Page 76 of Back To You

“Just because we’re a couple does not mean we are doing couple costumes.”

“But that’s the best part,” Luke whines, and I ignore the laughs of our friends at this silly exchange.

“No, thank you,” I politely say with a smile, batting my eyelashes for good measure, but the way Luke’s eyes darken, he knows I’m being anything but polite.

“Brat,” he mouths to me, our friends too busy talking about their potential costumes to notice us.

“Luke.” Emmett’s voice has both our heads turning. “I’ll be back, starting November.”

Luke nods, but I don’t miss the way his shoulders slightly sink. He still hasn’t figured out what he wants to do now that he officially gave up his place at the firm.

I think Luke surprised all of us with how well he did here at Lenny’s with Emmett gone. He took all the owner responsibilities in stride and kept the place running while training three new bartenders.

I’ve always known Luke was a capable leader. I watched it in high school when the guys chose him to be captain of the hockey team, and I’ve seen it with who he is as a person—he has an aura that people gravitate towards, a positivity and level-headedness that comes naturally to him.

I know he struggles with what he’s giving up at his dad’s firm, and I know it’s easy for people to assume he gave it up because it was too hard or because he wasn’t cut out for it.

But, the guy made it through law school with flying colors.

He didn’t choose Lenny’s or a job as a bartender over being a lawyer because he had to.

He did it because he wanted to.

“The warehouse next door has been vacant since Cross My Heart stopped practicing there,” Emmett adds, and it feels random.

After this past month, Emmett and Drew now own the whole building Lenny’s is in, buying the last space from a business that just moved to a different location, and leasing it out to a flower shop. The warehouse is on one side of Lenny’s, and they lease the other two spots to a pizza place that recently moved in next door and a bookstore at the end of the building that opened this past spring.

Emmett continues, slowly rocking side to side to keep Lennon asleep. “The couple who own the bookstore said it would be a good spot for a coffee shop.”

Luke nods his head again, not quite understanding what Emmett is trying to say.

Mia, Eddie, and I watch as Drew and Emmett exchange a glance before Drew jumps in to clarify, “What my husband istryingto say is that Elsie and Sierra suggested we lease the space in the warehouse to someone who could create a spot where people can read their books or buy a coffee before walking around the bookstore,” she tells Luke. “I’m not sure if owning a café is what you had in mind, but we’d give you full freedom to run it however you want. It would be yours.”

At the word “yours”, Luke’s eyes brighten, and happiness bursts in my chest at this opportunity and what it could mean for him.

And how it means so much more that it would be something he can do with Drew and Emmett, next to a place that means so much to all of us.

“You want to give me the space? To run?” His voice has a slight tremble as his eyes dart back and forth between Drew and Emmett, a mixture of disbelief and confusion but bright with hope.

“We’ve seen how well you handled everything here. We figured you’d be the best person for the job,” Emmett answers matter-of-factly, but we all know that Emmett doesn’t mince words; he doesn’t say much, but he means what he says.

“Again, what Emmett is trying to say is we know you’re the best person for the job, but we want you to be happy.” Drew reaches across the bar to where Luke is now standing, his mouth agape and eyes cloudy. She grabs his hand and squeezes. “We’re already so proud of you, but we know you deserve something of your own to be proud of.”

I feel pressure build behind my eyes watching Luke process Drew’s words and seeing the smiles on my friends faces—Mia, Eddie, and even Emmett all watch as Luke lets go of Drew’s hand to round the bar and wrap her in a hug.

“The place needs a lot of work, almost a total renovation, but we can help however you need,” Drew says as Luke lets go of her to look to Emmett who doesn’t do hugs often but holds Lennon in one arm as he wraps another around Luke.

I feel my heart expanding to the point of explosion at the moment, and I know this is exactly what Luke needed.

“I have my trust and my savings. I got this. I won’t let you guys down,” he tells Drew and Emmett, his voice heavy with emotion.

“We know you won’t,” Drew replies at the same time Emmett says, “You better not.”

“Shots!” Mia shouts, and we all laugh. She rounds the bar herself, pulling the bottle of tequila off the shelf as Eddie grabs six shot glasses and the bottle of gin.

As Mia and Eddie prep the lime for the shots, Luke closes the distance between us, pulling me into his arms and holding me tight, so many words passing between us without even opening our mouths.

I know how much this means to him.

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