenever he mentioned Sophia, a wave of tension rode his words. Her family wanted her home—thought she belonged there—but that didn’t mean they weren’t all pissed that she’d up and left them. From Declan’s perspective, he didn’t see why they were holding it over her head. She’d spread her wings. That’s what kids were supposed to do.

  There were other families like the Strombis in Brockton Point. Families who believed everyone stayed in the same place, had dinner every Sunday, and raised their children alongside their cousins. If there was one available, they worked in the family business. Which was part of the reason Marcus hadn’t told his father about the craft beer, even though they were ready to test the market. Declan had always had the support he needed from his parents but felt like he might have responded similarly to Sophia if his mom or dad had tried to box him in.