“Wyatt told me to come in. Are you Jett?” Her soft smile sparked something within me.
“I am. Are you Raven?” I held out my hand awkwardly.
As her soft fingers brushed mine, I felt my knees get weak.
What the fuck is happening to me?
“When can you start?” I spit out quickly.
“No interview?” She blinked at me.
I shook my head. “You were interviewed to work at the garage—that’s good enough for me.”
“I’ve never worked in a bar before,” she admitted, peeking around the large room with wide eyes.
I let out a little snort. “There’s a first time for everything.”
“I can start right now.” She giggled, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.
“I like that answer.”
“Let me just call Wyatt and see if he can get my kid from school later.”
I handed her my phone. “Just press seven.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know if I will ever get used to the life y’all live.”
A booming laugh echoed out of my chest. “All in due time, darlin’. All in due time.”
I took a few steps away from her to give our newest bartender a little privacy to talk to her brother.
“Well, look at you go, big brother,” Katherine teased, standing behind me.
“She deserves a break after being treated like a piece of meat by Luke,” I offered, throwing my arm around Katherine’s boney shoulder.
“You will never cease to amazing me, Jett Cowen.” She giggled, shoving away from me.
“Good,” I whispered with a little wink.
Raven closed the phone and walked it back over to me. “We’re all set. Thank you.”
I nodded toward my sister. “Katherine will get you all set up. I’ll be in the office if you need anything.”
I escaped with one breath left in my chest. Standing in the doorway to the back office, I watched Katherine show Raven around. I was in serious trouble with this one, and she was off limits. I had to prove myself to Katherine. I needed to be better…but Raven was different—felt different. How was I going to stay away from her when I felt like there was a magnet yanking me in her direction?
I wasn’t that type of man. I had never wanted to get to know a woman. I used them, threw them away, went on to the next. Shit, I could barely remember their names. Maybe everyone meets their match sooner or later.
As the night got to the close, I ambled into the bar.
“Good night?” I asked Raven as she counted out her first shift’s tips.
Her lips twisted into an intoxicating smile. “I think I am going to like it here.”
I leaned over the bar to grab two beers out of the trough. “That is exactly what I wanted to hear.” I twisted off the caps on the brown bottles. “To you, Raven. May this job be better than your last.”
“Here, here.” We clanked our bottles together.
I knew that was all I could do. Have a beer with her and then send her on her way. I wanted to lick the residue of the liquid off of her strawberry Cupid’s bow, but I resisted.
