She jerked her head toward Noah. “Except you’ll be sittin’ at the bar in your brother’s section.”
“Not true. I’m sitting in your section.” He pulled out a chair at the neighboring table and plopped down. “I’m not tipping him. Just you. In fact, here it is in advance.” He slapped a bill on the table with a wink.
Dixie pocketed the five-note with one slick motion. “What can I get you?”
“The usual. Only would you mind serving it at the bar, in my brother’s section? In fact, I’ll just have him pour since he’s standing right there.” He rapped the table twice with his knuckles and rose to his feet. “Thanks, Dix.”
After pushing the chair back into position, he sauntered toward Noah. Behind him, Dixie shook her head, but her lips twitched with a smile as she muttered, “Hunnicutts.”
Charlie slid onto a stool facing Noah. “You look like you could use a drink, bro.”
“Funny you should mention it.” Noah filled two pint glasses to the rim and slid one toward Charlie. Then he raised his glass in a toast and slugged down a third of the cold brew.
One of Charlie’s eyebrows slanted. “Another shitty day, I take it?”
Noah waited until Dixie was out of earshot. “Yep.”
“Remind me why you decided to open a bar in the first place?”
“You sound like Dad.”
“I’m not Dad, but Iamserious. Tell me why.”
“Charlie, I know what you’re trying to do, and I’m not playing your psych patient.”
Noah knew this game. Charlie wanted him to recall all the whys that had excited him when he’d first dreamed up this project so he could recover some of that magic. The reasons were many and too varied to make sense, and now Noah found himself at that familiar edge, wondering—again—why he’d jumped off this particular bridge. He hadn’t splatted yet, but the ground was rushing up fast. Not that he would admit any of this to his little brother.
“Humor me.”
“It’s what I know,” Noah blurted. When he’d beenencouragedto drop his classes—his counselor had advised dropping out before Noah gotkickedout to help his resume—he’d needed to keep up appearances. Unlike his wiser brothers, who had invested their equally generous trust funds, the money for tuition and room and board had already been spent,leaving him access to the pittance that remained. Attending college in Puerto Rico had offered many perks, including a drinking age of eighteen, and for the rest of that school year he’d filled in the financial gaps by tending bar. Not only had the move kept his parents from discovering he’d flunked out, it had also provided everything he’d needed: money, lots of alcohol, and more women than he’d known what to do with—everything except the report card his parents expected. The good times rolled … until his folksdidfind out, and the good times crashed and burned.
“I’ve seen bars that were well run and ones that weren’t. I figured I knew enough to make a go of it. What Ididn’tfigure on was the current staffing shortage and the supply-chain headaches.”
Charlie shook his head. “Shit, and don’t I know about those shortages.”
The front door opened, and in waltzed Micky the mechanic, whom Noah had known since they were in diapers. He pointed at Noah’s beer. “Got one of those for me?”
“I don’t know. You paying for it with cash or your own credit this time?” Out of the side of his mouth, he muttered to Charlie, “I also didn’t figure on how many so-called buddies expected free booze.”
Micky spread his hands wide. “Aw, c’mon, Noah. How long have we been friends?”
“Not as long as your tab, dude. I can’t afford to keep pouring you drinks for free.”
Micky’s eyes widened. “You’ve been running atab? I thought those drinks were on the house for all the favors I’ve done for you.”
“Such as?” Noah planted his palms on the edge of the bar.
Micky eased onto the stool beside Charlie. “There was that one time sophomore year, remember? I hauled your ass out of the mud when you got your parents’ Jeep stuck. You weren’t supposed to be driving—didn’t even have your permit. And if they’d caught you …” He punched his fist into his palm. “And then there was the time when we were seniors—”
“Mick, if you have to gothatfar back, then it’s an even bet we’re square.” Noah’s tone was as dry as Death Valley.
Charlie glanced over his shoulder at Micky. “Yeah, I can remember Reece haulingyourass out of trouble more than once.” He flicked his eyes to Noah’s. “Yours too.”
“I never said he didn’t,” Noah chuffed. “’Course, let’s not forget I’m the one who earnedyouyour first Game Boy by selling shit door-to-door for school when you were too fucking chicken to even knock at our neighbors’ houses.”
“Rub it in, smartass.” Charlie slid a look Micky’s way before raising his gaze back to Noah’s. “Add a pint—justone—to my tab for the mechanic. There’s always a chance we’ll need his services someday.”
Noah snatched a clean glass and pulled the Coors handle.
