No One's Surrender by Kelly Walker

Author:Kelly Walker [Walker, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romantic, Standalone, romance, suspense, Steamy, new adult
Publisher: Kelly Walker Books, LLC
Published: 2014-12-26T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

—-♥—-

Chelsea

When Ware comes back in from walking River to her car, the storm clouds have gathered in his eyes again. His dark expression reminds me of Axel’s when Axel’s worried about losing someone or something he loves, which I think is about the only thing that truly rattles my brother. Unfortunately I don’t know Ware well enough to know what’s gotten under his skin. “Everything okay with River?” I ask lightly.

“Her car’s shit, but yeah. She got off okay.”

“That’s good.”

Ware sort of grunts, but doesn’t answer.

I pause in my circuit of wiping down the leftover spills and stickiness from the bar. “How ’bout you just tell me what’s bothering you without making me drag it out of you.”

“How long until you’re ready to head upstairs?” Ware starts lifting chairs upside down onto the tables I’ve already wiped, moving mechanically, like his mind is somewhere else.

His avoidance of my question isn’t lost on me, but if he’s changing the subject that deliberately I know I’m not going to get a direct answer. “Ten, fifteen minutes or so? But you don’t have to wait for me.”

Tess is sitting at the end of the bar, flipping through a magazine I keep under the bar for slow periods without really looking at the pages. “Toss me a rag. I’ll help.”

Technically, Tess doesn’t work here. But it’s not unusual for her to pitch in and help when she’s here. After I called her to double-check on her at Axel’s request earlier, she drove across town to sit here bored so Axel would know she was close and safe. It’s sickeningly cute, but I can’t judge. Their choices might not be my choices, but they both innately understand the comforts and reassurances the other needs, and they do their best to provide them. And in the end, isn’t that a big part of what love is?

I toss my rag to Tess, and she starts wiping down the salt and pepper shakers clustered at the end of the bar where I left them after refilling them a couple of minutes ago. My extra rags are kept in a neat stack under the top shelf of the bar counter, right next to my purse and keys. While I’m leaning under to grab a new one, I see I’ve got not one, but four missed calls from Mom, the most recent only two minutes ago.

The phone on the wall starts to ring, and I’m tempted not to pick it up. If Mom’s trying this hard to reach me, it can’t be good, but I don’t know that I’ve got the energy to deal with her. At the same time, it could be a customer, or something related to the bar, and not my mother at all. Sighing inwardly, but trying to keep my voice friendly, I pick up the handset. “Tuck’s Tap.”

“Chelsea!”

Of course it’s Mom. I seriously consider just hanging up, but don’t. Things have been strained between us, but just because I’ve decided to be firm with her doesn’t mean I can’t be there for her.

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