Page 39 of The Lilac River

By Friday night, however, I was a caffeine-fueled, nerve-frayed shell of a teacher. I needed a drink. Or five.

"God, I need this drink," Cassidy groaned dramatically as we shoved through the doors of Downtown Bar & Grill. She didn’t hesitate to muscle her way through the Friday night crowd. Images of bygone nights spent here flashed through my mind. The kid’s nights that Brad the owner held for us high school kids. The smell of burgers and fries in the air as Nash and I gazed at each other over the table.

Not much had changed. The same smell lingered, the tables looked the same and in the corner was still a pool table. The bar looked like it had a new top but otherwise I could have been eighteen again, sneaking in vodka to drink with our coke.

"Right, what are you drinking?" Leaning on the bar, Cassidy nudged me and jerked her chin toward the bartender. "Delaney’s ass. It’s a work of art," she whispered.

I laughed despite myself. "Pretty sure I'm not allowed to notice. I babysat him when he was still eating Play-Doh."

"God, I forgot you're local," Cassidy said, scandalized. "You’re like Silver Peaks royalty."

"Hardly," I chuckled.

Delaney made his way over, his grin wide when he caught sight of me.

"Lily? Damn, it’s been forever!" he said, reaching across to fist bump me.

"Hey, Delaney. You look good," I said genuinely. "How are your folks?"

"Still checking in from their Florida vacation every day," he said, laughing. "And they’re gonna lose their minds when I tell them you're back."

Cassidy ordered without hesitation, a bottle of white wine, and four shots of tequila. I raised my eyebrows at the "four."

"Survival drinks," she said. "It’s tradition after the first week."

Delaney leaned in and grinned. "First round’s on me. Welcome home."

I tried to protest but he waved me off. "Soon to be owner privileges."

"Buying this place?" I said, impressed.

"In a couple of weeks, it’s mine. Brad is retiring to go fishing."

Cassidy nudged me again, hard. "See? He's successful and he has a great butt. What’s not to love?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No way. I built Lego castles with that kid. I’d feel like a criminal."

She pouted dramatically. "Fine. We’ll find you someone else."

I was about to argue when Cassidy’s gaze sharpened over my shoulder.

"Oh, sweet mercy," she whispered. "Hold on to your panties, Lily. One of the single dads just walked in. Unfortunately, with his idiot brother but…" she shrugged in that ‘when life gives you lemons’ kind of way.

I turned and the world tilted.

Nash.

He strode through the door like he owned every molecule of air, jeans hugging strong legs, dark t-shirt stretched over broad shoulders, his hair just the wrong side of neat.

Gunner and Wilder flanked him, laughing at something. Three brothers, older than I remembered, but still unmistakably them.

“Oh shit,” I muttered.

"You know him?" Cassidy asked.

"Yeah," I said softly. “I know all three of them.”

Too well. I knew them too well.

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