Page 9 of Wilde Abandon
Some kind of knowing flashed in her dad’s eyes.“I guess you’ll find out soon.”
She lifted the heavy tray of drinks.“I’ll deliver these, then take my break when he gets here.”She went to turn away, but her dad’s words made her turn back to him.
“Sometimes the people we think we lost in the past come back to us.”
She thought about her mysterious chatter’s online name.Could it be that someone she’d lost touch with in the past had found her again?
She didn’t have time to think about the possibilities.He’d be here soon.
And with the noise in the bar, it was hard to think about anything besides her aching feet, the tables that she needed to service, and whether or not the tips would be worth the handsy and mouthy customers.
Not that she didn’t love this place and her job.She just wanted something more.Something that was hers.
She delivered the beers to the firefighters who were here to blow off steam.They gave her big grins and hot looks, but she didn’t take any of them up on the implied offers and sauntered to the next table of cow punchers, who greedily reached for the shots, before a couple of them turned to the table one over and the ladies there, who’d ordered the wine and cosmo.
One of the women leaned around the table crashers, and her eyes went wide.“Oh my God, I want the one on the right.”
“Only if I get the one on the left,” the strawberry blonde announced, practically drooling.
Their third wheel didn’t look the least disappointed that there were only two and said, “I’ll take both of them.”
Melody laughed with the trio, and turning to head back to the bar, had to agree with the first woman.She’d take the guy on the right, too.
Tall, lean, dark hair cut short around the back, longer on top with just enough wave to make her want to sink her fingers into the thick mass.Dressed in jeans that hugged his perfect ass and a simple untucked black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, he wasn’t a cowboy, but something more polished.
His friend was cute.Blond hair cut neat and short.Black military boots, jeans, and a dark gray thermal.His blue eyes were sharp as they landed on her right before he tapped his buddy’s shoulder to get his attention, then pointed right at her.
Turning, the guy’s green gaze met hers and something shifted inside her chest, making her breath catch.His jaw hardened for a second before a smile broke out on his face that was so lethal it could have had every woman in the room dropping their panties for him.
She forgot how to walk as she halted and just stared at the perfection that was this man she’d never seen but wanted with everything inside her.
Was this how Lyric felt when she laid eyes on Mason, and how Jax felt when he saw Layla for the first time?
Was this even real?
Was he?
Time seemed to slow as they just stared at each other, then it suddenly sped up as her dad rushed to the guy and threw his arms around him, giving him a smack on the back and hugging him close.
Stunned, she found her feet and walked toward all of them.
Wade held the man by the shoulders.“Why didn’t you tell me you were in town?It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.You should have called or come by the ranch.”Her dad didn’t work the bar very often, only when they needed extra help.
The man looked from her dad to her and back again.“I needed a little time to get settled in town with Dean and deal with my mom.”
“Hey, I’m Dean.”The blond held his hand out to her.
She took it and shook, not really looking at him, still staring at the other one.
Her dad let the man loose and met her gaze.“Aren’t you going to say hello, honey?”
His green gaze met hers again.For some reason, tears gathered in her eyes.
“It’s been a long time,” he said, his deep voice soft, like he didn’t want to spook her.
Her heart beat so fast she could barely breathe.“Fox?”A tear slid down her cheek.
“Yes.”Fox’s eyes narrowed and the muscle in his jaw ticked.