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“A beer, thanks.”
“Bailey Trainer, and this is my husband, Joe, and you’ve met Piper.”
Piper watched Bailey get off her barstool and greet the man. He took her hand and shook it gently. Everyone was gentle with Bailey. There was just something about her that made a person want to be nice.
“Dylan Howard, and I think it’s me that owes you a drink, Joe.”
Piper switched her gaze to her cousin. Incredulity was written all over his face as he returned with the beer.
“Dylan... Jay? Jesus!”
“You always had trouble deciding what to call me,” the stranger said. “How about we settle on Dylan?”
Joe rounded the bar and shook the man’s hand, then went in for a man hug, which included a chest bounce. Dylan Howard wasn’t comfortable with the closeness, Piper saw that in the stiffness of his body, but he handled it, then stepped back as soon as it was polite to do so.
“Dylan then. Hell, what’s it been?”
“Sixteen years,” the man said. “And I never did give you that apology.”
Joe waved his words away. “We were both to blame, bud, no point in going back there. Tell me what you’re doing now? I haven’t heard a thing about you since you left. Ava’s been back in town a while but she hasn’t mentioned you, and I haven’t seen Charlie since she left either.”
“I’m an FBI profiler.”
Joe whistled. “Must be a hell of a job.”
“It can be, but I like it.”
“I’m sure it suits his winning personality,” Piper said before she could stop herself. She wasn’t normally bitchy, but she felt like it around this man.
“Perfectly,” he said, picking up his beer. Contained, Piper thought. Emotionless too. She’d never been able to manage either of those.
“So, you found my cousin broken down on your way home. Have to say I’m glad it was you,” Joe said, “and not some stranger, who could be a—”
“Ax murderer, or escaped convict on the run and desperate,” Piper finished for him. She’d heard this story many times before.
“Well, excuse me for caring.”
“Actually we met before that, in a diner in Bolt,” Dylan said.
“He wowed me with his winning personality.”
“Yeah? You still got that going on, bud?”
The left side of Dylan Howard’s mouth kicked up, but it was the only sign he was amused.
“I remember just getting a smile out of you took work.”
“You weren’t much better.”
Joe leaned on the bar, his eyes suddenly distant.
“No, you got me there, we were both pretty messed up. Good those days are behind us.”
If she hadn’t been watching Dylan, she wouldn’t have seen his jaw clench and release, but she did.
“Nice place, you own it?” he asked Joe. His eyes did a slow survey of Apple Sours
“I do.” Joe smiled, pride in his face.
