Page 24 of Final Temptation (Alpine Peak #2)

Walking up to Peaks was completely foreign. What used to be a daily occurrence for years was now eerie and out of the norm. Maybe the unnerving feeling running up my spine was because this was the first time I was entering my dad’s bar as a guest, and not as an employee.

A couple weeks ago, I hung up on my dad when Myles came home.

This entire situation was so irritating—I knew I needed to bite the bullet and talk to him, and I’d been prolonging it for a while now.

He asked me to meet up at the bar someday soon during the slower lunch hours, so I reached out to him the other day and told him I’d come in before we left for Vegas.

If this meeting somehow went to complete shit, at least I would be out of here tomorrow.

Out of sight, out of mind.

I stood outside the front door for a few moments to calm my nerves, taking a few deep breaths before pulling on the brass handle.

“Hey, bestie!” Paige called out from the other side of the bar.

This morning, I had texted with Paige in hopes of getting most of my anxiety out and to let her know I’d be stopping by.

The bar was empty, like I knew it would be. I walked to the end of the long rustic bar and took a seat.

“Shot of tequila, chilled, all the training wheels.” I slapped my hand against the bar top.

“Who are you, and where is my best friend? You don’t ever drink tequila,” Paige said, pouring the shot anyway.

“Yeah, well, this seemed like the right time.” She placed the clear liquid in front of me, and I took no time to lick the salt, shoot it back, and bite into the lime to ease the sting down my throat.

“Put it on my father’s tab, if you don’t mind.” I smirked at my best friend, hopped off the barstool, and made my way to the back office.

Some days, I missed working at the bar. I loved how lively it was at night when the country bands played on stage, and the dance floor was filled with everyone in town.

I knew each person’s name who sat at that bar, and what they drank.

It was easy. Nothing about this job was difficult; it was a good time, and you could make loads of money.

But being a bartender the rest of my life sounded exhausting.

And taking over the operations of the entire place one day?

No, thank you. I wanted to create an entirely new vision for my life.

Sophie, your go-to gal for planning special events in Alpine Peak. It has a nice ring to it.

That was exactly what I was going to talk to my dad about today. I puffed my chest with the chill of liquid courage running through my veins and knocked on his office door, cracking it open at the same time.

“Hey, Soph. It’s good to see you.” He stood, pulling me in for a side hug. “Take a seat. Do you want me to have the guys cook up something for you to eat?”

I sat on the other side of his desk, feeling incredibly awkward like I was about to be scolded in the principal’s office for smoking pot on campus between classes.

“No, Dad, I’m good, thanks. Just wanted to chat with you before we all took off for Vegas tomorrow.” I nervously twirled my hair around my finger.

There was an awkward silence floating in the air, both of us seemingly unsure who should start talking first.

I took the leap.

“I hate fighting with you, Dad.” I sighed.

“I don’t like it either, Soph.” He sat across from me, arms crossed, giving me his full attention.

“It’s been you and me for as long as I can remember.

I hate this.” The words felt lodged in my throat.

I didn’t expect to get choked up, but from the day I was born, I was always a daddy’s girl, and the strain that’s been put between us lately had been eating me up more than I thought.

Especially now that I had to face him in person.

“You’re right, honey. It has. That’s the biggest reason I wanted you to take over this place one day. I invested in this bar so long ago, that way I could create a future for you. It was always for you.”

Why does this feel like a guilt trip?

“I appreciate that, Dad, I really do. I’ve had so many good memories in this place growing up.

When I was a kid, I remember dancing on the stage, playing the air guitar, and pretending I was the star of the show.

I’ve had countless meals here, and the people who you hired to work here all those years ago, they’ve become our family.

I’ve made a living for myself working here and met the best friend I’ve ever had working behind that bar.

But it’s never felt like my forever.” I released a deep breath; a sliver of the heaviness I’d been carrying falling off my shoulders.

“I can understand that. To be frank, I never saw myself owning and running a bar either…” he admitted.

The irony though... It piqued my interest.

“Then why am I the bad guy in this scenario, when it sounds like you should be able to relate?” My eyebrows rose.

He let out a deep breath, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “There is a lot you don’t know, Soph.”

“Okay…then start from the beginning?” My legs crossed, waiting for him to elaborate.

“It’s all I have left of your mom.” He let out a pent-up breath.

We rarely talked about her, so hearing him mention her made my heart sting for him. I didn’t have the same attachments to her as he did.

“Everything I’d told you growing up was the truth.

Shortly after we decided to buy this bar, throwing all our money into it, she left us for someone else.

To chase a life she felt she couldn’t get here.

A wild life without responsibilities.” His head fell into his hands as he dragged his fingers through his hair, obviously stressed out by a past he lived through, and I had no recollection of.

“So…what are the parts you’ve left out? What don’t I know?” I asked.

“She left us for someone who was very close to me. To us.” By the way he struggled to get the words out, it seemed he hadn’t spent much time talking about this.

“Your mom ran off with my brother.” My eyes widened.

“You have a brother? I have an uncle?” Growing up, it was just me and Dad. No cousins, no grandparents, no one .

“We hired him as a contractor to work on the bar before we opened. Your mom oversaw a lot of the operations. She always struggled being a parent. So, I spent more time at home with you when we weren’t here, and she spent her time away from us, fixing up the bar.

One night, she hadn’t come home. I was worried.

I hopped in the car, bringing you with me, and came here to look for her after my phone calls went unanswered.

There was a note on the bar top when I got here.

All it said was, “Sorry, Chris. We can’t do this anymore.

” It was vague as hell and took me a couple days to figure out who ‘ we’ was.

When I also couldn’t get a hold of my brother, it hit me in the face like a freight train. ”

I was at a loss for words. All this time, I thought my mom left us for an addiction.

She was working the corners in downtown Denver for all I knew, but I didn’t care.

I was so used to a life without her that I was numb to it.

Growing up, I never had a mother figure, but Dad did such an amazing job when it came to me wanting to be a girly girl; I never wondered what life would be like otherwise.

Sure, I always questioned what it would be like to have a mom, especially when all my friends had one growing up. But I loved life with Dad.

My mom would always be a stranger to me.

But I was devastated for my dad. He’d never really moved on to my knowledge.

He didn’t have a serious girlfriend that he brought home, and I obviously didn’t have a stepmom.

If I had to put my finger on it, I’d say my mom scarred him, leaving him with serious trust issues.

The right words hadn’t come to me yet, so I got up from where I sat across from him, took a couple steps closer, bent down, and held my dad in an embrace that I missed having in my life for the last few months.

“Dad, I’m so sorry she did that to you.” I ran through the scenario in my head, putting myself in his shoes.

If the person I was in love with and had a family with left me for someone in my life that I was the closest with, the feeling would be gut-wrenching.

I’m not sure I’d be able to come back from it.

He’s even stronger than I ever thought he was.

“I had no idea.” With the shock still evident on my face, I pulled out of his arms, sitting back in the empty chair.

“It was a long time ago, honey. I’m over it as much as I can be. But when your mom left, this bar was all I had, besides you,” he admitted.

“Ugh. I feel so torn.” My head fell back, looking up at the ceiling, and I counted every lump of the popcorn texture.

“Tell me what’s been going on with you, how’s school?” My lips lifted into a small grin. He was finally asking about school—about me.

“I’m torn between wanting to chase my dream, a feeling I’ve had for a while now…and everything you just told me about Mom. I don’t want to let you down.” My eyes began to well with tears. “I don’t want you to be disappointed in me for chasing my dreams.” I sniffled.

“Honey, that’s impossible. You’ve always been such a good kid. I could never be disappointed in you. I’m sorry if I projected my own feelings about this place onto you. I guess I always assumed you’d take over, but that was my fault for trying to choose your path.”

“That’s really good to hear.” I snagged a tissue off his desk and wiped my nose. “I think I took it all a lot harder than I should have. I’ve just been so excited to start something new, that when I felt like you didn’t approve, it crushed me.”

“So, what’s the plan then? What are your goals when you get done with school?” His face softened, the sincere look making me feel safe enough to spill each thought running through my head for months.

“I want to get into event planning. Weddings, bachelorette parties, birthdays, gender reveals, I mean, really, I’m open to any type of big event or special occasion.

As long as it helps take the stress away from those celebrating and puts a smile on their face.

” I waited to gauge his reaction, hoping my plan for my future didn’t sound outrageous or ridiculous.

“Sophie, I think that’s an amazing idea. I could see you doing really well. You’ve always been so personable.” His smile was genuine, and I finally felt the tension of my dad’s disapproval wash away.

“Thanks, Dad.” I took a deep breath before asking, “So, uh, I do have a roommate, but eventually, my savings will run out between school and rent. Would I be able to take on a few shifts here and there? Maybe during school breaks and whatnot, if I need to?”

“You’re always welcome here, Soph. Who knows what the future will bring for this place or your new aspirations. But we will take it day by day for now. Just don’t go that long without talking to me again, you hear me?” We both let out a chuckle.

I don’t know if I’ll really come back for a shift or not, I just want to leave the door open.

“Yeah. I’m really sorry about that. I love you, Dad.”

We both stood, and he wrapped me in his arms one more time before whispering, “I love you too, kiddo,” and laying a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

Slowly, I headed for the door to see my way out. But one thought lingered in my mind from earlier, so before I unlatched the door, I asked, “Hey, Dad?” He looked up, one eyebrow arched up. “Was mom ever on drugs like you’d told me all those years ago? Or did she just leave and never come back?”

“I heard through the grapevine when I was looking for her and my brother. They were traveling through Europe, partying and doing things she’d never done around me. Did she continue down that path? I have no idea.” He shrugged.

“Thank you for opening up to me today, Dad. You know, if you ever want to…date, I’d be okay with it.” By the way he laughed, I think he was caught off guard, not expecting me to mention anything about his dating life.

“I appreciate your approval, even though I don’t need it. Now get out of here and be safe on your trip tomorrow. Text me when you land.”

I closed the door behind me, a grin on my face from ear to ear, and the weight of my dad’s approval meant more to me than he would ever know.