Page 78 of Major Love

Yeah, we all know why Case bought this bar, and Sunday helping us finish it off without knowing what this project is… it’s a little ironic. But then again, maybe it’s perfect, so I don’t intend on trying to stop her, and I also have no intention of telling Case about what his sister is doing.

I flick the light switch with two fingers and the room instantly flushes with a warm glow – and it’s goddamn perfect for the kind of bar where small towners will want to hang out at the weekends. It’s beautiful and intimate, while still having some of its original dive-bar appeal. Nothing flash – just dark wood panelling on the walls, rich red booths, and sexy lighting.

Not only is Case going to love it, Sunday is going to love it too.

And the guys are thinking the exact same thing that I am.

Beckett glances around and lets out a low whistle. “Place looks damn good.”

We all used to come here when it was under its old ownership, and I love that Case bought it from the old couple and asked us to revive it in small-town style.

I switch the lights back off and join the crew leaning against the tables.

“Sunday’s going to plan it and get all of the, you know” – I gesture vaguely toward the bare wooden walls – “things for us to put up in here.”

“What kind of things?” Mitch asks, flicking his gaze toward the wood that he’s spent the past month working on.

I give him a dry look. “She’s not gonna fuck up the wood, man. Trust her on this. She spent over a decade working in Tennessee, turning that bar that her mom and step-dad loved so much intothemost-decorated bar in the whole of Nashville.”

He looks at me in alarm. “What the fuck do you mean, ‘most decorated’?”

“Jesus Christ.” My chest heaves on a deep inhale. “I mean decorated with accolades, not fucking neon signs. Sunday’s country bar was the most inconspicuous on the whole of Broadway. Which is probably why everyone in Nashville fell so damn in love with it.”

Beckett raises an eyebrow at me. “Sounds like you know an awful lot about it.”

I don’t bite the bait, because I know what he’s subtly suggesting.

If you’re so familiar with Sunday’s bar… you must have gone to see it for yourself.

I flick him an irate look and then turn my attention back to Mitch.

“It’s not going to take much work. I trust that Sunday will keep it simple. It’ll be the organising everyone to arrive on time that’ll probably be the hardest part.”

Knox watches me for a beat and then finally gives me a nod. Mitch does too.

And I know that they’re on board.

We all grab our shit and Mitch locks up as we head to the town square’s snow-covered lot. I secure one of the ladders in the frosted bed of my truck and pull open my door as Knox tips his chin at me.

“You get the power fixed at Casey’s place?” he asks over the hood of his car.

I toss my toolbox in the back and nod. “Yeah. Got it done this morning. Half the town went down so it took the power guys a while to stop by.”

It gave Madden and me time to finish up Casey’s yard though, so we’re flying through our winter workload. Meaning that, before the spring hits, we might actually get a full week off.

I’ll still be doing the last of the winter calls with the search-and-rescue department, but at least Mad will get a little time off with his girl. Plus, we’re about a week away from finishing up the annex at the ranch and Madden’s clearly fucking stoked about it because he’s been working harder than the Terminator today.

And I know the feeling because, even though Sunday will probably be heading back to Casey’s place tonight, the tickets to Phoenix Falls’ annual Valentine’s outdoor cinema screening went on sale this morning, and I managed to grab us a pair before they all sold out.

The second that I get back to my place I’m going to ask her if she’s up for it and, if she says yes, I’ll have a good idea of where we stand.

Because there’s no way you’d hang out with someone on Valentine’s Day and not call it a date.

I hunch inside my car, insert the key, and hit the pedal, and then the drive through town is decent seeing as the roads have been cleared.

We finished up early this afternoon, considering that sometimes we’re not done until way after five. When you’re running your own team and a client’s given you full reins on a project, as the lead it can be hard to let yourself finish up for the day. There’s always something that needs looking at, or something that one of the guys wants you to fix, but seeing as Casey’s bar is almost good to go, I don’t have a single thing holding me back from getting to Sunday.

And around forty-five minutes later, I pull up through the clearing, the snow-topped pines swaying overhead.

---