All the Right Moves

chapter 12

CASSIE LEANED AGAINST the storage closet door, head pressed against the cool wood. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a good cry. Not the kind where a couple of blinks made the tears go away. She was thinking more the real deal, like someone had turned on a faucet and no amount of self-recrimination or willpower could stop the flood.

She was seconds away from that cry right now.

This was her first moment alone after making a fool of herself in front of the whole bar. No one, aside from Lisa’s few words, had said a thing, but she’d gotten looks from the regulars that made her want to cringe.

This was why she didn’t date customers. She was a private person, and being behind the bar had literally and metaphorically given her distance from those she served. Becoming a pseudo Alex Trebek was another layer of protection, and that was how she liked it. And she’d folded like an old paper bag with one look into John’s eyes.

It would have been okay if they were something more than a fling, but they weren’t and now the word would spread, and life at the Gold Strike would become infinitely messier.

Tommy was still a no-show. She hadn’t so much as glanced at her textbook for two hours and she was scared to death she was going to totally screw up her exam tomorrow. She felt self-conscious in her home away from home, and she’d barely looked at John in the past half hour.

It wasn’t his fault. Part of it, yeah, because...God...that smile. He’d melted half the ice cubes in the joint. But she was to blame, as well. It hadn’t helped that Lisa kept poking for details. And that she’d seen Cassie down half a mug of beer.

Now, all she wanted to do was leave. The lack of sleep combined with her disappointment in Tommy was really getting to her. Five minutes ago she’d decided she was done calling him. She’d already left four messages, and continuing the nonsense was only hurting her. Each time she’d hit speed dial her stomach cramped. At this point, her precious study time wasn’t the only thing slipping away. So was her relationship with her brother.

Before, when they were kids, and even in later years, up to and including his tour in Iraq, Tommy would’ve done anything for her. Anything.

She mourned that closeness they’d once shared. She hated that she couldn’t count on him for even simple things. And she very much hated that John knew Tommy had failed her.

Straightening her shoulders, she went back to her post and filled the hell out of Lisa’s order. Thank goodness she wouldn’t have to use the blender again, but there were far too many people ordering cocktails instead of beer.

“Cassie?”

At the sound of John’s voice she met his worried gaze. He motioned for her to join him.

Grabbing a damp rag, she stopped to wipe the bar between him and the other two customers because it was needed, and not as an excuse to go to John. Screw that.

“Hey.” She glanced at his mug. He’d barely touched his beer.

“What’s going on? You look like you’re in a daze.”

“I am.” She tried to shrug it off with a laugh that fell flat. What was nice, though, was that she felt better being this close to him. Being able to see the details of his handsome face, seeing the concern that lingered in his eyes. Uh, maybe that she could do without. She focused on wiping the counter.

“You get a lot of studying done?” He moved his hand across the bar as if he wanted to touch her, but caught himself.

“I fell asleep. Did a face-plant in my book.”

“Oh, Cassie.”

She shrugged. “Last night...” Keeping her voice low and throwing a quick glance over her right shoulder, she said, “I wouldn’t change anything.”

His gaze stayed on her face. “I was selfish. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, I just said I wouldn’t change a thing.”

He smiled a little. “You look beat.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll probably take a nap when I get home. Just an hour, and I’ll be good to go. I’ll do a quick review of the material.”

“What time is the exam?”

“Nine.”

John sighed, then frowned at his watch. “When can you get off?”

Hell, this is what she’d dreaded. “Soon.”

“Is Tommy in the back?”

Shaking her head, she looked toward the pool tables. It was crowded back there, too. She knew there were a lot of quarters lined up as folks waited their turns. When she glanced at the group in the front room, she caught Gordon and his cohorts staring at her and John. Her shoulders slumped. She didn’t even have the energy to volley a glare.

“Where is he?” John’s features had tightened, the tic at his jaw pronounced.

“Don’t, okay?” She heard Lisa call for her. “Just don’t.” She locked gazes with him for a second, hoping he received the message that she really needed him to back off, then she left to fill the latest order.

“What did you say to him? He looks mad.” Lisa had come around to wash glasses while Cassie got to work pouring four gin and tonics.

“It’s nothing. He just—” She sighed, pausing to sort out how much she wanted to admit. “He knows about my exam tomorrow.”

“Tommy still hasn’t called?”

Cassie knew better than to attempt constructing a whole sentence. It wasn’t so much that she feared every cuss word she knew would likely come out, but that she might burst into tears. Instead she kept her head down, knowing Lisa would get it.

“I wish I could handle the place by myself,” Lisa said, the sympathy in her voice not helping Cassie remain stoic. “Sometimes I can, but not tonight.”

“It’s okay, really.”

“I should pull Lou or Spider from the back. They drink enough, they should know how to bartend.”

“No.”

“Use me.”

Cassie and Lisa looked up at the same instant.

John stood directly in front of them on the other side of the bar. “Let me cover for you, Cassie,” he said, the softly spoken words affecting her in startling slow motion.

If she didn’t know better she would’ve sworn he’d touched her. Cupped her cheek, brushed a kiss across her lips, stroked his hand down her back. “What?”

“Please. Let me do this while you study.”

Damn him if he was what ended up making her cry. It was bad enough that the customers had seen her go all gooey with John. Crying was out of the question. She was the one who came to other people’s rescue. It was always her riding in to make everything right. She never needed anyone’s help. She carried the world on her shoulders just fine. Problem was, she couldn’t tell him to go away because her voice wouldn’t work.

“Your book is right here,” Lisa said, and moved the pile of rags. She waited for Cassie to respond, then gave up on her and said to John, “She can study in the storage closet right back here. It’s small but big enough, and she has earbuds to block the noise. If you need her she won’t be far.”

“She won’t be disturbed,” he said, so convincingly even Cassie believed him.

He came around to their side of the bar, which snapped her out of her trance. “No. You can’t do this.”

“Why not?” He picked up a clean towel and threw it over his shoulder. “Hey,” he said to Lisa, who’d slipped past him to return to the floor. “Will you handle the register?”

“Absolutely.”

Damn it, he wasn’t listening. Neither of the coconspirators would look at her. Though everyone else in the place seemed to be doing both. She gave a general glare in a sweeping arc, and by then she was able to face John with a good head of steam to steady her.

“John,” Cassie said deliberately, “the answer is no. You don’t know how to mix drinks.”

“Says who?” He glanced around at the occupied tables. “Lots of beer drinkers. So that’s easy. As far as cocktails go, tonight everyone’s drinking either gin and tonic, tequila sunrises or hard liquor...neat or on the rocks.”

“No, they’re not.” Cassie tried to yank the towel off his shoulder, but he caught her hand. “I’ve had orders for piña coladas, rusty nails and—”

“From this moment on, those are their choices. Or they can talk me through a drink I don’t know. It won’t kill anyone.” He smiled and squeezed her hand, low, where no one could see. “Most of these guys in here... They’re your people, Cassie. If they knew the tough spot you were in, they’d want to help.”

“They’re paying customers,” she muttered.

His strong muscled chest was right there in front of her, only a few inches, and she had the sudden and horrifying desire to bury her face against him. If she moved closer he’d put his arms around her. She knew he would, and she could hide from all her problems. If only for a few minutes.

“Come on,” he said gently and picked up the book, holding it out to her. “Get crackin’.”

Lisa chuckled. “I like him,” she said, then left with her loaded tray.

“You can let me go now.” She looked pointedly at the hand engulfed in his, and he released her. When she turned, she saw that Gordon and his crew weren’t thrilled about what had just happened. “Some of those guys might give you a hard time.”

“I thought we agreed I can take care of myself.”

She smiled up at him, ordering herself not to get lost in those warm brown eyes. Not to fool herself into thinking this was anything more than him being a nice person doing a nice thing. “Thanks,” she said in a steady voice, then melted a little when he winked.

* * *

“THREE GIN AND TONICS, two vodka tonics, tequila rocks and don’t forget the lime wedges this time,” Lisa said. “Also, two more—never mind. I’ll get the pitchers started.”

She scooted around to his side and jumped right in, positioning the pitchers under the tap before moving over to the sink and turning on the faucet.

“I don’t know how you two keep up,” he murmured, careful to keep his voice down. Cassie was holed up behind the door just a few feet away, and she’d already ducked her head out twice in the two hours since he’d been playing bartender.

“Well, Cassie’s fast and we’ve worked together a long time, but tonight is extrabusy, plus—” She let out a short laugh. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”

“What?” He concentrated on carefully filling the shot glass, then dumped the gin over the ice in the tumbler. He couldn’t free-pour like Cassie did. The liquor cost would go through the roof if he tried that. “Tell me what?”

Lisa watched him pour the next shot, clearly trying not to laugh. “This isn’t brain surgery. Don’t be so precise.”

“Yeah, well, it’s going to be my head Cassie bites off if I mess up her profits.”

“Don’t worry. Cassie is more generous when she pours. The customers are used to stronger drinks. I’m surprised they haven’t complained. Though they’ve been distracted...” She cursed when she saw the pitchers overflowing and hurried to turn off the tap.

“Okay, here are the gin and tonics.” He stood back. “Oh, shit, wait.” The lime wedges. Where the hell had he put them?

He groaned when he remembered he didn’t have any more cut up. He was supposed to take care of those kind of things in his spare time. Right. As if he’d had a single extra minute. His mouth was dry, and he was so thirsty he’d drink jet fuel at this point.

The door creaked open to the left behind them...Cassie, of course. “Do you need—?”

“No,” John and Lisa said at the same time.

“Fine.” She shut the door rather loudly.

They exchanged grins, then Lisa said, “Our problem child.”

“Third time now. I hope she’s gotten the hint.”

“Um, you don’t know Cassie.”

No, he didn’t. Not as much as he’d like. At what point he’d arrived at that conclusion he wasn’t sure, but he’d seen red when he found out Tommy was in the wind when he knew his sister needed him. He got out the bag of limes and cutting board. Had no idea where he’d put the knife.

Lisa seemed to pull it out of thin air, then waved him away when he reached for it. “Make the vodka tonics. I’ll cut up enough for these drinks, deliver them, then come back and finish.”

He envied how fast she worked. “Thanks for helping me out.”

“Hey, you’re the one helping. Cassie deserves this. She deserves you.” Lisa paused, frowned, sent him a sidelong look. “Someone like you. Hell, you know what I mean.”

John let the comment go and uncapped the vodka bottle. “So, would you say a shot and a half would be about right?”

“Jesus, flyboy, just pour.” Laughing, she picked up her tray, balancing the two heavy pitchers and drinks in one hand. “Be right back.”

A woman of her word, Lisa used the next lull to cut up limes. He figured he’d hit the bonus round when she started washing glasses. “You’re good for business,” she said, glancing over at him with a sly smile.

“Okay, I’ll bite. How so?”

“You asked earlier how we keep up. We get slammed sometimes at the end of the month and the middle...you know, around payday. Nothing Cassie and I can’t handle. But tonight, everyone’s ordering extra. They’re trying to keep you humping, see how long it takes for you to blow a fuse. And then there’s a few who just want to annoy the crap out of you.”

“Gee, let me guess who.” Gordon, who hadn’t liked him from the first, gave him a small nod. John held back his grin, even though he’d take that gesture for the compliment it was.

Lisa followed his gaze. “He knows you’re doing this for Cassie. That’s major points right there.”

A giant bear of a man with an impressive beard and endless tats had come from the pool tables and slammed an empty pitcher on the bar hard. “No wonder service is so shitty. You two standing here gabbing like old ladies. What the hell do I have to do to get a refill around here?”

John had been ready to suck it up and apologize, when Lisa said, “Try shutting up for starters.”

Customers at the tables laughed. So did the big guy.

“Damn it, Spider.” Lisa grabbed the pitcher and inspected it. “You could’ve broken this.”

“Where’s Cassie?” Spider asked, frowning at John. “She’s prettier than you.” With beefy hands, he gripped the edge of the bar, arms wide, his round belly pressed against the wood while he studied John’s face. “Though not by much.”

That got another round of laughter.

“Funny. I didn’t know it was open-mic night.”

John heard the storage closet door open, and turned to see Cassie peeking out. “Everything’s fine,” he said.

“What was that loud noise?” She saw Spider and rolled her eyes. “Was that you causing trouble?”

“Cassie.”

At John’s stern tone, she sighed and closed the door.

“Before you get in his face,” Lisa said, drawing the man’s angry glare away from John, “you should know he’s doing this for Cassie. She’s back there studying for an exam. Your buddy was supposed to be working this shift.”

“Where is he?”

“Who knows?” She set the filled pitcher in front of him. “He won’t answer Cassie’s calls.”

Spider’s brows furrowed and his irritation with Tommy seemed legit. He went back to sizing up John, the mischievous gleam entering his eyes hard to miss. “Our girl is more than a bartender. She knows her stuff,” Spider said. “Dude, you got some big shoes to fill.”

John snorted a laugh. “You going anywhere with this?”

“See you, boys.” Lisa picked up her tray, and as she slipped to the other side of the bar, she whispered to John, “His bark’s worse than his bite.”

Spider picked up the pitcher and drank from it as if it were a mug. He wiped the foam off his beard with the back of his arm. “Where’s the cheapest gas in town? You got five seconds.”

John folded his arms across his chest. “The Pilot on Craig.”

Rearing his head back, Spider eyed him with suspicion for a moment, then said, “No shit?”

“Nah. That’s what I heard Cassie tell someone the other day. For all I know they could’ve doubled the price by now.”

Several customers thought that was pretty funny. So did Spider. “You’re all right, pretty boy, you’re all right,” he said, nodding, and then took his pitcher with him back to his pool game.

A guy sitting at Gordon’s table yelled, “Hey, barkeep...”

John looked over, saw everyone’s grins and waited for the smart-ass question he figured was coming.

“The Cheyenne exit is closed for construction. What’s the quickest detour to get downtown?”

“I know this one.” While he answered, he took up where Lisa had left off, washing glasses and mugs, and letting them dry on the rack.

For the next hour, different customers shot out random questions. He replied truthfully to the ones he knew, responded to the absurd queries with the silly answers they deserved. It was all in fun and made the time fly. Lisa had clued him in on the betting pool the regulars had started the minute he’d taken over for Cassie. Evidently him lasting twenty minutes was the long-shot wager.

Since he’d disappointed them, they’d started a new pool. Now they were betting on how long it would take him to break down and call Cassie for help. Fine with him. They were ordering drinks by the case. He just hoped they tipped Lisa and Cassie accordingly.

“I have a question.”

John glanced up from cutting limes and into the flushed face of a short blonde. If she’d been sitting with one of the groups, he hadn’t noticed her. She looked young, and he wondered if he should card her. “Yes?”

“I’d prefer to talk to Cassie,” she said, her voice lowering.

Ah, he got it now. Someone was hedging their bet. “She’s not available.”

“It’s kinda important.”

“Sorry, it’s me or nothing.”

“What about Lisa? Where is she?”

“Taking a smoke break. She’ll be back in ten minutes.”

“Oooh.” She seemed genuinely distressed, biting at her lip, her cheeks growing pinker. But he wasn’t fooled by her act. “It’ll only take a few seconds.”

“I’m not calling Cassie out here, so if you really need something, I suggest you spit it out.”

She took a deep breath. “The machine in the ladies’ room is broken. I need a tampon.”

John blinked, stared at the woman for a moment, then looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Cassie.”

Everyone, without exception, laughed. Even the bald guy who dug in his pocket and had the twenty promptly plucked from his fingers. A side bet, obviously.

“You’re good,” he told the grinning blonde, who then turned and bowed to her audience.

Behind him, he heard the storage door creak...at the exact moment the front door opened.

It was Tommy.

A little unsteady, he looked as if he were drunk. Or barely awake. He stopped just inside, panning the room, his smile growing with the infectious laughter. When his gaze came to John, all humor left Tommy’s face. “Get the f*ck out from behind my bar.”





13



ALERTED BY THE SUDDEN silence after laughter that had made her grin, Cassie dropped her pen as the words came through the door.

Her entire chest felt as if it had imploded. Her fury at Tommy was only equaled by her concern. The last thing anyone needed was a fistfight in the middle of the bar. But knowing her brother and his hair-trigger temper, it could happen.

She was off her chair in an instant, barely noticing her book fall to the floor. Once the door opened, it was like staring into a nightmare.

“I’m helping Cassie,” John said, his voice low and serious. She could hear the razor-thin restraint. “She’s in back. Studying.”

Before Tommy could respond, she stepped out, keeping her distance from John. The situation was too volatile and her goal was to stop things right now. The bar was packed, and Tommy... One look at him told her he’d been drinking. God, she wanted to strangle him. But later. “I’m right here,” she said. “Everything’s fine. Thank you, John, for lending a hand, but we’ve got it covered now.”

His shoulder muscles flinched, as did his jaw, but he never took his eyes off Tommy. John’s arms were loose at his sides, his body ready for anything.

Tommy wasn’t nearly so grounded. His rage made his face a dull, dangerous red. He’d worn his prosthesis, but everything about him was unsteady. Fisted hands were halfway raised, and she could tell he was working himself up. “You goddamned officers think you can do anything you please. Walk into a man’s bar and take over. Thinking you’re better ’an me, better ’an all of us. What the hell are you doing in here anyway? Slumming? I saw that Corvette of yours. Too good to park in the lot, huh? Don’t want anyone mistaking you for one of us. God forbid someone thinks you’re enlisted.”

“Tommy,” Cassie said, as strongly as she’d ever said anything in her life. “Stop it. Now.”

“You think you can get into my sister’s pants by helping her at the bar? You think she’s stupid? You’re so obvious it’s pathetic. Well, I’ve got news for you. She wouldn’t look at you if you were the last man on earth.”

“That’s it,” John said, tossing the towel from his shoulder to the bar. “You want to know what I’m doing here? Picking up your slack, that’s what. You knew Cassie needed to study, but you couldn’t be bothered to come in to your own goddamn bar and give her a break. I’m doing what you should have had the decency to do. She’s got one more test, one more. And you couldn’t even return her phone calls.”

Tommy took a step toward the bar and almost lost his balance, but two of the regulars jumped to grab him. “Let me go,” he said, his voice quavering with anger.

The men didn’t. Thank God. Cassie took her own step closer to John. She touched him, low, her hand covered by the bar. “Please,” she said, keeping her voice down. “Please, just go.”

“Get off me,” Tommy shouted. “You happy now, Cassie? Now you’ve turned my friends against me?”

“John. I can’t do this. You need to go. I’ll be fine.”

When he looked at her, the struggle was so clear, she wanted to comfort him, but this wasn’t the time. Tommy had to calm down. He could seriously hurt himself or someone else. He’d already humiliated himself to the point where it made her sick.

She took hold of John’s hand and squeezed it as she walked him to the end of the bar, letting go as soon as it would have been seen. But she continued on with him until he was at the front door. “Thank you,” she said, as softly as she could. She didn’t touch him at all, but she prayed he understood that she wanted to. Badly. “We’ll talk later. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

Tommy started ranting behind her, and John looked over, ready to charge in, but she put a hand on his chest. His heart was beating so fast it echoed her own. “Please.”

He sighed. Nodded once. Then walked away.

Cassie forced herself to face her brother. It wasn’t easy. She loved him, she did, but this was...

He stared at her as if she’d betrayed everything he’d ever held dear. As if she were responsible for all the bad things that had happened to him.

He closed his eyes and jerked himself out of the grip of Wayne and Greg. When he turned his back on her, he teetered. Greg went to help, but Tommy slapped his arm away. To utter silence, her brother walked between tables, away from her. He didn’t move his head, and what was worse, the folks sitting down, longtime regulars and newcomers alike, avoided looking at him.

Her heart felt as if it were breaking into tiny pieces. Maybe it was all her fault. She treated him like an invalid, and that was what he’d become. If she’d been stronger...

“Come on,” Lisa said, making Cassie jump. “Let’s get back to work. We have orders to fill.”

With as much dignity as she could muster, she followed Lisa, making an effort to meet people’s eyes, to smile, even though she had to blink back tears.

Once she was by the sink, she picked up the towel John had thrown. It killed her that Tommy had gone to the pool room. The old Tommy would have set aside his pride and taken care of business. Not even considering that he’d ignored her, he shouldn’t have turned his back on the bar or his customers.

The anger she’d felt for days, hell, for weeks, came surging up again, but she tamped it down as she looked at the first person who caught her attention. “Need a refill on that gin and tonic?”

It was as if she’d pressed the start button. Bless them, the bikers, the mechanics, the folks from the hospital, all the people who’d become more than customers, started talking. Loudly. Filling the room with sound helped, and for once she was grateful that one of the boys fed a handful of quarters to the jukebox.

“Hey. You.” Lisa popped up again. Right next to her.

“Quit doing that.”

“I really didn’t bring you back here to work. Go get your damn textbook and get out of here.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes,” Lisa said, folding her arms over her chest. “You can. And you will. Tommy brought this on himself. He’s gonna have to figure a way out of it. By himself.”

Cassie opened her mouth to protest, but Lisa’s eyes were like flint.

“He needs to fix this, Cass. Go home. Study. And when you see that man of yours, you give him a big sloppy kiss for me. I swear,” she said, swiping her forehead with the back of her hand, “I nearly swooned when he stood up for you like that.”

“I could have handled it,” Cassie said.

Lisa’s mouth dropped open a bit. “You stubborn... Yeah, you could have. The point is, you didn’t have to. Because you had someone on your side for a change.”

“It’s not like that—”

“I give up on the both of you. Go home, Cassie. I’ve got the bar, and if I have to kick your brother’s butt all the way across the building, I will.”

Cassie didn’t doubt her. About Tommy. What she’d said about John? That, she’d have to think about.

* * *

JOHN CHECKED HIS WATCH again, wishing he’d brought something to drink with him. He shifted on the step that led up to Cassie’s front door, waiting as the warm night ticked away.

She’d probably stay at the bar to finish out the shift. Tommy was too drunk to work, and besides, after that display, the idiot had probably walked out. Leaving his sister to hold down the fort. Again.

John’s anger rose once more, as it had ever since he’d honored Cassie’s wishes and taken his leave. It had been incredibly difficult. He wasn’t in the habit of walking out on such an unstable scene, and especially abandoning the woman he’d come to like so much.

John got to his feet and started pacing. Again. He didn’t care if she did stay till closing, he wasn’t going anywhere until he saw for himself that Cassie was doing okay. And he needed to tell her that he was sorry. He should have left the first time she asked him to.

She’d done what was necessary for the bar and for herself. She’d even done him a favor. Getting into a physical altercation with her brother would have cost everyone.

He’d known right away that Cassie was smart. She reminded him of the best pilots. Steady as a rock, aware of all the contingencies and she didn’t get thrown by surprises. He smiled thinking about her at the party. Maybe she hadn’t been dressed like the officers’ wives he’d grown used to, but she’d been classy as hell in her own way.

Besides, who said things had to stay the same? Maybe during his mother’s generation, the officers’ wives were expected to dress a certain way, be willing to socialize with the right people at a moment’s notice. But now, his friends’ wives were far more independent. Although, they all kind of hung around with each other, didn’t they?

But the basic principal was to maintain a level of conduct that honored the fundamental values of serving one’s country. He had no argument with that. The fact that he was an officer of the U.S. Air Force was never far from his mind, even when he was waffling about his future. He’d be proud to take Cassie to any event. In fact, he’d like to see her all dressed up. She’d be a knockout.

A car came down the street, the first one in a while, but it wasn’t Cassie’s old clunker. John sat down on the step again, checked the time. He could call her, just check in, but that might not be the best move. She could be having it out with Tommy, and he wouldn’t want to intrude.

On the other hand, maybe she needed a distraction, an excuse to leave? If for nothing else, her studies. Even if she’d been hitting the books since the moment he’d left, the emotional hangover from that scene was going to play havoc with her retention. He knew.

After Danny had died, he’d been a wreck. So had Sam. They’d done their jobs because they’d been trained to the nth degree, but neither one of them had slept worth a damn for months. Getting behind the stick again had been painful. Muscle memory and hundreds of hours of repetition had kept them on course. It was downtime that had sent them spinning.

He and Sam had talked about it. As much as they could, but neither one of them were particularly good at verbalizing their feelings or whatever.

Anyway, he knew Cassie wasn’t going to sail through her test. Maybe, if she came home anytime soon, he could—

Another car. This one needed some muffler work. He stood, and sure enough, there couldn’t be another Ford like that on this block.

He ran his hands down his jeans and waited until she pulled into the drive. She must have seen his car before she’d seen him standing on the front step.

She turned off the car, and the engine got the message after she was halfway to him. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.” She slowly made her way to his side, her key in her left hand, her books in her right and her purse over her shoulder. He slipped the books from her grip. “Honest. I’m fine. I’m sorry about what happened. He had too much to drink and—”

“Hey, I’m the one that owes you an apology. I should have kept my big mouth shut.”

She looked up at him as if to respond, then just shook her head and opened the door.

“May I come in?” he asked, waiting until she’d crossed the threshold.

She winced. “Sure, I guess. But—”

“You know what? I’m sorry to say this, but I only want to talk. We’ll be having none of that sexy business.”

“None?”

“Maybe a kiss. But that’s where I draw the line. Even if you beg me.”

She laughed, and it made everything a whole lot better. Not fixed, though. He’d meant it about needing to apologize.

But he let it alone while she turned on more lights and put down her things. She looked tired, as he knew she would. “What can I get you to drink?” he asked.

“What, an hour behind the bar and now you’re a mixologist?”

He shook his head. “I had no idea how difficult your job is. I could barely keep up, even with Lisa’s help. I’ll tip better from now on.”

“I’ve seen your tips. You don’t have a lot of room for improvement.”

“Those were special.”

“I should hope so,” she said, walking toward him, looking very purposeful. “How about you kiss me, then I go visit the ladies’ room while you fix us both a cold soda.”

“I can do that,” he said, pulling her close, pressing her body against his own. She felt amazing, and he breathed her in like the first hit of fresh air after the oxygen mask came off. When he kissed her, she slipped her arms around his neck as he circled her waist.

They started off just brushing their lips together, and when that about drove him crazy, he broached her with his tongue. She tasted like limes, and that made him grin. Not that he quit kissing her, because he might not get another chance tonight.

Running his hand up her back, he could feel the tension in her shoulders, and as badly as he wanted to use all his time to make out, this wasn’t about him. He pulled away, glad to hear her little protest, but not giving in to her tug on his shirt. “Go. I’ll get the sodas. You have a preference?”

She shook her head.

“Okay, then. See you in a few minutes.”

He turned, but was stopped midway. “Thank you. For helping me tend bar. For being patient. For... Well, just thank you.”

With a heavy sigh, he reversed so he could look her in the eyes. “I should have made the situation better, not worse.”

“You were great. Seriously. And now I’m asking pretty please if we can drop the subject. I’ve got so much to do tonight, and I’m already whipped.”

“You bet. I think I can help with those shoulders of yours. And quizzes. If you need a quiz, I am definitely your man.”

Her smile lit up her eyes. Not the way they did when she was rested and hadn’t had a major blowout with her brother, but still, he was pleased to see it. “I’ll think better after I wash my face,” she said, and then she was off.

He chose a cola for her, and a ginger ale for himself. The cracking of the ice made him thirstier still, and he’d downed a considerable amount by the time Cassie came back.

Little fringes of hair around her face were wet. She did seem somewhat more alert as she lifted her soda. “Here’s to caffeine and memorization.”

He urged her to the couch, where she handed him the textbook open to a list of study questions. It took them several minutes to arrange themselves so that he could massage her shoulders while she answered his questions. As the night went on, her answers came less quickly and were interspersed with yawns.

When the worst of the knots had been teased out of her muscles, he sat beside her. Twenty minutes past midnight, her body rested fully against him, her head on his shoulder.

“Why don’t we wrap this up?” he asked. “You can barely keep your eyes open.”

“I don’t need to see when you’re asking the questions. Keep going.”

He obeyed, knowing her determination wasn’t going to win over her exhaustion.

Finally, she didn’t answer a question. He was loath to move her. Not only did she look impossibly young and beautiful, but there was also a certain privilege that came along with her trust. He’d wanted to protect her at the bar, wanted to care for her now. She’d have objected. And it was true, she could take care of herself. Still...

He moved very carefully, slowly, arranging her on the couch until he could stand. A quick trip to her bedroom let him throw back the covers.

Once he returned to the living room, he didn’t pick her up immediately. Some urge he didn’t linger over had him crouching beside her, pushing back the wisps of now-dried hair. Touching her with his fingertips as he watched her sleep.

As far as distractions went, Cassie had exceeded his expectations. He’d thought of her as an attractive novelty. Perfect for ten days of something different.

That wasn’t the half of it. She’d surprised him many times. He’d found her very pretty when he’d first seen her, but now that he knew her, she was gorgeous. There were all her smiles, some still not catalogued. He liked to think understanding her body language was his homework. He didn’t mind studying one bit. He wanted to know her by heart before he went back to work.

Of course, the bad part about being so caught up in Cassie’s life was that he still had decisions to make about his own.

He stood again, and she stirred when he lifted her, but even in her groggy state she managed to snuggle against his chest and hold on with an arm around his neck. “What time is it?”

He smiled at the slur of her words. “Bedtime.”

She sighed and rubbed her cheek against his chest. “’Kay.”

By the time he turned out the lights, he’d made sure her alarm was set for seven-thirty, that they were both shoeless, although still dressed, and that he would be there in the morning to make sure she made it to her class on time.