Page 9 of Stay Wild Darlin’

I gestured around the bar. “That’s not a problem.”

“There may be some traveling involved.”

“Also not an issue.” I was already living in a completely different state from where I was born and raised. If anything, I loved to travel.

“See?” She grinned. “It’s perfect.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “No, really, I’m good. I want to be a teacher.”

Fable smirked, unfazed by my refusal. “Hand me your phone.”

I raised a brow but pulled it out of my apron pocket and passed it to her. She tapped away.

“For next time I’m in town,” she said with a knowing look. “Or when you decide you want the job.”

I rolled my eyes with a chuckle. “Not happening, but sure.”

She grinned and gestured toward the rowdy group still lingering in the back. “Let’s go see if I can get them to close their tab.”

“Good luck with that.”

Fable made her way back to the group, her arms crossed as she started arguing with the blonde one—the same guy who had been all over the sparkly-boot cowgirl earlier. They bickered back and forth as I laughed to myself. It was like watching siblings go at it.

I walked over to the register behind the bar, readying it for the inevitable final tab of the night. That was when I noticed movement in my peripheral vision.

Carefully, the blonde guy made his way over, moving with the cautious sway of someone who had pushed past their limit but was still trying to appear in control.

“Hey, darlin’.” He held up his card between two fingers, flashing me a lopsided grin. “Guess I’m payin’ tonight.”

I snatched it from his hand before he could get any slick ideas. “Heard about your win,” I said, swiping the card through the reader. “Congrats.”

His smirk widened, and he leaned in a little closer, the scent of whiskey strong. “You watch?”

I handed his card back. “Nope. Just heard from your friend.”

“Damn, and here I was thinkin’ you were my biggest fan.”

I rolled my eyes, punching in the final charge. “Not quite.”

I slid the bill across the counter. “Behave tonight.” I warned him.

He lazily picked it up, scanning the total before scrawling his name at the bottom. “Always do,” he murmured, then let out a dry laugh. “Well, now I do. Life’s different.” He tapped the pen against the paper, gaze unfocused. “Someone’s waitin’ at home . . .”

I tilted my head, watching him for a beat. There was something heavy in his words, but they were drunken ramblings, right?

Shaking it off, I watched as the group of girls sauntered out first. The bull riders weren’t far behind, but they didn’t leave as a pack. They drifted out one by one, some lingering, some disappearing into the night without a word.

As I went to grab the receipt, my eyes caught the tip amount, and I nearly choked.

Five hundred dollars.

I glanced up, but the blonde cowboy was already on his way out the door, his signature scrawled lazily across the bottom of the bill.

I shook my head, biting back a grin. Maybe he was drunk and generous, or maybe he was showing off, but either way, I wasn’t about to complain.

Fable lingered by the door, catching my eye with a little wave before following the group of guys out into the night.

Another night down, and this one had left me with more than sticky counters and aching feet.