Free Be Here Now: A Cedar Creek Novel by Julia Goda Page A

quick nod before she turned her focus back on chopping the lettuce. My eyes went to Ivey, and she gave me her own proud smile. I smiled back at her.
    “Anything I can help with?” I asked.
    “We’re as good as done. There is beer in the fridge. Help yourself. Take some out to the guys as well if you don’t mind,” Ivey told me.
    “Okey dokey,” I said on my way to the fridge. “I’ll take Stella out with me, play some fetch.”
    “Sure. Tommy has taught her some new tricks. You should ask him to show you.”
    I leaned down to Stella and cupped her cute face with my hands. “You know some new tricks, pretty girl?” Stella smiled at me, tongue hanging out the side of her mouth, panting. “Well, let’s go see! Go get your ball!” I ordered. While Stella went in search of her ball, I grabbed a few beers out of the fridge, then she followed me out the back door excitedly.
    I put the beers on the table and expertly opened them—hey, I did co-own a bar— passed them around to muttered “Thanks” from Cal, Chris, and Pete, and my dad, and took a pull of my own.
    “Where’s mine?” Tommy asked teasingly.
    “You want a beer?” I asked in faked shock.
    “Yeah.” Tommy’s eyes were sparkling.
    “Ivey lets you drink beer now, does she?”
    “Sure. She says I’m responsible for an almost twelve-year-old. I can handle it.”
    “That’s probably true. Have at it then,” I said as I held my bottle of beer out to him.
    His eyes got big and he started reaching for it when, just as he was about to touch it, I yanked it back and took another pull. The men chuckled.
    “I can’t believe you fell for that one, bud,” Cal said. Tommy shrugged. “Can’t blame a man for trying,” he muttered.
    “Bud, you’ve got a few more years of being a kid. Don’t rush it,” Pete said.
    “You have a girlfriend yet?” Chris asked him.
    Tommy’s ears turned red, probably with embarrassment, as his eyes moved to the ground. Then he straightened his shoulders and looked at Chris.
    “Nope,” he said.
    “He’s got three,” Cal said at the same time.
    Tommy’s eyes shot to his father. “I do not, dad!”
    “At least three different girls called this past week asking for you.”
    “Doesn’t mean they’re my girlfriends.”
    Cal’s eyebrows shot up. “It doesn’t?”
    “No, dad.”
    “Don’t let Ivey hear that you’re stringing along three different girls at once. Or your grandma for that matter. They’re gonna tan your hide, bud,” Pete said through his chuckle.
    “I’m not stringing along anyone. They aren’t my girlfriends.”
    “Do they know that?” Chris asked, grinning.
    “Yeah, they do. They just like me because I’m nice and don’t tease them all the time like the other boys in school do.”
    “That would do it,” I murmured, “I bet they’re all head over heels in love with you. I would be.” Tommy narrowed his eyes on me. “I’m not teasing you, Tommy. I’m sure all the girls love you. I know I would have.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean keep doing what you’re doing. Be the good kid you are, don’t tease the girls, don’t be mean, be a gentleman and you’ll end up with a good woman like Ivey.”
    Tommy’s eyes were on me. “Or you,” he said.
    He was such a good kid. “Or me,” I confirmed on a grin.
    We were having dessert. Ivey sure as hell didn’t mess around when it came to sweets. Her breakfasts were always killer and I haven’t tried a single one of her desserts that didn’t instantly make it to the top of my most-delicious-things-ever-eaten list. She was the master. Hands down. So I told her exactly that.
    “You are the master, Ivey. The goddess of desserts. I’m so glad Cal finally got his head out of his ass and went after you,” I told her reverently before I took the next bite and closed my eyes, moaning in bliss, savouring the smooth taste of dark chocolate with raspberries on my tongue.
    Ivey chuckled. “Well, I am glad, too.”
    “Keep it up,