Legacy by M.A. Foster

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Dylan

“Inkubus” is now scrolled across the dark-tinted window of the tattoo shop, formerly named “Pretty In Ink.” I haven’t been here since the new owners took over. My tattoo artist, Emmett, floats between various shops around the world and whenever he’s heading back this way, he’ll shoot me a text.

Grabbing the handle, I pull the door open and walk inside. The place has definitely been remodeled—gray and black wood floors laid out in a herringbone pattern, and concrete walls lined with framed artwork. A brown leather sofa covered in black tattoo-like prints is pushed against the wall. A coffee table covered in magazines and binders is situated in front of it.

A young woman with short hot pink hair sitting behind the counter greets me with a smile.

“Hi. How can I help you?”

“Hey, I’m—”

“Dylan Mackenzie,” a male voice comes from my right.

I look over to see my artist—an old friend and teammate from high school—walking toward me, his tattooed hand outstretched.

“Emmett Lee.” I grin and move toward him. Clasping hands, I pull him in for a one-armed hug before taking a step back. “It’s been a minute. How have you been?”

“Can’t complain.” He jerks his head to the side. “Come on back.”

Emmett leads me past several workstations lined up along the wall like cubicles. Each station is open and separated by a glass wall, all equipped with a black leather tattoo chair.

“The place looks good,” I say as we step inside Emmett’s station.

“Have a seat.” Emmett gestures to the chair as he moves over to the small desk in the corner and drops down onto the rolling stool. “Yeah. Zane dumped a pretty penny into this place.”

“How’d you hook up with him?”

“Met him at a convention in Vegas. He’s a cool guy. He’s actually from here. I think he’s moving back permanently after the new year.”

“Who’s running this shop?”

“Me for now.” He grins and gestures for me to remove my shirt. Once I do, he takes a moment to appreciate his work decorating my arms. “This is still some of my favorite work to date.”

On one arm is a microphone, and a set of headphones with a music staff weaving through them. The other arm is a collection of instruments; a guitar, drums, and a keyboard.

“Where are we putting the next one?”

I turn my arm over and gesture to the bare skin of my forearm.

“I have a few ideas.” Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out my phone, and open the photos app, tapping on the “tattoos” folder before passing the phone to Emmett. “A treble clef would look perfect right there,” he says, handing back my phone.

“Yes, but instead of just a solid line, I want you to incorporate these lyrics.” I open up my notes app and show him.

Emmett reads the words and nods before standing. “I’ll draw it up. Give me a few minutes.”

“Sounds good.”

“I think this one is gonna be my new favorite.”

* * *

I’ve spent the last few weeks bouncing ideas around with Alex and Jay during their downtime on the road, and I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do with Mac’s. Now I just need investors. I pull up to the curb outside Private Affair, and a moment later, the valet attendant opens my door. Climbing out of my truck, I accept the claim ticket from the valet before heading inside.

Baseball season is over, and Liam is back in Heritage Bay for a few months. Normally we’d be hanging out in the bar at Mac’s listening to live music and catching up, but tonight Liam, Cam, and I are having dinner to discuss my new business venture.

Liam and Cam are already seated when I arrive.

“It’s about time,” Liam says by way of greeting, a teasing grin on his face.

“Don’t give me shit,” I slide into the half-moon booth. “I had to go home and change.” Private Affair is an upscale restaurant and bar that caters to the rich and famous who want to enjoy a night out in private. It’s not the kind of place for jeans and a T-shirt, which is what I wear every day at Mac’s.

I tip my chin. “What’s up, Cam?”

“Not much. Just babysittin’ this dickhead.” He tilts his head toward Liam. “Heard you got some new ink.”

I unbutton the cuff of my dress shirt and push my sleeve up to my elbow to expose the treble clef on my forearm.

“Looks good,” Liam says, leaning in to get a closer look. “Are those the lyrics to ‘Sad Girl’?”

“Sad Girl” is one of my favorite songs by Royal Mayhem.

“Yep.” I run my finger over the lyrics inside the treble clef. “Life’s too short to be a sad girl. Stick with me, beautiful, and I’ll make you a bad girl.”

“Who’s your guy?” Cam asks.

“His name is Emmett Lee at Inkubus in Magnolia Park. We played ball in high school.”

“He’s good.” Cam nods. “My guy isn’t around anymore. Maybe I’ll give him a call after Trace is born.”

Our server approaches the table carrying a tray of drinks.

“I ordered you a beer,” Liam tells me, and I thank the server before he walks off.

“Your ex is back in town,” I say as I bring the bottle to my lips.

Vanessa is actually Liam’s ex-wife. Sneaky fucker. They’d secretly married in Vegas, and then she left him. Now she’s back in the bay area and working for my grandfather at the medical center. Technically she works for Cam’s father in the orthopedic department, but Mac owns the medical center, and he’s the one who hired her.

“I know.” Liam narrows his eyes as he reaches for his tumbler. “A little heads-up would’ve been nice.”

“He’s been up Vanessa’s ass all week.” Cam looks over at Liam, amused.

I lift my brows. “Why?”

Liam’s face screws up in annoyance. “What do you mean, why? Because she’s the love of my life. She’s back, and I’m home.”

“The stars have aligned,” Cam jokes.

About four months ago, we were in this very same establishment for Zach and Jay’s rehearsal dinner. The girls had gone home for the night, but the guys went up to the VIP room for a pseudo bachelor party for Zach. It was nothing exciting, just a reason for the dads and grandfathers to sit around the bar with a drink and a cigar. My dad, Cole, and I stood at the window overlooking the entire restaurant below. My dad spotted Vanessa on the dance floor and pointed her out to Liam. He hadn’t seen the man behind her—who we later learned was her fiancé—and when my dad realized his mistake, it was too late. Liam almost lost it, so Cam took him home.

“I heard through the family grapevine that she left because you cheated on her with an actress.” I shake my head in mock disappointment.

I don’t believe it. Mackenzies aren’t cheaters. We might be stubborn assholes, but we have morals. Not to mention Mimi would disown us in a heartbeat.

“My mother has a big mouth.” He rolls his eyes. “I didn’t cheat.”

It’s true. Mimi is a gossip, but she’s not the one who told me.

“What happened to Mia?”

Mia is a nurse Liam was hooking up with last year during the offseason. Liam called her his “naughty nurse.” Mia and Jade were very good friends, and when Jade died, Mia took care of Harper for a while.

“That ended back in January.” Liam waves me off.

My brows pinch. “You were with her at the wedding.”

“If you recall, I rode with you to the wedding. She wasn’t my date. We danced, and I gave her a ride home on my way to the airport. We’re still friends.”

Cam pulls out his phone and begins tapping out a text.

“You know there’s no phones allowed in this place,” Liam chides, but there’s no heat behind it.

Cam scowls while continuing to type. “My very pregnant girlfriend—your sister—is home alone, so the owner will just have to get over it,” he says bitterly.

Liam looks over at me with a smirk. “He’s pissy because I didn’t tell him I owned this lovely establishment until recently.”

“He’s a shitty best friend,” Cam adds.

“Do you remember what this place used to be?” Liam asks me.

“Yes.” Splash had been the popular eighteen-and-up club when I was in high school. My gaze moves to the empty dance floor. “Owen and I brought our dates here on prom night.”

Two years later, it closed down and reopened as Private Affair.

“I was here with Vanessa that night.” Liam chuckles. “It was packed to the walls with teenagers. Probably why I didn’t see you.”

“Yeah it was.” My thoughts drift back to that night. “I remember there was this girl….” I look over at him. “Remember the mystery girl I told you about? The one who showed up at the party that night I was hanging out with Jade,” I remind him, and he nods slowly.

“Yes.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cam lift his head. My gaze shifts to him briefly to see his curious expression, and I wonder how much he knows about my connection to Willow’s mother. “The first time I saw her was on the dance floor. She was so pretty, and her eyes….”

The server returns to take our orders.

Once he’s out of earshot, Liam picks up his drink and leans back in the booth. “So tell me what your plans are for Mac’s.”

Leaning forward, I prop my forearms on the edge of the table. “I’d like to turn it into a concert venue. I’ve been watching our numbers, and our busiest nights are when we host live bands. There’s nowhere else in Pelican Cove for live music, unless you count karaoke. I’ve talked with Alex and Jay to an extent, and depending on the capacity, we could work together.”

“You could book other entertainment, too,” Cams adds. “Comedy clubs are another thing Pelican Cove doesn’t have.”

I nod, liking his idea.

“Would you still serve food? Have a bar?” Liam asks.

“I’d like to. Have a restaurant and bar upstairs for VIP or reservation only. Maybe a small concession on the bottom floor.”

Liam nods. “I like where you’re going with this. Count me in.”

“I agree,” Cam says. “I think it’s an excellent idea. I’m in.”

“Well, that was easy.” I lean back and blow out a breath in relief.

“Dylan, your dad told me back in June that he was turning Mac’s over to you,” Liam admits. “I had every intention of backing you. I just wanted to hear your ideas first. I’m impressed, and I know without a doubt you’ve got this.”