to the cooler and step back into the hallway. I take a few minutes in the bathroom to make sure my eyes don’t look too red from crying, and I head back into the bar.
Colton looks up from the book he’s reading, and I can tell he wants to talk about it. But this is one secret I’d rather take to the grave. Daddy and I worked so hard to make sure no one knew about my stupid mistake all those years ago, and I’d rather not start talking about it now.
I’d much rather go on pretending it never happened.
He starts to walk over, but I shake my head. He stops short and frowns. I know he just wants to help, but I’m beyond help right now. I need time to clear my head and come up with a plan. I need to talk to my dad and figure out how we’re going to handle this.
Bryan-Freaking-Thompson is back in town to stay.
I suddenly realize that pretending it never happened is no longer going to be an option.
Chapter Nine
I have been looking forward to Sunday all week, and as I pull up to the lake house, I feel every muscle in my body relax. Last night was another killer night for the bar, and I’m looking forward to a day of rest and fun at the lake.
Daddy thinks I’ve been working too hard, but I don’t want anything to mess up this streak of good business we’ve been having lately. He suggested I hire a few more people to work the bar, but ever since he gave me more responsibility in running the place, it’s been hard to let go of my control and let someone else run it for the night. Even when Knox is there on my night off, I still stress out that something will go wrong. I usually end up making the short walk from our house to check on things, anyway.
We don’t usually open up until six on Saturdays, which is nice, but we’re open at five on the weekdays. On my evenings off, I often have some kind of catering event planned, so it’s never really a night off. I cherish my Sundays more than anything these days.
The weather has been brutal this summer with temperatures in the hundreds, so the fact that the forecast said to expect a high of seventy-eight today makes me almost giddy with excitement.
Knox and Leigh Anne are setting things up in the kitchen when I arrive, my hands full of groceries.
“Am I the first one here?” I ask. I’m surprised because Daddy left the house at least half an hour before I did. He said he needed to get gas and pick up a few things, but I still thought he’d beat me out here.
Knox gives me a brief hug and helps me unpack the bags of food. “I cannot wait to taste your new recipe,” he says.
“I spent most of the summer perfecting it, so I really think you’ll like it,” I say.
“What is it?” Leigh Anne asks.
“A new coleslaw recipe,” I say. “I made a huge batch yesterday morning. If you like it, I’ll leave some here for you.”
“Mmmm. This is freaking amazing.” I turn and see that Knox has already located the coleslaw and dipped his spoon into it.
“Hey, that’s supposed to be for lunch,” I say. “Get your grubby hands out of my slaw.”
I grab the container from him and cover it back up, sticking it in the fridge.
“I was eating that,” he protests.
“Which is why I took it from you.” I grab the spoon from his hand and wave it at him. “No sampling the food before everyone is here and the whole meal is ready to go.”
I set a pan on the stove, and when I turn around again, I see that Knox has opened another container and is sniffing the contents.
“Knox!” I sigh. “Leigh Anne, can you control your boyfriend for me, please? He’s going to ruin his appetite.”
Leigh Anne laughs and throws her hands up. “I can never control him around your food,” she says. “It’s your own fault for making everything so delicious.”
“Is this the sauce for the ribs?” he asks. “I’ve been dying for this recipe. When are you going to share it with me?”
“No way.” I pull the container out of his hands and he frowns. “Secret family recipe.”
“I am your family,” he says. He quickly dips his spoon into the sauce and sneaks a taste before I