Benny’s eyes soften as he nods. “Sorry to hear that. He’s a lucky kid to have a dad who loves him that much.”
I shrug, not really knowing what to say to that.
He leans over, gently patting my forearm. “Well, I’m glad you found a safe place to land for the night. Don’t get back on the road, though, after all that,” he says, pointing at my glass. “There’s a motel less than a block away.”
His fatherly concern is actually kind of sweet. “I’ll keep that in mind.” I had already made the decision to stay put until themorning when I started this second drink, but I’ll give him his moment.
The front door creaks open, letting in a gust of chilly night air. A woman in dark blue scrubs marches in, making a beeline for the bar. She doesn’t even have a coat on, but the freezing temps seem to be the least of her concerns.
At first, I only see the movement out of the corner of my eye. Her shoes must be wet from the snow outside because as soon as she steps up to the bar, her legs slip out from under her.
I’m moving before I even realize what I’m doing. My arms wrap around her, keeping her from crashing to the floor. She lets out a small shriek when her back lands against my chest.
I steady myself, so I don’t end up pancaking on top of her. I set her on the seat beside mine.
“You okay?” I ask, hesitating to remove my hands from her arms in case she hasn’t regained her balance yet.
Yeah… that’s why…
She turns to look at me over her shoulder, and the breath I’m taking gets caught in my lungs. I saw her walk in, but I hadn’t reallyseenher until this very moment.
She is fucking stunning. She has barely any makeup on and looks tired as hell, but she’s beautiful. Her long, dark hair is pulled back in a ponytail with a few stray pieces around her face.
Her light brown eyes hold mine with equal intensity. Or maybe I’m losing my damn mind.
I swallow thickly, realizing my hands are still wrapped around her arms, and my thumbs are slowly tracing lines across the smooth fabric of her scrub top.
“Are you okay?” I ask again, needing to know despite all the other inappropriate thoughts racing through my mind.
She visibly swallows. “Yeah, okay… I’m okay.” I swear I see a slight blush inching up her neck.
My hands flex against her one last time before they fall back to my side. I scoot in beside her, taking my own spot at the bar. I look up to find Benny eyeing us both with a glimmer of amusement in his stare.
“Benny,” the woman beside me half-growls. “I need a fucking drink.”
He tries to fight off his smile as he grabs a glass and starts making her a rum and Diet Coke with a lime. “Tough day?” he asks, sliding the glass toward her.
Her glare intensifies. “You could fucking say that.”
Benny is apparently done trying to hide his grin because he’s outright laughing now. I can’t help the smile that’s spreading across my face, too. She’s snarky.
Feisty and hot… deadly combination.
She takes a big swig of her drink and sets it down aggressively, making a little of the liquid splash onto the bar top.
I think she’s going to snap something else at the man opposite her, but she starts laughing instead. Her head falls against the wood as her shoulders shake with laughter.
My own drink is forgotten in front of me because I can’t take my eyes off her.
She sits up, dragging in a deep breath. “Thanks for always making me laugh, Benny.” She gives him a smile I can tell is genuine.
“Anytime, Abby. Bad shift?” Benny asks.
Abby.It fits her… tough but sweet at the same time.
She nods, taking another sip from her glass. “One of the toughest I’ve had.”
She doesn’t elaborate, but the weight from what she went through during her shift is still sitting heavily on her shoulders.
