He smiled handsomely. “Good girl. And I like my steak rare.”
I went in the kitchen and passed along the order, taking out a tray to one of my tables. They were setting up the stage for the next act. It hadn’t been announced on any flyers, so I wasn’t sure who was up. Maybe Jake had a surprise in store, or maybe he’d just decided to have an open mic and let anyone up there to karaoke. Oh God, please no.
“Miss Izzy!” Maizy waved, and I walked up beside her.
“Hi, sweetie. Is this too loud for you?”
I worriedly looked to Lexi and she shook her head, confirming Maizy had no issues with all the excitement going on.
“Look what Denny gave me,” she said, opening her hand.
I laughed and watched her eat a piece of chocolate. Denver must have had a box of candy stashed behind the bar.
Denver pulled Frank to the side, and they had a private conversation. Frank wasn’t supposed to be in that night, so I guessed Denver had called him up to swap out his shift.
Maizy swung her legs excitedly, making silly shoulder movements to the music on the jukebox as she watched Austin twirl Lexi around in a dance.
One of the waitresses, Nell, walked out with a tray full of sodas. I curled my finger for her to come over. “Which is the virgin?” I asked.
“The one with the cherries, of course.”
“Do you like cherries?” I asked Maizy.
“Uh-huh!”
I lifted the tall glass of soda and took a sip to make sure there wasn’t alcohol in it. “Sorry, Nell. Can I swipe this one?”
“No problem,” she said, winking at Maizy. “Anything for the cutie-pie.”
Maizy carefully held the glass and slurped on her soda.
Reno and April were making their way inside, weaving through the crowded room. April’s blond hair looked so attractive on her with the edgy cut that made her hazel eyes shimmer. I smirked when I noticed some of her lipstick on Reno’s neck.
“Hi, Izzy!” She gave me a quick hug and then got lost in Reno’s thick arms.
“Are you two hungry?” I asked. “We’ve got steaks on the fire.”
“No, we had Sonic on the way over.”
Lexi snorted. “Reno couldn’t wait, huh?”
He leaned forward. “When a man’s hungry, he eats.” His hands slipped around April’s waist, and she blushed wildly.
“Oh, Lord. You two are going to set this place on fire,” I said with a grin.
Denver returned and sat on the stool in front of Maizy. She grasped his head with her hands, forcing him to turn his head in different directions. It was good to see a wolf take over as a watchdog for a young girl, even if she was human. I’d heard it was a strong bond and that the male would fight to the death for the life he vowed to protect.
Austin kissed Lexi on the cheek as their spontaneous dance ended. He turned his back to me to face Lexi, sipping his cold beer. Some of his tattoos peered out from the sleeve of his shirt, and her fingers smoothed over them. The way she looked at him told me she had eyes for no other man.
“I like your hair shorter,” Lexi yelled out over the noise. “Looks good on you.”
I pinched the ends of my hair, which fell below my shoulders—still long, but not as long as it once had been.
“Ivy’s pretty handy with the scissors,” I replied.
People moved toward the stage when a finger tapped on the microphone a few times.
“I wonder who’s playing,” I mumbled. Jericho’s band wasn’t scheduled to go on until tomorrow night, and the other two bands that played in the bar didn’t have a show scheduled this week.
When Jake walked onstage, the jukebox cut off. “Ladies and gents, we have an unexpected surprise for you this evening.”
“Free beer!” someone shouted, and laughter followed.
“Hop on, Peanut.” Denver patted his shoulders and Maizy threw her legs over them, holding on to his head and sitting up tall. He walked toward the back edge of the crowd, and the main lights lowered a little.
“No, not free beer, you jackass,” Jake said with a tight grin. “We have a familiar face with a new sound, and tonight you have the pleasure of hearing their debut album that will only be available to Breed. You can buy the songs online exclusively at our website, but this is Breed only. If this goes viral, I’m going to hunt your asses down.”
I was impressed that one of our own was making an album, which was unheard of.
“Put your hands together for Heat.”
Denver whistled with his fingers, and the crowd gave them solid applause.
“Oh my God,” I murmured.