Page 80 of The Fall Back Plan
“Looking like we’ll have a solid night,” he says.
Bonnie is thrilled because she gets to serve previews of her dishes, and several tables demand she come out so they can pay their compliments.
No one outright apologizes to me because it would mean admitting they believed the story in the first place, but I don’t need them to. They show they’re sorry by being extra friendly and tipping generously. Ry had called in Daniel at 6:00 to help with the crowd, and the laughter and conversation go strong until around 9:00. Not at all bad for a Tuesday. When I run a report in the office around 10:00, it shows it’s our best Tuesday since we opened.
It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.
No. Better than that. Everything is good.
And if I can pull off my plan for Thursday night, then maybe, for the first time for me in Harvest Hollow, everything will be perfect.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lucas
Popsstartstryingtoshove me out of the door almost as soon as I walk through it after work on Thursday.
“Don’t you have that trivia night at 7:00? You better get on it.”
“I barely got home.”
“Well, yeah. But you have to change and, you know, fix stuff.”
“Fix what?” I have no idea what he’s talking about. I can fix things, but he likes to. I don’t even know what’s broken.
“Your hair. You got hat hair.”
I stare at him, totally confused.
“You need to brush your hair and get ready for trivia night.”
“It’s true,” Brooklyn says. “You need to fix your hair.”
“I’m feeling picked on,” I say.
“You’ve heard worse from the rougher elements of Harvest Hollow. Go brush your hair.”
Maybe in spite of their urging rather than because of it, I make it to the Mockingbird fifteen minutes before trivia starts. It’s the first time I’ve been here in my civilian clothes, and it feels good to come as a private citizen, no problems to solve.
None except Jolie.
I’m not worried, exactly. Janice Sullivan laid a lot on her, and while I think most of it will help Jolie in some healing, she hasn’t come to talk to me about it. I wish she would. I wish she could know how ready I am to listen to anything she wants to tell me. I wish I could tell her that my more-than-friends feelings started the second she pinned me with a glance that first night and kicked me out of her bar.
I knew then. She’d captured my attention in a way no woman ever has. I was telling her the truth when I said I’d never been in love but I’d know when I was, and that I would be all in. The moment I’d been sure was when she said she couldn’t date me because she needed to be there for Brooklyn.
I know she’s going to take more time to get there. She guards her heart more fiercely than anyone I’ve ever known, and there may even be a chance that she’ll never open it to me at all. But I don’t think so. My instincts tell me that there’s more than just a mutual attraction at play here. I think she’d fall for me if she let herself.
Will she? I hope so.Whenwill she?
I sigh as I step into the bar. There is absolutely no telling with Jolie McGraw. I’d thought we’d have texted or chatted by now, but I’ve heard nothing from her since I walked her to her truck Monday night. Maybe I should have brought her those pens? I know I need to let her set the pace on this, but I admit I’m glad I have a reason to be on her turf tonight to get a read on her, see what kind of energy she’s giving off.
Mary Louise nods when I come in. “Sheriff.”
“I’m just Lucas tonight.”
“If you say so, Sheriff. I believe some of your teammates have already arrived.”
The tables have been reconfigured to face the stage. I don’t think they’ve started booking live acts yet, so this must be the first time putting it to use.
