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“At least I don’t have to be worried about what they’re getting up to tonight, left to their own devices.”

That was one good thing. Halloween in Blue Moon Bay was usually fairly controlled and uneventful, with police surveillance circulating on the streets. In addition to Max, there would be an officer parked in front of the tavern as well, in case of any trouble.

Angel checked her watch. “I guess I should get my costume on. Do you need any more help before I change?”

Trent scanned the bar. Everything looked ready to go. “Nah, I’m good. I should get ready, too.” He reached behind the door and grabbed a cowboy hat from the hook, then put it on. “There. Ready.”

Angel laughed as she shot him a look. “That’s your costume?”

“Every year.”

His cell phone chimed with a text, and he smiled seeing it was from Whitney saying she’d be there that evening with Sarah, Jess, and Lia.

She hadn’t been at last year’s event, and he was thrilled she was going to make it.

See you soon, he texted, then put the phone away.

Picking up a box of Halloween-themed party favors—miniature trick-or-treat baskets shaped like pumpkins, skulls, and witches’ cauldrons filled with candy and chocolate—he carried it around, positioning them on the tables already adorned with black-and-orange plastic tablecloths.

As he emptied the box and broke it down, he saw Angel coming out from the bathroom. Gone were the jeans and black T-shirt, replaced with a skin-tight, leather-looking black catsuit. On her head were cat ears, and the six-inch heeled leather boots she wore looked impossible to work in all evening. Someone else was looking to compete with Danielle for those tips.

“Jesus,” he heard Max say, and when he turned toward the bouncer, the man’s jaw was practically on the wooden bar-room floor.

Trent grinned as he walked toward him. “Close your mouth, buddy.”

Max coughed and cleared his throat. “What kind of idiot let her go?”

“A big one,” Trent said. He tapped his friend on the back. “Keep an eye on her, too, tonight, okay?” His locals he wasn’t worried about. He knew they all knew he’d take no shit in his bar, so no one would act inappropriately toward his staff, but out-of-towners may not be as familiar with the rules.

“You’ve got no worries about that, man,” Max said. “I’ll be lucky if I can peel my eyes off her.”

At that moment, Angel glanced their way and blushed as she caught Max’s stare. Trent fought an irrational sense of longing at the way his employees were vibing each other. Could he and Whitney get back some of that sparkoutsidethe bedroom?

Chapter Fifteen

Now…

No one commented on the fact that Whitney’s team costume for theCharlie’s Angelstheme Lia had decided on was basically the same outfit she’d worn to work that day minus the suit jacket. They were all just probably happy to see that she’d shown up at all and hadn’t bailed at the last minute.

Luckily, her contribution was Bosley, while Jess, Sarah, and Lia had the harder costumes of the angels. The three of them had met that afternoon to scavenge through whatever was left at the local costume shop in town and had managed to find wigs, boot covers, and matching body-con dresses in different colors to pull off the looks. They looked amazing, and Whitney fought the small sense of longing that she’d missed out on the activity that day with the others. Lia was off work, and Sarah and Jess ran their own businesses, so they controlled their schedules. Whitney didn’t have that luxury.

She was just glad she’d agreed to be here with them tonight.

The bar looked amazing as they entered just before eight. She hadn’t been inside it in weeks. It looked like a professional had decorated the space for the event with the elaborate animatronic figures and the party favors on the tabletops. Trent had mentioned that Angel had taken lead on that part.

Whitney’s gaze landed on the bar manager now, who was dressed as Catwoman in a tight black jumpsuit that looked like leather and sky-high-heeled boots that made her already fantastic curves even more pronounced. Nearly every man in the place was drooling.

“Holy smokes, Angel is wearing the hell out of that costume,” Jess said next to her as they made their way to the “Reserved” booth Trent had kept for them.

“She sure is,” Whitney said as Trent spotted them.

Dressed in his usual cowboy hat and plaid shirt—his annual Halloween costume—he waved and smiled at them.

“Ladies, the usual?” he called across the bar.

“Virgin martini for me,” Sarah said. “Still breastfeeding,” she told them quickly as explanation. “Not pregnant again.”

Jess laughed as they all slid into the booth. “Only a matter of time. You and Wes plan to have another one within two years, right?”

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