He shakes his head. “No. I was going to hire more people, but you know Diego. He said this is your legacy. You kids need to come back home. We put too much heart and soul into these places. It’s your turn to continue with the tradition.”
Uncle Gary has been a friend of my grandfather since they were in grade school. Unlike my grandfather, he never married or had a family. In some weird way, we’re all he has. It never occurred to me that he doesn’t have anyone to leave his part of the business to. This might be me in fifty years. I’ll leave everything to my nieces and nephews.
My grandfather is not going to die, and Uncle Gary is going to be around for a while. I better make sure he knows this. Me tending his shops is a temporary thing.
“You mean until you come back,” I state.
“Sure.” He looks at his watch. “Do you think you can come over tomorrow so Siobhan can bring you up to speed? You know how to manage the sports bar. Nothing has changed. I’m giving her the rest of the day off. She deserves it.”
I’m not sure if she’s going to talk to me again. Fuck, what was I thinking when I pinned her against the door and fucked her? I knew when I saw her today that she was more than just a waitress about to quit her job.
I just didn’t care. I had to have her one last time. Though, I’m afraid that wasn’t enough to purge her out of my system. I need to be inside her again, to fuck her pretty mouth and watch her swallow my cum—among other things.
“Iskander, are you okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ll talk to her. Where are we going next?”
“The tattoo parlor.”
“All I can draw is stick figures. I hope you don’t mind if we hire someone to take over that place,” I say.
“Mane has that friend, San, doesn’t he? He’s good at drawing. Myka is good at designing too. They probably know someone who might be able to do it, or they can learn.”
God help us. “We’ll figure it out,” I reassure him.
He should oversee everything, I appreciate his concern for my abuelo, but he doesn’t need to be there every day. Dad is plenty, isn’t he?
* * *
After the tour of the inn, the tattoo parlor, the car shop, and the sports bar, Uncle Gary gives me the keys to my grandfather’s house. He says all their properties are rented, but if I don’t feel comfortable living there, I can stay at the inn or rent the pool house at the farm.
I decide to keep the room for now. However, I go and visit Nydia, who apparently owns the farm.
“Momentito, por favor,” she says while closing a box. When her gaze lifts, that smile she was wearing a second ago transforms. “Out!”
“Is that the way to receive an old friend?”
She glares at me. “You’re not a friend. I wish I could say that I can’t believe you pulled a Cantú on Siobhan, but unfortunately, I’m not surprised.”
“I pulled a Cantú?” I chuckle. She’s precious.
I’ve known Nydia since she was little. We were neighbors. She’s Fernando’s age, but best friends with Myka and Manelik. The three of them were close until my brother chose to fuck things up. “I’m not like Mane.”
“All of you just come over for five minutes, fuck up someone’s life, and then leave,” she states.
See, I could be nice to her, but she’s just shoving me in the same place as my brothers. I never dated anyone from Luna Harbor because I knew I would never come back. Unlike them. Efren dated a different girl every week. Fernando had his summer flings. Mane… he had Nydia, and he left her behind.
“Listen, I had no idea who she was. She knew the score. Actually, she set up the rules.”
“You knew last night that she worked for you. You jeopardized her job,” she accuses me. “That’s actually sexual harassment.”
“Why are you twisting this? We were two consenting adults who knew the score,” I protest. “It’s not my fault that you’re still holding onto a stupid dream. You should’ve known that he would never come back.”
“I’m not twisting anything. You messed with the wrong person. She’s my best friend. The last thing she needs is a guy like you,” she states. “There’s a difference between knowing the score and getting fired because you screwed your boss. Now get out of my store.”
“If I ask about renting the guest house on the farm?”
She shakes her head. “I’m not that desperate.”