The bar wasn't far from the house, and the girls were surprised to see the lights were on as Tatum parked her truck near the door. The bar was named Bellum and Isabella was sure Grayson had combined the names of his daughters, sure he had no idea bellum meant war in Latin. It seemed a fitting name for anything Grayson touched. They walked into the bar in silence, surprised to find the music was on and someone was actually standing behind the bar. It took them a second to recognise the blonde woman as their old high school friend.
"Fuck me, you came," the blonde gasped when she noticed the two women standing in the doorway. She squealed and rushed over to them, giving them both a hug.
"Hi Sue," Isabella smiled when the girl let her go. Sue had been one of the few girls that had dared to hang out with Tatum and Isabella, defying everyone else in town by befriending the girls that others tried to stay away from. "You workin' here?" the half Colombian girl asked as she took in her surroundings. The place looked old, mostly made out of wood, the bar, the round tables, a small stage with a guitar, mic and a drum set, and a dance floor all looked like they were ready for a '70s cowboy film.
"Yeah been workin' here since Grayson opened the place," the woman said, seeing both Isabella and Tatum grimace at the mention of their father. "He changed after y'all left, ain't touched a drink for years," she told them. The girls nodded silently, not quite ready to believe her. Sue knew not to push it and decided to show them around, the bar was only part of the establishment. There was a kitchen in the back, though Sue told them they barely used it because Grayson couldn't cook and no one wanted to work for him, though plenty came for the drinks. Isabella thought it was a shame the kitchen wasn't in use, the appliances looked brand new. Sue led them through a small door next to the stove and the girls found themselves in Grayson's office. It wasn't much more than a desk and a cabinet, but something caught the green-eyed Tennant's eye. Tatum hung back in the small office when she found a box with her name on it, curious about what it contained, while Isabella moved back to the front with Sue. She'd worked as a barmaid during her college days to pay for school and rent, so she knew what to do when Sue started on inventory. She was sorting out the mess below the bar when she heard the door open.
"Evenin' Sue," a male voice she vaguely recognised greeted her friend.
"Sheriff," the blonde breathed, trying to sound husky, making Isabella bite back a giggle; Sue's flirting tactics hadn't changed a bit. "Come here to greet the new owners, have you?"
"No, I'm here to check in after last night. What new owners?" he asked, and Isabella straightened up when her blonde friend nudged her. Her heart fluttered when she was met with a set of familiar blue eyes she still had dreams about every now and then. Austin Walker looked nothing like the skinny 20-year-old boy she'd spent the perfect summer with, hiding from their troubles in the fields around the small town. His shoulders were broad and his arms were almost twice the size she remembered, his blond hair not as shaggy as it had been back then, though his smile was still as playful and his face, now bearded, so handsome it left her out of breath. He'd been her first love, first kiss, her first... well... everything, and she hadn't thought she'd ever see him again.
"Austin, meet Izzy– I mean, Isabella," Sue said, and the brunette was about to tell her friend they knew each other when he spoke again.
"Nice to meet you," he said, offering his hand over the bar for her to shake.
"Yeah... nice to meet you too," she quickly composed herself as she shook his hand, trying to hide the frown on her face and ignore the sting she felt in her chest. It was obvious her last summer in Little Grove had meant more to her than it had to him, though she should have known that from the way he'd left it. "What happened last night?" she asked, more to distract herself than anything.
"Just another fight, you know how things are 'round here. One jackass says somethin' and the other starts swingin' fists, until Sheriff here stopped them," her blonde friend shrugged, aiming a flirty smile at Austin. It happened at least once a week.
"Good thing y'all got me to take care of you," Austin winked, a confident smile playing on his lips when Sue giggled. Isabella tried not to stare at him, saddened by the fact that he couldn't remember her, but smiled when he looked at her. Maybe he didn't recognise her because she wasn't the same girl; 18-year-old Isabella had been a confident big mouth, ten years later there was barely anything left of that girl. Life had knocked her down so often that she didn't have the energy to stand up anymore.
"Oh I wouldn't know what I'd do without you," the blonde behind the bar giggled, happy when Austin winked at her again.
"Alright ladies, seems you're doin' fine so I'll be headin' out now. See y'all later," he said, tipping his imaginary hat before he walked away when the girls waved at him.
"Oh, who was that?" Tatum's intrigued voice made the two girls that were staring after Austin jump as she entered the bar with the box she'd found securely under her arm.
"Isn't he dreamy? That's the youngest Sheriff in Little Grove history," Sue swooned, making Tatum chuckle.
"His name's Austin Walker," her sister added, trying not to sound like that meant something to her.
"How'd you know his last name is Walker?" Sue asked, making her face flush. Tatum frowned when her sister shrugged.
"You must've told me," Isabella said and Tatum could see she was lying, but Sue seemed to believe her and she wasn't going to push her into telling the truth. They hadn't seen each other for ten years, she had plenty things she didn't want her sister to know yet, so she had to respect the brunette's privacy too.
"Well if that's the Sheriff, he can cuff me any time," the redhead chuckled, making the other two women laugh. She put the box under the counter, to take home when they left. She'd found a bunch of her baby things in it, she'd no idea her father had kept them all these years. It surprised her to think he'd even cared enough to box anything.