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She nodded.
“Everyone’s been talking about you since last night. A famous person in Ryker is big news.”
“We get famous people, Pip, all the time.”
The girl braced a hand on a trim hip while she thought about that. Everything about her said strong to Bailey’s mind. Her clothes were bright, her lipstick red, and she had a confidence that Bailey envied. She’d been late to find her backbone, but it was there now, and she wasn’t going back to being submissive anytime soon... if ever.
“Sure, but they never perform. They’re usually up at the lodge holidaying. Any chance you could play tonight? I’ve got a hot date, and we’re coming to A.S.”
“Who is this hot date?” Joe was frowning at his cousin now, but she waved his words away with a flick of long fingers.
“I’m coming over for a free meal.”
“Why don’t you pay like everyone else?” Joe said.
“Family don’t pay?”
Bailey ate as they argued, intrigued that they did so openly. She’d been raised in a family that kept everything behind closed doors. To see Joe this way made her happy for him. He’d changed, and whatever path his life had taken after she left, it had directed him to the man he was today. Confident, happy, and from what she gathered, successful. Of course, she also knew how to put up a facade, so maybe he was hiding things like she was.
“Are you taking a break from performing because of your hand?”
She choked on the mouthful of donut. He pressed his palm into her back, and started rubbing circles between her shoulder blades while she coughed and spluttered.
“Here, drink this.”
She took the water Piper handed her before leaving to serve another customer, and gulped it down.
“Better?”
“S-sorry,” Bailey said, mortified. At least she hadn’t spat it everywhere.
“Those donuts really need to be savored,” Joe drawled.
“I—ah, need to go.”
“You got somewhere to be?”
“No... yes, I need to get back to Maggs. We, ah, have a thing today.”
“A thing, that sounds intriguing. I love a good thing.”
His face was right there as she turned. Lovely forest green eyes focused on her. This close, she saw a hint of brown in the green. She inhaled a deep breath of air and Joe. It was kind of spicy, with a hint of strawberries.
“Yes, she’s taking me around the town. Showing me changes.”
Bailey sniffed the air again; surely she’d got that wrong, as he didn’t seem the type to go for strawberry scent.
“Are you sniffing me?”
“What? No!” Bailey shook her head, horrified, but Joe laughed.
“It’s my shampoo. I thought I was getting just the plain no-scent type that any man would want to use; instead I looked closer at the label, and it has strawberry extracts.” His nose wrinkled. “Why the hell anyone would want to wash their hair in fruit is beyond me, but there’s no accounting for taste.”
She wouldn’t smile.
“That looks good on you.”
“What?”
