I stepped up into the front seat of my truck and closed the door. I’d just finished my first full week on my Humanitarian Assignment, and I was looking forward to kicking off the weekend with Jo tonight. I was meeting her at the pub, along with Ryan and Rosie, to celebrate my new job and all the new beginnings taking place.

I was excited about everything, but I still missed the sky. This humanitarian position wasn’t exactly my pace, but it was more than enough to pay the bills, and it would afford me the luxury of being able to spend my life with Jo and my son, which still sounded really strange in my head. My son.

As I slid the key into the ignition, my phone vibrated. I took a look at it and smiled when I saw that I had a message from Grady. I hadn’t spoken to the guy in weeks. The message made me chuckle:

“So I hear you’re a paper pusher now. Better be careful or those muscles of yours will go to shit.”

I typed out a response of my own, knowing I’d get a reaction. “I’ll be just like you. I have to get started on my dad bod.”

My phone was ringing seconds after I hit send. Laughing, I answered the phone. “Hey man. Long time no talk.”

“Dad bod?” Grady practically yelled into the phone. “What the fuck does that mean? You keeping something from me, Flynn?”

“Things have been a bit crazy. I should have called and told you.”

“Told me what? Stop being a little bitch and just tell me, you bastard.”

“You remember that girl from the bar like, five years ago? The redhead?”

“The really pretty one that Ghoul hit on? Sure do. Mostly I remember you coming back hungover as balls.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “Well, turns out she has a son. He’s almost five. And he’s mine.”

“Dude,” Grady said, blowing his breath out in a low whistle. “The Great Zachary Flynn is a father now. Poor little tyke.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Oh come on. I’m not that bad.”

“I’m just messing with you, brother. What’s he like? Does he look like you?”

“Actually,” I said, scratching the back of my neck. “I haven’t met him yet. I just found out about him a little over two weeks ago. His mom was in a long-term relationship at the time, which has ended since then.”

“Of course it did. You’re back in town.”

I ignored Grady’s joke and kept going. “We both thought it would be best to give the kid time to adjust to the guy being out of the picture. Then she’ll let me know when the time is right and I’ll get to meet him. So far, I know he’s a bit of a Brainiac. Loves science and math and that kind of stuff.”

“Must have got his smarts from his momma.”

“This is why I don’t tell you things.”

Grady laughed. “Fair enough, brother. But hey, I’m happy for you. Kids are a game changer. They can be a total pain in your ass, but there’s nothing like it. You’re gonna realize that you’ve never loved anything as much as that kid. It will mess with your head, man. Believe me.”

“Maybe I’ll call you if I feel like I need to cry.”

“Fuck you.” Grady chuckled. “But yeah. Call me more often.”

“You miss me?”

“It’s weird, I know. But yeah I do.”

“I miss you too, brother. I have to go, but we’ll get in touch soon, okay?”

“Soon,” Grady said, and then we both hung up.

I put the truck in drive and set off to my apartment. The place was a rather pathetic bachelor pad, lacking any decor or sophistication, but it did the trick. I stopped there quickly to shower and change into fresh clothes, a pair of black jeans and a gray Henley. I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows and put my boots on, then headed out the door to get back in my truck and make my way to Hart’s Pub.

When I entered the pub, I was greeted by the new hire, Gwen, who was working as the hostess. She was a young girl, probably just legal age, with a bright smile and bubbly personality.

“Hi, Zach,” she said cheerfully. “They’re all up at the bar waiting for you.”

“Thanks, Gwen,” I said as I passed her podium and headed up to the bar. I heard her sing-song voice greeting more customers who came in behind me.

Jo spotted me coming toward the bar first. She smiled a beautiful smile and stopped pouring whatever drink she was working on to rush around the bar and throw herself into my arms. When she pulled back, she planted a kiss on my lips. Then she glanced down at my shirt. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, covering her mouth with one hand. “I forgot I spilled beer on myself. You might be a little damp.”

I was. I shrugged and kissed her forehead. “It’ll dry.”

She turned to head back to the bar, and I gave her ass a pat before breaking off and grabbing a stool beside Ryan. He clapped me on the shoulder in greeting and called for his sister to bring me a beer. She eyed him skeptically and pointed at the beer she was already pouring. Ryan apologized and then passed me the basket of fries he and Rosie were picking at. “Hungry, man? We waited for you to order dinner, but Rosie was famished. These were holding us over.”

I popped a few in my mouth. “Thanks,” I mumbled as I half chewed, half swallowed. “They’re cold.”

“You’re late,” Rosie pointed out.

“Touche,” I said, devouring more fries. I was starving, and I hadn’t noticed until I took a bite of food.

Jo took our orders and, once the food was ready, had one of her other servers step in and cover the bar while she ate. She took the open stool beside me and wrapped her arms around my bicep. She squeezed me and rested her cheek on my shoulder before we both dug into our meals.

As we ate, Ryan and Rosie flirted harder than I’d ever seen before. Jo seemed to notice because she leaned up to whisper in my ear, “I don’t understand why he hasn’t just asked her out yet. She’s head over heels from him. She wouldn’t say no.”

“Maybe he just needs a push,” I suggested, keeping my voice low so our friends couldn’t overhear us.

“I can get her away for a few minutes while you talk to him?” Jo offered.

“Sure. Let’s finish eating first. Then you do your thing.”

Jo nodded decisively. We finished eating first and waited for Ryan and Rosie to finish their meals. They were too busy giggling and flirting to eat fast enough. As soon as they were done, Jo hopped off her stool and grabbed Rosie’s arm. “I need to pee,” she said, and then both girls disappeared down the hall to the washrooms.

Ryan looked over to find me resting my chin on my knuckles, grinning at him.

“What?” he asked, sipping his beer.

“You like her. She likes you. Why haven’t you asked her out?”

Ryan sputtered into his beer and put it down to wipe the foam off his upper lip. “Because she’s my sister’s best friend. I don’t want to cross any lines.”

“Uh. I’m your best friend, and I’m with your sister. I don’t think she’d care. In fact, I think it bothers her more that the two of you haven’t just gone for it.”

“Really?”

“Really.” I nodded. “The two of you are unbearable to watch. Just kiss her already and call it a day.”

Ryan gave me a sheepish smile and went to say something, but the girls came back. Jo returned to her place behind the bar, and Rosie came to slip between mine and Ryan’s stool. She rested her elbows on both our shoulders and asked Jo to pour us each a shot. “Something sweet but with a kick,” she said, waggling her eyebrows at me and then Ryan. When she turned her face to him, I saw the decision happening behind his eyes. His gaze flicked to me.

I nodded encouragingly and mouthed, “Do it.”

Then, without delay, he cupped Rosie’s face in one hand and kissed her.

She stood dead still for a moment and then melted into him and kissed him back.

I threw both hands in the air and cheered. Jo burst out laughing behind the bar and then delivered our shots in a neat row in front of us. There were four. I glanced up at her. “You’re joining us?”

She nodded. “I’m going to own the place sooner or later. I can’t see why I can’t have a bit of fun, too.”

We all collected our glasses and raised them in the air. “To Ryan and Rosie,” I announced.

Rosie giggled and buried her face in Ryan’s shoulder. Then we all whooped and tossed the shots back.

The liquor burned all the way down my throat. Rosie coughed and sputtered beside me and dragged the back of her hand across her lips. A track of pink lipstick smeared her knuckles. “I said sweet!”

“Sweet doesn’t pack enough of a punch.” Jo winked.

“That’s my girl,” I said. “A beer for everyone on me.”

Jo set to work pouring our beers. Ryan ordered more food. We made fun of him for being a bottomless pit as Rosie hung off his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

The night started to wind down close to midnight. The last few customers lingered at their tables to finish their drinks as the music was turned off and the lights all came on. They looked up at Jo apologetically, and she told them to take their time.

“Do you guys want to hang out here for a bit longer?” Jo asked.

“Hell yeah!” Rosie exclaimed. “Can I get another drink, then?”

“Of course,” Jo said. She mixed a rum and coke for her friend and put a drop of grenadine in. She handed it to Rosie, who sipped it daintily through the straw and nodded appreciatively. “Anything for you two?”

Ryan and I each ordered another beer, and Jo poured herself one as well.

The last two tables of customers cleared out about ten minutes later. Jo dismissed the rest of the staff on the floor and in the kitchens and then locked up the doors after they had all left. She came back to join us, and we had all already finished our drinks.

“You guys drink like the Irish,” she commented as she went back behind the bar to make more drinks.

Then we all sat along the bar together, shooting the shit and enjoying the company of friends. Sam was at his grandfather’s house for the night. Grandpa Hart had stepped up big time after he learned that Jo had kicked Brett to the curb. He’d been as elated by this news as the rest of us and told her he would watch Sam for her night shifts.

Soon, he wouldn’t have to because I’d be in the picture.

It was strange to think of myself spending time alone with my son while his mother worked.

Strange, but oddly exciting.