I open the door, surprised to find it unlocked, and a million memories come washing over me. The floor hasn’t been refinished since I was a kid. The wood is original, but needs to be repaired and resurfaced. My heels click and echo through the dark, empty room. The tables and chairs are the same from my childhood as well, most looking much more wobbly. The windows are wide but dingy, making the space feel even darker.
The bar is huge, spanning one long wall. It was an antique when Dad bought it thirty years ago, and I’m pleased to see that it’s been well taken care of.
Suddenly, the door to the back room swings open and in walks Adam Spencer. He halts when he sees me, his sexy eyes traveling up and down as he takes me in. He sets the case of wine on the bar and hurries to me, lifts me in his arms and turns a circle, making me catch my breath.
“Finally decided to stop by, eh?” he asks as he sets me down.
“I figured I’d see what Dad left me.” I meet his eyes and shrug. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Taking care of Dad. Taking care of this place.” I pace away, cross my arms, then turn back to him. “For loving me.”
“You’re my best friend,” he replies. “And your dad was good to me. Always has been.”
“He should have left this to you.”
Adam shakes his head, his brown eyes kind and calm and maybe sad. “It belongs to you. And I’m here to help you in any way you need me.”
“You’re a good friend.”
“I’m a kick-ass friend,” he replies. “Just don’t expect me to call you Boss Lady or Your Highness.”
“What about She Who Is Always Right?”
“Not a chance.”
I laugh for the first time in a week and feel my chest loosen, just a bit. “I’m staying.”
“What about Keith?” he asks.
I shake my head, not ready to talk about it, and sigh. “I’m going to overhaul this place. Maybe flip it.”
“Why not keep it? You’ll make a killing.” Adam winks. “With your expertise at fixing stuff up, and my charm, you can’t lose.”
“Maybe. I’ll think about it.”
I run my hand over the smooth wood of the bar and feel the sadness settle in. “Dad’s gone, Adam.”
“I know.” He rubs wide circles over my back.
“I can’t stay upstairs.” My dad lived over the bar in an apartment, and I just don’t have it in me to live there. Too many bad memories.
“You’ll stay with me until you get stuff figured out.”
I cock a brow.
“I have a guest room,” he says defensively.
“I’ll take it.” I sigh and lay my forehead on my arm. “Who would have thought I’d be back here fifteen years after I left?”
“Not me, that’s for sure. But here you are.”
“Here I am.”
Chapter One
~Declan~
I’m performing at The Odyssey for the first time in three months tonight. It’s been closed for renovations, and I admit, I miss it.
Fuck it, I miss her.
And I barely know her.
What that’s all about, I have no idea. I don’t get hung up. There are too many women out there, in all shapes and sizes, to enjoy. I’ve never been the type to think about monogamy.
Not that I’m a prick. I just make sure women know the score before I score.
But I admit, I’m looking forward to seeing the feisty owner of The Odyssey, almost as much as I’m looking forward to seeing what she’s done with the place.
According to her bar manager, and my friend, Adam, the transformation has been incredible.
I carry my guitar through the front door, noticing the new sign and paint job on the outside of the building, and then take a deep breath as my eyes adjust to the dimmer light inside.
Holy fuck, Adam wasn’t kidding.
“Hey!” the man himself calls from behind the bar, tossing me a smile. “I’m glad you’re early. I want to show you around.”
“This is amazing,” I say, meaning every word. The floor has been refinished and polished to a honey blond, gleaming where sunlight streams through. New tables and chairs are sprinkled around the room, and new stools sit in front of the bar, which has also been polished.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Adam replies with a smile. “Wait until I show you the roof.”
“The roof?” I grin and set my guitar on the stage, then turn and almost swallow my tongue as Callie herself comes down the new staircase on the far side of the room. She’s in her signature killer heels, pink today. Her arms and cleavage are showcased in a simple black tank top and those mile-long legs are mostly bare, thanks to a ripped pair of cut-off denim shorts.
All I have to do is take one look at Callie and know that there’s a God.
And I hope to make her call out his name in thanks in the very near future.
“Declan,” she says.
“Callie,” I reply and feel my lips twitch into a smile as she crosses to the bar and sets a clipboard down. “Nice place you have here.”
Her blue eyes flare in happiness. “Thank you.”
“I was just telling Declan that I’ll take him up and show him the roof,” Adam says just as his phone rings. “Crap. I have to take this. Cal, will you show him?”
“She’ll show me,” I reply, still smiling.
Callie simply shrugs. “As you can see, we have new tables and chairs. I also replaced the stage area. It was so old, I’m surprised you never fell through it before.”