Lexi looked down at her wrinkled pants and the stain of coffee on her collared button-down. “I stayed at a cheap motel off the interstate last night,” she admitted. “The bathroom creeped me out too much to use this morning.”
“Clearly.” Julia finished her text, then grabbed a set of keys from a hook behind the door. “Are you ready?”
“As much as I appreciate your help, I can’t possibly impose and stay at your house,” Lexi argued.
“No doubt. You can have my apartment. With everything happening so quickly, I’m still on the lease. I’ve been subletting it to Sam’s dad, but Joe and my mom got married a few weeks ago. The place is empty.”
“Two family weddings in one year. Congrats, by the way.”
Julia smiled. “Thanks. It’s been a whirlwind but I’m happy.”
“Your relationship with Sam really started as a fake arrangement to help with the custody case?”
“It did, but then it became so much more.”
Lexi thought for a moment, then said, “I guess you could say that I’m partially responsible. Without the custody fight, who knows if or when you two would have gotten around to figuring out you’re perfect for each other.”
Julia laughed out loud. “Don’t push your luck. I said I’d help you. I’ll make sure you get the job, and sublet my apartment to you. I’ve got another three months on the lease. But as far as figuring out your life and growing a spine when it comes to your father, that’s all you.”
Lexi wondered if she’d ever be able to loosen her father’s hold. In the past she hadn’t realized how bad she wanted that. Now she did, and if this was her only chance to make it happen, she wasn’t going to blow it.
She nodded, her throat tight with emotion. “I’m going to give it my best shot.”
* * *
Scott Callahan heard the crash as he took another deep swallow from his glass of whiskey. He glanced toward the back of the bar as he jiggled the glass, determined to loosen every bit of liquor that clung to the melting ice.
“Sounds like she broke another one,” he said to the waitress who brought him a third round. His instructions upon his first order were clear: as soon as his glass was empty, he was ready for another. No questions asked and there’d be a hefty tip at the end of the night. When Scott drank, he did it fast and he did it alone.
In his case, misery did not love company.
“New girl,” the waitress answered. “The absolute worst I’ve ever seen.” She put the fresh glass on the table and picked up his empty. “Julia vouched for her, but it’s like she’s never even held a tray. Luke is desperate for the help. Hell, he’s desperate for a lot of things. But I don’t know if we have enough glasses in the back to keep her around much longer.”
Scott leaned back in his chair. “You said Julia vouched for her.” He nodded toward the red-faced pixie who came around the back of the bar. “That little mouse is friends with Julia—uh, Morgan?”
“Julia Callahan now,” the waitress corrected. “She married the town’s police chief a few months back.”
Scott nodded. “I’m happy for her. Do they make a good match?”
“Perfect.” The woman’s voice turned wistful. “Sam Callahan was the biggest catch this side of the county line. I never really pegged him for a family man. But he dotes on Julia’s boy. It’s true love.”
“Good for them,” Scott mumbled, not wanting to reveal his connection to Sam. He wrapped his fingers around the cool glass once more.
“How do you know Julia?”
He schooled his features into an emotionless mask. “Her hair salon.”
“I haven’t seen you in here before. You new to town?”
“Just passing through,” he said and took a sip. “Thanks for the fresh drink.”
“Sure.” Realizing the conversation was over, the waitress walked away.
Scott had been in enough bars in his time to know that a good waitress could sense when a customer wanted to chat and when to leave him alone. He was glad he’d sat in the section he had. The little mouse waitress, cute as she was, didn’t seem like someone who’d take a hint if you hung it around her neck. Not his type for certain.
He didn’t know what he expected from Brevia, North Carolina. He looked around the bar’s interior, from the neon signs glowing on the walls to the slightly sticky sheen on the wood floor. The bar ran along the back of the far wall although few stools were occupied. Not the most popular place in town, so no wonder there was a for-sale sign in the window. Still, the lack of customers suited him just fine. The watering holes he usually frequented in D.C. may have been classier and more historic. But as far as Scott was concerned, liquor was liquor and it didn’t really matter who poured it or where.
He closed his eyes for a moment and wondered what had brought him to Brevia tonight. After the blowout he’d had with his brother, Sam, at their dad’s wedding a few weeks ago, he’d vowed never to step foot in this town again. If he admitted the truth, he had no place else to go. No friends, no one who cared whether he showed up or not. His dad and brother might be the exception to that, but they were both too mad at him for it to matter now.
He drained his glass again. He liked the way alcohol eventually numbed him enough so the dark thoughts hovering in the corners of his mind disappeared. Maybe it had led to some stupid decisions, but it also took the edge off a little. And Scott had a lot of edges that needed attention.
As a few more patrons wandered out, Scott’s waitress came over to the table. “It’s a slow night, honey,” she told him. “I’m heading home. I could give you a ride somewhere or you could stop by my place for a nightcap.”
She said it so matter-of-factly, Scott almost missed the invitation in her voice. He glanced up. “What’s your name?”
“Tina.”
He flashed the barest hint of a smile. “Tina, trust me. You can do way better than me on any given night. Even in a town like Brevia.”
“I’m willing to take my chances.” She surveyed him up and down. “I could wait years for a man who looks like you to walk into this place.”
He took her hand in his and ran his finger across the center of her palm. “You deserve more than the likes of me. Go home, Tina.” He pressed a soft kiss on her knuckles. “And thank you for the offer. It’s a hard one to pass up.”
She sighed. “Enjoy your night then.”
He watched her walk away, then shifted his gaze as he felt someone watching him. The pixie of a waitress stood next to a table, her mouth literally hanging open as she gaped at him as if he was the big, bad wolf. A rush of heat curled up his spine. Maybe he should have taken Tina up on her offer. He was clearly in need of releasing some kind of pent-up energy.
He straightened from the table where he sat and lifted his glass in mock salute, adding a slow wink for good measure.
The mouse snapped her rosebud lips together and spun around, sending another glass flying from the tray she balanced precariously in one hand.
Scott shook his head as the crash reverberated through the bar. That was her fifth for the night. A clumsy new waitress wouldn’t last long.
He moved to a seat at the bar and ordered another round.
To his surprise, the bartender shook his head. “You’ve had enough, buddy.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said I’m cutting you off.”
Scott