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“That doesn’t look like your regular Old Fashioned.”
“This is a new one. Blackberry.”
After pulling out the ingredients I’d stashed in my cooler, I used a muddler to crush the fresh blackberries at the bottom of each glass. Then I filled each with ice and poured the mixture of aromatic bitters, rye whiskey, blackberry liqueur, and simple syrup. Finally, I rimmed each glass with a slice of orange and handed one to Mr. Jimmy.
“See if you don’t like it.”
The man who’d been like a father to me since I was in elementary school took a sip, his gray eyes lighting up. “Mmm. Son, you should get a weekend job as a bartender.”
I laughed. “I prefer it as a hobby.”
Mr. Jimmy carried three glasses in his big hands, walking across the patio to the grill to hand one off to Jonah then one to Justin.
“Can I have one?” came that familiar, sweet, devastating voice behind me.
My body locked up, but I turned casually to find her leaning on the bar to my right, staring at the fourth drink in front of me.
“Here. You can have mine.” I lifted it toward her. “I can make another.”
The way she was leaning had pushed the slender strap of her blue sundress to the edge of her shoulder. It was about to slip off. Of course, that conjured images of me undressing her. Something I shouldnotbe thinking of right now.
She wore no makeup, and her hair was tied back in a loose braid, wisps of blond hair framing her heart-shaped face. She was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
“Thanks, Reed.” She stood straight, flicking the dress strap back into place and taking the glass, her slender fingers grazing mine.
“Welcome.”
“Since when did you become a mixologist?” After she took a sip, she closed her eyes, a hum of pleasure climbing her throat. “That’s really good.”
Jerking my gaze away, I pulled down another glass from the cabinet and started making one for myself. “Just a hobby,” I told her. “Something I do to relax at the end of the day. I like to experiment.”
“I’m more of a wine girl, but this is pretty amazing,” she said brightly, still standing next to me at the bar.
I pretended her nearness didn’t affect me like I always had. Like she always did. Watching my best friend’s sister grow into a vibrant, sexy, intelligent woman was torture from a distance. Up close, she was frying my circuits and my ability to act casual.
“So what’s on the agenda now that you’ve graduated?” I asked her as we walked over to the circle of patio furniture.
“Why don’t you ask my dad? Because he’s got it all worked out.”
“Aw, hell,” mumbled Mr. Jimmy, taking a gulp of his Old Fashioned.
I took a seat in a cushioned chair next to Justin. Anna sat on the loveseat across from me next to her dad.
“Wrong question,” mumbled Jessie, never looking up from his phone.
“Jim! Come help me put the leaf in the table,” called Ms. Dinah from the patio door.
“Coming!” Mr. Jimmy escaped with his glass in hand, obviously glad to get out of the conversation.
But I wasn’t ready to let it drop. I wanted to know what was happening with Anna. “So what’s your dad’s plan?”
She tucked both legs up on the loveseat and sat sideways then rested the drink I’d made her on her hip. I tried not to focus on the hem of her dress hitting her mid-thigh, revealing a great expanse of skin and long, tan legs.
“Dad wants me to go work for Broussard Appliances.” She rolled her eyes and sipped her drink.
Mr. Broussard was an old friend of Mr. Jimmy and had several appliance stores in town.
“With a business degree? He wants you to work at a local appliance store?”
