Page 49 of Hard to Hold
It was all I could ask for.
Chapter Nine
Amy
From what I could tell, the rough crowd had stayed at home tonight. It was already closing in on midnight and not one single fight had broken out.
Then again, that could’ve been due to the fact Lynx Caine was itching to take someone down and not a single person was man enough to go up against him. I had no idea what was bothering Wolfe’s cousin, but he was practically vibrating with anger. And every now and then, I would catch him glancing over at Reagan as though he wanted to have the woman for dessert.
I had no idea what was up with that, but I was not going to stick my nose where it didn’t belong.
Reagan had already called last call since she consistently closed the bar down at midnight. If these cowboys and cowgirls wanted to continue the party, they could head over to Marla’s Bar, where the drinks were stronger.
As for me, I was doing my best not to stumble around. I still couldn’t get that kiss off my mind, and having spent the better part of the evening watching Wolfe hadn’t made my job any easier. He looked as though he had something on his mind, but that hadn’t stopped him from smiling every time he caught me looking.
The door opened and I glanced up from the table I was clearing to see Rhys walk in. Our eyes immediately met, and I found myself grinning like a fool, although I didn’t know why. My gaze quickly strayed over to Wolfe. He was watching me, his face shadowed by his hat, but I could see his eyes were definitely on me.
“Don’t worry, we’re closin’ it down, Sheriff,” Reagan called out.
Rhys waved her off, moving over to stand beside Wolfe. He leaned against the bar, one elbow propped on the wooden top as he scanned the room.
The two empty bottles on the table clanked together when I went to pick them up.
“Get it together,” I whispered to myself as I carried the bottles to the trash can.
“Hey, girl,” Reagan called out to me. “Why don’t you head on out. I’ve got it from here.”
“You sure?” I wasn’t particularly looking forward to going home, but my legs were about to give out on me. All day in the sun and all night on my feet had taken its toll. I was exhausted.
“Yep. See you next week.”
I nodded, then removed my apron and tucked it beneath the bar before grabbing my car keys. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to talk to Wolfe or Rhys or if I was supposed to go straight to my car and go home. This was new for me.
Really new.
For one, I had never dated anyone. Kind of sad to think since I was twenty-six years old. But it was true. I had gone from my aunt and uncle’s house at nineteen years old to … his. There had been a very brief courtship, but since I had nothing to compare it to, I wasn’t sure I could consider it dating. It felt more like … ownership.
Not that Wolfe and I were dating. I didn’t think that. Really.
“Hey.”
I looked up to see Rhys standing before me, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling. “Hi.”
His concerned look faded, replaced by a smile, and I relaxed.
When Wolfe came over, I felt heat swamp me, the memory of that kiss coming to the forefront of my mind.
“You headin’ out?”
I nodded.
“Thought maybe you’d like to go out to the lake,” Wolfe offered, sounding oddly nervous.
“The lake?” I watched the two men. “At night?”
“The moon’s out,” Rhys added. “We can chill. Talk.”
“Or not,” Wolfe added, his eyes skimming my face.
