Page 35 of Prelude of Love (Harmony of Hearts #6)

Chapter Twenty-Two

DUKE

I slumped in my office chair, scowling at the inventory spreadsheet on my computer. The numbers blurred together as my mind drifted to the dining room, where Chance was filming another scene for his movie. I’d caught glimpses of him earlier, but work demanded my sole attention.

Now, I was stuck counting liquor bottles and tallying food costs while something much more interesting happened at the bar.

The cursor blinked mockingly on the screen. I’d been staring at the same cell for at least five minutes, unable to focus. A gentle knock interrupted my brooding.

“Yeah?” I called out, not bothering to hide my irritation.

Red peeked around the door, his auburn hair falling across his forehead. “Is now a bad time?” he asked, his normally cheerful voice subdued.

My expression softened at the sight of my favorite employee. No matter how foul my mood was, he had a way of tempering it with his easygoing nature.

“Come in, kid. How’s the packing going?” I gestured for him to sit across from my desk.

“Getting there,” Red sighed, dropping into the chair. “Though Gonk’s not helping. He keeps sitting in every box I try to pack. He knows something’s up, and he’s not happy.”

I smiled, picturing the sassy cat making Red’s life difficult. “What can I help with?”

Red fidgeted with an envelope in his hands. “It’s about my last paycheck.”

I watched him, maintaining a neutral expression even though I knew what was coming. The envelope contained the generous severance I’d arranged for him, a parting gift he deserved but would undoubtedly try to refuse. “Yes?”

“There must be a mistake. It’s over ten thousand dollars.” His voice wavered as he met my eyes.

“It’s not a mistake.”

His mouth dropped open. “It’s not?”

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. The kid had been with me through thick and thin, never complained about picking up extra shifts, and had built a loyal following of generous customers who came specifically to see him. He’d earned every penny and then some.

“You’ve given years of dedication to this place. Moving’s expensive, especially last minute. I want you to have a cushion while getting set up in Wintervale.”

Red’s green eyes filled with tears as the magnitude of my gesture hit him. “Duke, this is too much. I can’t possibly accept.”

“Let me take care of you one final time by doing this,” I requested in a gentle tone few other than Early ever heard. “You’ve been more than an employee here, Red. You’re family.”

He clutched the envelope to his chest, struggling not to lose control of his emotions. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Take it with my blessing and use it to make things easier for you and your dad when you go back to Wintervale.

” I cleared my throat, uncomfortable with the emotion thickening the air between us.

“And take care of that cat of yours. Get him the fancy wheel you’ve been eyeing to help him get accustomed to your new place. ”

A small laugh escaped Red as he wiped at his eyes. “Gonk would love that.”

“Then it’s settled.” I nodded, relieved when Red tucked the envelope into his pocket without further argument.

“That’s not all.” I shifted in my chair. Early and I had spent the past few days making arrangements, calling in favors, and planning what we hoped would be a perfect send-off. “Iason, his band, Chance, Sir, and Mister are organizing a benefit concert for you here at Hurly-burly in a few days.”

Red’s eyes widened. “A concert? Here? For me?”

“We’ve sent invites to all your regulars. We wanted to give you a chance to say goodbye to your favorite customers, too.”

Red’s hands trembled in his lap as he stared at me in disbelief. “Everyone’s doing this for me?”

“You’ve been here for years and made a lot of friends, including celebrities who have the means and desire to help. People want to show their appreciation.”

The first tear spilled over as Red tried to process what I was telling him. He wiped it away, but another followed, and then another.

I pushed away from my desk, coming around to Red’s side. It wasn’t something I did often, but seeing him breaking down hit me harder than expected. I pulled him into a hug, patting his back. “You earned this, kid. All of it. You deserve this.”

Red’s fingers clutched my shirt as tears flowed. His shoulders shook with silent sobs, and I stood there, letting him get it out. Early would have known what to say and how to comfort him properly. I could only offer quiet support, hoping it was enough.

“I can’t accept all this,” Red protested against my shoulder. “It’s too much. I don’t deserve it. ”

I pulled back to look him in the eye. “You can, and you do.” I softened my tone, the way I did with Early when he needed reassurance. “We want to help you.”

Red’s face crumpled. “Thank you. This means more than you know. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.” He pulled himself together, the initial shock of the concert news giving way to something like determination. With a final sniffle, he straightened his shoulders.

“Thank you, Duke. That means so much to me. I can’t believe everyone wants to help me,” he said, his voice steadier now. “How much time do I have to prepare? I should make a list of everyone I need to thank.”

“Three days. Early’s handling most of the details. He’s in his element organizing this thing.”

Red laughed. “I bet he’s got color-coded spreadsheets and everything.”

“Pretty much. He has the entire night mapped out down to the minute.”

Red looked around my office like he was trying to memorize it. “It’s weird I won’t be working here anymore.”

“It’s not forever,” I reminded him. “Your job will be waiting whenever you’re ready to return.”

“What if it takes months? Or longer?”

I shrugged. “It takes as long as it takes. The position’s yours whenever you want it. ”

Red swallowed hard, fighting off another wave of emotion. “You’re making it really difficult not to cry again. Thank you again. For everything.”

“You’re welcome. Good luck with the rest of your packing. I’ll send you the details about the concert.”

Red gave me one last grateful look before heading for the door. He paused with his hand on the knob. “Will you at least let me help at the concert? I can’t sit there while everyone works for my sake.”

“You can help by showing up. Maybe prepare a speech if you want. We’ll handle the rest.”

“I can do that.” Red grinned, looking more like himself than he had since he’d walked into my office. “See you then, boss.”

“Sounds good.”

The door closed behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the half-finished inventory spreadsheet glowing on my monitor.

I rubbed a hand over my face, surprised by how draining the conversation had been.

It was a level of emotional intensity I wasn't used to with anyone besides Early and my younger brother.

With a groan, I forced myself back into my chair. The inventory wouldn’t complete itself, and I’d promised Early I’d finish it today. Besides, watching Chance perform was distracting enough when it wasn’t my job to focus on something else.

I clicked on the spreadsheet, determined to power through the tedious task. We were running low on the premium bourbon that Iason preferred. I made a note to order more before the concert. The last thing I needed was to run out during Red’s send-off.

My thoughts wandered to Chance again. He’d been enthusiastic about performing at the benefit, offering his services the moment Early mentioned it. For someone with his level of fame, he was surprisingly down-to-earth and generous. It was one of the many qualities that made him difficult to resist.

The sound of laughter filtered through my office door. I gripped my pen tighter, forcing my attention back to work. The liquor wouldn’t count itself, and I had responsibilities that didn’t include mooning over a rock star half my age.

Even if said rock star had spent an incredible night in our bed and had the potential to become more than a casual fling.

I shook my head. Focus. Inventory. Now .

Working methodically through the list was mind-numbing work but necessary. The bar wouldn’t run itself, and with Red leaving, I had to be even more on top of things. Chance would have to wait.