Page 57 of Summer Affair
Oh, Clay remembered it. It was graffiti meets speakeasy, and it was awful. But their dad loved it. “Every time a new customer would come in, Dad would tell them that his son painted it.”
Owen laughed. “He acted like I’d painted the Sistine Chapel.”
“To him, it was. Dad didn’t know a lot about art, but he knew even before you did what kind of career you’d have.” Clay leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “He wouldn’t want you to do this if you didn’t love it.”
Owen took a big breath. “I love this place. I see him everywhere. I’m just a little stressed out tonight.”
“You’re stressed out all the time, and this is an observation coming from a guy who’s never here.”
“I just have to get through this month, then things will be running smoothly again.”
“I bet if I asked Josh, he’d say you told him the same thing last month.”
While Clay might not always be here, Josh was the brother who made sure everyone had their head above water. But clearly, Owen had slipped through the cracks lately. Maybe it was that the family was growing, his brothers’ lives were changing, but Clay got the distinct impression that Owen’s problems had been going on a hell of a lot longer than a month. And no one had noticed.
“Why don’t you hire someone to help with the grunt work, help with the schedule, and running the bar.” He held up a hand. “Maybe just for a few nights a week.”
“When you find an honest, trained, stand-up person who will run this thing, and not into the ground, you let me know. Until then, let me deal with payroll in peace.”
“In the spirit of getting you laid, because you seriously need to get laid, bro, let me take out an ad and interview a few people.”
Owen chuckled. “You don’t even know what this bar needs. How are you going to help?”
“Now you’re just being a control freak.”
“You think I don’t want help? The last three managers I had to fire for different reasons. Skimming the till, giving their friends shit on the house. I’m a lover, not a hater. Do you know how it feels to fire someone? It sucks.”
For a people pleaser like Owen, with a sensitive side that the guys usually gave him a hard time for, it would more than suck. It would go against his very core. Clay was starting to see the bigger picture and understand why Owen was being so stubborn about the whole situation.
“What? Do they say mean things to you on the play yard?” Clay teased to bring a lightness to the situation that he knew Owen needed. And his brother laughed and some of those stress lines softened.
“Seriously, who’s running my bar?” Owen stood and moved to leave the office. Clay used his good leg and kicked the door closed before he could escape.
“Chill out. It’s being handled.” When Owen didn’t look convinced, he said, “Jillian is running it so that I could put my leg up. So if she asks, I’m elevating my knee.”
Owen burst out laughing, then sat back down. “And you think I’m the one who needs help.”
Chapter Seventeen
Resolutions from Jillian’s Journal
Flirt with a man without falling
for said man.
“Have I mentioned I might have a little issue with plummeting to my death?”
It was a legitimate statement since they were driving onto a small, private airstrip. In the near distance, she could see a row of airplanes and on the first hangar door was written,Tandem Thrills Skydiving.
Clay turned to look at her. “Don’t worry. You won’t be jumping out of a plane.”
“Then what will we be doing?”
“It’s a surprise.” His hand had slid across the console to rest on her leg the second they’d gotten on the freeway and he hadn’t moved it since, except when his pinkie moved up and down her thigh, edging closer to the hem of her skirt. This time he gave a reassuring squeeze.
What began as a simple physical connection quickly turned into foreplay. By the time they arrived at their destination, her body was humming.
“I also have a little issue with surprises. You never know what to expect.”
