Logan
The only bar in Whiskey Run is the Whiskey Whistler, and it's right downtown. It only takes a few minutes to get there from my house, and I sit in the front seat and listen to the three men talk all around me. I try to participate in the conversation, but my mind keeps going back to what I saw as we were leaving the house.
Finally, I can't stand it any longer. "Bryce, what were you and Ella talking about?"
The three men stop talking, and Bryce laughs behind me. “Nothing.”
I turn in my seat to glare at him, knowing he’s lying. "It didn't look like nothing.”
He shrugs his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. "You know me, I was just flirting a little."
I turn back in my seat, and my hands tighten together in my lap. Bryce is a good guy, and I don't have any claim on Ella, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. We get into town, and Tommy parks in front of the Whiskey Whistler. From the outside, the bar looks rundown. I remember the first time I walked in here. The inside is nothing like you would expect. It’s all modern and fancy.
We walk in the front door, wave at Malcolm, the manager, and find a seat toward the dance floor. Jeremiah goes up to grab some beers.
I look around the bar. There's plenty of women here, and they’re good-looking. If it was any other time, I would probably go and talk to one, but I have no interest in doing that tonight.
Tommy elbows me in the side. "What's up, man? Talk to me."
I take the beer that Jeremiah hands me and take a swig. Tommy holds his hand up. "Should you be mixing—?"
I shake my head before he gets it all out. I try not to get frustrated. I know he’s only looking out for me. "I haven't taken any pills since I left the hospital. I'm good. A beer's not going to hurt me."
He nods and takes a drink of his own beer before setting it down. "All right, spill it."
I look around at the three sets of eyes, and all of them are looking at me worriedly. I can sit here the rest of the night and have them do this, or I can just go ahead and get it all out in the open so we can move on. "I mean, it's going pretty much how you’d expect it to be. I'm still dealing with everything. I've been going to therapy.” I throw a hand up in frustration. “I don't know what I'll do without the Army, but I don't think they're going to clear me to go back."
Tommy, who has personally experienced not being admitted into the Army because of health reasons, chimes in. "There's plenty of other things that you can do to help."
"I know. I just need to wrap my head around it all. I'm supposed to get fully released next week, and they're going to do some more tests on my head, but I've lost a lot of muscle in my arm. I don't even know if I could hold a gun at this point."
I laugh as if it's funny, but none of us thinks it is. Without even saying it, the guys know exactly what I'm feeling right now. Tommy takes another drink and then points his beer bottle at me. "What about Harper?"
I roll my eyes and shrug. "What about her? The day she came to see me at the hospital, I broke it off with her."
And that's when Bryce cuts in. "Heck with Harper. Let's talk about Ella. Does she have a man?"
I grit my teeth. "She's not going to be one of your conquests, Bryce."
He looks at me seriously for a minute and then holds his hands up and laughs. "Okay. Okay. I get the picture. Hands off. Got it."
"Logan," Tommy starts, and I turn and look at him, but he's looking over my shoulder. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks as if Harper is here, and she's heading this way."
I take a deep breath and mutter, “Son of a bitch.”
Tommy grits his teeth. “I know exactly what you mean.”
The truth is, I knew coming out was a bad idea, but it had to be better than being locked up in the house with Ella. Geez, she is a temptation that I wasn't prepared for, and I have no idea how to deal with it. Literally, my life is in shambles right now. I don't know of any woman that would want to take on my problems, and that's the only thing that's holding me back from making a move on Ella.
When there is a tap on my shoulder, I swivel in my seat. "Hey, Harper," I deadpan.
She smiles and looks me up and down. "I'm surprised to see you up and about."
I purse my lips. "I recovered for a month in the hospital. I'd say it's about time I'm up and about."
She looks at the three men sitting with me and then back at me. "I was thinking that I would come over and we can talk. Is there anything that you need?"
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I know exactly what I need and that's for her to get the fuck away from me, but before I can get the words out, Tommy interrupts me. "No, he's fine. Ella has been taking good care of him."
"See ya around," I say before turning away from her.
Before I know it, I've finished off my beer, and Tommy gets up. "My turn. This round's on me."
We hang out the rest of the night talking and drinking. Bryce stops after one beer so that he can drive the rest of us home. I grew up with all three of these guys, so we have plenty of stories to tell, and before I know it, I’m caught up in the stories of our past, laughing and forgetting what a dumpster fire my life has become.
Women come up to our table and even offer to buy us drinks, but the three of us are satisfied just hanging with each other. It’s almost midnight before Bryce says he's ready to call it a night. In the car, they talk about the women at the bar, but all I can think about is the one that's waiting for me at home.