“Boobs?” Wyatt joked in an effort to keep the conversation light.
Luke lost his train of thought, Wyatt could tell by the sliding up of the edges of his mouth. “She has the best rack. And that red dress.” He again pointed with his drink. “She knows I loved her in red.”
“So we’re clear . . . tonight’s lack of sobriety is about Zoe.”
There was a sigh and a sip of his drink. “She left again. I thought maybe, with Mel coming home . . . maybe. Damn it.”
Wyatt let Luke linger in his depression for a few minutes. “Seems like there is a lot of drama here for her. Her family . . .”
“I wanna kick Zane’s ass.”
Good thing Luke’s father had ridden with them that day. No telling what shape Zane and Luke would have been in had he not. “We all wanted to kick his ass.”
“He wasn’t like that. Jo says he’s been in and out of trouble. Petty shit mostly, but damn. Sheryl doesn’t need that.”
“She can kick him out.”
Luke shook his head. “Never gonna happen. Zoe always said her mom was afraid to live alone. That’s why she always put up with her daddy’s shit. I don’t think any of that has changed.”
“Well maybe that’s why Zoe needs to live somewhere other than River Bend.”
Luke narrowed his eyes. “I’m not following you.”
“Maybe living alone is Zoe’s rebellion. To avoid falling into her mom’s life.” And since when did Wyatt become a family therapist? He tilted back his beer and glanced around the bar.
“You know somethin’, Wyatt . . . you might be right.”
“Or you might be drunk.”
Luke let his dimples show. “Oh, I’m wasted . . . but Zoe avoiding her mom’s life. That . . . that makes sense.”
“Considering how many of her friends are here, I’d think there has to be something equally powerful keeping her away. Doesn’t seem like her life in Texas sucks, but she didn’t exactly brag about it either.”
“No. She’s doing great. Really great.”
Even in Luke’s drunken self-pity, Wyatt could see the respect he had for the woman that drove him to the bar early on a Thursday night.
A loud noise interrupted their pause in conversation.
Apparently Luke wasn’t the only one in the bar overindulging. From the placating smile on Josie’s face as she passed the loud party next to the jukebox, she was earning her tips the hard way.
“There’s a weird vibe in here tonight.” Wyatt returned his attention to Luke.
Luke ignored his comment. “Ever been to Texas? With a name like Wyatt . . .”
He nodded. “It’s flat and hot.”
“Humid.”
“You’ve been?”
“Once,” Luke said, without elaborating. Lost in his thoughts, Luke finished his drink and looked around.
“How about the water? Save my truck.” Wyatt nudged his friend’s arm with his.
“Yeah.”
Luke drank the water slower. “Any word from Melanie’s ex?”
Wyatt shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”
“Not sure if that’s good.”
“You think he’s going to cause her trouble?”
“I think he’s already caused her trouble and I don’t think people change all that much.” Even drunk, Luke made sense.
The next track on the jukebox screamed off the walls of the bar. Someone had found the volume control and was doing their best to have a rock concert in the small space. When Luke caught his head in his hands Wyatt suggested they leave.
“You stay here, I’ll settle up with Josie.”
Luke pointed two fingers in the air and offered a drunken grin.
“You guys are leaving?” Josie asked instead of telling Wyatt what they owed.
“Gotta get him home before he passes out.”
Josie stood on her tiptoes and glanced around the bar. “Can you just give me like ten minutes? I think I’m gonna call Jo, have her swing by.”
“Any trouble?”
“No. Well . . . just a little crazy and not enough locals to keep it sane . . . ya know?”
“I hear ya. We’ll hang out until Jo gets here.”
“Thanks, Wyatt. Melanie’s a lucky girl.”
It took Wyatt a full second to move his feet. Where had that come from?
Small town, he reminded himself.
“Ready?” Luke asked when he returned to his side.
“Not yet.” Wyatt went on to explain Josie’s worry, which resulted in a bobblehead nod from Luke.
Luke attempted to hold in a burp and failed, then waved his thumb toward the bathroom. “I’m gonna . . .”
“You do that.”
Luke swiveled off the high stool, steadied himself, and then found his path to the john.
Wyatt turned back to his lone beer and played with the bottle.
Over the music he heard a shout, turned in time to see Luke stumble, then saw the first fist thrown.
Wyatt was out of his seat and across the room in two breaths, but not before Luke’s ass took out one of the tables.
Somewhere a woman screamed and several men started shouting. Wyatt pushed in between Luke and the stranger in an attempt to stop the fight.