His gaze swept over the room. Had the person she was concerned about returned?
A wall-mounted screen caught his eye. Ah. Game night.
Ash wasn’t a sports fan, but he had a soft spot for the local teams. They’d helped him build his hacking skills early on when he would slip bets into the gaming system long after the cutoff time. The winnings had kept him and Hope fed.
He wiggled his way through the crowd until he was pressed against the bar. It took several more minutes to get Dani’s attention.
“What can I get you?” Her smile faded when she realized it was him.
“The Jack in tonight?” he asked, careful to keep his voice low.
“Maybe.” With that, she slid down the bar to take drink orders.
Crap. He took a deep breath and dug deep for patience. He had to get past her to see Taryn. When she returned to his end of the bar, she didn’t stop.
“Gimme a draft.” Ash slid a credit chip on to the bar. “Please.”
Since he’d ordered, she had no choice but to stop. “Is the Jack in?” he repeated. He didn’t want to play games tonight. He just wanted to see Taryn.
Dani must have seen something in his eyes, because instead of blowing him off again, she nodded.
“Can you ask if she’ll see me?” He really hoped she would.
She set the beer down and studied him. Then she gestured him forward.
Ash leaned over the bar and still had to strain to hear her over the noise of the gathered crowd.
“Go on back,” she said.
“Really?” That Dani gave him a free pass... that had to mean Taryn was okay, right?
“Yeah.” She tilted her head toward the employees-only door that eventually led to the Jack’s office.
“Thanks, Dani.” He slid the credit chip toward her. “Keep the change.”
This time she didn’t argue. The chip quickly disappeared into her pocket.
Ash grabbed his drink. It was easier to get away from the bar than it had been to get to it. People cleared a path for him, then rushed in to fill the space that he’d vacated.
He held the glass above his head to protect it as he crossed the room. Every few steps, he paused to take a sip and to glance around. The place was packed, which made it easy to look like he was trying to find a seat.
His glass was half empty by the time he reached the door and his patience was rapidly fading. Taking another drink—this one for courage—he slipped through the door. It closed behind him with a soft thud.
Passing the spot where Taryn had pressed him against the wall, he smiled. The need to see Taryn was like an itch he couldn’t scratch and he knew it wasn’t just because of Hope. That kiss had been... damn.
Ash reached the Jack’s door and raised his hand to knock. Before he could, the door opened violently and a teenage girl barreled out, tears streaming down her face.
“Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer, just brushed by him. He remembered when Hope was that age, half hormones, half attitude, with just enough sweetness that he always forgave her.
He watched the young woman run down the hallway. She turned left at the intersection and disappeared around the corner. She was younger than all the other employees he’d seen. What did she do here?
Ash had caught the door with his foot. He rapped on the door and poked his head in. “Can I come in?”
Taryn looked up, frowning. Then her expression cleared and she smiled.
His heart fluttered, and he was irrationally happy that he’d made her smile.
