Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I just didn’t dare let anyone into my heart these days. Giving my all to somebody else was like giving up a part of me, hoping to hell they wouldn’t crush it under their feet.
And I’d rather be unattached and free forever than have that kind of pain again.
My life was fun and simple now here in Colorado, even if I missed Jamie and my mom every day. Mom was sweet as hell and had dealt with medical bills for years after suffering an injury long ago. Jamie helped her out in person, and I sent back money to help whenever I could, but truthfully, before my current job I hadn’t had much cash on hand, either.
“You’re ready for a night out in that long-sleeve. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he joked. “I’m about to head to Mom’s for dinner.”
“I’ve been doing things you wouldn’t do all my life,” I said with a smile. “And that sounds good. I’ll call Sunday night and video chat with both of you for longer, okay?”
“Love you, Chase.”
“Love you.”
I headed downstairs onto the street. The sun was just setting over Spruce Street, the main street in Jade River. When I’d moved here I’d been more than happy to take a small apartment in one of the brick buildings that lined Spruce Street, because every time I left the front door, I was greeted by the slow bustle of people walking from shop to shop, big trees overhead, hanging lights, and plenty of little mom-and-pop restaurants. It was nothing like Stellara Beach, California, mainly because there was no beach here and instead every street was lined with pine trees.
But as far as the small-town feel went? Jade River almost felt like a little sister-town to my old beach hangout. Both of them were relatively out of the way of a major city. And Jade River had everything I’d ever need, with a bar like Jade Brewery sitting near the end of Spruce Street, just across a little bridge near my apartment building.
I walked over the bridge now, past a mom pushing a stroller, a man running with his Boston Terrier, and a group of teenagers aimlessly beginning their Friday night.
Jade Brewery was like a big, giant wooden cabin of a brewery. Tonight, people were steadily streaming inside up the short wood front steps and in through the front doors. Some sort of world dance music was playing on the speakers, and I moved along to the music as I headed in.
“Chase,” Jax said from behind the bar, waving me over. He was one of my favorite bartenders, a friendly frat guy type who was always in a happy mood. “What can I get you started with tonight?”
“Give me something pink and fruity and delicious,” I said. “Something pretty and tropical to sip while I’m on the hunt for smart-guy dick.”
Jax snorted. “Is that the plan for tonight?”
“I sure hope so. Have you seen any contenders yet? My type is guys who look smart but also like they could pin me against a wall.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Jax said as he started making my drink, taking a long spoon and dipping it into a jar full of crushed sugared strawberries. “I only have eyes for one person, and he’s sitting at the other end of this bar.”
I looked over and nodded at Charlie, Jax’s boyfriend. Charlie worked for the Fixer Brothers, and they’d met here at the brewery and fallen head over heels for each other.
“Does Charlie even know how lucky he is, turning a straight frat guy like you into a dick-sucking extraordinaire for him?”
“Not exactly sure I was straight, even before I knew I liked Charlie,” Jax said. “I was just clueless. Ninety percent of my thoughts were about soccer until about… oh, two years ago.”
“And what are your thoughts about now?”
He turned his head to one side. “Still at least fifty percent soccer, but the rest are really, really gay, sickeningly loving thoughts about Charlie.”
“I heard that,” Charlie shouted from the opposite end of the bar, “and I liked what I heard.”
Jax blew him a kiss and then finished my drink, sliding the tall glass across the bar. The drink was ruby-red at the bottom and formed a gradient, getting peach-colored and bubbly near the middle and topped off with some sort of frothed pink cream and a fresh sprig of mint.
“She’s a beauty,” I said. I stirred it a bit with my straw and took a sip. “Oh my God. That’s not just strawberry, it’s like… fizzy punch-me-in-the-mouth strawberry and peach bliss. Insanely good, Jax.”
“Making cocktails is fun,” he said.
Jax busied himself behind the bar and I chilled, relaxing with my drink and glancing around the brewery. Jade Brewery was usually starting to fill up by this time of night, but with the trivia event it was even busier. A few of the long, dark wood bench tables were full of groups sitting down and getting ready to play, and most of the leather booths had people at them now.