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“Lara!”
She glanced at Devon as he rushed over to them.
“Yes?”
“You were amazing up there.”
“She’s still taken,” Tanner growled.
“That’s not what I want to talk to her about. Lara, how would you like a job?”
“Pouring drinks?”
“No, I had something else in mind.”
“This is probably a bad idea,” Alec warned as they drove into the parking lot of Dirty Delights. “You know they’re safe. Tanner is with them. They’ll be annoyed that we came to get them.”
“For someone who doesn’t think this is a good idea, you jumped in the truck pretty quickly.”
“I was about thirty seconds away from suggesting it myself,” Alec admitted as they got out and strode toward the entrance. “They’ve had long enough. Time to come home.”
Damn straight.
He’d spent most of the night pacing and texting Tanner.
He was going to spank her until she couldn’t sit for a week. He was going to tie her to his bed and never let her leave. He was going to . . . well, he didn’t know what, but he’d think of something. Didn’t she realize he hated her being out of his sight? At least if she was at the ranch, he knew she was safe.
As soon as he entered, he saw her up on the stage. She was crooning into the microphone.
Fuck. She sang like an angel.
He knew that singing was her happy place. And that she hadn’t done much singing or composing since Axel dumped her.
God, she was gorgeous.
“Damn, she’s good. Really good,” Alec said, staring up at her in awe.
The song ended, and everyone in the bar broke into applause. She startled as though she had forgotten they were all there. And then she walked down the stairs, nearly stumbling.
How much alcohol had she had to drink?
He started rushing toward her, but Tanner got to her first with Mia. Just as he reached them, Devon approached.
“Lara! You were amazing up there.”
“She’s still taken,” Tanner growled.
“That’s not what I want to talk to her about. Lara, how would you like a job?”
“Pouring drinks?”
“No, I had something else in mind. How would you like to regularly sing here? Maybe every Saturday night?”
“I would like that a lot.”
“Good. We can work out the details when you’re more sober.”
“Okie-dokie, lemon spokie.”
He had to grin. Devon turned, spotting him. “Butch.”
“Devon.”
Lara spun, nearly falling over again. Leaping forward, he caught her, holding her against him.
“Butchie-baby!” she cried.
Tanner and Alec sent him looks. Then Tanner grinned as she wrapped herself around him.
“Butchie-baby, huh?” Tanner asked.
He pointed at his younger brother. “Don’t even think about it.”
“What? There’s got to be some payoff for spending the night listening to these two talk about how wonderful you both are.”
Really?
“And what idiots you are.”
Right. That sounded more likely.
Mia giggled as Alec pulled her close. “I love you, Alec.”
“Love you too, kitten. But you’re also going to have to make this up to me. I’ve been worried about you all night.”
“Sorry, Sir,” she replied, snuggling into him.
Butch turned to his girl, who was smiling up at him, clearly off her face.
“Guess what, Butchie-baby?”
“What, pretty girl?”
“I got a job! I have a gig. I start Saturday night! Isn’t that great?”
He ran a finger down her cheek. “It’s fantastic.”
“It is?” she asked.
“Yeah, baby. It really is.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“No. I’m sorry for how bossy I got before. I just didn’t want you to take any old job. I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy. I love it here with you. And the others. But I also love to sing. I want to do this.”
“Then that’s what you’ll do.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll just need to make sure I’m always free to be with you when you’re singing.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet. Isn’t he sweet, Mia?” she asked.
“Sickly.” Mia grinned at him.
“He’s giving me toothache,” Tanner added.
He shot his brother a look.
“Right. Time to go home.”
“Home? Why would we go home? We should dance!” She attempted to spin around and nearly tripped up over her own feet.
Definitely time to go. “No dancing. Sleep time.” Picking her up, he threw her over his shoulder.
“Uh, Butch, that might not be the best idea,” Tanner said as they made their way through the room. “She’s had a lot to drink.”
She was wiggling around and he landed a hand on her ass. “Stay still, baby girl.”
“Put me down!”
“Nope.” He rethought that. “Unless you’re going to puke. Are you?”
“That’s a situation that needs to be closely monitored,” she said back.
He grinned and stepped back as Tanner opened the door. Mia and Alec were behind them. He went to walk through when he saw a woman standing on the other side. He moved to the side to let her through.
An odd note struck him. As though he knew her. But he shook that off.
She walked into the bar, staring up at him strangely as she stopped in front of him. That was when recognition him.
