Truly, Madly, Whiskey(82)

“Good man.” Bear smiled and shook his head. “See, baby cakes? You’ve got more support than you ever imagined. I’m glad he’s moving closer so the two of you can get acquainted with the people you’ve become. Sounds like you’ve both changed a lot since you lived under the same roof.”

“I feel the same. Hey, Bear?”

“Yeah, babe?” He walked toward the clubhouse.

“Even if it doesn’t go the way you want it to, I’m proud of you. And I’m rooting for you.” He heard her moving the phone and then the rumbling purr of the kitty came through the line. “Harley is, too. We can’t wait to see you afterward.”

She’d insisted on waiting up for him tonight, and he loved knowing that they would be there when he got home. “Love you, babe.”

He walked into the clubhouse even more determined to make tonight go the way he wanted.

Bones was leaning over the pool table, cue in hand. He lifted his eyes as Bear came through the door, and without a word, he made his shot. Bullet stood beside the pool table, tracking Bear across the floor to the table where their father sat talking on his phone. Going against his father was one thing. Taking on all three at once? Definitely not a walk in the park. He’d hoped they’d leave while he was outside.

Fuck.

“You guys taking off?” Bear sat across from his father.

Bullet took his shot and nodded to Bones. “Not a chance.”

His father ended his call and set his cell phone on the table, looking at Bear expectantly.

Conflicting emotions pummeled him, from respect and love to anger and trepidation over whether he was making the right decision for himself and their family. One way or another, life as he knew it was about to be forever changed. He wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans and squared his shoulders, feeling as though he was preparing for Russian roulette.

“I want to talk to you about the bar.” Bear was acutely aware his brothers were listening to his every word. Forcing himself not to look over, because it would only further piss him off, he remained vigilant in his effort to get his point across.

His father leaned back. “I’m listening.”

“How serious are you about expanding the bar? You’ve talked about it in the past, but you never followed through.”

“Dead serious,” his father answered. “It’s time. We’ve hit a plateau, and if we’re not moving forward, we’re going to shift in the wrong direction. There’s only one way to make sure this place remains profitable enough to mean something for your kids’ futures.”

“And how do you know that?” Bear knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from his father.

“Dixie’s projections, of course.”

“And you saw our outline for the expansion? Do you think it’s solid?”

“Absolutely. I never doubted it would be.”

“Then you know we’re estimating it’ll take roughly twenty hours per week of oversight during the expansion and hiring process.” Twenty hours I don’t have.

“Yes.” He stroked his beard. “I assume you’ll manage the process and Dixie will step in when you can’t be there.”

“You’re comfortable with that scenario?”

His father’s lips curved up in a slow smile. “That’s the scenario we’ve talked about since day one.”

“Great. Then you have no issue with Dixie stepping in in my absence.” Bear inhaled deeply, preparing to drop his bomb. “I’m cutting back my hours at the bar and the shop. Dixie will be overseeing the expansion.”

His father’s chest expanded.

“I’m committing to twenty-five hours a month working with Silver-Stone Cycles, and I’m selling my share of the bar ownership to Dixie. She’s going to own two-fifths. I’ve given up a lot for our family, and I don’t regret it, but it’s time for me to take a step back.”

Bear felt Bullet’s presence before his father’s eyes flicked up to meet him.

His father pressed both hands on the tabletop. The fingers on his left hand wouldn’t follow his lead, curling up beneath the pressure. His icy stare chipped away at Bear’s heart. “You can’t sell your shares.”

“What the f*ck have you given up?” Bullet asked.

Without looking away from his father, Bear said, “I can sell, and I am.” He lifted his eyes to Bullet. “You were away. Bones was in med school. I never left. You figure it out.”

Bullet pulled out the chair beside Bear and straddled it. “You said you wanted to run the bar. I offered to take leave.”

Bones put a hand on Bear’s shoulder. “He’s right. It’s his turn regardless of what he said. I’m with Bear.”

Bear’s throat thickened. Bones was so careful about which battles he chose to fight, and having his support felt like the biggest gift on earth, despite how long it had taken him to get there. He gave Bones an appreciative nod and returned his attention to Bullet.

“You think I’d make you give up the only thing you talked about for as long as I can remember? Special Forces was to you what building bikes is to me and medicine is to Bones.” He met his father’s angry stare and said, “And what running this bar is to Dixie.”

His father pointed at him. “You know your grandfather asked that the men in this family run the bar. You heard that with your own ears.”