Sweet (Landry Family 6)

“Yeah.”

I just look at her, eyes bulging. “In a case of the small-world phenomenon, Nate’s brother is dating or married to a Landry, and they hang out at their farm—which is not a farm by any stretch of the imagination—sometimes. I went out there yesterday with Nate, and holy shit.”

“Mallory’s husband bought Stretch for her. She told me the story once. It was disgustingly romantic.”

I laugh as my phone buzzes in my purse. I grab it and look down.

Nate: Been thinking about you all day.

My body tingles as I read his text. I can hear his voice whispering those words in my ear. And, if I’m being honest with myself, I can feel them being written on my heart.

But I’m not going to be that honest with myself. Yet.

TWENTY-ONE

NATE

“Hey, Murray,” I say as I walk through the kitchen. I entered The Gold Room through the back door to check inventory on my way to my office. “Hey, Kira.”

Murray turns off the tap. Then he turns around and looks at Kira with a confused look on his face. Kira, on the other hand, stops walking toward the bar.

I stop too. “What?”

“That’s it?” Murray asks.

“Huh?” I ask.

Murray looks at Kira. “Are you worried?”

Kira grins. “Yeah. A little bit.” She looks at me. “There’s nothing else?”

I sigh, putting my hands on my hips. “What’s going on, you two?”

“I’m waiting for it,” Murray says out of the side of his mouth to Kira. “I think it’s going to be bad.”

“It has to be. There’s always calm before the storm.”

“Have you two lost your minds, or are we talking in code today? And if we’re talking in code, leave me the hell out of it. I’ll just stay in my office until it’s over.”

Murray and Kira watch one another, their grins lifting higher and higher. Finally, they start laughing.

I have no clue what’s going on with them and start to wonder if we don’t have a carbon monoxide leak or something.

“Did you guys mix bleach with something?” I ask. “Just tell me. Do I need to open the vents?”

They laugh harder.

I hold my hands out to my sides.

“Nate, my man, there has not been one day in all the days, months, I’ve worked here that you’ve just walked in with a hey,” Murray says. “It’s always—why didn’t you restock yesterday? or the storeroom looks like two gorillas fucked out there.”

“I’ve never said that.”

“Okay, raccoons then. The point is the same. Right, Kira?”

I level her a look.

She grins. “You do seem to come in with more than a hey.”

Well, I’m a task-oriented person.

“Fine. Some kind of sauce is smeared all down the wall leading to the back door like someone was taking the trash to the dumpster and just let the bag drag against the drywall. Get it cleaned up.” I look at Kira. “There are new pour spouts in a box in my office. Get them all washed and put in the liquor bottles before the rush hits tonight.”

“There’s our Nate.” Murray laughs. “Glad to have you back, brother.”

Kira laughs too. “I don’t know what it says about me, but I missed this Nate for the whole five seconds you weren’t him.”

I roll my eyes.

If I didn’t like these two so much, I’d fire them.

I grin. No, I wouldn’t. It’s not time to fire Murray yet this month.

“What do we owe this pleasure?” Murray says cheekily. “Should we assume something has changed in your life and potentially drained you of the testosterone that makes you an asshole.”

“I—”

“Wait.” Kira turns to Murray. “First of all, are you admitting that testosterone is what makes men assholes?”

Murray shrugs. “I don’t know. I was just talking. Don’t corner me like this.”

“Second of all, if you’re inferring that he’s had sex with Paige—which clearly he has—sex increases testosterone.”

“Can we not—”

“It does not.” Murray looks at Kira like she’s lost her mind. “I’m a man. I know.”

“Clearly not. Low testosterone can cause a low sexual desire, but having sex can increase it.” She smiles smugly. “Look it up.”

Murray pouts. “No.”

I wave a hand in the hair. “Okay. Let’s stop biology class here and circle back to the topic of me having sex with Paige.”

“So you did?” Murray asks. “Atta boy!”

Fuck. “No. It’s none of your business,” I say, trying to get a grip. “But if I even catch wind of you saying anything to her about this … I mean it, Murray.”

“Yeah. He’ll fire you and won’t let you come back for three weeks instead of two!” Kira giggles. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself. Continue with your threats. I like hearing him get roasted.”

Murray glares at her.

I rub my forehead and wish I hadn’t come here. It had to be done, though. I had to let them know that things are fine because I’m sure word has spread about the show I put on the other night. And I haven’t been back in since.