She calmed down a little, sobs turning into sniffles, and pulled back slightly, but not out of his arms. She looked at him with a small, teary smile. He cupped her face and wiped away her tears with his thumb. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. She hadn’t needed him like this in forever. He hadn’t allowed himself to need her like this, either, since he’d lost his father. Right now, though, there wasn’t anyone in the world he’d rather be with.
She rested her hand on his jaw, drawing her thumb across. “What’s with the scruff?”
He shrugged, unable to tear his eyes from hers. “It’s a look.”
She nodded. “Not bad.”
Silence floated between them, comfortable and calm.
Suddenly Riya smiled, mischief in her wet eyes. She cocked her head. “Let’s go.”
He was on immediate alert. It had been a long time since he’d seen this look, but he knew exactly what it meant. “What do you mean,let’s go?”
“Don’t be so suspicious. C’mon.” She found a tissue and wiped her eyes before grabbing his hand and leading him out the door.
Dhillon allowed himself to be led, pausing only to set the alarm and lock the door.
“Keys.” She stood by the driver’s side with her hand out, that mischievous smile still on her face.
Dhillon could argue, but that would only delay the inevitable. When she got like this, it was best just to go with it. He handed over the keys. Her smile spread, wide and free, jolting his heart.
She drove them to Baltimore and parked in front of a bar. The red neon sign in the window read Phil’s Place. Other than that, there was nothing remarkable about this specific bar except that there was a small sign in the window advertising karaoke night. Which was tonight.
“Oh, no, no, no.” Dhillon shook his head as they got out of the car. It wasn’t quite dark yet; the sun was just setting over the harbor. “I’m still in scrubs.”
“What? It’s just a bar. A bunch of my paramedic friends and I used to hang out here after shifts.” She shrugged, all innocence. “The beer’s good, the food is great, and we should toast Lucky.”
“Uh-huh.” Dhillon knew better.
“One drink. Promise.” The smirk on her face said anything but.
Dhillon sighed. This was going to happen no matter what he said. He pulled on the wrought iron door handles and motioned for her to enter. Music—if you could call it that—assaulted them as soon as they entered. Some poor soul was belting out “I Will Survive” with tremendous heart and feeling that did not match their talent. The aroma of cream of crab soup made his stomach growl. They hadn’t eaten. The place was already crowded and dimly lit, save for the so-called stage, which was really just a back corner that was sectioned off.
Riya turned and grinned up at him. “They started karaoke a few weeks ago, one night a week. Pretty cool, huh?”
He could deny the excitement building in him, but he’d be lying. Instead, he rolled his eyes and squeezed in at the crowded bar to order a couple of beers. The bartender, a woman about his age, greeted him with a friendly smile. “You’re here with Riya?”
“Excuse me?”
The bartender nodded behind him. “Riya. She’s the paramedic turned firefighter, right? She’s amazing. She and my fiancé can talk for hours.”
“Is your fiancé a firefighter?”
She shook her head. “An ER nurse and a helicopter flight medic. But he was really supportive of Riya becoming a firefighter.” She looked behind Dhillon. “Here he is now.”
Supportive of Riya becoming a firefighter? Dhillon’s excitement dampened. He turned to see a man, also in scrubs, approach the bar. When he got close, the bartender reached over the bar to kiss him, then turned to Dhillon. “This guy is with Riya.”
Dhillon flushed. “Well, I’m notwithRiya. We just came here together. Actually, she brought us here. I just sat in the car.” He was babbling. “Anyway, I’ll just have two beers and a couple bowls of the soup.”
The fiancé smiled and put out his hand. “Daniel Bliant. Riya’s great. However you’re here tonight.”
The bartender went to get the beers. Dhillon shook Daniel’s hand. “Dhillon Vora. It’s...complicated.”
“Isn’t it always?”
They turned and saw Riya seated at a high-top near the stage.Great.“I’ll stop over and say hello in a bit.” Daniel smiled. “And bring the soup over.”
“Yeah. Sure.” The guy was entirely too handsome, and if he hadn’t been engaged to the cute bartender, Dhillon might have wondered about his interest in Riya being more than professional.
