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Of course, I have no clue how to help her. I don’t have that type of money. Nowhere close to it.
My mom said that Randy is going to stall for time to get the money, but even so, she doubted he’d be able to buy more than thirty days, if they were lucky.
I could sell the bar, although I’m not sure its value would net much more than what my mom needed. It’s a cash business, and it makes enough to pay me a decent salary and fund a modest retirement account. Past that, it’s not worth much, and am I really willing to sell away my livelihood to dig my mom out of trouble?
If her life was on the line, yeah… I’d have to do it. I’m not about to let her get hurt or killed because of her bad choices. So, I guess I do have at least one option that will fix the problem.
CHAPTER 6
Hendrix
“You sure about this place?” Bain asks as we step inside Jerry’s Bar. The music is loud, and it’s filled with bikers, biker chicks, grizzled old men who look like they might have seen a war or two, and a handful of nefarious-looking individuals.
“Totally sure,” I assure him, immediately feeling comfortable because wouldn’t you know it, “Edge of Seventeen” is blaring on the jukebox.
Camden pushes past both of us and heads straight for the bar. It’s not crowded tonight, at least not the way it was three nights ago for the toy drive. My gaze immediately lands on Stevie, pouring a draft beer from a tap while talking animatedly to a guy sitting opposite her. He’s huge, arm muscles rippling under a black T-shirt with a leather biker vest. She slides the beer his way, and he hands her money.
Stevie doesn’t put it in the register right away, but instead rests her forearms on the bar and leans closer to the man as they talk.
I take a moment to note she’s dressed pretty much the same way she was the night of the charity drive. As she leans on the bar, my eyes narrow in not on her cleavage but on the biker’s gaze that drops there.
I hate the burning in my gut, but I know it comes with her job. The only thing that calms me a little is that the biker pushes some more money her way, which Stevie puts in a tip jar, then offers her fist to his, which he bumps in a friendly manner.
“Come on,” I say to Bain, who hasn’t moved from my side. We head toward Camden sitting at the end of the bar with one empty stool beside him.
I plop down on it, and Bain moves to the other side of Camden where there’s room to stand on the corner. Another bartender approaches us, a pretty blond I remember from the other night.
She recognizes me, and while Bain and Camden weren’t here that night, she must be a hockey fan because I can tell she recognizes them too.
“Great game tonight,” she chirps as she sets down three coasters before us. “First round is on me.”
Camden pulls out his wallet. “Actually… I’ll buy everyone in here a round.”
We give our orders, Camden hands over a credit card, and before the bartender can walk away, I say, “Do you mind nudging your boss and sending her down this way?”
“Sure thing,” she replies with a smile.
I watch as she walks over to Stevie who’s at a sink washing mugs. She bumps her with her hip and says something, and Stevie’s head whips my way, eyes round with surprise.
She smiles, lifts a soapy finger to indicate she needs a minute, and I wink back at her.
I didn’t know how she’d take me showing up. She wouldn’t go out with me tonight, which included a ticket to the game and a late dinner, as she didn’t want to take two nights off in a row. We’ve got plans to go out tomorrow, my last availability for several days as we’ve got back-to-back games in Nashville.
“Is that her?” Bain asks from the other side of Camden.
“Yeah,” I reply without taking my eyes off Stevie. I’d told Camden and Bain straight up that I was coming here tonight after the game (rather than Mario’s) to see a girl. I gave them the quick lowdown on how we met—they’d already heard through the grapevine Tracy and I had broken up—and I invited them along as I didn’t want to seem like the creeper dude just sitting here drinking beers and staring at the girl who’s been occupying my thoughts the last few days.
It’s safe to say that our first date went great.
Better than great. I’d actually go out on a limb and say it was my best first date ever, even right up to the moment Stevie’s dad interrupted my attempt at a good-night kiss. I thought it was hilarious, and the way Stevie grinned while her dad scowled told me all I needed to know about her.
