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I throw my hands in the air. “Dammit. Now I can’t be mad at him.”
“So… What’s going on between you and Katie?”
“We’re dating. I think.”
“You think? How can you not know?”
“She’s a little… cagey? I can’t quite figure out if she’s just busy with Cody or if she’s still hesitant about dating me. We talked last week, and I told her how I feel about her. She reciprocated those feelings and said she wanted to see where this could go, but since then, she hasn’t been as enthusiastic as I expected.”
“Tell me what she’s not done that you thought she would.”
“I guess I thought she might initiate contact a little more. We talk on the phone and text frequently, but it’s usually me reaching out to her. She does send me silly things that her students have said sometimes, or she’ll vent to me if she’s frustrated.”
“That’s all good. Did you know that she hasn’t dated anyone since Cody was born?”
“I had a guess, but I wasn’t positive.”
“Imagine going nine years only having to check in with your best friend. I’m betting Katie isn’t in the habit of thinking about anyone other than Cody. He’s been her priority for so long that it might take her a while to add you into the mix.”
“I hadn’t thought about it like that. That wouldn’t be easy to just change your mindset immediately.”
“The fact that she’s sharing things with you and turning to you when she needs to vent is a good sign.”
I nod, my doubts easing entirely. “You’re right. And I’ll keep putting in the effort so she never feels like she’s not enough. I want her, Carter. More than I’ve ever wanted anything before.”
“Good. Keep being you, and she’ll see you’re not going to drop her when things get hard.”
Those words follow me throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. I don’t know why I never thought about how hard it would be to suddenly add another person to your priority list after years of only focusing on one person. I also don’t know much about Cody’s dad, but I can’t imagine he’s a good guy if he was willing to leave his perfect son and his beautiful mother alone for all these years.
The bar is steadily filling up. Being a Saturday night, it’s all hands on deck. I’m behind the bar with Amanda. We’ve got three servers walking around to take orders and clean up tables. Something about the energy in the room when the bar is packed invigorates me. My smile is genuine, even though I haven’t stopped moving in the past hour. I’m not entirely sure what time it is. I want to say nine or so.
Amanda and I work in tandem, making drinks as if we were born to, and I make a mental note to promote her. She’s the most competent employee I’ve ever had, and she’s lasted longer than most. Plus, she could manage some of the nights in the summer when I need to take some time off. That would be fucking awesome. The summer is always our busiest time. I don’t have as much flexibility in my hours then.
I wipe down my area of the bar, taking advantage of a break in customers.
“What’s a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?” My head snaps up, my gaze clashing with the dark eyes of my woman. I smile widely at seeing her sitting in front of me. She grins back at me, laughter making her brown eyes sparkle.
“Not a damn thing, but I’d take a kiss if you’re willing.” I wink at her.
Katie crooks her finger at me, and I lean over the bar as far as I can. She grabs my chin to kiss my cheek. I start to pull away, happy with just that little bit of contact, but she turns my face back to her and plants a kiss on my lips.
“Hi, little dove,” I say against her mouth.
She moves to sit back on her stool, her cheeks turning rosy. “Hi.”
“This is a surprise. Where’s Cody tonight?”
“One of his buddies invited him over to play laser tag and have a sleepover tonight.”
“That’s great.” On the inside, I’m fist-pumping the air. Katie came to me without any prompting. She had the whole night to herself and wanted to see me. “What would you like to drink?”
“An old-fashioned, please.”
“You got it.” A few other people come up to the bar while I make Katie’s drink. She waves me off when I try to apologize. My eyes constantly move back to her. I can’t get over seeing her here in my bar. I never imagined she’d just randomly show up without us having a plan beforehand. This just proves I need to do whatever it takes to reciprocate every ounce of effort she gives me. I want to ensure that she knows I’m going to be here, no matter what.
CHAPTER 19
Katie
