Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest High #6)

“Really?”


She nodded. “It’ll taper off in the winter months. He’s over here because of me right now, and I’m here because of the summer hours. Then all the summer folk will head out, and Manny’s will go back to normal. I can take a few more nights off.” She rolled her eyes. “Plus, Channing’s got his own pull now because of his fighting. I’m hoping he’ll stop in the fall.”

“Really?” I felt like a parrot.

“I’m not here to talk about my relationship and business,” Heather announced. “I’m here to check in with you.” She eyed the far table where Mason and Adam had set up camp, laptops, books, and notebooks spread out between them. “How’s that going?”

“What do you mean? That Mason’s here to protect me from Caldron? That he and Adam are working together here, or the fact that they’re working together?”

“Any and all of that.”

A customer came up, and I started to fill the order, but I couldn’t help looking back to Mason’s table. After Caldron’s attack, the rest of the week had seemed almost boring. I worked at the beer garden every night, and after the first few passed with no incidents, Petey had relaxed. He realized I wasn’t going to fuck things up for him, and the rest of the workers accepted me once they learned an increase in their tips came with me.

Even Keifer had stopped coming over and glaring at us every night. He still came in, but he only glared half the time. The other half he spent arguing with Petey or laughing with my coworkers. He hadn’t checked in today. Yet. He would, and every time he did, he stared at Mason for a good ten minutes. Mason had stared back the first night, but when Keifer didn’t do anything, Mason stopped paying attention. Or that was how it seemed to everyone else. I knew he was on full alert, and not just because of my boss. He was waiting for Caldron’s next move. So far, nothing had happened.

So far.

It was going to happen, and I knew Mason was also counting down the hours until Nate arrived. He should be rolling into town at any moment.

“Things are okay,” I told Heather.

“Really?” Her eyes found mine.

I shrugged, filling another order. “Well, I can say Mason will be relieved to have Nate here, too.”

Heather waggled her eyebrows. “Where’s the hottie Hawaiian?”

“You should know. He spends more time with you guys than with us.”

That wasn’t completely true. He’d stuck to Mason’s side like glue for the first two days after Caldron’s attack, then began heading to Roussou more and more after that. A certain blonde who had been wrapped around him on Channing’s fight night kept calling. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was wrapping around him on a more consistent basis.

Heather snorted. “Right. He shows up for pussy, then after he gets his fill, he’s off to find you guys.” She turned to Mason’s table. “He’s not here, and I know he’s not with Channing’s crew. He must be at Tiffany’s.”

“That’s her name?”

“Yeah. She’s not bad, actually. But I don’t think she realizes he’s leaving for Cain U in a few weeks for football.”

“Really?”

“She’s not mentioned it, and I know her. If she knew her new boy-toy was a big footballer, that’d be the only thing she talked about.” Heather grew pensive, her eyebrows dipping together. “Why didn’t he go pro?”

“He stayed back to play one more year with Mason.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded and left it at that. Matteo also had a girlfriend who’d broken his heart last year. She’d flown across the nation to pursue law at Columbia while he remained in California. He’d been heartbroken all over again when he realized he was single when Logan was not.

I filled three plastic cups with beer. “I think he’s hoping he’ll get drafted by the same team, but the chances of that are low. I don’t think either is excited to be separated. They’re going to enjoy their last year together on the team.”

Heather seemed like she was going to respond, but then she was distracted as Becky, Cass, and three other girls walked through the beer garden to sit at Mason and Adam’s table.

“What the fuck?” Heather murmured.

I waited, grinning. I knew what would happen next.

Mason didn’t spare them a look, only jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the picnic table behind him. One by one the girls stood, all with varying scowls, and crossed to sit at that table instead. It happened almost every night when Becky and her friends arrived. They were always booted to their own table.

I shook my head. “You’d think they’d learn.” They never did.

Heather didn’t reply, and I looked over to see her and Becky in a heated stare. Becky was holding her own. I expected to see my old friend pale and shaking, but she wasn’t. Her eyes were wide, her lips pressed in a determined line, and she was sitting straight up.

If she’d been my friend, I would’ve been proud.

But she wasn’t.

“Sam.”

I turned and headed to the opposite end of the counter where Petey waved me over.

“What’s up?” I asked.

He placed five plastic cups in front of me, along with two filled beer pitchers. “Take these to those girls who just sat behind your boyfriend.”

“No way.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m behind the counter, not on the other side, and they’ve not ordered. Since when do you give out free beer?”

“Look around. We’re slower than normal. We need those girls to call their friends. Giving free booze to hot chicks helps with sales.”

“You guys have been just fine with sales.” Thanks to me. Thanks to Mason.

He nudged the cups closer to me. “I’ve been watching those girls. The redhead will stay as long as your boyfriend’s buddy does. Once Mason and that guy finish working, they’ll take off, and that means Mark’s girlfriend will also want to leave. You’re right. Our sales have been up, but they tripled the night those girls stayed, and you want to know why?” He moved closer. “Because they called their rich friends, who had no problem dropping hundreds of dollars on our beer. Your boy’s been true to his word. He’s brought people in, but that group, in particular, has no problem burning through cash.” He tapped the pitcher. “Take the free beer to them, and try to smile as you do it.”

I gave him a look. “Why me? Why don’t you do it?”

“Because those are your people.”

I snorted. Little did he know, but I picked up the pitcher and cups and moved out from behind the counter, making my way to them. Not a chance in hell was I smiling. I made sure my scowl was noticeable as I placed the beer on their table.

Cass rolled her eyes. “Service with a smile, Sam. Isn’t that the motto?”