Page 31 of Crash Course
"Will do."
"Thank you."
She clicked off, forcing her thoughts from MIA cops.
Cruz heldopen the door to Triple B, an adorable bar and grill on Steele Ridge’s Main Street. It sat nestled under a blue awning that stretched beyond the bar to the coffee shop next door.
For a Monday night, the place had a heck of a dinner crowd. The bar lined the length of the side wall with every barstool occupied. Some stood two deep in between the stools while the sound system and Tim McGraw battled crowd noise and the clinking of glassware.
"Hey, Cruz," a female bartender called.
"Hey, Randi. Got a table for two?"
The woman pointed. "Reid and Brynne just paid their check. Tell my future brother-in-law to get a move on."
"On it!" He turned back to Cilla, a shit-eating grin taking over his face. "Thiswill be fun. That’s Randi. She’s the owner and engaged to my cousin—Reid’s brother. Reid has the biggest mouth in the south. Plus, he’s a former Green Beret who hates being told what to do. And I love telling him what to do."
Cilla rolled her eyes. "Toddlers."
"Yeah, but we’re fun toddlers." He grabbed her hand, led her through the crowd toward a table with a seriously jacked guy who might rival Cruz in the muscles department. A pretty, fresh-faced brunette accompanied the man, the two of them making one heck of a striking couple.
The brunette spotted Cruz and waved, prompting the big guy to turn.
"Well, shit on a shingle," he said when Cruz and Cilla reached the table. "Look who’s here. And the goddamned building didn’t cave in."
An odd greeting, but whatever.
"No kidding, dude." Cruz extended his hand. "How are you?"
"Good. My mom is watching the rugrats. We’re on a date night."
Cruz shook hands with the man, then moved to the woman, pecking her cheek. "Brynne, motherhood looks great on you."
"Duuuude," Reid said, "you’re not making time with my girl are you?"
Cruz held his hands up. "Just complimenting a beautiful woman. Speaking of," he turned to Cilla. "Priscilla Randolph, meet Reid Steele, my pain-in-the-ass cousin, and his lovely wife, Brynne."
Reid stood and holy cow, the man was an absolute walking mountain. "Pleasure, ma’am. You look familiar. Are you new in town?"
"I live in Charlotte. I’m visiting the Blackwells."
Brynne smacked her hand on the table. "Got it! You’re the attorney they always interview on the news."
All Cilla’s efforts in working the media and getting her name out there apparently paid off if they had recognized her nearly three hours from home. "Yes," Cilla said. "That’s me."
"Knew it," Brynne said. "You’re amazing with the press. I love when women can show off how smart they are."
Considering she’d grown accustomed to being referred to as the ice bitch by her male counterparts, a spurt of pride warmed Cilla right to her heels. "Thank you. I appreciate that."
"You’re welcome. Y’all want our table? We should get back anyway."
"You know it." Cruz pointed at Reid. "Randi told me to tell you to get out."
"Screw off. She didn’t say that. But Brynne’s right. We gotta fly or we’d hang out with you awhile."
Reid squeezed by them and with Brynne still seated, pulled his wife’s chair out. A gesture that Cilla, who’d always considered it unnecessary, suddenly found endearing.
"Hey," Reid said, "how’s the Stutz running?"
