Page 4 of Dandelions and Smoke

I turn to him with a proud grin, biting my bottom lip.

“I totally did,” I laugh, relieved it worked.

I take my seat back beside him, and he takes me in with baby-blue eyes that are shining. My stomach flutters under his strong gaze, and heat floods my cheeks, but I don’t look away.

“Seriously!” Playboy shakes my shoulder, interrupting this moment, and I exhale, turning my head down before tearing my eyes from the Chief and onto him.

“You’re incredible. You know that?”

“Yup,” I say, popping my ‘p’. “And you owe me fifty bucks.”

His smile falters for half a second, and his shoulders drop with acceptance. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

He pulls out a fifty, but the Chief clears his throat and raises a brow at him. With a sigh and a nod, he pulls out another twenty-dollar bill.

“Thank you,” he says, handing it to me. “I’m Billy. This is Mark, and I see you’ve met Chief.”

“Just Chief?” I ask, my brows pinching slightly.

He shrugs, leaving me curious about his name and even more curious that it appears his whole identity is locked in what he does, not who he is.

Interesting.

“It’s nice to meet you, but I think I prefer calling you Playboy.”

Mark laughs behind him before stretching out his arm to shake my hand.

“And what’s your name?” Chief’s husky voice asks, pulling my attention completely.

“It’s whatever you want it to be,” I tease, and his face splits into a grin.

“Pretty Woman?” he laughs, calling out the movie reference.

“I’ll stick with Pinky then,” Billy says, missing the reference completely. “We’ll catch up with you two in a bit. Mark, look at those girls who walked in.”

They leave, but I hardly notice. I haven’t taken my eyes off the man beside me. It’s like the rest of the bar has become quiet, dull, and all that’s left is him.

“I won’t be calling you, Pinky,” he jokes, his lips pressing together, fighting back a smile.

I chuckle. “Please don’t.”

“Why did you do that? Why did you come to a stranger’s rescue like that?”

“I don’t know,” I answer quietly.

“Do you usually make a habit out of fixing other people’s problems?” he asks me, half joking, but there’s something more serious etched in his face that has my chest rising with a nervous breath.

“I have enough problems as it is. I suppose I figure I might as well fix the ones that I can,” I answer with a shrug.

“Right, so definitely a habit.”

I snort a laugh because if he only knew. Fixing other people’s problems has always come easy… but my own?

“Who are you?” he asks, searching my face as if seeing me for the first time, making me feel exposed, bare, and vulnerable in a way I’m not used to.

If I tell him who I am, he may have answers. He might even know Blake. But if he does, it might ruin whatever it is that’s happening between us, and I’ve never had anyone look at me the way he is before, like he’s captivated by my very existence. I’ll find my half-brother on my own. I don’t need the help.

What I do need is a night that belongs to me. One where I can be whoever Chief wants me to be. Not the total disaster that’s come to town with a tragic backstory and a mess of baggage. Maybe with him, for one night, I can be me.