Page 2 of The One Who Got Away (Murdock Brothers #4)

Eloise

“Been a while, Gus.”

I shoved my shaking fingers into my apron pockets.

Seeing my high school best friend today had not been on my to-do list. I knew I’d eventually run into him, but the days had turned into weeks since I’d been called back home.

Since my mom had thrown up the Batman beacon to help put her life back together.

I’d been happy in Chicago at Everest Games. My dream job of being on the main coding team for one of the biggest video games of this decade had been a reality. I’d worked my ass off to get there.

Now I was working at Bite Me like I had in the summers during college.

I tucked away the frustration. My mom needed me, so I was here. I just had to accept that. I pasted on a smile I didn’t feel. “What can I get you?”

His eyes were still wide and those familiar deep brown eyes had a few more crinkles at the corners. His skin was a lot darker, but the rest was pure Angus Murdock. The only man I’d ever loved.

I bit back a sigh. Even if he only saw me as his cute, platonic bestie.

“What are you doing home?”

“That’s a longer story than I can tell in twenty minutes from the lunch rush.” I pulled a pencil out of my ponytail. “Little order, or a big one?”

He cleared his throat. “Kinda big. Sorry about that. Are you the only one here?”

“Nah. Jessie is in the back taking bread out of the ovens.”

He drew in a big breath. “I can smell it. It’s been a damn long time since I’ve had the Big Banger.”

“My personal fave. You want it on Why Don’t You Rye About it?”

He laughed. “You remembered.”

Of course I did.

I freaking remembered everything. Unlike him.

He’d even forgotten my phone number. After I went away to Northeastern, the texts and phone calls had become further and further apart.

Then we’d just seen each other during the holidays, until he’d started spending more and more time out of the country.

God, he looked good.

A little skinnier than I remembered, but working and sweating his butt of in the tropical climates might be the culprit. Even if something seemed a little off about him.

It had to be because I hadn’t seen him in a long time.

“Okay, let ‘er rip.” I held up my notepad.

In our typical short speak, he rattled off the sandwiches and specifics. It was like no time at all had gone by. His deep voice slid over me like my favorite hoodie.

His hoodie.

That I still had and wore to bed some nights.

God, I was a sap. But in the small spaces of the night, sometimes I could still smell his foresty cologne in the hood. Like the rough nights when loneliness hit during a big deadline. Or since I’d been home.

I focused on the words on my pad until they stopped getting jumbled.

“Okay, so we’ve got two The Petty Melts, one no onions.

You Can’t Handle the Big C with provolone, two Big Bangers, one hold the pickles.

A Tuna Monster with extra red pickled onions, the Eye-Talian extra prosciutto, and Balls! with extra sauce.”

He grinned. “No notes.”

The dimple popped in his left cheek and I tumbled back to junior year when that smile had melted me into the pavement. It had been the Homecoming game when we’d ended up cuddled up near the bonfire thanks to a cool October night.

The night I’d almost kissed him—then chickened out.

Get a grip, girl.

I smiled back. “I’ll get right on this.”

Jessie bustled in, fresh bags of sourdough, rye, and hard rolls in hand.

Her inky dark hair was pulled back with a red bandana over her usual pinup style.

She wore black jeans with Converse sneakers and jangled as she walked thanks to bracelets, necklaces and a stack of earrings curling around each ear.

Big hoops hung through her gages with little skeletons dancing merrily from the bottoms. “Well, hey there Gus Murdock. I heard you were back in town.”

“Hiya, Jessie. Yeah, it’s been a minute. My brother has kept me busy since I got off the plane.”

“Sully, and that impressive six pack of his was a moment over the spring.”

I glanced between Jessie and Gus. “Guess I missed out on that one.”

“Oh, girl, these Murdock men are built super fine. If I liked men, I’d have jumped on Ripley at the very least.” She winked at Gus and took a look at my list. “Want help?”

“I got it.”

She nodded. “Okay, I’ll keep prepping. It still hot out there?” She switched her attention to Gus.

“Sweltering. I’m not sure my cooler will make it with the ice from this morning.”

“Well, I have a freezer with bags of ice if you need a refresher.”

“Really? Saves me a trip. Thanks.” He took off to the back of the shop and my heart stopped thundering in my ears.

Jessie gave me a hip bump and disappeared into the back. She was one of the few people that had figured out I was stupid in love with Gus. Thankfully, I was pretty sure she was the only one.

I lost myself in the building of sandwiches. It wasn’t that dissimilar to code. I had a system and knew a few short cuts. The familiar scents of spicy meats, the sizzle of hamburger and the sharpness of onions settled me along with the emo bands blasting out of the speakers.

Gus strong armed two sleeves of ice to the front.

I couldn’t help notice the way his triceps flexed under his Murdock Brothers T-shirt on his way out.

I nearly burned one of the patty melts, rescuing it just in time.

I wrapped them all up and labeled the deli paper as the stacks of sandwiches grew.

When Gus returned, I was loading them up into a box for him.

I met him at the registers. “Did you download the app? I can make sure you get your points.”

He grinned, that dimple flashing again. “Appreciate it. The animals aren’t always good about paying into our lunch fund until paydays.”

I quickly rang him out as we finalized his new account.

“So, you do app design now?”

I shrugged. “I do a bit of everything. Helps Jessie out and slowly but surely Indigo Valley is coming into the information age.”

“Slowly being the operative word. Sully’s fiancée definitely dragged my brother into the here and now.”

“With abs?”

Gus glanced down at the box. “Yeah. Sully always brought in the attention.”

“And you didn’t? Please. I remember how many girlfriends you had in high school and after.” I tucked a stack of napkins and plastic silverware into the box.

So many girlfriends.

None ever stuck around long, but I’d been hella jealous of the girls who got to wear Gus’s baseball jacket and hoodies. I did get one at Homecoming and I sure as hell wasn’t giving it back.

I didn’t care if that made me a creeper.

Gus rolled his eyes. “Not all of them were girlfriends, El.”

My chest tightened at the rumble in his voice and the shortened version of my name that rolled off his tongue so easily. As if no time at all had passed. I pushed the box forward and our fingers tangled for a second. His familiar calloused palms made my blood buzz.

I pulled back and hid my fisted fingers in my apron. “Hope your crew enjoys.”

“They will.”

Two bankers from down the street and a salesman from the furniture store across the street came through the door. I gave Gus a distracted smile. “See you.”

He backed away and around the customers. He stopped at the door. “When’s your next day off?”

I liked my lips. “Uh, Thursday.”

The corner of his lips tipped up in the familiar half grin. “I’ll text you.”

Then he was gone and my system short-circuited.

I bent at the waist, feigning a stretch as my heart bounced all over the place.

“Breathe, girlfriend.” Jessie’s singsong voice made me groan. “Eloise and Gus k-i-s-s-i-n-g.”

“Shut up.”

“Get a water before the rush.” Jessie murmured, then cackled on her way to the counter. “Gentlemen, what can I get for you?”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I escaped into the back and grabbed my gym water bottle. I drained it and refilled it at the water cooler. And because I was still feeling a little off, I grabbed one of our Self-Saving Princesses—aka a brookie. The chocolate and salty cookie combo evened me out.

I checked my phone before I headed back out there. My heart sinking when I saw the slew of texts from my mother.

She was late to the cell phone game, but she was making up for lost time.

Having the constant tether to her as well as being home was getting a little claustrophobic.

Mom:

Where are you?

When are you coming home?

What do you want for dinner?

Are you coming home soon?

I shot a quick reply that my hours were on the fridge like always. Well, minus the last part. The urge to get in my ancient Civic and head north to Canada was overwhelming.

But she needed me.

This was only temporary.

I hoped.

A new message popped up and I ignored it.

Dad:

Are you still not talking to me?

That was a hell no.

I pushed back through the doors and threw myself into the lunch rush.