Page 36 of Break My Heart (The Haydon Falls #2)

Sawyer

‘Go ahead and take your break,’ I say to Wade as I go behind the bar.

As he leaves, I grab a bar mop to wipe down the counters. Wade’s a great bartender, but he’s not good at cleaning up.

‘Sawyer,’ Tom says as he gets up from the bar to leave. ‘Good luck tomorrow!’

‘Thanks. You gonna be there?’

‘No, I gotta work.’ He drops some money on the bar. ‘See ya later.’

‘Yeah, see ya.’ I watch as he walks to the door. Tom comes here a few times a week and always acts like he wants us to be friends, but there’s just something about him that bothers me.

‘Sawyer!’ Mr. Hendrick yells. He was my high school algebra teacher. He’s retired now. ‘Good luck at the competition!’

‘Thanks!’ I give him a wave as he goes out the door.

People have been wishing me luck all week. The hard cider competition is tomorrow and people around town are placing bets that I’ll win. Nobody thinks Gina will win, but I think she could. If her hard cider is as good as her beer, she has a better chance of winning than I do.

‘Give me the pale ale,’ a guy says as I’m cleaning the area around the taps.

I turn around and see my dad there. ‘Hey. This is a surprise.’

He chuckles. ‘Your mom said I was hanging around the house too much. She sent me to town to get me out of her hair for an hour or two.’

‘Don’t you have to be getting ready for tomorrow?’

‘Nah, your brother’s handling that. Nick has the place running like a well-oiled machine. I was never that organized. The kid’s a natural at running the orchard, like he’s been doing it his whole life.’

‘He kind of has. He was always out following you around when we were kids.’

‘Yeah, he sure was, wasn’t he?’ Dad smiles, remembering those times.

‘Pale ale?’ I grab a glass. ‘Is that what you wanted?’

‘Yeah, that sounds good.’

I get his beer and set it down in front of him. ‘So Mom kicked you out, huh? What’d you do? Break something?’

‘Actually,’ he rubs his jaw, ‘that story isn’t completely true.’

‘What do you mean?’

He takes a drink of his beer. ‘Your mom and I are concerned about you.’

‘Why? The place is doing great. It’s not as busy as it was during the festival, but I’m making a good profit.’

‘I’m not talking about the brewery.’ He sets his beer down.

‘Then why are you worried?’

‘Sawyer, you’re a stubborn kid. Always have been. You get an idea in your head and can’t let it go. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Like you opening this brewery. You were determined to do it and kept working on it until it happened.’

‘Yeah? So what are you saying?’

‘That your stubbornness isn’t always good. Sometimes you need to give people another chance.’

‘What people are we talking about?’

He gives me a look that says I already know the answer. I do, but I don’t want to talk about her.

A few days ago I told Nick what happened with Gina and he told our whole family. I don’t care if they know. In fact, I was hoping it would make them stop trying to get me back together with her, but apparently it hasn’t.

I shake my head. ‘Dad, you don’t know the situation. You weren’t there. You didn’t see her with that other guy.’

‘You could at least give the girl a chance to explain.’

‘I did, and she said there’s nothing going on with her and her ex. But if that were true, then why does he keep showing up here? And why doesn’t she tell me when he’s here instead of trying to cover it up?’

‘I don’t know what her reasoning is, but I do know that she cared about you. I could see it whenever you two were over at the house. A girl that feels that way about you wouldn’t do something to hurt you.’

‘I’m not saying she did it intentionally. Maybe in her mind it was okay to go out with me and still go out with that other guy. I thought I made it clear we were exclusive, but maybe it wasn’t as clear as I thought.’

‘You see what I mean?’ Dad slaps his hand on the bar. ‘You’re stubborn as an ox. You won’t even consider that this girl might be telling the truth.’

‘Dad, I saw them together. She can say whatever she wants, but it doesn’t change what I saw. ’

‘And what exactly did you see them doing?’

‘They were talking, but he had his hand on her arm. And they were standing closer than you’d stand if you were just friends.’

‘So you’re giving up a girl you really care about because another man touched her arm and stood too close?’ He huffs. ‘Ridiculous.’

‘It’s not ridiculous. What about the lying? That doesn’t matter? I’m just supposed to forget about that?’

‘You ever consider that maybe the man really did just show up here? What do you know about him?’

‘Not much. Gina said he’s selfish and paid more attention to his brewpubs than her. It was one of the reasons they broke up.’

‘So he’s selfish. Selfish people don’t care if they mess up your plans. They show up when they want.’

‘That’s not a universal truth.’

‘No, but it’s possible, isn’t it?’

‘I guess. Maybe.’

‘So stop assuming you know what happened and hear her out.’

‘Can I get another?’ a guy at the end of the bar says as he holds up his glass.

I get him his beer, then walk back to my dad.

‘Dad, I know you’re just trying to help, but Gina and I are over.’

‘And that’s what you want?’

‘No, but I don’t want to be with someone I can’t trust.’

‘But you expect her to trust you.’

‘I didn’t do anything for her not to.’

‘She trusted you to believe her, not assume you know everything. But if you think you know best, then go ahead. Let her go.’ He takes a drink of his beer, then reaches in his pocket and sets a ten dollar bill on the counter .

‘Dad, you don’t have to pay me.’

He gets up from the barstool and points to the money. ‘That’s for Gina. If she comes here, tell her the first drink’s on me.’

He walks out, stopping briefly to talk to Hal, the guy who owns the hardware store. I pocket the money. I’ll leave it at his house next time I’m there. Family doesn’t pay for beer. It’s a rule.

I grab the bar mop and continue cleaning, feeling annoyed with my dad. Why is he believing Gina instead of me? I saw her with that guy. Both times she lied and didn’t tell me he was here. If there was nothing going on, why would she lie to me?

‘Want another?’ I ask a guy sitting at the bar with an empty glass.

‘No, I’m heading out.’ He sets some cash down for the bill, then nods toward the end of the bar. ‘I think that girl’s trying to get your attention.’

I look over and see Gina sitting there. She looks beautiful, her long dark hair down around her shoulders, her lips covered in a soft pink gloss. She’s wearing a cream-colored sweater and brown leather jacket. God, I’ve missed her.

Walking down there, I pretend she’s just like any other customer. ‘What can I get you?’

‘I’ll take the stout.’ She’s staring at me, but I won’t look at her. She’s a customer. That’s it. I just need to get her the beer and go away.

I fill the glass, then set it down in front of her. ‘Enjoy.’

As I’m walking away, I hear her voice. ‘Sawyer.’

‘What do you need?’ I ask, keeping my back to her.

‘To say something.’

‘There’s nothing to say.’

‘Sawyer, please.’

I walk back to her and stand across from her, my arms crossed. ‘Did my dad send you here? ’

‘Your dad? What are you talking about?’

‘Forget it. Just say what you need to say.’

‘I just wanted to wish you luck tomorrow. I know we both want to win, but if it’s you instead of me, I’ll be happy for you.’

‘Great. Thanks,’ I say, keeping my eyes on the bar and not her.

But I can smell her perfume and it’s bringing back memories of having her in my arms, and in my bed.

Forcing those thoughts from my head, I reach in my pocket and take out the money my dad left, setting it on the counter.

‘This is for the beer. My dad insisted he buy you one if you came in. He was just here so .?.?. there you go.’

‘Tell him thanks.’

I nod, but don’t say anything.

‘So how was the rest of the festival?’

‘Good. Nick proposed to Lyndsay.’

‘Yeah, Lyndsay told me.’

‘You talked to Lyndsay?’

‘She stopped by G’s last week to say hi. She showed me the ring. It’s beautiful.’

‘Sawyer, I’m back,’ Wade yells from the other end of the bar.

‘I need to go get some work done,’ I say to Gina.

‘Sawyer, I really need to talk to you,’ she says, sounding desperate. ‘Just give me two minutes and then I’ll leave.’

‘Go ahead. What do you want to say?’

‘I don’t want to talk here. Can we go in the back?’

I hesitate, concerned that if we’re alone together in the back room I might do something stupid like kiss her. I’d like to think I have more self-control than that, so I agree to it.

‘Let’s go,’ I tell her, not waiting for her as I go to the back. I stop just past the door. I’m not taking her in my office. It’s too private. Something might happen. I turn to her and check my watch. ‘Two minutes. Starting now. ’

She looks annoyed that I took her time limit seriously. ‘Okay, well, as you probably know, G’s still isn’t getting customers. I’ve been running specials, doing contests, giveaways, put ads in the paper, and nothing is working.’

‘So try something else.’

‘I’m out of ideas.’ She pauses. ‘I think I might leave.’

‘Leave Haydon Falls?’

She nods. ‘I told myself I’d never quit, but every day I’m losing money. I’m not going to be able to pay the bills to keep the place running. I had to cut Lexi’s hours and Aria offered to work for free until I can pay her. I don’t know how much longer I can do this.’

I feel bad for her, but I feel even worse that she’s leaving. I’m still angry at her, but I don’t want her to go.

‘What would you do with G’s?’