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CHAPTER1
Quinn
I’m fucked.Completely and utterly fucked. I try to school my features but I’m shit at hiding my emotions.
“What's that bitch face for?” Andy asks as she sits in front of me and taps the mahogany bar. The slight roll of my eyes causes a chuckle to leave her mouth as she leans over the dirty wood in front of her and takes my hand. “No, seriously. What is that look for?”Andy and I have been best friends since we were kids, causing trouble and blaming each other until our mothers figured us out and put us in our place.
Shaking my head, I pull my long blonde hair into a bun on top of my head and place my hands on my hips. I know I should tell her what's bothering me because I'll feel better once I get the words out and share the burden. Before I can do that, the front door of the pub opens, and in walks the one man who has haunted my dreams since I moved back home and took over this place.
“What are you looking at?” Andy mumbles as her eyes travel to where mine are locked. “Ahhh, the infamous Wesley Hunt,” she teases.
I throw a lime in her general direction, missing her by a mile, and watch as it lands on the floor behind her.
Leaning over the bar, I crook my finger so she gets just a little bit closer, and I can speak into Andy’s ear. “Shut your mouth,” I mutter, hoping she lets it go. I step around the bar to pick up the lime off the floor and see that evil glint in her eyes. “I mean it, Andy. Leave the man alone.”
Her shoulders deflate as I round the bar once more, and she takes a deep breath, leaning forward and taking another sip of her gin and tonic.“But he’s so hot, and you guys would make crazy good-looking babies.”
I roll my eyes and try to ignore the heat creeping up my body at the thought of making anything with Wes. He's sex on a stick, with strawberry-blond hair that slightly covers those green eyes that always seem to make me weak in the knees when they meet mine. I’ve known of Wes since we were teenagers. He was a few years older than me in school and, looking like he does, created a bit of a frenzy with the female population. But then he graduated, moved away, and I was left here in this small town, pining after a guy who didn't even know I existed. Now years later, he's back, and from the way his eyes bore into mine from across the room, I'd say I'm not invisible anymore.
“Can we stop with the creepy talk? He's just a guy who occasionally comes into the pub,” I lie, knowing full well the fantasies I've had since he walked back into my life.
“And I’m not the girl who dumped Alex Westbrook at prom.”
I burst out laughing, loving her for unknowingly taking my mind off the shit show that was this morning.
“Now let's get back to business,” she mutters as I take one last look at Wes sitting in a booth with his brother. When our eyes lock, he gives me a wink that sends every nerve ending in my body into hyperdrive.
“Hello? Earth to Quinn!” Andy waves her hand in front of my face until my eyes focus on hers. “Quinn, tell me what’s going on because I know you, and that look in your eye tells me something is up.”
Sometimes, I hate that she can read me so easily, especially when the last thing I want to do is talk.“Fine, but you need to keep your mouth shut about this, okay? I’ll figure something out. I just need some time.” Her worried eyes meet mine as I lean over the bar and start picking at the skin around my nails. “Remember when I took over this place after Rick got sick?” She nods as the memory of my uncle's gaunt face enters my mind, and I close my eyes and take a breath. Andy grasps my hands, stopping my nervous picking as I steel myself for what I'm about to say. “Well, I finally got someone to look at the books, and we’re in the red... like really really red.”
“Fuck…” she whispers, shaking her head as her fingers tighten in mine.
“My sentiments exactly,” I mutter. My elbows fall to the bar as my head dips and my fingers rake through my hair. “What the fuck am I supposed to do? We are so far behind on loan payments. The revenue from this palace doesn't provide enough profit for me to even think about making a dent. I even found a letter from the bank stating that if he doesn't make a lump sum soon, they will be forced to foreclose and sell to someone else.”
Andy’s face sobers, and my gaze is drawn to Wes again. His eyes are trained on mine, mimicking the same concerned look on my best friend's face. The only difference is the intensity.
I break the connection just as Andy squeezes my fingers, and I look down at our entwined fingers.
“We will figure this out.” Her eyes are hopeful and her demeanor tells me how determined she is to make this work.
I know she means well, but from what I can tell from the numbers, I'm screwed. My dream of owning this pub is slowly slipping through my fingers, and I have no idea how to stop it.
