Whisky on My Mind Read Free Page A

glad you’ve finally put that college degree to use.”
    Whisky grinned her agreement. Her grandparents had freaked when she’d changed her major from accounting to business. They’d reacted by cutting off her tuition money and forced Whisky to drop out of college, her degree only partway finished, to look for a job in order to save up to go back and complete it. It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. That twelve months of working as a waitress and then a barista gave her an inside look at how a business worked, how to treat customers, and how to put all that to use once she went back to college. She had a renewed appreciation for her study and the practical experience she’d obtained, while working had given her an edge over some of the younger kids who were in her classes fresh from high school. She felt like a grandma, most days, but she didn’t care; she was there to get her degree. She was past the partying and drama of college and by the end of the year she’d be graduating. 
    “I can’t wait to be done with all the study, though.” She’d contemplated not going back to college, especially since running this place was a full time job on its own, but Sawyer had been adamant she needed to go back. She loved that about him. He knew her better than she knew herself sometimes. Getting her degree had been such a huge driving force in her life. Deep down she knew if she didn’t go back and finish her degree, she’d always regret it. So she went back and somehow they made work, college , and a relationship work.
    “But all this can wait, why are we standing here? What do you want to do? How long are you back?”
    “I have no plans; I came straight here from the airport. I left my bags with the lovely lady at the front desk,” she said, looking over her shoulder.
    Whisky followed her friend’s gaze and her mouth dropped open. “Yvette?”
    “Yes, that’s her. She said I could leave my bags there while I came and found you,” Bella said , giving the stern-mouthed waitress a small wave.
    Holy crap. She was like the grumpy old waitress whisperer, Whisky thought, bemused by the fact Bella had somehow managed to sweet talk the usually sour woman.
    “So you haven’t even been by the apartment yet?”
    “Nope. I didn’t feel like facing an empty place alone.”
    Whisky sent Sawyer a swift glance, suddenly torn. This was his first night home and yet, Bella was her oldest friend she hadn’t seen for twelve months.
    “Go on, baby. You go have a girly night, catch up with Bella. I’ve got some catching up to do with club stuff anyway.”
    Something inside immediately protested at the thought of not being with him, and she forced it back down. This was what had been worrying her lately. This…urge to be with him all the time. She’d been independent once. She loved leading her own life…but ever since they’d gotten together, she’d turned into this pathetic, clingy… old lady. God she hated that word, but that’s what she was. She was Sawyer’s. She belonged to him. They may not be married, but in the eyes of the club, they were as good as. She belonged to them as much as to him. She was family…always had been really, but ever since coming back shortly before her father had passed away, she’d been welcomed back into the club as though she’d never even left. She loved that…loved the knowledge that no matter what happened, she had a family who would be there for her—do anything for her without question or hesitation.
    Part of her accepted it without question, but another part of her, the part that had fought so hard to carve out a tiny piece of independence before she found her father again, dug its heels in the dirt and refused to give in. She suspected that was the same bit of her that panicked whenever that emotion threatened to drown her…surely it was just something that time would deal with? She tried not to think about how desperately that little voice whispered run!