Something Real (Whiskey Men, #2)(2)

I do stop her this time. “No, don’t say that. You don’t owe me anything. I love you, Carrie.”

She nods and releases my hand as she wipes at a tear on her cheek. She laughs as she wipes it away, being careful not to smear any makeup. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry today, but I should have known I wouldn’t get through this conversation without it.” She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I love you, too. And that’s why I need you to do something for me.”

I don’t even hesitate. “Anything, you know that.”

She nods. “I need you to live it up, Lilian. I want you to go out, take photography courses, travel, go on dates, be happy. You grew up too fast, and you had to because of me.” I open my mouth, but she shakes her head, rolls her eyes, and holds her hand up all at the same time. It’s something she mastered around the age of fifteen. “I’m serious, Lilian. You deserve happiness, and you deserve to be loved and love someone else. You deserve everything. Can you do this for me?”

I wrap my arms around her neck, pulling her into me. “I promise, kiddo.”

She grabs my upper arms and pushes away from me. “I’m serious. Don’t think you can just tell me okay and I’m going to forget about it. I’m not letting this go.”

I blow out a breath. “I got it. Date, live it up, sleep around, travel…”

I trail off on my list as she starts to laugh. “I never said sleep around. I mean, good for you, add that one on there, but we can both see where your mind’s at.” She looks over at my date, who is sitting at the table eating and playing on his phone. “So you and Victor…”

I put my arm around her waist. “No, not me and Victor… he’s my date. That’s it. You told me I had to bring a date, so I brought one.”

Again with the eye rolling. “I didn’t mean with the first guy that asked you out.”

I pinch her side. “He’s been asking me out since I started at Blaze Whiskey two years ago, and what’s wrong with him? He’s nice.”

She nods, eyes wide and innocent. “Yes, yes, he is nice. But he doesn’t look like the type that’s going to take control in the bedroom or take you to the promised land if you know what I mean.”

I cover my hands over my ears. “Blah, blah, blah… I don’t want to hear it. To me, you’re still the eleven-year-old girl that I had to lie down in bed with to get you to go to sleep. I don’t want to hear you talking about s-e-x.”

Her mouth falls open. “Did you just spell it? Lilian, you’re thirty years old. Geez, you do need to get laid.”

I cover her mouth because of course by the end of the sentence her voice raises, and everyone around is staring at us. “Are you serious right now?”

She pulls away from me. “I love you, sis. Don’t forget what you promised me.” I watch as she practically floats across the room to her husband. He opens his arms to her when she gets close, and they embrace.

I motion to the bartender for another drink. I’m going to need one after that conversation.





Ford





“Did you remember your lunch box today?”

Ollie groans from the back seat. “Yes, I have my lunch box and backpack. I have it all, Dad.”

I laugh as I look at him through the rearview mirror. He seems surprised that I would ask him when in fact he forgets things on the regular. I glance at him again, expecting to see him rolling his eyes or something, but I’m surprised when I see the pensive look on his face. “What’s wrong?” I ask instantly.

He lifts his head to look at me, and I catch the grief that’s still in his eyes before I have to force myself to look at the road in front of me. My voice softens. “What is it, Ollie? Something bothering you?”

“I was just thinking about Granny, that’s all.”

I nod my head and try to tamp down the emotion that wells up every time I think about my grandmother. She was Ollie’s great-grandmother, and they had a really good relationship with each other. I know he’s missing her. Hell, we all feel sort of lost without her. But it’s only been a few months; I'm hoping with time, this gets easier for him. “I know, bub. I still think about her all the time too. But remember what we talked about, no matter what, Granny will always be with you.”

He lets out a loud, dramatic sigh. “I know. But she always made my birthday special. She would make cupcakes with me and then bring them to school for a party.” He turns to look out the window. “I guess I just won’t have a party at school this year.”

My hands clench on the steering wheel. Damn it, I didn’t even think of that. Usually, Granny would come over and she and Ollie would make an absolute disaster of my kitchen, making cupcakes. She always did the party thing at the school. That was their thing. How could I have forgotten that?

I pull into the line at the school, and it’s slow moving to the front. “Ollie.”

He doesn’t look at me, and I say his name again. “Ollie, look at me.”

He finally pulls his eyes off the window and looks at me with a little bit of defiance. He’s only five—soon to be six—and he’s already strong minded. “How about you and I make the cupcakes and I’ll bring them to school? You know, Granny taught me everything she knows… and I have her recipe for the icing you like.”