Looking back down at the register, I dismiss her for the night and continue counting. “Yeah that’s fine, see you on Friday.”

After counting the money three times, I come to the conclusion that someone had to have messed up somewhere. There’s no way the drawer can be off by almost fifty dollars, but since everyone is already gone for the night, I’ll have to talk to them later and figure it out.

I stash the money into the safe, grab my jacket and head out for the night.

I lock up the bar and am taken by surprise when I turn around to see Kade leaning against his truck.

He’s looking down at the ground, his blond curls hanging over his face.

“What are you still doing here? I thought you had to meet Jack?”

His head shoots up as I walk over to stand in front of him. Without speaking, he grabs my waist and pulls me against him.

“I was wanting to do this one more time.” He runs his hand over my cheek before slowly leaning in and pressing his lips against mine.

I find myself falling into him, my hands exploring his tight stomach, making it hard for my mind to work right. I know there was something important on my mind a few minutes ago, but not so much now. Just Kade’s lips caressing mine as if it’s perfectly natural.

Finally, his lips leave mine and a smile stretches across my face as I open my eyes. “You need to stop acting as if I like it when you kiss me. Also, stop molesting me at work before someone thinks something is going on. I’m the manager and your father owns it. Not a good look.”

“You love it and who cares what they think?” His hand runs down his stomach before it pushes down his erection, straining to break free. “If only I didn’t already have plans tonight.” He squeezes my ass and pulls me against him, pressing his lips against my neck before pulling away again. A smirk pulls up on one side of his face. “Oh yeah, don’t be surprised if you find me in your bed tomorrow night and no worries, I’ll be sure to be naked again.”

I turn and start heading to my Sebring as he opens the door to his truck.

I look back and grin at him, dangling my keys from my ring finger. “I don’t think so stud, you already gave me my key back.” I jump into my car and shut the door behind me.

I have to be crazy to be falling for Kade after all of these years.

Chapter Four

Phoenix

One of us had the brilliant idea of sitting down and having a family lunch with our grandmother, Claire. So here we are, sitting around the kitchen table at my mother’s house, awkwardness overpowering the happy feeling I should be having for making a delicious meal.

“Pass the salt.”

Twirling my fork in the middle of my spaghetti, I reach my arm out and scoot the salt across the table and in front of my mother.

She brings her hazel eyes up to meet mine for a split second and that’s all it takes to know that she’s hiding something. She’s been acting strange for the past few weeks and to be honest, I haven’t seen my father around pretty much at all.

I clear my throat breaking the silence, before this awkward family moment can get any more painful. “Where’s dad? I haven’t seen him all week. Is something up?”

Two sets of hazel eyes land on me, but neither, my mom nor my sister are quick to speak.

“Okay then. Forget I asked,” I mumble, looking over at my grandmother who has her head buried in a glass of Jack. I’m surprised to see she hasn’t drowned in it yet.

My grandmother shrugs her shoulders, while spinning the ice around in her glass causing liquor to spill over the edges and onto the table. “He’s probably at some cheap motel with some cheap hussy.” She dips her finger in her glass and splashes her drink in my mother’s direction. “It’s a wonder this marriage has lasted as long as it has.”

My mother’s head shoots up, but she doesn’t even bother with looking at my grandmother. You can tell she’s trying as hard as she can to keep her anger under control, but I have a feeling it won’t last long. They’ve never had a good relationship and it’s easy to see why. I’d be lucky to even remember one happy family moment that included the both of them.

“Did anybody ask for your two cents, mother? Why don’t you go pour a fifth glass of Jack so you can pretend to be somewhere else like you have my entire life.” Her voice comes out smooth, but her eyes are shooting daggers in my grandmother’s direction.

If this family dinner was pushing towards awkward before, then it’s definitely crossing that awkward line now.

With lipstick stained teeth, my grandmother smiles and holds her glass of Jack out in front of her. “Trust me dear, I could’ve never gotten through your teenage years without him. You should be thanking me for drinking or else you would’ve been living on the streets by the time you hit fifteen. You were always an ungrateful child.”

“Hey! What the hell, you two?” I stand up and push my chair against the table, causing everyone to look my way. Right now, I need to keep my cool. These two have no control. I can’t believe they can’t even pretend to get along for Zoe’s sake. “You two need to grow up and act like adults. This is supposed to be a nice family lunch.”

When I look beside me, Zoe is sitting with one hand on her forehead, while playing with a noodle with the other. She looks bored, as if she’s used to this behavior and has learned to block them out.

No wonder she never wants to be around. Our family is pure hell and it has been ever since the death of my brother Adric. Honestly, I don’t think anyone truly ever figured out how to cope with him being gone.

My parents became distant, leaving me to pretty much care for Zoe and myself. I shut myself inside my own little world and refused to trust anybody again and Zoe, well . . . she was too young to remember Adric.

“Haven’t you learned yet?” my mother asks. “You can’t just throw the words nice and family around and expect us to all function right. I knew we shouldn’t have invited that sorry excuse for a grandmother over.”

With a startling look of calm in her eyes, my grandmother sets her glass down in front of her and leans over the table while holding her gray streaked hair out of her face.

Looks like shit’s about to get real.

“You have room to talk,” she bites out. “You have one child that overdosed on drugs, one that can’t read and another one that doesn’t like to talk about feelings. When you learn how to be a good mother, then you can judge me. Hear me, dear?”