Page 11 of Don't Burn Bridges
A brilliant grin and a twinkle in his eyes lit up Seth’s face. “I’ll take a maybe.”
“Good,” said the man behind him. “Now, take your maybe back to the table and let the rest of us get some grub.”
With his intense gaze still on Shylo, Seth stepped to the side, winked at her, and finally turned away, dodging people, chairs, and tables as he crossed the room. After watching him for a moment, she refocused her attention on the new customer, grabbing another bowl to fill with chili. She had a generous portion earlier with the other servers and declared it was the best she'd ever had. One perk of working at Bar None was being fed meals before and/or after her shift. That would save her some money in case she needed to hire a lawyer.
“I’m Lane Myers,” the man in front of her said as she filled the bowl for him.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Shylo Kellerman.”
“Welcome to Hazard Falls, Shylo.” He jutted his chin in Seth’s direction. “He’s a good friend, a great guy, and would never intentionally hurt a woman, but there hasn’t been one yet who could get him to settle down. Temporary relationships are his thing, in case you’re looking for something more.”
She shook her head with a smile, appreciating Lane’s forward and blunt piece of advice. “Good thing I’m not looking for one, but thanks for the warning.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks for the chili.”
“Any time.”
Lane turned away and headed in the same direction as Seth. She didn’t have time to consider the man’s advice because a long line of people still wanted their food, and no one bypassed the vat of chili. It was another full hour before everyone was served and stopped coming back for seconds. The chili, chicken, and mashed potatoes were gone, but about half a tray of everything else remained. Shylo was told earlier that the staff could pack themselves a to-go container of leftovers to take home, and she looked forward to having them for lunch tomorrow.
As she and the other servers brought the metal chafing dishes and other things from the buffet into the kitchen, the bussers were busy clearing the tables of empty bowls, dishes, and glasses. After removing everything from the three buffet tables except the black linen cloths, the staff moved them out of the way, flush against the wall. Placed in the middle was a large sheet cake with “Happy 40th Birthday, Shane” written in red on the white icing. Instead of being decorated with edible flowers, it had a western theme with horses, boots, and cowboy hats methodically set in beautiful arrays. A stack of small plates, forks, and napkins waited beside it, along with a cake server.
The party was still in full swing, with people dancing, when a man stepped onto the small, elevated stage and whistled loudly, immediately getting everyone’s attention. His espresso-colored cowboy hat didn’t hide his long, dark-brown hair that hung down a little past his shoulders in a low ponytail. He wore an emerald green western dress shirt, snug blue jeans, and cowboy boots in an almost identical hue to his hat. Shylo thought something was in the water in Hazard Falls because many gorgeous men seemed to live there, and the man on the stage was one of them.
Conversations around the room died quickly, and someone flipped the switch to turn off the jukebox. The man’s booming voice was loud enough to reach those out in the bar. “I wanted to thank everyone for coming out to celebrate the fact that Shane is officially over the hill.”
Chuckles erupted from the crowd and escalated when Shane yelled out from the middle of the dance floor, “You’re right behind me, babe.”
The endearment caught Shylo off-guard. Earlier, someone had mentioned Shane’s wife, Paige, and how much time and effort she’d put into throwing the party. So, who was this guy on the stage Shane had called “babe,” with a mixture of sarcasm and affection?
“If I can get Shane, Paige, and our kids up here, and everyone to clear the dance floor, there’s one gift Paige insisted Shane has to open here among our friends and family.”
Our kids? Okay, Shylo was perplexed as she stood beside Giselle and Ryder Kincaid, the other server, by the kitchen door, watching everything. She turned to them. “Um... did he say, ‘our kids?’”
Giselle nodded. “Yup. The little one is Ashley, and their other daughter is Arianna. Shane, Tucker, and Paige have a ménage marriage. For a few years, it was just Shane and Tuck after their first wife, Sarah, died of cancer. Then Paige came to town, and the guys fell hard for her. Some people around here call them perverts, but the Wilsons are happy, so it’s nobody else’s business. We have another throuple in town—they’re here somewhere—but the Hadleys are two brothers sharing a wife, so obviously the men aren’t in love and having sex with each other.”
Her gaze met Shylo’s. “I’m not telling you anything that isn’t already common knowledge around here, so don’t think I’m airing anyone’s dirty laundry. My wife and I are part of Hazard’s small LGBTQ community. We still get the occasional slur or dirty look from people who think we’re going to hell, but most folks stand by us. The police take protecting everyone seriously, no matter their race, gender, orientation, or financial status. That’s not something you find in many small Midwestern towns.”
Shylo didn’t know what to do with all that information. While statistically, there had to be some LGBTQ people in Brimley Flats, she’d never met anyone who identified as part of that community. At least no one she knew was out and proud. However, she did know a lot of bigots, like Troy, so that could be the reason those people kept their sexual identities to themselves. Who someone loved was none of her or anyone else’s business, and she was all for everyone to have the right to marry whoever they wanted or live however they pleased.
“You seem surprised about that,” Giselle stated, as she studied Shylo’s face.
“Um... surprised, yes, but please don’t think I have a problem with anyone who identifies as anything other than straight. I grew up in a town about the same size as this back east, and let’s just say, there wouldn’t be this many people attending a party for someone in a ménage or same-sex relationship. There would, however, be a bunch of assholes lined up to set the place on fire with everyone in it.”
Giselle snorted. “We have plenty of those assholes too. Not that anyone’s ever done anything that extreme, but a few of us have resorted to violence a time or two to defend ourselves and those we love. We make sure we don’t start it, but we sure as hell finish it.”
“I would do the same.”
“Thankfully, not everyone around here is like that. Tucker’s family supported him from the beginning when he and Shane got together with Sarah. They were probably a bit stunned at first, but as far as I know, they never had an issue with their son being involved with both a man and a woman. His sister, Lila, is a sweetheart too. She’s an elementary school teacher.” She rose onto her tiptoes to see over the roomful of patrons. “That’s her by the stage in the lavender shirt.”
Shylo rose on her toes, too, and studied the woman Giselle pointed out. The family resemblance was strong between the two siblings. “Do Shane and Paige have any brothers or sisters?”
If Giselle thought Shylo was being overly nosy, she didn’t mention it. “No siblings for either of them. Both sets of parents passed away, too, so they only have each other, their daughters, and Tuck’s family.”
By the time the two servers turned their attention back to the party, Shane had joined his husband on the stage. With them was a pretty, honey-brown-haired woman, a blonde girl who was about nine or ten years old, and a toddler with dark hair that she had to have inherited from Shane. It was the same color Shylo saw in the mirror every day. In fact, Ashley looked a lot like her in the few pictures she had of herself at that age.
Shylo’s heart clenched a bit as she realized the girls were her nieces. She never imagined herself being an aunt. Although technically she was one already. However, Troy never took responsibility for the boy he fathered with a one-night stand a few years ago. The woman left Brimley Flats with her son shortly after giving birth, and Shylo never got a chance to see him.
As people moved back from the dance floor, Seth carried a big box over his head as he made his way through the crowd from the bar to the dining room. Shylo had seen the brightly wrapped birthday present in Lou’s office earlier and wondered what was in it.
