Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
C ashea felt Draven’s eyes on her the entire night. After she’d served him his food, he hadn’t said another word to her. She kept his beer filled and all she got was a muttered word of gratitude, but that was it.
“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” Danny asked.
Clay must not have shared with him that she’d had experience as a server. She grinned and leaned her hip against the counter.
“Only in college and high school,” she teased.
He shook his head and grabbed the bucket of soapy water from the sink and handed it to her. He tossed a cloth in it for her .
“You could have just told me that when you first got here and I wouldn’t have been hovering so much.” His eyes crinkled in the corners.
“And rob you of the chance to share all of your little tidbits of wisdom?” she joked. She backed away from him with a laugh. For her first night, she’d actually had fun. The tips were good, and by the looks of what she’d made already, she would reach her goal in no time. Maybe after Tess got back she’d ask if she could come in once in a while to help out. She was sure they would still need the staff.
Cashea went over to where a few vacant seats were at the bar. She tried her best to ignore Draven. He seemed to be doing a great job of acting as if she didn’t exist. She blew out a deep breath and went to work wiping the counters down for the next person who may want to snag a seat. She moved down to the empty spot next to Draven. She didn’t miss the way he tensed slightly as she came close to him.
“Everything all right?” she asked.
He had finished the last beer she’d given him. He’d had plenty, and she wondered if he would be good to drive home. He’d been there for hours, not saying much to the people around him. Just focused on the game and the beer .
“Yeah,” he grunted. His gaze remained on the television.
Cashea honestly didn’t know how to feel. Their night together must not have meant much to him. Here she was, racking her brains on what she could say to him, and he’d barely glanced her way. Which was saying a lot since she usually wasn’t rendered speechless by many. Her nerves were getting the best of her. Should she bring up the other night? Hell, offer him another one? She would be down. His blue-eyed gaze landed on her, and the fluttering in her stomach increased.
Lord, was she in trouble.
“Want another one?” She jerked her chin toward his empty glass.
“I better not.” He shook his head.
Her breath caught in her throat as his gaze slid down her. She clamped her legs together while he took in his fill. What the hell was this man thinking? His face was devoid of any expression at the moment.
His eyes locked back with hers. “How are you getting home?”
She blinked, not expecting him to ask that question. She had planned to try to catch an Uber or Lyft. It shouldn’t be as bad on a weekday as it was on the weekend. If not, Sara had offered to come and get her.
“Um, I was going to see about an Uber or something,” she said. She finished wiping off the counter and dropped the cloth into the bucket. Tonight was her night to be behind the counter. According to Danny, tomorrow he’d have her hitting the tables and walking around serving. She didn’t mind doing either. Her skills had been a little rusty, but it was like riding a bike. After the first two customers, everything had started coming back to her.
Draven stared at her for a moment before speaking.
“When do you get off?” he asked.
She glanced down at her watch. Her eyes widened slightly. She hadn’t realized the hours had flown by. It was almost time for her to go home. The bar had been busy for a weekday. Plenty of people coming through for a bite to eat and a drink. Whatever game had been on had also drawn the crowd. There had been lots of yelling and screaming for the two teams. Cashea and Danny had their hands full meeting the demands of the customers.
“In about twenty minutes.”
“I’ll take you home.” It wasn’t a question but a statement .
Cashea nodded. Something in his eyes hinted that she shouldn’t argue with him.
“Thanks,” she said. She wasn’t going to read much into his offer. He may be a gruff guy who didn’t say much, but he was a softy. He didn’t have to ask her about her ride situation. Hell, he didn’t even have to get involved with the Brett situation but he had. “Want to settle your bill now?”
He jerked his head in a nod and turned his attention back to the television. Another game was on. The last game had finally gone off, and from the sound of the cheers, the right team won. Cashea moved over to the sink and dumped the water out. She rinsed out the bucket and cloth then put them away. She wiped her hands off and went over to the register to get Draven’s receipt.
“Need any help?” Danny asked. He came to stand by her and reached for a bottle of whiskey on the glass shelf near her.
“Draven’s ready to cash out,” she said. She wanted to try to do it herself first. She hit a few buttons on the screen and successfully accomplished what she needed to do.
“Look at you. Fast learner. It took me about a week to get used to this dang computer. Almost threw it out the window, but Clay wouldn’t let me.” Danny chuckled. He patted her on the shoulder before heading to a customer.
She took the receipt over to Draven and slid it to him. He pulled his wallet from his jeans pocket and took out a few bills and handed them to her.
“Draven, that’s too much,” she sputtered. She glanced back down at his receipt, thinking she had given him the wrong one, but it was the correct one. He’d given her an extra two hundred dollars.
“Keep the change.”
“I can’t accept this.” She shook her head and slid the crisp hundred-dollar bills back to him. She didn’t need his pity or him feeling bad for her. She was a big girl and she would take care of herself. She’d been doing it for a long time and she would be all right.
“You can and you will.”
The deep timber of his voice sent chills down her spine. His large callused hand covered hers and pushed the money back to her. She inhaled sharply at the feeling of his skin on hers. She almost whimpered, remembering how it had felt to have his palms running along her naked skin. Their eyes met, and Cashea was thrust back to that night. She bit her lip, trying to shove away all thoughts of him braced over her. Those eyes had definitely captivated her back then, just as they were today.
“The customer determines the tip. Now take it and keep whatever change there is with it.”
Cashea hesitated one last time. He squeezed her slightly before releasing her. He slid his wallet back into his back jeans pocket. He reached for his hat that had been sitting in the other vacant seat by him. He plopped it on his head and tilted it back slightly. She slowly slid the money across the counter and went over to finish his transaction. She slipped the tip inside her apron with the rest of her money.
“I shouldn’t be long,” she announced, spinning around at the sound of a patron trying to get her attention. The last part of her shift flew by. Before she knew it, it was time for her to go. The bar had died down, and besides Draven, there were only a few customers lingering. She walked over to Danny with a small smile on her lips. “So, how did I do?”
He barked a laugh and slapped his leg. “Girl, it was like you’ve been working here for years. You will blend right on in.”
She beamed at the compliment. The Hen House was a great place to come. That’s why she loved performing there as well. She glanced around and didn’t even see many people throughout the place. A few of the servers were slowly cleaning off tables and getting the place ready for closing.
“You sure you’ll be okay if I go now?” she asked. She wasn’t sure why, but suddenly she was dragging her feet. Her gaze drifted over to Draven who was still engrossed in the television.
“Of course. How are you getting home? I saw you walked here. It’s too late for a pretty girl like you to be walking out there in those streets.” A worried expression came over his face. Danny always looked out for everyone at the Hen House. It didn’t matter if it was performers who came in to the bar or employees. He always ensured everyone was felt safe.
“Um, Draven is going to take me,” she said.
He peered down at Draven and narrowed his eyes on him. He gave a small shake of his head.
“I’m not sure he should be driving,” he muttered. He pushed off where he was leaning against the counter and strolled over to Draven. He stood in front of him where he blocked the television.
Cashea followed behind him. Had she missed something? He appeared to be all right to her .
“You sure you’re up for getting behind the wheel?” Danny asked him.
“What are you talking about, Danny?” Draven sat back and folded his arms. He pulled down his hat.
“You know I can’t let you onto the road if you are inebriated.” Danny rested his hands on the counter.
“I’m fine. There is nothing to worry about.” Draven eased back from the bar and stood to his full height.
Cashea bit her lip as she watched him sway slightly. Fuck. He couldn’t drive. He sniffed and righted himself. He lifted his hat and ran his fingers through his hair, replacing it back on his head. Danny wasn’t buying his act.
“Nope. Give me your keys. I’ll call Ridge and tell him to?—”
“What if I drive him home?” Cashea blurted out. She blinked, unsure where the idea had come from. She jogged around the counter and came to stand beside Draven. She inhaled sharply at the reminder of how much bigger he was than her. She tilted her head back and met his gaze. “I mean, if you are okay with that. Or do you want him to call Ridge?” She didn’t know who the hell Ridge was, but maybe he would prefer him over her driving.
“I’m okay with that as long as he ain’t behind the wheel,” Danny said.
He and Draven fell into a staring contest, but soon it was Draven who broke.
“She can drive,” Draven growled. He reached into his jeans pocket and took out his keys. He passed them to Cashea. She took them from him and held them up so that Danny could see.
“Let me get my bag and clock out.” She spun on her heel and hightailed it to the break room, not wanting Draven to change his mind. She flew into the room and went over to her locker. She opened it and pulled out her bag. It was heavy from her work clothes, shoes, and purse she had stuffed in it. She hefted the strap over her shoulder and slammed the door shut. She paused and blew out a deep breath. This didn’t mean anything. Her driving him home was helping him out. Maybe she could leave his truck there and then find a way home.
Cashea went over to the time clock by the door and punched out. She left the break room and headed back to the bar. Her heart raced as she walked back through the bar. She didn’t see him by the bar any longer. Had he not heeded Danny’s warning and left without her? Then she remembered she had his keys. He was near the front door speaking with Tim.
“I’m ready if you are,” she announced, arriving at his side.
“You got your car back?” Tim asked.
Cashea shook her head. She had hoped to have her truck back, but according to Hal, she needed something that rotated behind the wheels, and it would be a couple of days before he’d have the ones in he needed.
“I wish,” she muttered with a deep sigh.
“She’s driving my truck. Danny apparently thinks I’m not good enough to drive.” Draven shook his head. A scowl was embedded on his face. He obviously wasn’t happy with the situation.
Maybe she should have just let Danny call whoever Ridge was.
Draven moved over to the door and pushed it open. “Let’s go.”
“See you tomorrow.” Cashea tossed Tim a small smile before she ducked out the door with Draven following behind her.
Cashea kept her hands on the ten and the two. She was a little nervous driving Draven’s truck. He hadn’t said much but to give her directions to his place. Her heart was pounding. She had never driven a truck this size. Her small SUV was perfect for her. Draven’s pickup was an oversized cab and was massive. She would normally make a joke about a person driving a truck this size, but it fit Draven. He needed something this size.
They rode in silence while soft music played from the radio. He may not speak much, but she’d be damned if she would ride in a car in complete silence. Only weird people did that.
Or serial killers.
Or someone plotting someone else’s demise.
Cashea bit back a chuckle. This is why she couldn’t ride with no music or conversation. There was no telling where her thoughts would go.
She glanced over at him, but she couldn’t see his eyes. He had his hat pulled down low. She didn’t even know how he was able to give her directions without paying attention to the road. She had already decided that once she got him safely home, she would call someone. If Sara didn’t answer, she was sure Monica wouldn’t mind coming to get her.
“Who’s Ridge?” she asked to break the silence .
She wasn’t even sure if he was awake. His chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm. For a moment he didn’t respond. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. Maybe he was sleep. Or maybe he was sitting there regretting that she was driving him home.
“My brother.”
Cashea jumped at the sound of his voice. She glanced over and watched him take his hat off. He tossed it in the backseat then ran his fingers through his hair. She turned back to the road before she did something drastic like pull over and hop into his lap.
“Who’s older? Do you have other siblings?” She winced. Way to go, girl. Now he’s definitely going to think you are the weirdo.
But she wanted to know more about him. Was that so wrong? Hell, she had already slept with the guy. She knew his name, he was retired military and he was a cowboy. It wouldn’t kill her to at least know a little something about him.
“I’m the eldest, and it’s just us two.”
And they were back into the silence. He really was a man of few words. The turn Draven had mentioned was coming up. She slowed the truck down and guided it onto the new road. A few minutes later, a sign that spanned over the road welcomed them to the Silver Creek Ranch. They came to a fork in the road.
“Right.”
Cashea nodded and followed the road. A few more turns, and they were drawing up to a beautiful home with dark shutters and an oversized wraparound porch with a swing. It was Cashea’s dream home. She loved the farm-style homes. She knew without even going in that the kitchen would be large and fitting for someone who lived in the country. She loved to cook and wished she had someone other than herself to create meals for.
“Wow. Your home is gorgeous.” She parked the truck in one of the two spots in front of the house. Even in the darkness she could appreciate his home. There were a few lights left on the porch that allowed her to see some of it. She leaned forward, trying to take it all in.
“Thank you.”
Cashea turned and found Draven staring at her. She reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. She looked down at her hands, unsure of what to say or do.
“I wasn’t thinking when?—”
“Do you want to come in?” Draven asked.
Cashea flicked her gaze to him. The tension in the cab was thick. Cashea’s heart raced. She should say no and snag her phone to call someone to come and get her.
But instead, she found herself nodding.
“I’d love to.”