Page 61 of Wasted

Without a word, he nodded and stepped to the side, clearing my path to the door.

I walked out the door, rode the elevator down, and slid into the cab before I lost control of the tears I'd been fighting all day.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Taylor

One month later…

Sadness washed over me as I stood in the middle of the bar's dining room. The water was gone, but the damage was done. Three days ago, the entire bar flooded, leaving me homeless, and the bar closed.

I'd spent the days since house shopping, which had gone terribly, and now it was time to deal with the bar, except I didn't even know where to start.

Walking to the back of the bar, I pushed open the office door and stepped into the room, taking inventory of all my waterlogged personal belongings.

I'd spent the last few days in our small town's motel. Bailey tried to talk me into staying with her at her parent's house, but I knew I wasn't welcome, and I didn't want to cause any more drama with their family. Grabbing a large box off the desk, I searched around the room for anything that wasn't destroyed that I could store in the hotel with me until it was safe to come back here or I found a place to live.

"Taylor," Bailey called out.

"Back here," I shouted.

It was silent until she appeared in the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing if anything is salvageable," I said without looking up.

"Tay," Bailey said, her tone filled with pity. "Everything is ruined." I didn't bother responding. I knew she was right, but I felt I needed to check before throwing everything away. "Could you take a break and come talk to me out front?"

My gaze lifted, narrowing on her. The tone of her voice shifted from pity to seriousness. "Is something wrong?" My chest tightened as I held my breath. My immediate thought going to Cole. "No." She shook her head, and I released my breath. "I just need to talk to you about something I've been thinking about for a while."

"Uh, yeah." I set the box back on the desk before following her back to the front of the bar. I slid into a bar stool, and she poured us a glass of whiskey. I was hoping this wasn't another talk about Cole. I wasn't sure my fragile heart could handle it today. Since I left Nashville, I hadn't seen or spoken to Cole. Even though a small part of me hoped he would come after me, he'd moved on with his life, and I was desperately trying to move on with mine. "So, what's up?"

She slid the glass across the bar to me and brought the other glass to her lips, sipping the dark liquor. "I wanted to talk to you about the bar."

"If you want a game plan," I shrugged, "I don't have one yet."

"No." She shook her head. She paused as her gaze dropped to her drink. "I wanna buy it from you."

My mouth opened, but my words lodged in my throat. A few months ago, or maybe a year from now, I wouldn't be opposed to selling the bar, but right now, the bar was literally the onlything I had left, and it was the last thing that tied me to the Montgomery family.

It was also the only thing Bailey and Cole had left of their brother, and I wasn't sure I could deny her that.

"Are you sure, Bailey? I mean, the bar is in bad shape and needs a lot of work on top of the water damage."

"I've been thinking about it for a few months, and I'm a hundred percent sure unless you truly want to keep the bar. But if you don't, I want it."

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't want the bar. I'd never wanted it, but it was Caleb's, and when I married him, I signed up to take on the bar, even though I didn't want it. I had nothing else. If I sold her the bar, what was I going to do? Get a regular nine-to-five job, or would I keep working in the bar only as an employee?

"Look, I know you're probably freaking out a little," Bailey said. "But don't. I do not want to take the bar if you really want to continue to work here, but if you don't, and there's something else you want to do with your life. You're free. I want to take on Caleb's bar."

I huffed out a small laugh. "I don't know what I would want to do anymore." My gaze dropped to my glass. "I used to know. I had it all planned out," my gaze lifted to meet hers, "but that all changed the day I married Caleb."

"What's your dream, Taylor?"

"I don't know anymore." My phone chimed, distracting me. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone.

"Who is it?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. It's an unknown number." I pulled the phone to my ear. "Hello."

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