Page 33 of Micah

There she is.

Laughing with Bit over something on a phone while Esme leans in to look.

Three women.

Talking.

Smiling.

Like they've known each other forever.

Sloane throws her head back and laughs.

Not the polite bartender laugh.

The real one.

The one that reaches her eyes.

Worth every damn mile I drove.

Worth every joke those two jackasses make at my expense.

I don't smile.

I don't wave.

I don't interrupt.

I just watch her for another second.

Then I head toward my usual stool.

One beer.

One burger.

And maybe...

If the timing's right...

I'll ask if she'd like me to change those filters.

Yeah.

Who am I kidding?

I'll probably just change them while she's busy.

Chapter 4-Sloane

I’m so happy to see the folks from Jersey Iron Ranch I can almost ignore my brother’s mercenary chatter.

Almost but not quite.

“Alright, now we’re talking. We can finally make us some money tonight,” Patrick says.

Of course, he glanced up from the register toward the front door the second they came in.