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Reilly glared at his twin but stayed silent. Brodix yawned.  Why couldn t we
meet at the house? And where the hell is the coffee?
 Because this is about the diner, not the house. Sam rolled his eyes at
Brodix s pissy mood. He d always been the worst morning person on the planet.
It took him three cups before he was even remotely civil.  You want coffee make
it yourself, I m not your maid.
 If you were, I d fire your useless ass.
 If you ll shut up and let me talk, maybe we could get through this within
the next century too.
 So talk, he bit out.
Sam started right in, no sense dancing around it.  I ve had a chance to look
over the books. Things are bad.
 Bankruptcy bad? Vance asked, speaking for the first time since arriving.
He nodded. Several curses filled the air. Sam held up a hand.  However,
we re not without options here. I ve been looking at the property. We own it
outright, thanks to Dad s financial skills, and it s large enough that we could
expand the diner.
 Customers aren t clamoring to eat here as it is, and you want to make the
place bigger? Reilly asked.  How does that make sense?
 Not bigger, necessarily, but a remodel. I think we should turn the diner into
a bar and grill.
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Suddenly alert, Brodix sat up and placed his elbows on the counter.  How? I
don t see a bank loaning us the amount of cash that sort of remodel would
entail.
 I have some money in savings, Sam offered.
 Me too, River added as he looked at the clock on the wall for the tenth
time.  We might not need the bank.
 Hell, if you both have money in savings, then why don t the five of us just
put in equal shares to pay the bills around here? Reilly said as he waved a hand
in the air.  Problem solved.
 Because Sammy is thinking of a long-term solution, Brodix said as his
quick mind caught on.  Paying the bills is only a bandage.
 In my opinion, Sam began,  a bar and grill would gain us a damn sight
more customers than a diner ever could. I don t want to end up right back here
six months down the road, few customers and too much overhead. We need to
make some changes.
 Vance s Construction has the remodel covered, Vance stated. He rubbed
his hands together and looked around the room before saying,  It s about time
this place got a facelift.
 I agree with everything you guys are saying here, but, River said, still
looking unconvinced,  what do you think Mom will want? The diner was always
her thing.
For a moment, they all fell silent as they glanced around the room. Sam knew
his brothers were recalling all the times they d spent there growing up. They d
each taken turns waiting tables and washing dishes. Sam hadn t minded the
work, though, because the diner was theirs. And for a motley bunch like they d
been before Wanda and Chet Jennings came into their lives, having a place to call
their own had been worth a little sweat.
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Sam s Promise
 I think she ll be thrilled, River, Sam said.  That we re all taking an interest
in the family business is what she always wanted anyway. Her and Dad both.
Besides, if she decides she wants to keep things as they are, then we ll go with
what Reilly said. He made a circle in the air to indicate the five of them.  We ll
put our money together and pay the bills. Do our best to help out.
 The heart attack was a wake-up call for all of us, River muttered.  Mom
needs to slow down. She needs help.
 No doubt, bro. Sam was ashamed that he hadn t noticed until it d been
almost too late.  We re going to see that she gets it.
 If we do this, then we re going to need new menus, a bigger staff. New
uniforms. More than Eddie to cook. Brodix shoved a hand through his hair.
 This is big, Sammy.
 No joke there, it s a huge undertaking. But I have some ideas how we can
get some help with some of it.
 You re thinking about Julie, Reilly surmised.
Vance quirked an eyebrow.  What s she got to do with this?
 She s majoring in business, and I think she d be a real asset through all this.
In fact, I m thinking of asking her to be the manager of the Blackwater Bar and
Grill.
 Makes sense. Brodix grinned.  The Blackwater Bar and Grill& Has a nice
ring to it, doesn t it?
 Damn straight, Sam growled.
 Speaking of Julie, Brodix said as his gaze met his and held,  what s this
about you two going out to dinner last night?
It wasn t the abrupt change in topic that had Sam on alert so much as the
tone. Brodix sounded jealous. Had he been into Julie? Sam had assumed Brodix
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had just been doing what he usually did when he was around a pretty woman
flirting.
Sam glared at Reilly.  Big mouth.
Reilly stood and held up his hands.  Hey, don t get all angry with me. He s
the one who asked if I knew her phone number. I told him that I didn t, but you
might.
Sam turned his attention back to Brodix.  You were planning to call Julie?
Brodix sat back and tapped his fingers against the countertop.  I thought
about it. Is it a problem?
 Yeah, it s a problem, he gritted out as he recalled the sight of her during
her climax.  Julie is off limits.
 Seriously? You just met her on Thursday! Jesus, you ve gone out all of one
time.
Sam didn t say anything, only stared. To his way of thinking, there wasn t
anything left to say.
Vance laughed.  Mom is going to have a heyday with this.
 Whoa. Sam s gut clenched up.  I m interested in Julie, yeah, but I didn t
say we were picking out matching robes. He paused, then thought to add,  And
if any one of you says a word to Mom, I ll beat you to a bloody pulp.
 Might not have to, River said, smiling for the first time since their mother s
heart attack.
 What do you mean?
 Julie s at the hospital now, remember? Mom s probably already gotten all
the information she needs. He chuckled.  The woman is better than a CIA
operative when it comes to gaining intel on her boys.
Sam groaned.  Christ, I never even thought of that. Hell, he d be lucky if his
mother hadn t already set a wedding date.
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Sam s Promise
 If I were you, Reilly said,  I d get my ass down there before Mom gets
carried away.
 Like that time Vance brought home Shayla Riggs. Remember her? River
asked, punching Vance on the arm.  Mom was ready to break out the horse-
drawn carriage and champagne flutes for the two of you.
Vance stayed silent, but Sam saw the flicker of pain all the same. Sam
remembered Shayla. She d broken his brother s heart. The others weren t aware
of how serious Vance had been for the girl. But Sam had known, and it still
pissed him off to know how easily Shayla had found it to kick Vance to the curb.
 Before we end this meeting, Sam said, changing the subject for Vance s
sake,  I need to know if we re all onboard with the remodel.
They all sent up their agreements. Reilly, River and Brodix high-fived one
another. Vance sent Sam a look of thanks before he stood.  I ll start working on
the plans.
 Good deal. I ll talk to Mom, and we ll go from there. Agreed?
 Agreed, his brothers said in unison.
When Sam arrived at the hospital, Julie was sitting next to his mom s bed.
They were laughing and carrying on as if they d known each other their entire
lives. He liked seeing his mom happy. He hadn t seen her laughing much, not
since their dad had passed. And it was good that Julie was so at ease around his
family, but some part of him wondered if he held any importance in her world.
The thought turned his good mood sour.
Sam cleared his throat. Both women glanced over at him.  Am I
interrupting?
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Anne Rainey
 Sammy dear, his mother said in her usual cheery voice as she held her
arms out for a hug.  We were just talking about you.
 That s never good, Sam muttered.
Julie smiled, and unless he was seeing things, Sam thought he saw the hint of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]