Marco showed up around nine, wearing jeans and a T-shirt and looking beat. I took a moment to greet him after he walked in the door.
“You look exhausted, Marco. Maybe you should go home.”
He rolled his eyes. “I know it’s a school night, Mom, but I promise to leave by ten.”
I shook my head. “Sorry for carin’.”
His face softened. “I’ve had a shit day, and I needed to see my friend.”
Warmth stole over me, and I gave him a hug. He seemed surprised, and I realized he probably meant Max. They’d been best friends since the first day of kindergarten, and they’d stayed best friends until Max had hidden Lula away and kept it from everyone, Marco (and me) included. They were still friends, but their relationship had been strained ever since. Still, the body had been found on Drummond land, and Marco was probably worried about Max.
I leaned back and grinned. “I know you meant Max.”
“I actually meant you too.” He hugged me tight. “It really has been a shit day.”
I released him and took a step back. “I’ll kick Big Joe out of a barstool so you can sit at the bar. He’s been here for hours.”
He grinned. “I can find my own seat, Carly.”
“Well, good luck with that. Every seat in the place is taken. Maybe you can sit behind the bar.”
He glanced toward the counter and did a double take. “Wyatt’s workin’?”
“He showed up, then he and Max went into his office, and when they came out, Wyatt started working behind the bar with him.”
Marco shook his head. “Wonders never cease.”
“Hey, waitress!” one of the construction workers shouted across the room, sounding pissed. “How about you stop talkin’ to your boyfriend and get me a damn drink!”
“Duty calls,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Marco’s brow lowered into a scowl. “When did Max start lettin’ the customers talk to you and Ruth so disrespectfully?”
“He didn’t, and since he’s not launching himself over the bar, I suspect he didn’t hear. Go get yourself a beer, and I’ll go take care of this asshole.”
Marco shot a glare across the room. “I’m right over there if you need me.”
I gave his arm a playful push. “Careful or they’ll think you really are my boyfriend.”
“I don’t have to be your boyfriend to look out for you, Carly.”
“I know. You’ve proven that already,” I said with a soft smile. “Still, I’m capable of fighting my own battles.” I leaned closer. “But it’s nice to know you have my back if I need you.”
I headed over to the table of the rowdy guys, preparing myself for a confrontation.
“What the hell took so long?” the guy asked. He’d been coming around at least a week, so surely he’d heard the Max’s Tavern rules lecture, which Max had issued several times at this point.
Putting my hand on my hip, I shot him my best takedown glare. “My name is Carly or Ms. Moore. Feel free to use either. Being served here is a privilege not a right, so I suggest you pull out the manners you learned back in kindergarten, dust them off, and start usin’ them, or I’ll kick your rude ass out onto the street.”
The men at his table began to laugh, while the man who’d yelled at me turned beet red.
“She told you, Webster!”
“Webster’s gettin’ schooled by a girl.”
I turned to address the man who’d made the last comment. “A girl? Do I look like a girl to you? I’m a grown woman who will kick your ass out too, so you’d do best to remember that.”
The men roared with laughter again.
“Now, if you’re ready to behave like gentlemen, I’ll be happy to take your order.”
I spent the next five minutes taking down their drink and food orders, then dropped off the drink ticket at the counter. Wyatt had been filling my orders without comment for the past hour, but he stopped what he was doing and looked me in the eye. “Are those guys bothering you?”
I released a bitter laugh. “That concern is about four months too late, Wyatt.”
He scowled. “I don’t like how we left things.”
Which meant he didn’t like that I’d told him I wouldn’t put up with his crap anymore, but this wasn’t the first time I’d seen him since our official and final breakup, so I wasn’t sure where this was coming from.
“That’s a moot point, and this isn’t the time or place to discuss it. I’m a little busy.” I turned on my heels and headed to the food counter.
Tiny was working alone tonight, but he preferred it that way. We stopped serving anything but bar food after eight, and he ran things like a well-oiled machine, slinging wings and fries and the occasional burger.
I hung up the ticket and turned around, surprised to see Blake standing behind me, albeit a little wobbly.
“I been tryin’ to talk to you all night,” he said, his speech slurred.
I gave him plenty of attitude. “Well, I’ve been a little busy, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“Why didn’t you come wait on me? I got something to show you.” There was a gleam in his eyes, and I knew there was a double entendre in there.
Gross. If I hadn’t already decided I wasn’t interested in him, this would do it. Sloppy drunk was a huge turnoff for me—probably part of the reason I’d remained single for the past four months since all the men I met came into the bar. It took everything in me not to curl my upper lip in disgust.
“Wellll…” I drawled, trying to figure out how to discourage him without pissing him off.
“I can show you now,” he said, pushing me back several feet. Before I could react, he had me pinned against the wall in the hallway to Max’s office, completely out of sight of everyone. The only way I’d be seen was if Ruth came back to the order counter.
This was unexpected, and I fought every instinct to shove him off me. “Blake, honey,” I said in a light tone, giving him a little shove. “I’m workin’.”
“This will only take a minute.” He leaned his left forearm across my chest, restraining me against the wall, while he reached for his pants. He pressed all of his weight into my chest, making it difficult for me to breathe.
“Blake, let go of me.” I used more force this time as I unsuccessfully tried to pry his arm away.
His free hand was between our bodies, fumbling with his jeans.
Panic washed through me, and I had a momentary inner war over how to handle this—his hand would absorb the blow of my knee to his groin and my arms were pinned, which meant I couldn’t reach up and claw his face.
The next thing I knew, his weight was gone, and a large figure was slamming his fist into Blake’s face.
Blake flew backward and landed on his ass in front of Max’s closed office door, staring up in surprise and then anger. He started to get up, but the man next to me growled, “Stay down.”
I turned in surprise to see…Wyatt.
Chapter Three
Wyatt glared at the man, his hands fisted at his sides.
“What the hell is goin’ on?” Marco called out behind me.