The Naked Truth (The Honeybrook Hamdens)

Tell us Luke starts cleaning here somewhere

"So, how is she?" Chase glanced behind him, watching as Luke Windexed the wide bar mirror that had "Old Sully's" etched across it in garish swirly font.

"Julie? She's fine, I guess. We didn't talk much."

Chase nodded. He should let the subject drop. They had more important things to talk about. Staff schedules to go over, kitchen complaints to manage, and still...

Something was niggling at him. "That's unusual, isn't it? A quiet Julie?"

"I guess," Luke said nonchalantly.

How did it not matter to him? How did he not find it even the least bit strange that his chatty, effervescent sister apparently sat beside him the whole drive home in silence?

Chase opened his mouth, trying to find a casual way to pose his question, but Luke beat him to the punch.

"We didn't have much time to talk, yet. She might come over, tonight, though. I told her about the renovations." For a split second, Chase thought he heard a faint chuckle, and then Luke went on, "I don't think she believes we made the place nice."

"I wouldn't either. Remember all that shag carpet?" Chase shook his head.

"I remember all the cigarette butts we found in it." Luke sniffed. "Damn, am I glad that's over with."

"You're telling me." Chase agreed, then glanced around the little pub.

It was still a little dingy, truth be told, but that was part of the place's charm. The dark brick walls and original glass windows hardly let in any light, but the overhead twinkle lights added some more.

The woodwork, though, was what made the place impressive.

Luke had refinished every plank himself while Chase had built their stools from scraps. Pool tables lined the back wall where the long 1800's bar ended, and on the other side were high-top tables made from found wood and metal.

Yup, the place was a little dark and a little old, but it was theirs. And, in Chase's opinion, it was perfect.

"You think she'll be impressed?" Chase asked.

"You hoping to impress her?" Luke asked, and when Chase met his friend’s gaze, he found him staring back with raised eyebrows.

"Don't be stupid." Chase laughed, though it sounded uneasy even to himself. "I just thought you'd want to show the place off to your family."

"We'll see, I guess. I'm not even sure if she'll show. She's been traveling all day. Anyway, we've got more important stuff to worry about. I'm gonna head down to the basement and see if I can sort out that tank. Meet me when you're done with the bar."

Chase nodded. When he heard the basement door close, he tossed the rag onto the bar top and leaned against one of the bar's long oak pillars.

Julie frickin’ Hamden.

Julie was back in town after all this time. It had been almost ten years since...

Well, she probably wouldn't remember that.

He rolled his eyes at himself. Even he couldn’t delude himself that much. There was no doubting she remembered every disastrous detail of their would-be relationship. She might even still feel the sting of the way things had ended...the way he did.

But that had been a long time ago.

Even if she held a grudge, it wasn't something that he couldn't talk her into working past. All he had to do was see her again. Talk to her. Tell her what a huge mistake he'd made.

He thought back to that night, their last night together. He'd climbed up the tree outside of her bedroom window, then crawled inside her room. She'd just gotten home from her date with Joey Stevens.

Joey Stevens. The name made his nose wrinkle even now.

He'd been one of the running backs on the high school football team, and even though Luke had been beside himself at the idea of one of his friends dating his little sister, Joey had gone out with her anyway. Chase suppressed a smile; in the yearbook prom pictures, you could still see Joey's swollen lip.