Page 45 of Comeback
“No.” He shakes his head. “My mom was into it. She played a lot of rock at the bar.”
“The Tipsy Rose?” I ask.
Archer’s lips twist in surprise.
“Brogan mentioned it. Several times.” And told me a lot of stories about Rose Holland, Archer’s mom and the woman who took him in when his parents kicked him out.
His grin widens. “Ah. It was called Rosie’s Place back then.”
“Your oldest brother runs it now?” I ask, though I’m fairly certain I remember all the details correctly.
“That’s right. Hendrick. He and his wife Jane own it. Brogan bartended there during our last year at Valley U.”
“I’ll bet he was a good bartender.”
Archer comes over and takes the mop from me. I don’t even protest. My arms are killing me.
“Of course he was. There isn’t a lot your brother isn’t good at.” He glances over his shoulder while he works on scrubbing the dirt from the wall.
I move to lean against the freshly cleaned area so he doesn’t have to crane to look at me while we continue talking.
“I’m starting to think I would have had a serious complex about being the less successful sibling if we’d grown up together.” I’m only half-teasing.
“Nah. He has this way about him of never making people feel less than. I should know. We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember. He’s always been taller, smarter, more likable. He’s special, but if he knows it, he never acts like it.”
“You’re a good friend to him.”
“Only because he taught me how to be.”
My brows pinch together in confusion as I try to decipher his meaning.
“After I lost my hearing, I pretty much stopped making any effort to talk to people. I felt awkward and weird. I wasn’t very good at reading lips yet and I struggled to keep up in conversations, and just about any social situation was more effort than it was worth.”
My heart squeezes for him. That had to have been a hard adjustment.
“I only kept playing football because of Brogan. He was this big, goofy kid. He was pretty much the same as he is now. He had more confidence than should be legal, would do anything to get a laugh, and was always at the center of attention.”
I smile, imagining it. It’s not hard to picture.
“He had this knack for including me without making me feel like I was some charity case. And once he included me, the other guys did too. He showed up to practice one day and had learned how to sign all the play names. I’m still not sure why he did it.”
When he finishes talking, Archer’s face takes on a slight blush like he’s embarrassed he just shared so much. He clears his throat. “Anyway, Poison.”
It takes me a second to remember we got on this topic from the music. I listen for a few seconds, nodding my head along. “I don’t really like rock music.”
He grabs at his chest and makes a wounded face as he sings, “Shot through the heart and you’re to blame.”
“Uh…”
“Never mind.” He shakes his head. “Sabrina, Sabrina. You have so much to learn.”
The way he says my name, even teasingly, makes goosebumps spread over my skin.
“I’m sorry,” I say with a laugh. “It’s hard to dance to unless you want to play air guitar and head bang.”
“Never knock a good air guitar.” The corners of his lips twitch and spread wide again.
Then we just stare at each other while the rock music continues to blare in the background.
