Page 33 of Yours, Always

Greyson approached his brother’s bar and his thoughts of himself vanished as he looked at what Gabe had created. He was so damn proud of Gabe, the business he had started, the pursuit of his passion, the man he’d become. He didn’t tell his brother that often enough.

Gabe was behind the bar, leaning against it, watching Chip and Joanna quibble over shiplap. A wise woman had told him that Joanna always got her shiplap. Someone should fill Chip in. To be fair, though, it fit the house well. Gabe had used it as the ceiling and an accent wall in the renovated kitchen. Greyson had been skeptical about the farmhouse aesthetic in a colonial, but it truly had been a farmhouse once upon a time, and anything was better than the old 1980s decor.

It was late for lunch but there were still a few patrons scattered throughout the pub. Greyson slid onto the bar stool nearest to him and knocked on the shiny wood top three times, once again admiring Gabe’s handiwork, knowing he’d built the bar top.

Gabe turned his head and smiled. “Hey man, what are you doing here? The doctor’s orders were for rest.”

“Yeah well, I’m good, and you know, as soon as someone tells you to do something you want to do the exact opposite.”

“Are you sure it’s not wanting to get away from the smell of Prudence on your pillow?” Gabe asked with a wide Cheshire-cat grin.

“Can it, Gabe.”

“Oh, come on, Grey. I’ll admit I was surprised to see you two so cozy this morning.”

Greyson shook his head, still not believing it had really happened. “You and me both.”

“I feel like there are some things to unpack here. Let me get us some beers and a couple of sandwiches.”

Gabe went back to the kitchen, and Greyson found himself entranced again by Chip and Joanna. He let his mind wander, thinking about the house he’d seen on Gabe’s block that was for sale and what renovations might be needed. Was he ready to buy a house in Amber Falls? He’d all but accepted the teaching position, but that was before he’d known about Prudence and Chuck.

Gabe came back to the bar and set a plate in front of Greyson—a Philly cheesesteak and fries. He inhaled the onion and peppery goodness. It smelled amazing.

“Good Lord, Gabe, who do you have cooking back there?”

“Oh, man, Leo is a primo cook, right? I think I get half my business from people coming in off the street from smelling his food alone.”

Greyson dug in, his mouth watering as he realized he hadn’t eaten a full meal since he’d gone out with Gabe at Wood Fire after everyone else had ditched him the night he arrived.

“This is amazing, like authentic Philly.”

“I know, I lucked out finding this guy,” Gabe said, having already finished half of his own sandwich.

“So, what are your plans for this place?”

“I’d like to expand, make a true restaurant area, add some outdoor seating. The gastropub has been successful, but I think adding an eatery element would take it to the next level. Like I said, Leo is so great, people wander in just because of the food. I’d love to have a family friendly space.”

Greyson nodded in agreement. “Whatever you do next will be great.”

“The building next door will be for sale in the next few months. It would be perfect to have a restaurant in.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Maybe you could find some investors? Have them try Leo’s food and they’ll be in. I know I am.”

Gabe was clearly surprised at Greyson’s words. “Really? You’d want to invest in a place you’d almost never see?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about that.” Greyson turned to Gabe. “I’ve been presented with an opportunity to move home and take on the drama department at the university.”

“No shit, Grey, that’s awesome! Are you going to do it?”

“I want to. When I started really contemplating the opportunity, I started forming a plan in my mind and it pretty much revolved around me telling Pru how I feel.”

“And I take it you did that last night?”

“No, man, I fucked that up so bad. She woke me up last night and she was this…this…vision in my T-shirt. It was like my dreams had become reality, or maybe like I was still in a dream. I had no words, none of my own thoughts could be formed into words. The only thing I could think to tell her was the monologue from the script that Nadia had sent.”

“No.”

“On top of that, she’s with Chuck. I had no business telling her anything, let alone holding her and kissing her the way I did.”