“Ha! You don’t trust the crowd.”
“Yeah, but it’s because they’re felons not rednecks.” He almost got away with that explanation but in the end his lips twitched. She punched him lightly in his arm. “Hey, what is this? Fifth grade?” But he was inordinately pleased with the punch. He couldn’t help but feel hopeful.
Ramsey ducked her head and shrugged to avoid answering his question. When he opened the door for her, she waved him in first, and Sullivan had to look over his shoulder to make sure she was following. She was.
He wasn’t surprised when the first thing she noted was the absence of customers. The interior of the tavern was dark but it was not as if Theo’s patrons were lurking in the shadows. There were seven round tables with five chairs each, two semi-circular booths that could comfortably sit six, and a dozen or so stools lined up at the bar. There were exactly seven people occupying the customer side of the tavern, five men and two women, and they all looked up as the door began to close behind Sullivan. He raised a hand, greeting the ones who called out to him.
He led Ramsey to the bar where a young woman was working. She stopped what she was doing when Sullivan slid onto a stool. He set his helmet on the bar and tapped the stool beside him, inviting Ramsey to sit. “Do you have a couple of four-wheelers for us?”
“Not right now,” she said. “They’re all out.” She turned her wrist to check her watch. “Next one should be back in about ten minutes. If you really want two, then it’ll be another half hour. You gonna shoot?”
“Thought I would. Your dad said he had something he wanted me to try out. Is Theo around?”
“In the kitchen making baklava.”
“I hate to interrupt that.”
“He’ll be angry if you don’t.” Her eyes slid sideways. She wiped her hands on the short white apron at her waist and then extended an arm across the bar. “I’m Anna Constantinides. This is my dad’s place.”
Sullivan broke in before Ramsey could speak. “Sorry. Ramsey, this is Anna. Anna, Ramsey Masters.”
Ramsey shook the young woman’s hand. She had a good grip, an easy smile, and a mass of thick dark curly hair framing her face. “Nice to meet you.” To Sullivan, she said, “Shooting?”
He nodded. “There’s a shooting range behind the tavern, but we have to take a four-wheeler to get to it.”
“It’s rare that we don’t have at least one here,” said Anna. “Don’t know why so many people decided to come out this morning. The range is usually only this active on a Saturday. There’s Theo’s golf cart, if you want to use it. He won’t mind.”
Sullivan’s eyebrows lifted. “Golf cart? No, thanks. We’ll wait for an ATV and ride tandem.”
Anna regarded Ramsey with new interest. “You shoot?”
“I do. I didn’t know I was going to do it today.” She looked sideways at Sullivan. “You might have told me.”
“There’s no surprise if I tell you everything.”
“Exactly,” she said dryly.
Anna laughed. “You understand what she’s telling you, Sullivan? She’s not fond of surprises.”
Sullivan had a wry smile for both women. “Got it.” He looked around the tavern, took note of everyone in the building. “Where’s Little Theo?”
“In the gun shack. Sam called off sick so Little Theo’s filling in. I wanted to be out on the range, but I pulled the short straw. If my brother’s sitting around, kick the chair out from under him.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder to indicate the kitchen. “Go on. Say hello to Papa. Your transport will be waiting for you when he’s done bending your ear.”
Sullivan stood. “All right. Can we leave our helmets with you?”
“Sure.” Anna put them under the bar.
“Ramsey? You’ll want to meet Theo.”
“You’re right,” she said, sliding off her stool. “A man who makes baklava and owns a shooting range? Be still my heart.”
Anna gave a shout of laughter. “I like her, Sullivan.”
“I like her, too, so it’s just as well that Theo is deeply devoted to your mother.”
“Yes, but Little Theo just kicked his girlfriend to the curb. He’s available.”
“He just graduated high school,” Sullivan told Ramsey.
