Chapter 2
“Got it.” Rae gave a single nod to Mickey as he finished giving her instructions to start her shift. They stood behind the bar and she’d demonstrated she could make drinks well and handle his simple point of sale, POS, system.
“Go get ’em, young lady.” Mickey, a large, muscular man who looked like he was pushing sixty, moved away from the bar. “I’ve got to take care of some work. Jane will help you in the bar area if you have any questions or get overwhelmed. If all else fails, you can come and get me.”
“I’ll be fine.” She smiled at Mickey and hoped she was right. The last time she’d tended bar was close to ten years ago, when she worked part time at a small place in Coyote Lake City while working full time as an office manager for a realty company. Once she got her real estate license, she had quit working at the bar and concentrated on her new career.
“Like climbing back on a bicycle,” she told herself.
Rae faced the bar and smiled at the only patron sitting on one of the stools, a man who’d been introduced as Jim.
He gave her a nod and she moved closer to him. “What can I get you, Jim?”
Jim raised his beer bottle. “Gimme another.”
“Coming right up.” She reached into a cooler, grabbed a bottle, and used an opener to pop the cap before setting the bottle in front of him.
“When did you move to town?” Jim looked like he might be in his sixties, with skin tanned like leather from hours in the sun and crinkles around his eyes.
Rae shrugged. “A couple of weeks ago.” Before he could ask a follow-up question, she asked one of her own. “What do you do?”
“Ranchin’.” Jim shifted on his stool. “I’m foreman for Colt McLeod on the Bar M.”
“Is he related to Doc McLeod?” She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the sexy vet, no matter how hard she’d tried.
“Yes’m.” Jim tipped back his bottle and took a long swallow before thumping it back on the bar top. “You met Bear?”
Rae gave a little smile. “Earlier today. I took an injured dog to his practice.”
“He’s a good ranch vet,” Jim said emphatically. “Best there is. Good man, too.” Clearly, Jim thought highly of Bear.
Two couples walked through the doorway and headed for a table for four. Looked like business was picking up and it was about time for the evening to get going.
“Doc McLeod seemed nice,” Rae said, which was a complete understatement. He was a big, huggable, teddy bear. She’d never had the kind of reaction to a man like she’d had to Bear when she’d met him. He’d seemed friendly and approachable, and she’d frozen and tripped up all over herself like a silly schoolgirl. Maybe if she met him again, she’d get to know him better.
Damn it. She had no business thinking anything like that. She bit the inside of her cheek, using the pain to remind herself that her life was far too complicated right now to get involved with any man. What if things went badly, and she lost the case?
Her heart pounded in her throat. She didn’t want to think that way. She couldn’t imagine what would become of her.
Not that he’d be interested in her, anyway. He probably had a sweetheart, or even a wife. Maybe kids, too.
The thought was strangely depressing.
She sighed.
Jane came from the direction of the table for four, reached the bar, and leaned over it. “Two rum and cokes, an amaretto sour, and a Long Island iced tea.”
“Coming up,” Rae said. She smiled at Jim before turning and making the drinks. Those were simple enough. She just hoped she could handle anything more complicated. After all, it had been a long time since she’d tended bar.
Like getting back on a bicycle, she reminded herself.
The night grew increasingly busy, and the other bartender who was supposed to have come in was late. Between filling Jane’s orders from the surrounding tables, making drinks for patrons sitting on stools around the bar, and filling the waitress’s orders from the new grill part of the establishment, Rae didn’t know if she was coming or going. She had just given a pair of women margaritas on the rocks when she noticed two men climbing onto stools at the end of the bar.
Rae moved closer to them and almost tripped over her own feet when she saw that one of the men was Dr. Bear McLeod.
Next to him sat a man with amber eyes. He had light brown hair and looked enough like Bear that they had to be brothers.
Her cheeks warmed when Bear’s hazel eyes met hers and he smiled. She felt shy again, something that had never been a problem for her before. What was wrong with her?
“Hi, Doc.” She smiled and tried not to stare too long into his eyes.
His smile made her feel all wiggly and squishy inside. What was she now—a gummy bear?
“Howdy, Rae. I told you to call me Bear.” His rich tone was enough to make her shiver inside. “I told you we’d run into each other again.”
For the life of her, she couldn’t look away from him. “That you did, Bear.” Lord almighty he was so good looking.
“I’m Colt.” The other man’s voice cut into the connection between her and Bear. She forced herself to look at the other man, when she just wanted to focus on Bear.
Colt was grinning at her, with a look that said he’d seen exactly what she was thinking when she was staring at Bear. “Bear is my little brother.”
There was nothing little about Bear McLeod.
Her cheeks burned. She cleared her throat and held out her hand. “I’m Rae.”
He took it in a firm grip. “A pleasure to meet you, Rae.”
“Rae brought in an injured dog this afternoon.” Bear drew their attention. “Thanks to her, Arthur is doing just fine.”
“His name is Arthur?” Rae asked. “You found his family?”
“No on his family,” Bear said. “Marie, my tech, named him Arthur for the time being.”
“He looked like he’s probably a sweet dog.” She wanted to lose herself in Bear’s eyes.
“Bartender.” A whistle came from the other end of the bar.
She turned to the man and raised her hand in acknowledgment. She glanced back to Bear and Colt. “What will you two have?”
“Go on and take care of Bill Porter.” Bear nodded in the direction of the man who’d just called out to her. “We’ll order when you’ve got a moment.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at Bear and hurried to the other end of the bar.
The whole way she could feel Bear’s gaze on her. Or was it? What was going on with her that she wanted him to be watching her? Wasn’t it just this morning that she was wishing people would stop watching her when she went out in public?
Her face had been plastered all over the newspapers all the way to Phoenix, and she’d hoped King Creek would be small enough that no one would have heard about her and what had happened. And now she was hoping she had a man’s attention?
She reached the man Bear had referred to as Bill and she asked him for his drink order.
He looked her up and down in a way she did not appreciate—like he was imagining her naked. This time her cheeks burned for a different reason.
“You’re new here,” Bill said with a grin he’d clearly meant to be sexy, which turned her off entirely.
“Yep.” She answered him with the one-word to hopefully cut him short. “What can I get you?”
Bill leaned forward, his arms on the bar top, getting into her personal space. “What time do you get off work?”
Rae took a step back. “I’ve got a lot of people at this bar needing to order. What do you want?”
He didn’t seem put off in the least. “I see what I want right in front of me.”
“Then I guess you’re not thirsty.” She mustered up a polite smile. “I hear someone calling out for me. Let me know if you decide to order.”
She turned away and moved to a pair of women who’d climbed onto the stools a few down from Bill.
After she took their orders, she filled them, refusing to look in Bill’s direction. He didn’t call out or whistle again, so she assumed that he’d moved on. At least she hoped he had.
When she’d finished making drinks for the two women, she finally glanced in Bill’s direction. Not there. She blew out her breath. Good.
She returned to Bear and Colt. She felt off balance when she was near Bear, like she couldn’t steady herself around him. She made herself look at Colt first, then Bear. “Sorry it took me a bit to get back to you.”
“Just ignore Bill.” Bear appeared concerned and like he wanted to comfort her. “He shouldn’t be acting like that, but he’s harmless.”
“Bear’s right.” Colt chimed in. “Bill’s an ass at times, but that’s about as far as it goes with him.”
Rae smiled at both of them. “I’m used to it. You get that a lot as a female bartender.”
Bear looked uncomfortable. “No one should treat you or any other lady with anything but respect.”
“Thanks.” She wanted to put her hand over Bear’s to show her appreciation, and to feel the warmth and strength of him. Instead, she looked at Colt, too. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid someone else is going to need me, so what will you two have?”
Both men ordered domestic dark beers on tap as well as two orders of onion rings. “I’ll be right back with your drinks, and I’ll put your order in.” Rae turned away, regretfully not being able to sit there and talk with Bear and stare into his eyes.
For goodness sake, she had to stop this.
She put the order for the onion rings on a tray for Jane, then filled two ice-cold mugs from the freezer beneath the bar.
She handed Bear and Colt their beers, but before she had a moment to say anything else, Jane gave her another order. Jane picked up the food tab Rae had set in the tray and headed for the kitchen.
Rae moved from patron to patron, making drinks and taking bar food orders that she delivered as they arrived. Her feet were killing her, but more than anything, she was so aware of Bear that she had to work hard to focus on her job and not on him.
She had to get her head where it belonged and away from Bear McLeod.
“She’s got it for you bad,” Colt said to Bear as they watched Rae tend bar. “She keeps looking your way when she thinks you’re not looking.”
Bear shook his head. “A woman like that is not interested in a guy like me.”
“Hell, why not?” Colt blew out his breath. “You’re too damned shy for your own good.”
Bear shrugged. “I’m not as comfortable with women as you are.”
“You’re a McLeod.” Colt looked honestly puzzled. “None of us has a problem with talking to women but you. You must get it from Dad.”
Bear laughed. “If I’m being compared to Dad, I’ll take it as a compliment.”
Colt grinned. “Ordinarily, being compared to him is a good thing. In this case, remember that if Mom hadn’t asked Dad out, none of us would be here.”
“True.” Bear couldn’t help a smile. “Maybe I am a little too much like him in this regard.”
Colt slapped him on the shoulder. “There you go. Now get up some courage and ask her out, bro.”
Bear took a deep breath. Colt probably had it right. He just needed to ask Rae for her number, or maybe if she’d meet up with him at Heidi’s Coffee Shop. That shouldn’t be too hard, should it?
As busy as she was, he wondered if he’d ever have a chance to ask her.
Bear sat and worked up his courage to ask her as he watched her. She smiled at the men and women sitting at the bar as she took their orders and when she delivered them.
He wondered what it would be like to hold her in his arms. He’d bet she’d be soft and warm, a perfect fit.
“Bear.” Colt’s voice jerked his concentration away from Rae. When he faced Colt, his brother had a grin a mile wide. “If you don’t ask her out, I will. She’s awfully cute.”
The thought of Colt dating Rae made Bear’s gut clench. The last thing on earth he wanted to do was watch his brother with Rae.
“Keep your hands to yourself,” he found himself saying to Colt. “I’ll ask her when she’s got time.”
Colt picked up his beer. “You’d better. She’s too sexy to let slip away.”
Bear tried not to frown. It wasn’t like him to be jealous of anyone, and that included his brothers. But when it came to Rae, he had a real hard time keeping his emotions in check.
What was it about her?
She was beautiful, that much was for certain. It was clear she had a big heart, too—she’d brought the dog to him when she’d helped Maude earlier today. He’d seen it in her eyes, just how relieved she was that Arthur would be okay. You couldn’t fake that kind of caring.
He’d always had a good read on people, which was one reason why he kept his distance from some women. He didn’t mean to be judgmental, but he always got a feeling that staying away from certain people was the right decision for him.
Of course, Jennifer Mayfair had been the exception to that rule. He’d read her all wrong. She’d asked him out on a date, and they’d started seeing each other regularly. She was a brunette with an English accent, which had seemed sexy at the time. He’d thought things had been going well for the three months they’d been dating.
Until he caught her having sex with another man.
Bear stared at his beer, tapping on the glass with his thumbnail. He’d left his wallet at her house, and when he went to pick it up the next day, her front door had been wide open. He’d called to her, but no answer. That fact had given him some cause for concern. Had she hurt herself? What if she needed help?
He’d heard something from the direction of her bedroom and had walked down the long hallway to her open bedroom door.
When he saw her on the bed, another man between her thighs, he’d gone cold. She’d seen him and her eyes had widened, and she’d looked frantic, like she knew she’d made a huge mistake.
He’d just turned around and left, a cold, cold feeling in his gut.
That had been around four months ago or so, and thoughts of it still made him sick. Jennifer had begged and pleaded for him to take her back, but he’d continually put her off until she finally got the message.
Bear had an easy nature, but he’d only let someone cross him once. After that, he’d be polite, but that was as far as it would go. He might be what his brothers called a softy, but he wasn’t a fool.
A nudge to his ribs had him cutting his gaze to Colt. “What’s up, little brother?”
Bear shrugged and took the focus away from himself by asking, “How’s Alice?”
Colt groaned. “Hell if I know. One day she was all over me and the next she didn’t return my call and I haven’t seen her around.” He shook his head. “I’m not going to chase her down, so if I hear from her, I hear from her.”
Bear gave a slow nod. He’d never had a good feeling about Alice, but he hadn’t said anything to Colt. That wasn’t his place. All he could do was hope he was wrong and hope for the best for his brother.
Rae approached them and Bear straightened on his stool. Colt jabbed him in the ribs again with his elbow, a clear indication that now was the time to make his move.
Bear smiled at Rae. “You’re keeping mighty busy.”
Rae pushed a strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail away from her face. “It’s slowing down a little. But I shouldn’t jinx myself like that.”
He looked around the bar. He hadn’t noticed the crowd had thinned. How late was it? He glanced at his watch, surprised to see it was after ten.
“It’s about time for the late rush,” Bear said. “Do you have anyone to relieve you?”
Rae nodded. “Patty just got here, so after I take care of you two, I’m going on break.”
Patty had been with Mickey since the man had opened the place, some twenty years or so earlier. Bear had been just a kid.
Colt elbowed him again and he shot his gaze to his brother. Colt mouthed, “Ask her.”
Heat flushed over him as he looked back at Rae. “It’s hot in here and I could use some fresh air. Mind if I join you on your break?”
Rae hesitated, then smiled. “Sure, Bear.” She glanced at the neon Budweiser clock above the bar. “Five minutes from now should do it.”
“I’ll be ready, Rae,” Bear said.
She looked at Colt, then Bear. “Need another cold one?”
Colt shook his head and raised his glass. “Still sucking this one down.”
“I’m good,” Bear said.
“Hold on, Bear, and I’ll see if Patty can cover for me now.” She smiled and turned away.
Damn, but he liked the way she said his name.
“Good job.” Colt slapped his shoulder. “Fast thinking on your feet.”
Bear rubbed his ribs. “With a little reminder.”
Colt laughed. “Any time.”
Five minutes later, Rae waved to him and he left his stool to join her at the far end of the bar. She seemed so shy and sweet as he looked down at her. He hadn’t realized just how petite she was until that moment. He must have been too focused on her face back at the clinic.
“Come on.” She inclined her head toward the kitchen. “We can go out back.”
He walked at her side, keeping his strides short so she could keep up with him.
Rae and Bear headed through the kitchen where Manny was cooking up pretty good bar food. They continued to the back door. He pushed it open and held the door until Rae had walked through.
Outside was cooler. The desert usually cooled down significantly at night, enough that it was a relief after a hot day.
Bear shoved his hands in his front pockets as he stood beside Rae, and she bit her lower lip before meeting his gaze. “It’s been a heck of a busy first day.”
Bear smiled. “I didn’t know it was your first day working for Mickey.”
She nodded. “I was late because of Arthur, but thankfully Mickey was understanding and let me miss the first part of my shift.”
“He’s a good man,” Bear said. “I see his dog, Hamburger, at my clinic.”
“Hamburger?” Rae laughed. “That’s his dog’s name?”
Bear grinned. “Hammy is a rescue—a teenager at the adoption center had started calling him by that name. It stuck and Mickey figured Hamburger was as good a name as any.”
“I like Mickey.” A light breeze teased the loose hair that had fallen from her ponytail. “I could tell he would be a good person to work for.”
“Where did you come from?” Bear asked.
Rae’s expression shifted. Only slightly, but it made him wonder why.
“Coyote Lake City.” Her throat visibly worked as she swallowed. “I needed a new start and I decided a small town would be a better fit for me. Marlee has been bugging me to move in with her forever.”
It seemed like there might be more behind what she’d told him, but he’d wait ’til he got to know her better—at least he hoped he would.
Before he could ask her another question, she said, “What about you?” She tipped her head to the side. “What’s your story?”
He shrugged. “Born and raised around here. I’ve got a big family and we’re all over this valley.”
It was now or never. He cleared his throat. “I was wondering if you’d like to meet me for coffee at Heidi’s tomorrow. Say, maybe ten in the morning?”
Rae smiled. “I’d love to.” Her expression shifted and he had the impression she wanted to take back her acceptance. But then she blew out her breath and straightened her shoulders. “I need to do laundry in the morning, so ten is good with me.”
What was it he kept seeing in her eyes? Something like a haunted look. Had he been reading her all wrong and she wasn’t who he’d thought she was? He mentally shook his head. No, he was certain he knew the kind of woman she was.
She was running from something, though, and he’d find out what it was sooner or later.
Their gazes connected in a way that seemed to lock them into place. He couldn’t move. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to make her feel like everything in the world was good and whole.
The door opened behind them and they lost the connection they’d just shared. Jane came through the doorway and she held open the door. “I need a break, Rae. Can you fill in for Patty so she can cover me?”
“Sure.” Rae nodded. “I’ll take care of it now.”
Jane just seemed to notice Bear. “Hey, Doc.”
“Hi, Jane,” he replied with a nod.
Rae cast a smile at him, and he followed her back into the kitchen and then the bar. He joined Colt while Rae took her place behind the bar.
“You ask her out?” Colt asked the moment Bear slid onto his stool.
Bear gave a nod. “Coffee at Heidi’s tomorrow morning.”
“It’s not dinner and dancing, but it’s a good start.” Colt folded his arms and leaned forward on the bar. “You’re scoring better than me tonight.”
Bear picked up his drink. “What went on while I was gone?”
Colt shook his head and laughed. “Alice came in. She’s with some out-of-towner. You can tell by the way he dresses that he’s not from around here. City slicker if I ever saw one.”
Bear looked around the bar. After a moment, he spotted Alice with a guy that definitely did not look like he was from King Creek. Polo shirt, slacks, loafers, and a big gold watch. Yeah, definitely not from around here.
“You’re better off without her.” Bear turned to Colt and said what he’d told himself he wouldn’t say. “I never had a good feeling about Alice. There are a lot of great women out there, and you deserve someone who’ll be good to you.”
Colt studied him for a long moment. “You’re right.” He sighed. “One day I’ll meet her. Not giving up until I do.”
Bear turned his attention back to Rae just as she placed three fruity drinks in front of a trio of women.
She glanced at him and smiled before moving to the next patron at the bar.
Bear took another swig of his beer. He was more than looking forward to tomorrow.