been mortified.
Kirkland pocketed his keys and came around the car. This time the pain in her shoulder had her waiting for him to open her door. Cool night air rushed over her as he held his hand out to her.
She accepted it and carefully rose. “Thanks.”
The look in his eyes was tender. “No problem.”
Evening shadows accentuated the lines creasing the corners of his eyes. His brown hair was brushed back, emphasizing his angular face and stark blue eyes. Even knowing his background, she couldn’t picture him lounging on a yacht or whiling away the afternoon at the country club golf course. He was the kind of guy who needed to be in the center of the action.
Tara pushed aside the thoughts. She was not going to get involved with this guy.
“Brace yourself,” Tara warned. “My aunt Roxie is quite the character.
Kirkland pressed his hand into the small of her back, steadying her as she fumbled with her keys. “She can’t be that bad.”
“She’s just going to be very excited. It’s been a little too long since she’s seen me date. She’s going to be all over you.”
“You worry too much.”
She shot him an I-warned-you look and pushed open the heavy wooden door. Bells jingled over her head.
Mondays were slow nights, and the place had all but cleared out by eleven. The faint smell of beer and cigarettes permeated the large room filled with chairs turned upside down on round tables. The floors had been freshly mopped and the large wooden bar wiped clean.
The quiet stillness was enough to let Tara hope that Roxie had gone to bed, which would have been a minor miracle. But she’d not taken two steps when the swinging door behind the bar pushed open.
Roxie wore her big blond hair teased high, blue eye shadow and a T-shirt that accentuated double-D breasts. She sported silk pajama pants and fuzzy slippers. The woman grinned broadly when she saw Tara and Kirkland.
“Roxie,” Tara said. “I thought you’d have called it a night by now.”
“Me? No way, not with my baby girl out on a date.” Roxie boldly stared at Kirkland. “Well, it’s about time you two lovebirds got back.”
Roxie crossed the distance between them and hugged Tara, who did her best not to cringe as her aunt squeezed her bruised shoulder.
“So, who is your friend?” Again, Roxie boldly stared at Kirkland as though he were a fresh slab of meat.
Kirkland didn’t bat an eye.
“Roxie, this is Detective Alex Kirkland.” Tara cleared her throat. “He’s my date this evening.”
Kirkland put out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Mackey.”
Roxie moistened her lips and in a deep, throaty voice said, “You call me Roxie.” She winked approvingly at Tara. “You could have knocked me over with a feather when Tara told me she had a date. The kid works all the time. Too hard, if you ask me. It’s about time she had some fun.”
“Roxie,” Tara warned.
“What? You do work too hard. And you don’t have any fun.” She shifted her gaze to Alex. “During the day it’s the paper and in the evening she’s here slinging drinks. There have even been times, like when she was working on those vagrant murders, that she would write all night after her shift here. She makes me tired just looking at her.”
Alex glanced at Tara. “I didn’t realize it was such a push to write those articles.”
Tara shrugged, refusing to admit it had stretched her to the limit to get them done. “It really was no big deal.”
Their exchange went over Roxie’s head. Her focus was on Kirkland. “Very, very nice, Tara. So where did Mr. Handsome take you tonight?”
Tara fumbled to come up with a story.
Kirkland smiled. “Dinner, and then we drove around.”
“Where’d you eat?” Roxie asked Kirkland.
“Roxie,” Tara warned. “No third degree.”
Roxie shrugged. “When you called and said you were on a date, I told you I wanted details. So where’d you eat?”
“Brenan’s,” Kirkland supplied.
Roxie nodded approvingly.
Kirkland pocketed his keys and came around the car. This time the pain in her shoulder had her waiting for him to open her door. Cool night air rushed over her as he held his hand out to her.
She accepted it and carefully rose. “Thanks.”
The look in his eyes was tender. “No problem.”
Evening shadows accentuated the lines creasing the corners of his eyes. His brown hair was brushed back, emphasizing his angular face and stark blue eyes. Even knowing his background, she couldn’t picture him lounging on a yacht or whiling away the afternoon at the country club golf course. He was the kind of guy who needed to be in the center of the action.
Tara pushed aside the thoughts. She was not going to get involved with this guy.
“Brace yourself,” Tara warned. “My aunt Roxie is quite the character.
Kirkland pressed his hand into the small of her back, steadying her as she fumbled with her keys. “She can’t be that bad.”
“She’s just going to be very excited. It’s been a little too long since she’s seen me date. She’s going to be all over you.”
“You worry too much.”
She shot him an I-warned-you look and pushed open the heavy wooden door. Bells jingled over her head.
Mondays were slow nights, and the place had all but cleared out by eleven. The faint smell of beer and cigarettes permeated the large room filled with chairs turned upside down on round tables. The floors had been freshly mopped and the large wooden bar wiped clean.
The quiet stillness was enough to let Tara hope that Roxie had gone to bed, which would have been a minor miracle. But she’d not taken two steps when the swinging door behind the bar pushed open.
Roxie wore her big blond hair teased high, blue eye shadow and a T-shirt that accentuated double-D breasts. She sported silk pajama pants and fuzzy slippers. The woman grinned broadly when she saw Tara and Kirkland.
“Roxie,” Tara said. “I thought you’d have called it a night by now.”
“Me? No way, not with my baby girl out on a date.” Roxie boldly stared at Kirkland. “Well, it’s about time you two lovebirds got back.”
Roxie crossed the distance between them and hugged Tara, who did her best not to cringe as her aunt squeezed her bruised shoulder.
“So, who is your friend?” Again, Roxie boldly stared at Kirkland as though he were a fresh slab of meat.
Kirkland didn’t bat an eye.
“Roxie, this is Detective Alex Kirkland.” Tara cleared her throat. “He’s my date this evening.”
Kirkland put out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Mackey.”
Roxie moistened her lips and in a deep, throaty voice said, “You call me Roxie.” She winked approvingly at Tara. “You could have knocked me over with a feather when Tara told me she had a date. The kid works all the time. Too hard, if you ask me. It’s about time she had some fun.”
“Roxie,” Tara warned.
“What? You do work too hard. And you don’t have any fun.” She shifted her gaze to Alex. “During the day it’s the paper and in the evening she’s here slinging drinks. There have even been times, like when she was working on those vagrant murders, that she would write all night after her shift here. She makes me tired just looking at her.”
Alex glanced at Tara. “I didn’t realize it was such a push to write those articles.”
Tara shrugged, refusing to admit it had stretched her to the limit to get them done. “It really was no big deal.”
Their exchange went over Roxie’s head. Her focus was on Kirkland. “Very, very nice, Tara. So where did Mr. Handsome take you tonight?”
Tara fumbled to come up with a story.
Kirkland smiled. “Dinner, and then we drove around.”
“Where’d you eat?” Roxie asked Kirkland.
“Roxie,” Tara warned. “No third degree.”
Roxie shrugged. “When you called and said you were on a date, I told you I wanted details. So where’d you eat?”
“Brenan’s,” Kirkland supplied.
Roxie nodded approvingly.
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