He was seriously smoking hot. Dressed in jeans and a plain gray t-shirt, he was seriously ripped. Like, romance novel cover ripped. And those eyes. Green and gray and brown. No wonder all she could say waswow.
She slid gingerly onto the stool as her muscles whimpered. They stared at each other for a minute. The silence hung thickly, cutting off the volume of the rest of the bar noises.
“Hi,” Harper said finally.
“Hi.”
“I’m Harper.” She extended her hand for the overdue introduction.
“Luke.” He took her hand in a strong grip and held it. “Come here often?” He smiled and the dimple appeared again. Harper felt her heart stumble. Oh, good lord. Not now. This was the worst possible time to develop a crush. She had sworn off men not two hours ago and promptly gotten her ass kicked by another one. She ordered herself to pull it together.
“First time. I hear the parking lot gets pretty rowdy on Friday nights.”
He straightened and brought his fingers to her face, gently brushed her bangs back. “How’s your face, Harper?”
“It’ll be okay, Luke.” She blushed, saying his name. It felt strange to be so familiar with a stranger. “How’s your hand?”
He was still cupping her face, running his thumb lightly over her bruised cheek.
Someone nearby cleared their throat. Sophie was behind the bar, grinning like an idiot at them. “Sorry to interrupt, kids, but this is for you,” she said, tossing an icepack at Luke. “And this is for you,” she slid a beer bottle to Harper. “Nachos are on the way. On the house. Sit.”
“Thanks, sis,” Luke said, barely sparing Sophie a glance while he sank down on the empty stool next to Harper’s.
Harper blushed under his stare and grabbed the beer like a lifeline. “Thanks.”
Sophie winked at her before hurrying away.
“Nice job out there, Luke.” A beanpole of a man in a red baseball hat smacked him soundly on the back. “That was one hell of a shot you gave Glenn. They teach you that in the Army?”
“Thanks, Carl.”
“Down and out in one,” Carl hooted, miming a right hook. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
“Just remember that next time you don’t give me a discount at the lumber yard,” Luke said dryly.
Carl laughed again and turned to Harper. “It’s nice to see Luke here in such pretty company. I didn’t catch your name, Blondie.”
Luke made the perfunctory introduction. “Carl, this is Harper. Harper this is Carl.”
“Well, Harper, if there is anything you need while you’re in town, you don’t hesitate to ask me. I’ll be happy to do anything, anything at all for you.”
“Yeah, I bet you would,” Luke said. “How is your wife these days?”
“Big as a house. Baby Number Three is due next week.” He puffed out his chest with pride. “This one’s gotta be a boy. A man can’t have three daughters.”
“He can if he’s getting paid back for raising hell in high school,” Luke said. “Maybe you should go home and rub Carol Ann’s feet to try and make up for it.”
“Oh, I’m doing better than that. I’m picking up a cheesesteak for her.”
Right on cue, Sophie reappeared with a large paper bag. “Three steaks, all the fixings.” She slid it across the bar to Carl.
“Give Carol Ann my best,” Luke told him.
“Will do. Will do. It was nice to meet you, Harper. If you get sick of hanging out with this soldier, just give me a call.”
“Will do, Carl.” Harper laughed.
“Don’t encourage him,” Luke said as Carl weaved his way past them.
