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“No, thanks,” Ryan said.
“We’ll buy you a drink,” Blair said. “Fudge makers can’t make that much, right?”
Blair was an arrogant dickhead; Faith just hadn’t realized that when she’d first met him. She knew it now though. He hadn’t changed or grown as a person, and she had. Strangely, this made her feel better.
“No, thanks.” Ryan kept right on drinking his beer.
“Give him some money, Kev. He’s clearly in need of motivation.”
“He doesn’t want a photo with you, Blair. Leave it alone and stop hassling my customers,” Faith said with an edge to her voice that would have had her brother running for cover. “Go back to your party.”
“Is this the girl you talked about?” one of Blair’s friends said. “She’s a looker.”
“I told you she was hot.”
“Seriously hot,” the other guy said, running his eyes over what he could see of Faith. “Ask her to come and drink with us. We could have some fun later.”
They’d been drinking for a while and clearly lost the small degree of intelligence they had. Thankfully only Ryan was in the bar. Noah or any of her other friends would have decked these guys by now.
“You guys need to show this lady some respect,” Ryan said, lowering his beer to the bar with a snap. “She’s standing right here, and you’re discussing her like she’s not. Stop behaving like Neanderthals and apologize.”
“It’s no big deal.” She reached for Ryan’s arm, but he was getting to his feet.
“Chill out, man. We’re just acknowledging her beauty.” Blair gave her a wink. “Women love that kind of thing.”
“You guys are all single, right?” Ryan asked.
“Why do you say that?” Blair pushed out his chest in a clear sign he wasn’t impressed with Ryan’s tone.
“Because no man worth a damn would speak to a woman with such disrespect, and most women get idiots like you with just a look and stay clear.”
Blair actually spluttered.
“Women love me!” Blair thumped his chest.
“No, you love you. Note the difference,” Ryan said, standing with his legs braced, arms at his side. He looked calm, but she knew men; he wasn’t. He was deliberately baiting Blair now.
“Ryan.” Faith came round the bar. “Really, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” The Texas twang had gone.
“Problem?”
Great, Buster had returned. All it needed now was Noah and Tex, and all hell would break loose.
“No problem. I was just explaining to Blain that I didn’t want a photo with him and his buddies and pointing out that his disrespectful behavior toward Faith will not be tolerated.”
“My name’s Blair.”
“Oh, hell no,” Buster said, moving to stand beside Ryan. “No one disrespects one of ours.”
While those sentiments warmed her inside, she’d had plenty of experience with the men of her town protecting her and their women. She didn’t need it or want it in her bar.
“It’s not a problem. They’ve been drinking and are clueless how close to danger they currently are,” Faith said.
“He insulted you, Faith.” Ryan’s jaw was clenched. He and Buster wore identical expressions of hard-ass.
“Not insulted exactly,” Faith added quickly.
