said, horror registering on her face. “He’s home. I had dinner delivered from here for him and Julia. I’m thankful for any help I can get.”
Brogan stood and pulled a barstool out for Lucy on his left, while Bertie hovered on his right. Another hesitation. Brogan waited, locking gazes with Lucy. Stepping closer, his heartbeat turned erratic. Gray eyes widening, Lucy appeared to suffer from the same malady. Finally, she sighed and hopped up on the stool.
“Are all fifteen-year-old boys sarcastic, nasty, and rude? I don’t remember our friends from high school being—” Lucy stopped, as if mentioning high school was taboo in his presence.
“Drink. You look like you need it.” Bertie slid the icy margarita in a blue Mason jar Lucy’s way. “Most of the teenage guys we knew were really nice. Unless you’re thinking about Buck Evans, that stupid pothead. Remember when he set the boys’ locker room on fire?”
Good ole Buck, the dumb fuck. Brogan had forgotten all about him. “He did more than set the locker room on fire. Remember, he flew his boxer shorts up the flagpole and got caught by Deputy Dog, the security guard?”
“I’d forgotten about that,” Bertie said, grinning.
No longer able to contain her laughter, Lucy choked as margarita went down the wrong pipe. Brogan patted her on the back. “You okay? Need some water?”
She wheezed and laughed simultaneously, clutching her throat. Hank the bartender filled a glass of water, and Lucy reached for it, gulping half of it down. “Th-thanks. I’m good.” Brogan pressed his palm into her warm back and felt the catch of breath. A slight blush highlighted her cheeks, and she shot him a sideways glance as he reluctantly removed his hand. Yep. Funny Lucy was no more immune to him than he was to her. And didn’t that complicate matters?
“Try not to choke to death.” Bertie chuckled. “Hank, bring Lucy another ’rita on the house and whatever Brogan’s drinking. I’m shoving off.” Bertie gave Lucy a brief hug. “I’m here for you if you need anything,” she said close to her ear but loud enough for Brogan to hear. “Don’t kill your nephew. And remember, not all the guys we knew were jerk-wads. Some were adorable and sweet in their obvious, cocky way.” Direct hit. Bertie gave Brogan a wink and then said to Lucy, “Don’t forget…Keith wants to talk to you about some marketing ideas.”
Lucy nodded. “Tell Keith I’ll call him this week.”
“Bye, y’all.” Bertie waved as she left, and Lucy stared after her as she exited the bar.
A good minute passed, then he said to the back of Lucy’s head, “You going to keep ignoring me?” Her shoulders stiffened, and he pulled a strand of silky hair to gain her attention.
“Stop that! You keep yanking on my hair.” Stormy gray eyes met his.
Lucy wanted to erect big stone walls with thick mortar, and Brogan couldn’t blame her. On this, he kinda had to agree. Too much weird history and too many years had passed. They both had lives away from Harmony. But an alluring warmth that emanated from Lucy snagged his attention, a warmth with the power to penetrate his dormant heart and make him feel alive again.
He let the strand of hair slip through his fingers. “It’s irresistible. I always liked pulling it, especially back in high school when you had all those curls.”
Brogan smiled at her skeptical face. “Still don’t understand how you get it so straight.”
Lucy gathered her blond hair up in both hands and deftly knotted it on top her head. She snorted, and her heavy hair knot listed to one side. “The only thing you ever liked doing in high school was Julia.”
“True. Doesn’t mean I didn’t notice your hair.”
“Hey, Loco Lucy! We heard you were back. How does it feel?”
“Not planning to lop off any more of Julia’s hair, are you?”
Julia’s best buds from high school, Amanda Hobbs and Marcia Williams, slipped onto barstools next to Lucy.
At the sound of
Brogan stood and pulled a barstool out for Lucy on his left, while Bertie hovered on his right. Another hesitation. Brogan waited, locking gazes with Lucy. Stepping closer, his heartbeat turned erratic. Gray eyes widening, Lucy appeared to suffer from the same malady. Finally, she sighed and hopped up on the stool.
“Are all fifteen-year-old boys sarcastic, nasty, and rude? I don’t remember our friends from high school being—” Lucy stopped, as if mentioning high school was taboo in his presence.
“Drink. You look like you need it.” Bertie slid the icy margarita in a blue Mason jar Lucy’s way. “Most of the teenage guys we knew were really nice. Unless you’re thinking about Buck Evans, that stupid pothead. Remember when he set the boys’ locker room on fire?”
Good ole Buck, the dumb fuck. Brogan had forgotten all about him. “He did more than set the locker room on fire. Remember, he flew his boxer shorts up the flagpole and got caught by Deputy Dog, the security guard?”
“I’d forgotten about that,” Bertie said, grinning.
No longer able to contain her laughter, Lucy choked as margarita went down the wrong pipe. Brogan patted her on the back. “You okay? Need some water?”
She wheezed and laughed simultaneously, clutching her throat. Hank the bartender filled a glass of water, and Lucy reached for it, gulping half of it down. “Th-thanks. I’m good.” Brogan pressed his palm into her warm back and felt the catch of breath. A slight blush highlighted her cheeks, and she shot him a sideways glance as he reluctantly removed his hand. Yep. Funny Lucy was no more immune to him than he was to her. And didn’t that complicate matters?
“Try not to choke to death.” Bertie chuckled. “Hank, bring Lucy another ’rita on the house and whatever Brogan’s drinking. I’m shoving off.” Bertie gave Lucy a brief hug. “I’m here for you if you need anything,” she said close to her ear but loud enough for Brogan to hear. “Don’t kill your nephew. And remember, not all the guys we knew were jerk-wads. Some were adorable and sweet in their obvious, cocky way.” Direct hit. Bertie gave Brogan a wink and then said to Lucy, “Don’t forget…Keith wants to talk to you about some marketing ideas.”
Lucy nodded. “Tell Keith I’ll call him this week.”
“Bye, y’all.” Bertie waved as she left, and Lucy stared after her as she exited the bar.
A good minute passed, then he said to the back of Lucy’s head, “You going to keep ignoring me?” Her shoulders stiffened, and he pulled a strand of silky hair to gain her attention.
“Stop that! You keep yanking on my hair.” Stormy gray eyes met his.
Lucy wanted to erect big stone walls with thick mortar, and Brogan couldn’t blame her. On this, he kinda had to agree. Too much weird history and too many years had passed. They both had lives away from Harmony. But an alluring warmth that emanated from Lucy snagged his attention, a warmth with the power to penetrate his dormant heart and make him feel alive again.
He let the strand of hair slip through his fingers. “It’s irresistible. I always liked pulling it, especially back in high school when you had all those curls.”
Brogan smiled at her skeptical face. “Still don’t understand how you get it so straight.”
Lucy gathered her blond hair up in both hands and deftly knotted it on top her head. She snorted, and her heavy hair knot listed to one side. “The only thing you ever liked doing in high school was Julia.”
“True. Doesn’t mean I didn’t notice your hair.”
“Hey, Loco Lucy! We heard you were back. How does it feel?”
“Not planning to lop off any more of Julia’s hair, are you?”
Julia’s best buds from high school, Amanda Hobbs and Marcia Williams, slipped onto barstools next to Lucy.
At the sound of
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