A Secret to Shatter by Katie O’Connor

Chapter Twenty-Six

Honey sat in the Bar None with her three closest friends, Lacy, Beth, and Candice. Country music poured from the jukebox. Loud enough to hear, but quiet enough for decent conversation. The ambiance was amazing, local ranch brands stamped into the tables and walls and quaint country decorations gave it an upbeat, if somewhat redneck vibe. It wasn’t that the Bar None was a dive, it wasn’t. It was clean and neat and very casual. The perfect place for a date or girl’s night out.

“Girls’ night out is exactly what I needed,” Beth exclaimed, making Honey laugh. “Mom and Dad are driving me nuts. I cannot wait to move into a place of my own. Seriously, I’m twenty-three years old. I don’t need a chaperone.”

“I envy you,” Honey said. “I’d give anything to have my parents back, getting in my face, demanding I get married and have kids. Criticizing my choice of career.” Her words were heartfelt, even if she did understand her friend’s light complaint.

“I never thought of that. My folks drive me nuts too.” Lacy rolled her eyes and flipped her long dark brown hair over her shoulder dramatically.

“I second, or is it third, that,” Candice agreed. “Parents are a pain in the butt, but I’m glad I have mine. Lucky for me, right now they’re all caught up in their new son, nagging Beth, and my baby sister Jennifer, who doesn’t have a real job or any career options. She’s nineteen and going nowhere fast, so the folks are hounding her. It feels great to be out of the spotlight for a while.”

“Jenn’s time will come,” Honey advised. “It takes some of us longer to decide what to be when we grow up. One day, something will trigger a yearning and she’ll be on her way.” She thought it odd that Candice mentioned her new brother in such an offhand manner. She was doubly shocked when Lacy didn’t notice.

“You sound pretty certain of that,” Beth commented. She waved her hand toward the bar, trying to get the bartender’s attention.

“I wasn’t always a waitress or into computers. I took a computer lab in high school, just for the credits. Turns out, I have a knack. I was hooked. It’s why I work two jobs. Computers are a solitary career for the most part. Waitressing gives me people.”

“Hey, me too,” Candice piped up. “I love nature, and people. Activism helps me have both. Now, if I could figure out how to get the world to love nature without getting arrested, I’d be laughing. I don’t think Justice is going to bail me out anymore and I don’t dare ask the parental units for bail money.”

Honey laughed at the quirky name for Candice’s parents.

Frank, the owner of the local watering hole, wandered out from the bar and over to their table. Tall and muscular, he had dark brown hair, blue eyes and the body of a former MMA fighter. Totally swoon worthy if you were into that type.

“Evening, ladies. What can I get you? I see Jennifer is missing tonight.”

They placed their orders for paralyzers and chicken wings after assuring him they had a ride home. Ira was on tap for picking them up and taking everyone home later.

“Will Jennifer be joining you?” Frank asked.

“Not tonight,” Candice answered. “At least I don’t think so.”

“Cool. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

“Is it my imagination, or is he disappointed Jenn’s not coming? Isn’t he too old for her?” Honey asked.

“Probably, but she’s so totally hot for Frank it’s insane,” Lacy groaned. “I barely know either of them and it’s ridiculous how they pine over each other.” He was in for lunch last week and couldn’t keep his eyes off her.” She chuckled. “Either that or he has the hots for Robert.”

Everyone chuckled.

Abruptly, Lacy sobered. “And you, Honey. What’s up with you and Ira? Are you a thing or what? He’s stopped coming around and you don’t talk about it, but he was quick to zoom in on you when you were with your other boss.”

Heat flooded Honey’s face. She did not want to get into her relationship with Ira. Her own dishonesty was making her uncomfortable around him. He’d asked some pointed questions about Cameron, questions she wasn’t able to answer. “We’re good. Dating. Having dinner now and then.”

“Are you sleeping with him?” Lacy asked with her typical lack of filter.

“How is my love life any of your business?” She wanted to be cool, unaffected by their relationship, and the questions, but gee whiz. A girl needed some privacy, and some secrets.

“The red in your face tells me you’re totally doing him. Is he good? All that hot, hunky military muscle? Yummy.” Beth proclaimed, then shuddered. “Ugh. He’s my brother. I remember when I first met him and had no idea who he was. That’s a whole different ballgame. Mother Nature, the universe, someone, has a cruel sense of humor, making me think my own brother is hot.” She shuddered again. “Ick.”

“Isn’t that the truth.” Honey chuckled wryly thinking about her own situation. She finally met a guy she could fall in love with, and he couldn’t accept her as she appeared to be, and she couldn’t tell him the truth.

“Ira tells me you took off like a shot after seeing those terrorist attacks on TV,” Beth said. “He, sort of, confided in me by accident. What’s that all about? I mean they were tragic. Luckily there was only property damage and not any death or serious injury. And so many, all over the world, all at the same time. It must have taken incredible planning.”

“I don’t know why I rushed out,” Honey lied, “The devastation just kind of hit me.” She shrugged the question off. Now was not the time to go into her secret life and all it entailed.

“You sure it isn’t anything to do with your secret life as a spy?” Lacy blurted and slapped a hand over her mouth.

Beth and Candice roared with disbelieving laughter.

“Yes.” Honey polished her knuckles vainly. “I’m totally a spy. I seek out secrets for the government.” She rolled her eyes, making light of the truth. Sometimes the truth was harder to believe than fiction.

Beth and Candice cracked up again. Lacy glared.

“Really, what do you do on the computer? I’ve wondered, since you were able to fix my computer for me so easily last month,” Candice said.

“So, you’re like CIA?” Beth joked.

“She’s CSIS. Canadian Security Intelligence Agency. She works for the federal government.” Lacy stated, not bothering to lower her voice.

Someone at the next table snickered.

Honey glared at Lacy and kicked her in the shin. When Lacy looked at her, Honey mouthed for her to shut up. One slip. She’d told one person and now the entire town would know. Nobody would believe it. Who would think an airhead waitress was a spy? Nobody, that’s who.

Frank returned with their drinks. “Wings will be up in five. Enjoy your evening ladies.” He winked at Honey. “Don’t give away any of my secrets to the military, okay?”

Honey forced a laugh. “I’m pretty sure Mrs. Adelson has already given away all your secrets. Didn’t you accidentally give her your chili recipe? And didn’t she enter your chili in the yearly chili cookoff?”

“Don’t even get me started,” Frank warned. “She asked me what was in it to be sure she could eat it. She took my ingredient list and made it better. She won the competition. Now she won’t tell me what she added. Doesn’t seem right if you ask me.” He grumbled, but his face gave away the fact that he wasn’t actually bothered.

“Totally not fair,” Honey commiserated, glad to have the heat off of her.

“Don’t look now, ladies. But the menfolk have arrived. You better move to a bigger table.” He ambled away chuckling.

Honey looked up, Ira and all five of his brothers strode toward them. Their bold strides reminding her of the heroes of an old western movie. She sighed at the sight. So much pretty masculinity all in one place. A girl might swoon. Seriously, she only had eyes for Ira, no matter how much he looked like his brothers. And his beard. Dang, that beard was yummy. She loved the way it tickled her face when they kissed.

“So much for girls’ night out,” Lacy sighed. “So many men, and not a single one for me.” She mock pouted. “One day, I’m going to be sitting here alone, drinking away my sorrows, and my hero will stride in and sweep me off my feet. Just like in a Roxy Boroughs romance. He’ll be so handsome, angels will weep.”

“I might gag at all that sap,” Honey teased. “I did promise to read one of your silly romances. You should bring one to work tomorrow. I’ll read it on the weekend. I have the weekend off from both jobs.” She’d never totally ignore her computer job. But she didn’t have to work, since she’d turned in what she learned. She’d keep half an eye on her computer, just in case. She’d be back on regular hours next week.

“You have the weekend off?” Ira asked, pushing his way into the booth beside her. “Why don’t we go away for the weekend? We can rent a cabin on a lake somewhere and go skinny dipping in the middle of the night.”

His brothers laughed. “Smooth, bro, smooth,” Jason teased. “Chicks do not want to hear that you have designs on their body.” He elbowed Ira in the side.

“I would love to go away for the weekend. You can pick me up Thursday after work. Skinny dipping is a must.” She winked at Ira and laughed when his brothers stared at her slack jawed.

“Holy Mata Hari,” Lacy mumbled.

“Wasn’t she a spy?” Ken asked. “Are you implying Honey is a spy?” He chuckled. “Yes, waitresses must be exposed to all manner of top-secret information.”

“And, on that note…Do you want to dance, Ira?” A soft country ballad drifted from the jukebox. She had to get up or blurt out the truth, consequences be dammed. She was getting tired of being belittled for waitressing. Waitressing was a respectable career, one she enjoyed and was damned good at.

They slid out of the bench and hit the dance floor.

“We’ve never danced? How did I miss dancing with you?” Ira asked. “We should have been doing this eons ago. You fit perfectly in my arms.”

He twirled her around the floor in a slow waltz. She had barely sipped her first drink and now he had her head spinning. She sighed happily. “You’re a good dancer.”

“On the contrary, I’m a fabulous dancer. Delightful in fact.” His rumbling laugh vibrated through her.

“Indeed? I’d say adequate.”

“I believe I’m offended.” He spun her in a series of slow spins and ended the dance with a low dip and deep kiss.

The entire room applauded.

“I stand corrected, you are delightful.” Breathless from the passion in their kiss, she let him lead her to the larger table her friends and his brothers had moved to. They sat side by side, she leaned into him, savoring the feeling of being in his arms.

“Why are you all here?” She asked.

“I told them I couldn’t have beer tonight as I was on chauffeur duty, which led to me being designated driver for the entire bunch. Luckily, I’ve got Ken’s family van and can take them home in batches without wearing out my jeep.”

“You know this was girls’ night, right?

He shrugged and grinned. “What can I say. I missed you, and when they insisted on a night out, I caved without much resistance. You draw me like a moth to a flame.”

Lacy sighed loudly. “Pay attention, you dunderheads. That’s how a man is supposed to woo his lady.”

Frank appeared just then. “I brought triple wings. I know these grub hounds will devour them before you lovely ladies even pick up your napkins. I’ll bring another batch in ten minutes, if you want them.”

“Bring them, please,” Ken mumbled around a bite of wing. “I didn’t have any supper.”