Playing with Danger (Desire Bay 2)

“Understood,” Gabe and Jake said.

Grant nodded and shook Cal’s hand. “Great seeing you,” he said as he pulled his cell from his pocket. “I’m sorry to have to ditch out, but I have a few calls I have to make.”

“You, too. And thank you.”

Grant put his cell to his ear as he walked out of the bar into the sunny afternoon.

“Sarah, I need you to set up a party for me,” Grant said to his assistant on the other end of the line. “I’ll need Harvey out here.”

Grant made a mental note to call his attorney anyway. Harvey oversaw all of Grant’s contracts and all aspects of his business. “And this is going to be an investors’ meeting, so set up the usual. Get the boys here, and for the details of the party, use Goonies Bar for the bartender and drinks. Pay eight grand for the night and all the liquor. Go local for all the food and decor, as well.”

“Yes, sir,” Sarah said. “You buying a whole town?”

r /> Grant grinned. “I just may.”

He had a lot of plans, all of which he was hoping would make Hannah’s life easier . . . especially easier for her to say yes to him at the end of his time here.

Now he just needed to find his wife.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Hannah said to Laura, lighting the last candle in the bar. Several vanilla-scented candles were scattered along the bar top and tables. Tables that were now lining the walls, leaving the bar floor open. Several women with their yoga mats were in the center of the room and facing toward where Laura was stretching. The mighty shark teeth hung on the wall behind her.

Not exactly yoga studio of the year, but it was a large, open space and people had showed up, so Hannah would take what she could get.

“This is a great way to earn that extra money you need,” Laura whispered to her. “And you look great!”

Hannah looked at the twenty women who had showed up. Twenty women times twenty bucks was four hundred bucks. Which was something to go toward the money she needed. So she couldn’t scoff or be bitchy about it. It was money for her bar. The impromptu yoga class taught by Laura had been—surprise, surprise—Laura’s brilliant idea. And because she was wonderful, Laura was teaching the class for free and donating all the money to Hannah’s payment.

“Yoga Jäger Night is a new hit!” Laura said. Each woman got a shot of Jägermeister after the hour-long class. The idea of combining alcohol and exercising was the only contribution Hannah had made to this brainchild. But it got attention, so once again, she’d take what she could get. And Laura’s stepmom—of sorts—had showed up with the old biddies from downtown.

“Look at you skinny girls!” Roberta said, her massive boobs swaying in her matching neon-pink tank top and stretch pants. She pulled Laura in for a hug, then Hannah. “You both need to come over to the house more, and I’ll cook a real meal for you.”

“I know you would. All my dad talks about is your cooking,” Laura said with a smile.

“Well, I’m just so excited about this little drinking-and-stretching gathering. My smutty readers’ club was getting antsy for a new outing. You should host this every week!” Roberta said.

Hannah smiled. “Sounds like a good idea.”

Too bad she needed the money in a week. But maybe Hannah would enact permanent Yoga Jäger sessions once she owned the place. Especially since Roberta was the nicest woman in town, and also happened to have the biggest mouth. News, gossip, and every other topic imaginable that passed through town went through Roberta first. And she’d brought four women with her. So maybe this was a good idea long term.

Hannah just had to get to long term first.

“I’m glad you all came,” she said, patting Roberta’s shoulder. She turned her focus to Laura. “Well, I’ll be in the back if you need me.”

“Um, no way. You’re taking my class, too. Those pants are made for stretching, and that’s just what they’ll do.”

Hannah rolled her eyes. The tank and yoga pants were one thing, but stretching in public? Well, in her bar . . .

“Shoot me now,” Hannah mumbled. But she did appreciate her friend helping her, and this little event was bringing in the dough. A few more classes over the next week would get her around a thousand bucks. Four more to go.

“You can’t ditch out on class in your own bar,” Laura pressed.

“All right,” Hannah gave in.

“Here, I brought an extra mat for you,” Laura said, handing the rolled-up purple foam mat to Hannah.

“Fantastic.”

Hannah gripped the thing and headed to the opposite end of the bar. She was dead last behind everyone and right by the shadowy front-door corner. That way no one could really see her and she could make a quick break for it if she had to.