“I’d forgotten his brothers were all named after different cities. I don’t want there to be any weirdness with Denver. He seems to like you, so do you mind helping me get on his good side? I don’t need to be best friends with him, but it’s going to be tough if he’s slinging low blows and riling me up while I’m working.”
“I’ll talk to him, but I can’t promise anything.” Rosie shined up her lips with gloss. She often wore a lighter shade of lipstick or tinted gloss than her lip liner.
I parted my wavy hair to the right side and brushed my fingers through it, thinking quietly. Of all the places to settle down, why did it have to be the city Jericho lived in? And on top of that, the same bar!
“You look like a girl who just lost her man.”
When my eyes flashed up, she smiled knowingly.
“I’ve seen that look before,” she said with a shrug. “A girl like you will find another Shifter in no time. A girl like me? Not so much.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a knockout.”
“I’m also mated.”
A laugh burst out, and she giggled along with me. “Very funny, Rosie.”
“Well, when you’ve found the one, there’s no need for another man to come along.”
“He’s that good, huh?”
She nodded before answering. “The best. He treats me like a queen, stays out of my business, knows how to be a man and not let me run over him, and he sure knows how to smooth out all the rough edges,” she said with a purr. “He has a bubble bath and a glass of red wine waiting for me every morning when I get home.”
“Sounds like heaven.”
It was getting busier, so I quickly finished my sandwich and stood up. “I need to get back on the floor.”
I did a little hip shake on the way to the bar when I saw a new group of men walk through the main door. Regulars chose their section based on their favorite server. I didn’t care if they had a regular waitress; my plan was to lure them over to the Izzy side. The girls who took it personally were usually the catty ones I stayed away from anyway. Unseated men were fair game, and all the girls knew it. Once they sat down, the rules changed and everyone respected each other’s stations.
Denver’s shift hadn’t started yet, so I chatted with the bartender about house specials until he got busy with customers. A burst of noise came from the front of the bar, and I smiled at a familiar face.
“Hey, April!”
She had on a cute pair of black Capri pants and a blue top that slid off one shoulder. Her nail polish matched her blouse perfectly. I couldn’t help but admire how stylish she was in an offbeat way.
“Hi,” she said shyly. “You recognized me.”
“And you recognized me.”
She hopped onto the barstool and faced the open room. “How can anyone not recognize hair like yours?”
“What are you doing here? This doesn’t seem like your scene.”
“It’s not,” she admitted, looking at me over her left shoulder. “But I try to get out once in a while and put on my social-butterfly wings. My guy likes having a few beers and showing me off. He’s always bragging to people about how I’m a store manager. Plus my best friend, Trevor, is always dragging me up here. I think he gets discounts on the drinks, but don’t tell Jake.”
I smiled and leaned in. “How does he get discounts?”
“Denver is in our pack and doesn’t charge him full price.”
Crap. My small world was getting infinitely smaller.
“Has Denver mentioned me?”
April tilted her head and tucked a strand of her straight blond hair behind her ear, showing off the graceful curve of her neck. “Why would he? Are you two seeing each other?”
I touched her shoulder. “No, you don’t have to worry about that.” I slid off the stool and sighed. “I need to take some orders. Those guys look thirsty,” I said, pointing to a table nearby. “Your boyfriend is the one with the bike, right?”
“Yes. What was all that about the other day at Walgreens? Holy smokes! I saw your car speed off and Reno had shot the guy, but he didn’t tell me what happened.”
I sighed and straightened out my shirt. “Just some idiot messing with me. I’d like to talk to Reno and thank him if you don’t mind. Please don’t leave without letting me do that. If it gets busy in here, just grab me off the floor before you head out. It gets crazy in here this time of night, and I might lose track of you.”
“Will do.”
“And April?”
“Yes?”
“I want you guys to pick out whatever you want on the menu. I’m buying. It’s the least I can do to show Reno my gratitude for helping me out the other day. You’re a lucky woman.”
Her smile gradually spread, and it became apparent she didn’t need to be told by someone else how lucky she was. I’d seen that look on a woman in love.
Sigh. I had no idea how it felt, but I sure loved admiring it. I don’t know what had compelled me to show my face in Jake’s bar after what happened with Handlebars, but I realized it wasn’t just about the paycheck. I refused to let Jericho run me off again. I was tired of running.