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“Will do. Let me know if I need to get Leopold involved. He can be discreet when need be.”

Captain Alan Leopold is the only police officer I’ve met that I trust wholeheartedly. He’s a good man, but Sadie was adamant she didn’t want to go to the police. So, I shake my head. “I’ll let you know, but keep this between us for now, please.”

“You’ve got it.” He shakes my hand, and I head over toward the counter where Sadie stands with her coffee in hand.

“Hey, here you go, Mav!” Anastasia hands me mine. “I was just telling Sadie that you guys should come over for dinner. My mom is making enchiladas. So good,” she adds.

“Thanks, but we’re working tonight. Sadie is helping me at the bar.”

“Gotcha. Well, another time, then.” Anastasia beams at her as the bell over the door rings and two teenage girls come in, their backpacks slung over their shoulders.

“Ready?” I ask Sadie.

She nods.

“Good to meet you, Sadie,” Zane offers.

“You, too.” She gives a half-hearted smile and waves to the others, too, then starts down the hall. I follow, reaching around to push open the door for her. After unlocking my truck, I pull open her door, then close it and cross over to the driver’s side.

Sadie is quiet the entire way back to the bar and still doesn’t say a word as we walk inside. I head up the stairs and step aside so she can unlock the door to where she’s staying. Instead of going in to set the bags down, I set them right inside the door, keeping most of my body on the outside of the threshold.

“Thank you,” she finally says. “I’ll pay you back.” Her gaze remains downcast, and I can’t tell if it’s because she’s tired or embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be down in the bar if you need me.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah. Bar opens at five, so I typically have a late lunch around three, then eat again after I close. I’ll come check on you in a little bit and see if you’re hungry.”

“Sounds good. Thanks.”

“Yeah.” Turning on my heel, I head back down the hall.

“Maverick?” she calls out right before I reach the stairs.

I turn back toward her.

“I just—I want to say thank you. I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t found me last night.”

“You’re welcome, Sadie. Get some rest.”

As I’m finishing up with the last of the chairs, someone knocks on the front door of the bar. Crossing over, I pull the door open to see Ryker Granger—my former bouncer—standing on the other side.

“Tank,” I greet, using the nickname his team gave him when they were SEALs. For good reason, too. The guy is built like a mountain. After stepping out of the way so he can come in, I shut and lock the door behind him, then head toward the bar so I can start cutting up limes for tonight.

“When did you start locking the door?” he asks.

“When Marlene barged in here before opening and tried to marry me off.”

He snorts. “She does love to do that, doesn’t she?”

“Now that all of you are taken, she’s set her eyes on me.”

He grins. “Kind of looks like you might be headed the way of a relationship, too, brother.”

I shake my head. “Not a chance.”

“No? You forget that I can be quite observant.” He slides onto one of the barstools.