Page 57 of Keeping Amanda
“Nothing happens at Anchor Point. This is a safe bar,” Pyro argued.
“No bar is completely safe,” Obi-Wan argued.
“Right? The parking lot is dark as fuck,” Edge agreed.
“Is Laryn going to be cool with Mandy?” Buck blurted, looking at Casper.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t she?”
“It’s just that she has a tendency to speak her mind. Which I love, but Mandy is still trying to acclimate back to life here in the States. Where she was in Guyana was extremely rural. And of course, there was all that time she spent in the rainforest. I just don’t want her to feel?—”
“Relax, Buck,” Casper said. “Laryn likes her. Said she’s a badass.”
“She did?”
“Yup. Said anyone who can survive what she did is okay in her book. Then she said if she could put up withyourass for as long as she did, she has to be all right.”
Everyone laughed, but Buck didn’t care that they were laughing athim. He was simply relieved that Laryn seemed to like Mandy.
He took a deep breath then swallowed the last of his water. He’d switched over an hour ago, not because he was gettingtipsy, but because he was driving and he’d never do anything that might put Mandy in danger. Also, he wanted to be fully alert in the bar’s dark parking lot when they left.
“Heard you called Tex today,” Chaos said, changing the subject. “He have anything to say about this Blair person?”
Buck had given his teammates a basic rundown of the situation in Guyana and what had happened when Mandy returned to the school. They were concerned, and agreed that Tex, if anyone, could probably shed some light on the situation.
“Not yet. He needs some time. He’s got a shit-ton on his plate, and after what he and his wife went through recently, he’s slowing down some. Says he won’t stop helping people altogether, but he’s trying to put a little more space between him and the assholes he comes into contact with on a daily basis.”
“That was some nasty business,” Edge said softly.
Everyone was silent for a moment. They’d all heard what happened to Tex. Howhe’dbeen kidnapped. They’d even donated money toward his ransom. Thankfully, he had more than enough friends with the necessary skills, who’d been able to immediately get to work tracking him down and figuring out who’d kidnapped him, and where he’d been taken.
“Anyway, he said he’d get back to me with what he found. Would email me anything pertinent,” Buck said.
“Good. If you need anything from us, let us know,” Casper said sternly. “We’re a team. We stick together.”
“I will. And I appreciate it.”
“Nothing to appreciate. It’s just how we operate,” Obi-Wan told him.
“I’m headed out,” Pyro said. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
“Same,” Chaos said.
“Might as well go too,” Edge said as he stood.
Soon it was just Casper and Buck at the table, waiting on the women.
“Relax, Buck. They won’t be too much longer. Then you cango home and have some alone time with Mandy. Sorry we all crashed your date, but we wanted to get to know the woman you seem to be enamored with. And for the record…I like her. We all do.”
Buck nodded. He didn’t need his team leader’s approval to date Mandy, but he was relieved he had it all the same.
He couldn’t resist looking over at the hallway that led to the bathrooms. He could admit that he was anxious to do exactly as Casper suggested…spend some alone time with the woman who’d gotten under his skin.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Amanda was nervous.
She’d had the best time tonight. Nash’s friends were hilarious, and friendly, and she felt included and welcomed by them all. It was as if she’d known them for years rather than just a few hours. She liked how they fought over who would pay for the drinks. She liked how concerned they were about Nash when they’d heard he’d run after her into the jungle. She liked how down-to-earth they all seemed.
