Page 25 of As the Years Pass

Emmet smiles fondly, nodding. I give him my back and feel him watching me until I step up onto my porch.

Chapter Nine

Emmet

Seeing Adam with his kids threw me off kilter. I don’t know why; it wasn’t that big of a deal. I mean, they’re just kids.

But they’rehiskids. He made them. They are part of him. And they’re cute as fuck. I don’t know if you’re supposed to say that about kids, because fuck is a rough word, but damn, they are beautiful. That little boy looks so much like Adam, and Judy definitely looks like her mom, except for her eyes. She has Adam’s crystal blue eyes, and she is going to kill men with those things when she gets older.

Adam is so screwed.

“We all good to open?” Pete asks, popping his head into the office.

“Yeah, all good here,” I say.

“You hanging out all night tonight?”

I raise a brow. “Why? You trying to do illegal shit?”

He chuckles. “No, you’re just here all the time. You should, I don’t know, go out or something.”

I shake my head. “This place needs a lot of work if I plan to make a living off it.”

“And one night won’t kill you. It’s beautiful tonight. Go walk around the pier or something. Make some friends. Get some fresh air. Eat a fucking hot dog.”

Leaning back in my chair, I watch him with a smirk. He waves me off, then leaves.

It doesn’t sound like a bad idea, and I don’t hate the idea of a hot dog, honestly. Walking around wouldn’t be terrible, it just sucks doing it alone. Going out and making friends would be a good idea, but I don’t have time for friends and honestly, I’m not great at making them. I spot my cell on the desk and pick it up.

My bartender is kicking me out.

Adam

Rude.

Adam

But why?

He says I need to go make friends.

Adam

Not a bad idea.

I consider inviting him out, asking if he wants to take the kids to go get food or something, but I don’t want to impede on his time with them. He doesn’t see them much, and I doubt hewants me around and in the way when he does. If he wants me around at all.

Maybe next time you don’t have the kids, we can do something.

The bubbles bounce, stop, bounce again. I stare at my phone, but nothing comes in. So I shut my laptop down, pocket my phone, and grab my keys to head out to the bar.

“Hey, Bar Daddy!” Nathanial shouts as I step out from the back room. He whistles loudly too.

I roll my eyes and wave at him and the guys. “Call if you need anything,” I tell Pete.

“Bar Daddy is being demanding!” Nathanial shouts, and I get out of there before he says something that makes me blush.

I am starting to learn, though, the more I give it back, the more they settle. I just feel like I need to establish myself first, before I let loose. Let them know that I’m taking all this seriously, and that it isn’t all fun and games just yet. I’ll have time to get friendly with them when the bar is where I want it to be.