Friday arrived and I hadn't heard from Mom all week. This wasn't unusual, except for the fact that she seemed eager to make amends after our conversation in Miami. I tried not to read too much into it and expected her to roll into town before my shift. The more disturbing thing was that she hadn't posted anything new on her vlog.

"Still no word from your parents?" Cabe asked as we FaceTimed during breakfast.

"Nothing. I'm trying not to let my imagination run wild. If Dad had been busted by the cops, I'm sure I would have heard about it."

"I wasn't going to mention this until you started to worry, but it might be worthwhile to check with the marina to see if the boat is still in its slip."

"Yeah, I thought of that. Maybe I'll give Luke a call. He owns the store there, and he knows my dad."

"Do you think he'll share that kind of information over the phone? Even if you tell him who you are, I doubt he'll see that as discrete."

"You're probably right." I sighed over my coffee as that old familiar worry returned.

"I know someone who would do it—our housekeeper. He lives in that area. Let me text him. I think it would give you some peace of mind."

"Okay. Thanks, Cabe. So, now that we've taken care of my problem, did you make any progress with your dad?"

"I did. As of next week, Franklin Commercial will be split into two companies, Acquisitions and Property Management."

"And your dad is giving you full control of the property management side?"

"Yep. Once I sign on the dotted line." He raised his fork in the air as a mock toast before taking a bite. "Then Pour Decisions will be our first property under my protection, and you and your mom can rest easy."

"I'm glad you and your dad worked things out. What about your plan to move to South Carolina to be closer to your girlfriend? Did you mention that part yet?" I smiled at him through the screen, and he smiled back.

"I'll drop that bomb on him after the ink dries. It's going to happen whether he likes it or not."

We finished our breakfast together and said our goodbyes. My life was looking pretty good, as long as Mom didn't do something stupid to mess it up. Besides packing up my life and moving it north, the only logistic left to manage was hiring a bar manager. I really wanted Jackson to take the job, but he was going to be a hard sell after that dumb stunt Mom pulled on him.

I called Jackson and asked him to meet me at the bar before his shift so we could talk. On my way in, Cabe texted.

'The boat is not at the marina, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.'

I knew he was trying to keep me from worrying, but I'd had too much practice to stop now. The night was still young, and there was plenty of time for Mom to show up and tell me that dad had to disappear again.

"Hey, June." Jackson greeted me behind the bar as he helped Jill change one of the beer taps. "I'll be right with you. I think I discovered why this tap has been foaming up."

"You do your thing." I escaped into the office and started on some paperwork while I waited. A few minutes later, he appeared at the door.

"There's a man calling himself Leo here to see you."

What was our attorney doing here? I followed Jackson back into the bar and found Leo enjoying a beer at a table. Funny. He didn't strike me as a beer drinker.

"Hi, Leo. What brings you into Pour Decisions?"

He patted the seat next to him and I sat down. "I came in to talk with you. And to deliver this." He pulled a manilla envelope out of his briefcase, and my stomach took a dive. The last time I saw a manilla envelope, it contained private information that I would have preferred to keep private.

"What's this?"

"Open it up and read it."

My hands shook as I undid the clasp and lifted out a stack of papers. I hoped he didn't expect me to read all this legal mumbo jumbo right now. When I saw the name Pour Decisions written out on the top, I cursed under my breath. What fresh hell was this?

"Can you please just give me the gist? I'm not in the mood to go through a bunch of legal jargon." It was his job anyway.

He took a long pull off his beer, and it made me wonder if he was using it to calm his nerves. "This is a contract your parents had me draw up on Tuesday."

"You saw my parents on Tuesday? Both my parents?"

"Yes. I've been friends with your dad for three decades, June. He trusts me. And you can trust me. Your parents wanted me to relay a message that they are taking a long trip and don't know when they'll be able to contact you again. They also asked that I draw up a contract that gives you full ownership of the bar. You will notice on the signature page that they have signed their shares over to you. All you need to do is sign it and you will own one-hundred percent of Pour Decisions."

For a minute, I was angry. Angry they had both left me. Did they not see how selfish that was? Did they think leaving me with the burden of the bar would make up for it? For all of it? I watched Leo down the rest of his beer and set his empty bottle on the table.

"Do you want another?" I asked.

"I don't know. Are you angry with me?"

"No. You're just the messenger."

"Okay, then. I'll take another."

I waved the empty bottle at Jackson, who nodded his understanding. "I don't suppose my parents mentioned where this long trip might take them."

"Not specifically. But your mom was looking forward to a cooler climate. I know that doesn't help much."

Jackson arrived with Leo's beer. "Can I get you anything, June? A shot of tequila, maybe?"

I smiled, letting him know his efforts to humor me were appreciated. "I'm good, thanks." When he left, I went back to watching Leo drink his beer. "So, I own the bar, huh?"

"As soon as you sign."

"I guess I should read it first."

"That would be advisable. Your mom says you're moving to South Carolina for a university job."

"Yep."

"Does that mean you'll sell the bar?"

"I'm not sure. But it's nice to have the option."

"I expect you'll make a nice profit. This place is a Daytona Beach icon. I know folks who always stop here whenever they're in town."

"I probably know them."

We shared a smile, and I relaxed against my chair. What would Cabe think of this new development? His dad would be happier than a pig in mud. And I didn't doubt he would keep the place running like it always had if I decided to sell to him. Or maybe he would see it as an opportunity to sell it to a developer and make bank on it. Would he do that? Would I care?

We chatted a bit more, and when Leo had finished his beer, we agreed that I would spend the weekend looking over the contract and touch base with him on Monday. Jackson was eager to get the details when I returned to the office, and I filled him in.

"Wow. You own a bar."

"Looks like it."

"And you don't know when you'll see your parents again, huh? That's kind of rough."

His comment should have had more impact on me, but it didn't. A person could only take so much disappointment. I was over all the bullshit. "Yeah, but I'm kind of used to it."

He nodded. "So, you wanted to talk to me about something before your attorney showed up."

"I wanted to talk to you about the bar manager position. I can tell you with a reasonable amount of certainty that my mom won't be bothering you anymore. Can I entice you into taking the position?"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, although I couldn't tell if he was just messing around. "Hmm. That depends. Will you be the owner of the bar? Or will you be selling it to someone else?"

I glanced at the manilla envelope containing my ticket to freedom. "Honestly, I don't know yet. But I won't be making any hasty decisions, and I would love for you to manage the place until then."

Jackson smiled as he held out his hand. "You've got yourself a bar manager." We shook and he stood from his chair. "And just to give you some food for thought. This place is a real hidden treasure. I've known about it since I was a kid, back when it was Butch's Beer Hut. It's places like these that give Daytona heart. I would hate to see it lost to some greedy developer."

He left me with his pearls of wisdom, and I realized how lucky I was to have a native running my bar. We'd been through a lot of employees since my parents bought the place, but only a handful were locals. I'd come to learn that they were just as valuable at the beautiful beachfront properties. And to think I nearly lost him because of my mom's selfish choices.

I closed the office door and FaceTimed Cabe. He answered right away, and I smiled when I noticed his bare chest.

"Bad timing?" I said.

"Sorry. I was just hopping into the shower. Have I offended your sensibilities?"

"Nothing about this view is offensive. Can you angle the phone down a little? I can't see everything."

He turned his phone and faced the screen at the bathroom mirror, giving me a full-frontal. "How's that?"

"If I wasn't at work, I would enjoy it a lot more."

He turned the phone around and scowled into the camera. "You're not behind the bar, are you?"

I laughed. "I wouldn't do that to you. I'm in the office. I just had a visit from my family's attorney."

"Oh, yeah? What brought him in?"

"My parents paid him a visit on Tuesday. The day after we saw them at the marina. They had him draw up a contract that gives me full ownership of the bar. All I have to do is read it and sign."

"Holy shit."

"You took the words right out of my mouth. But that's not all. They took off together. I probably won't hear from them for a while. Leo told me they might be headed for a cooler climate."

"I'm sorry, June. I can't say I'm surprised, but that doesn't make it suck any less. I wish I was there."

I smiled and pretended to peek over the screen at his junk. "I wish you were here too. I would jump your bones."

"Settle down, now. You'll have these bones soon enough. So, what are you going to do about the bar? Have you given it any thought yet?"

"A little. And I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

"Can I offer my opinion?"

"Don't you always?" I grinned, and I knew he saw it. But I could tell he was on a mission to make a point as he barreled on.

"Ever since we met, you've talked about your parents with a mixture of nostalgia and resentment. Despite your turbulent relationship with them, you three clearly have a strong bond, and much of that is connected to the bar. Once you sell it, that connection disappears. You might want to consider that as you make your decision. Who knows how long it will be before they surface again."

As always, Cabe's opinion gave me some much needed clarity. Sometimes we're too close to the problem to see the solution. But how much of those bar memories did I want to hang onto? They weren't all good ones. There was the year hurricane Matthew hit the coast and ripped half the roof off, and the time the cops raided the bar when Dad set up a betting station in the office. The only reason he got off with a warning was because Murphy knew the sergeant.

"Thanks, Cabe. The fact that you made that connection before I did bodes well for you. I knew you were decent boyfriend material."

"You did, huh?" His smirk hit me straight in my girl parts, reminding me of our first meeting. He was unapologetic about pretty much everything he did. Even when he admitted to his faults. Even when he committed too soon.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I think you lied to me the night we met."

"That seems unlikely. But, please, explain."

"You said you weren't that deep and claimed to be an asshole. But it's been my experience that you're deeper than any guy I've ever met. I hope you're okay with that."

He shrugged as I watched his cheeks warm to the color of a well-poured Cosmo. "If that's what keeps you from kicking me to the curb, I'll accept it with smug modesty."

I laughed as I leaned back in my chair. "Spoken like a true asshole."

THE END

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here we are at the end of another story. I want to thank you for reading, and I really hope you enjoyed it. I love creating complex characters, and this story challenged me to take an otherwise conventional plot and spice it up with interesting people. If you'd like to share your feedback in the comments section, I welcome it. I write for my Wattpad readers, so if there is anything you think I can improve, or if you just want to share your love, lay it on me.