“Great. Come on, I’ll drop you off.”
As we neared his Mustang, he opened the door, then said, “So, a hook-up?”
Really? Heat scorched my face. Stifling my groan, I shrugged. But a tinge of irritation surged. “Why not? Is it something sacred only to dicks?”
He burst out laughing. “No. I’m damn glad you picked me.”
Over Jack?
Was this some kind of competition between them? Ugh, I didn’t want to know.
* * *
Later that evening, as I took orders from my tables, I was aware that the players’ one remained empty—or more precisely, a few regulars occupied it, but Jack wasn’t around—which suited me just fine.
Thankfully, Ila and Max wouldn’t be here tonight, either. With the wedding taking up so much time, they didn’t come to the bar as often, and that suited me. My sister saw too much. With her life on par with the flow of the universe, she would try to fix mine, especially when she found out that my so-calleddatewasn’t really one.
I could thwart her for now, but when rehearsals started for the wedding? Nope, no way would I be able to avoid her since I was her maid of honor. And with Jack as the best-freakin-man, he’d have a front-row seat to my life. Oh, joy!
The only good thing about the upcoming nuptials was recalling the happiness in Mom’s eyes when Ila had told them about the engagement and wedding. I wouldn’t do anything to ruin it.
“Ray?” Jude called out as I stopped near the counter with my order. “Take my place and bartend, I have an errand to run.”
“Yeah, sure.” I slipped behind the counter as my boss left. Petra cast me a quick smile from where she worked the middle of the L-shaped bar, and Dale, the other mixologist, manned the end. I filled my own orders and sent it off with one of the other waitresses.
War strolled in moments later, glanced around, then headed my way. He grabbed a seat opposite me. “Hey.”
“How could you?” I glared at him.
“Caught between a rock and Jack?” He shook his head wearily, rubbing an old, fading bruise on his jaw. “Ray, telling him was the better option. I can’t risk getting into another fight, even out of the arena. I’ll be suspended for the season.”
Jack would have fought him?
“He ruined everything,” I grumbled.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you,really?” I asked, knowing his stance about my hooking up.
He grimaced. “No.”
Of course, he wasn’t. Ugh. I moved off to serve two customers. These guys took protection to a whole other level, except Jack had stepped past those boundaries.
“Not your fault,” I said, coming back to War. “I got irritated at his demands when he thought I was going out with you and wanted to put him in his place.”
“There was your first mistake.”
“I know, I know.” I cast him a wry smile and set his usual Heineken in front of him. War was a great guy. But all wasn’t what it seemed with him. If only he stopped his fighting. Oh, he was still a terror on the ice. I had seen him in action when I’d accompanied Max and Ila to a few of his games. At least he no longer guzzled booze like a fish did water.
“You okay?” I asked him quietly as I wiped down the counter.
War lifted those dark blue eyes from his beer and stared at me for a brief second before he nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”
No, I didn’t think he was.
He snagged his drink and disappeared into the crowded bar.
An hour later, I handed another order to the waitress and glanced about the jam-packed bar, finding War seated in the back with some of his hockey buddies…and Jack.
