His brother sniggered. “Do you know how to build a float?”
“Not the point.” He knew how to Google. Choosing between the fun designs Sierra had helped the kids create—that was the hardpart. “I think, after all their other epic bad choices, the Marshals Service did us a favor dropping us in this tiny, weirdtown. We could make lives here. Be happy. Rafe’s already pretty well planted with Mollie. But as long as there’s a chanceit could disappear, isn’t it stupid to let ourselves, well, care?”
Kellan dropped the funny face. Grabbed him by the shoulders, looked at him intently, and with utter somberness said, “YOLO.”
Flynn jerked out of his grasp. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Sure, Kellan was the jokester of the family. ButFlynn didn’t drop his guard very often. Not anymore. Couldn’t K play along and be serious for five freaking minutes?
Kellan didn’t seem phased by Flynn’s flare of temper. “YOLO—you only live once. Were we happy leaving Chicago? Hell, no. Butwhen we were busy licking our wounds about that, we made ourselves even more miserable. And we fought like three fucking bettafish dumped into one bowl.”
“It sucked.” Being at odds with his brothers was the last thing Flynn had ever wanted. It was supposed to be the three ofthem against the world. For a while there, it felt like every man for himself.
Flynn didn’t ever want to feel that way again. Even if a lot of it had been his own damn fault.
“It still does, sometimes. It’s getting better. We’re getting better. Worrying about what’ll happen at the trial will onlymake every day until then a living hell. So live in the moment. Be the king of the bar tonight. Then go kiss your pretty girlfriendand call it a good night’s work.”
The kid was right. Flynn stood and ruffled his little brother’s hair. “When did you get to be so smart?”
“Did you see the size of my law school textbooks? I know things now. Lots of things I’ll never get to use. Doesn’t matter.Law school was a different moment. I’ve moved on.”
“Have you?” Because the mere fact that Kellan brought it up meant it was still a big fucking deal to K.
Flynn didn’t care that he wasn’t running the construction company anymore. It turned out he liked tending bar—making up drinks,the back-and-forth with regulars, helping people celebrate or wash away a bad day. Rafe had turned his hobby of working oncars into a job here. Kellan was the only one of them who still seemed to not have clue one as to what to do for a living.
Aside from the fact that he hated the cranberry plant.
“I’m working on it. Don’t hassle me when you’re the one so paranoid that you’re whispering over a speaker.”
Flynn plugged it in, then finally put his mouth right over the mic for a check. “Kellan Maguire is my favorite brother becausehe trusts that life is good. And he makes kick-ass egg salad.” His announcement made the table in the corner turn and giggle.It made Kellan duck his head and stare at his feet.
“Can I have that beer now?”
“K, you just cleared out the cobwebs in my head. You can have all the beer you want tonight. On me.”
Too bad it wasn’t as easy to get back on even footing with Rafe. His actual favorite brother, not that he’d ever say so. A free beer wouldn’t cut it. Not after he’d been such an asswipe to him. Flynndidn’t have a clue in hell where to start with that.
Chapter Ten
Sierra hitched herself onto a stool to give her aching feet a ten-second break. It was almost midnight, so things were finallyslowing down on this crazy busy Saturday. Not that she was complaining. It turned out that drunk fishermen were generous tippers.
“You’re staying to close, right?” Mariana asked.
“To the bitter end.”
“Take your fifteen now, then, so you get a rest in before I go. I’ll do a sweep through your tables and make sure they’retaken care of. If you know what I mean . . .” And then she gave an exaggerated wink and burst into a hearty laugh.
“Thanks.” Mariana wasn’t the kind of person she’d ever had as a friend before. Big and bold and unabashedly flirtatious. Shedidn’t hold back on anything, and Sierra kind of loved that about her. Sierra hoped that she could learn to channel some ofthat brashness and come out of the shadows.
She’d spent all her years in foster care trying to be invisible. At both of her art schools, everyone did their own thingand barely noticed the other students. If Sierra was truly going to take a stand and declare that Bandon would be her home, her place to belong, then she needed to be a little more bold.
Flynn was a great place to start. Being bold with him got her lots of long, lusty kisses. She looked at his dark head, thegorgeously thick hair that she loved to thread her fingers through. It was bent in concentration on a line of four glassesin front of him. He wasn’t working at his usual breakneck pace. He was just sort of . . . considering the drinks.
“Whatcha got going over there?”
“A surprise for you.”
“I like the sound of that. But I haven’t done anything to deserve a surprise.”
“Sweetness, you don’t give yourself enough credit. You’ve given me the best week I’ve had in months.”
Sierra’s first thought was how sad that made her. Gratified that she could make such a difference. But also sad that Flynnhad been so unhappy that just spending time with her was such a treat.
On the other hand? When his words settled into her brain? She felt exactly the same way about him. Like she’d been just floating through life, and Flynn had finally anchored her safely. She wasn’tscared all the time anymore. Opening up and being truly herself with him was a gift that had opened her heart back up. Helistened to her as if every word truly mattered.
