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I loved the Tap Room always, but especially when they had a live band. The guys up on the small stage weren’t famous or anything—nowhere near, actually—but they sure knew what they were doing. They called themselves the Makin Hardware Store Guys. What the name lacked, they made up for with sheer talent.
There were countless nights since I first arrived in Hope Valley that my friends and I had burned up the dance floor as these guys played, and tonight was one of many.
I was hanging out with Hardin, Layla, Eden, Danika, and my hairdresser extraordinaire, Nona. Another friend of ours, Rory, owned the bar, so we were visiting with her as she worked the bar between dancing and drinking—well, drinking for the rest of the girls. I didn’t want to risk getting sick again, so I was sticking with sparkling water with lime.
By the time the band took their first break, I felt great. The stress and anxiety of the past several days drifted away. There was nothing but the here and now. Me, my friends, good music, and fun.
The dance floor started clearing and the girls and I headed back toward our table, but before we could get there, a crowd gathered in front of us, blocking our path. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but the noise in the bar raised a few decibels, the air growing electric with excitement.
I rose up on the tiptoes, trying to see around everyone. “What’s going on?”
Layla worked her way through the throng, creating a path to our table for the rest of us to get through. “No idea, but whatever it is sure has everyone riled up.”
Finally the crowd parted the rest of the way to our table, but before we reached it, Layla jerked to an abrupt stop so fast I walked right into her back, nearly sending us both to the ground.
“What the he—?” The words dried up in my mouth when I spotted the person sitting at our table, the cause of the sudden commotion.
Roan smiled big and bright, those straight white teeth showcased by the dark stubble lining his jaw and that damn, damn,damndimple.
“Well, hey there, Freckles. Fancy meeting you here.”
Fancy my ass.
19
ROAN
The Tap Room was cool as hell. Well, what I could see of it anyway, through the massive group of people gathering around me the moment Linc and I pushed through the door.
Turned out there was one place in this town where people cared about who I was and what I did for a living, and it was here. I’d been stopped to sign more bar napkins and pose for more selfies in the past five minutes than I had since my arrival in Hope Valley. I’d given up worrying about word getting out where I was. I needed to put all my energy and focus into winning Alma back, and I couldn’t do that if I was busy worrying about being found out.
I went with the flow and trusted the people of this town. So far, they’d proven themselves pretty damn trustworthy.
We made it to the table easy enough since the gathering crowd parted like the Red Sea for Linc, but given the man’s size, it made sense. The band was finishing their song, and from what I heard, they were pretty damn good. Alma was on the dance floor with some of her girls with a few more of them hanging at the table we were heading toward. When they spotted us, there was a mix of trepidation, curiosity, and humor on their faces.
I grinned and tipped my head. “Ladies. You’re all looking lovely this evening.”
One of the women at the table burst out laughing. “Oh, this is going to be fun!” I had a feeling I knew what she was talking about, and with the mood I was in, I had to agree.
The woman I recognized as Lincoln’s wife, Eden, shot her husband a killing look. “Have you lost your mind?” the pint-sized woman snapped at her husband.
I took one of the empty chairs as he rounded the table to get closer to his woman and leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, darlin’. I was just missin’ you, that’s all, so I came down with a buddy to hang out.”
His particular brand of bullshit wasn’t working on her. “Uh-huh. You’re so sleeping on the couch tonight. And who’s with Naomi?”
He sat down beside her and yanked her chair closer to his before stealing the beer sitting on the table in front of her and drinking it down. “She’s at home alone, playing with old rusty beer cans and broken glass.” Her expression screamed murder. “Relax, sweetheart. Rox and her old man offered to babysit. She’s with them.”
That seemed to placate her, and she relaxed against her husband’s side before turning to look at me. “Sorry for being rude,” she said with a smile that made me understand why a man like Linc would fall ass over end for her.
“It’s okay. Believe me, I get it.”
“Well, I’m Eden. This is Hardin.” She pointed to the woman who’d laughed just a second ago. “And this is our friend, Nona,” she introduced, pointing to a stunning redhead at the end of the table.
I tipped my chin. “Nice to meet you. I’m—”
Hardin cut me off with another laugh. “Oh, we already know who you are. And it has nothing to do with being a fan.”
I didn’t imagine it did. I was starting to understand that small town living was very different from what I was used to. Earlier at lunch, a few people had taken it upon themselves to stop at our table and give me a piece of their minds. Everything from threats to do right by Alma to suggestions for how to win her back. Some were helpful, some were ridiculous, and some of the threats were downright scary.
