I told her everything I was looking for. An empty building on the boardwalk large enough to fill a decent amount of the town. I explained that my little brother was going to run the bar and we needed an excellent location. My goal was to ensure the establishment would be popular enough that people would be spilling out of the doors in the summer while still raking in enough business during the slow winter months, when tourism wasn’t as prevalent. I wanted high ceilings so we could hang flat screens up. I wanted a dance floor. I wanted a kitchen. And I wanted a section filled with booths in alcoves for couples who wanted something more secluded.

When I finished laying it all out, she stared at me.

“There are three different spaces available that I would be happy to show you tomorrow,” she told me. “I don’t know if any of them have high ceilings so we might need to work with a contractor. Actually, I’m thinking of all those spaces you’ll need the contractor for everything.” Her eyes jumped to mine as her fingers continued to fly over her laptop. “I’m not trying to screw you out of more money, but you should be aware that a lot of these spaces are fixer-uppers. There hasn’t been a new business on the boardwalk in years.”

“Fair enough.” I took a drink of my beer. “I’m going to assume you know a good contractor who won’t screw me?”

She nodded. “Will,” she replied. “The same guy who designed and built the property you bought today.”

I nodded my head. “He seems to know what he’s doing,” I agreed.

There was a moment of silence between us as the waiter brought out her coffee and Vicki’s daughter’s food. She kept clacking away on her outdated laptop. She really should update that thing. That laptop looked at least five years old, if not older. Then again, this town looked fifty years in the past.

“So,” she said, taking a break from her computer to dose her coffee with a ridiculous amount of sugar. Surprising choice. I thought she would go for straight black. “When is Bre coming?”

I tilted my head to the side at the way she phrased her question. I totally forgot that Bre would be showing up tomorrow. Once I was reminded of that, I realized there was something to her tone, something that made me pause.

“Why are you so fascinated with Bre?” I asked. I took another sip of my beer, looking at her as I crossed my arms over my chest. “Is it the whole competition thing? Are you worried that she’s coming over to your turf?”

“Actually,” she said in a frustrated or annoyed tone, I couldn’t tell which one, “it’ll be nice to speak to someone who knows the market.”

Liar. She was lying. She sounded like she was speaking through gritted teeth. It was one of her tells.

I snorted. “Nice try, Vicki, but you’re not as good at telling tales as you are at selling houses,” I told her. “And surprisingly enough, those are two different things.”

“I know,” she snapped, going back to her computer.

“Can you do me a favor?” I asked. “Look, I get that we’ve talked business, meaning I can write this dinner off on my taxes, which I’m looking forward to. But can you stop working, put your laptop away, and order something more than just coffee? I don’t know much about parenting, but your daughter has done nothing but stare at you since you sat down and I think if you just spend some time with her -“

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to give me advice on how to be a parent,” she snapped. She shut the screen of her laptop down and put it in her bag. “I know how important it is to spend quality time with my kid. I get it. But quality time doesn’t pay the bills, okay? Quality time isn’t going to put food on our table or keep a roof over our heads. I have to work because my ex can’t keep a goddamn job and has the nerve to threaten me with child support.” Her mouth dropped open when she realized what she said and her face turned the same shade as her hair.

I raised a curious brow. “Would it make you feel more comfortable if I told you what I’m going through now?” I asked. I didn’t wait for her to respond before jumping. “My father thinks I’m in control of my siblings, so he had me leave work yesterday in order to drive all the way down here to ‘talk some sense’ into Bodhi, the big child currently supervising the little child. Like I’m his nanny.” I rolled my eyes and took a long gulp of beer. “I mean, I’m glad my father trusts me enough to do that, but sometimes I feel like I’m forced to be his parent rather than his brother. And he looks at me like he hates me. And I know he doesn’t. It’s the same look he’d give my father if my father actually said something to him ever.”

I looked back at Victoria who had a strange glimmer in her eyes, like she was seeing me for the first time.

“And to get back at your father, you decided to buy your brother a bar?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Yeah, it sounds nuts when you say it out loud,” I admitted. “Regardless of my issues with my father, Bodhi needs direction. He needs some kind of commitment. He has made it abundantly clear that he’s not leaving this place, so I figured okay, this place needs a bar, why can’t Bodhi run it? Once everything else is taken care of, I can return home. I just...I want to make sure Bodhi is okay.”

Victoria smirked. “Because as much as he annoys you, you care,” she stated.

Before I could respond, the devil and tater tot came back, excited to see the food. It saved me from admitting that she was right.