Lucas eased his way toward the bar and zeroed in on the older bartender at the end. From the looks of the younger staff, that would be the only person in this place who might remember anything at all.
As he eased through a crowd of women who should be cut off their spirits, Lucas slid a photo from his pocket and rounded the edge of the bar. When the bartender glanced his way, Lucas waved a hand.
“What can I get ya?” the man yelled over the band.
Lucas flipped the picture up. “You recognize this woman?”
The bartender narrowed his gaze and leaned forward, then nodded. “Lynette. I remember her. Hated to hear of her passing. Damn shame.”
Yes, it was. Lucas wished like hell Paisley hadn’t lost her mother. To make matters worse, a complete bastard might turn out to be her father. Even so, Lucas couldn’t let guilt and tragedy stop him from seeking revenge. Sterling had destroyed Lucas’s father and it was time for him to pay.
“When she worked here, did she have any guys that hung around or anyone she mentioned dating?”
He hated yelling over this crowd, but he and Paisley had gotten home from Vegas a couple hours ago and he wanted to get this ball rolling. He figured a Monday night wouldn’t be too crowded, but apparently this was half off wing night.
He’d chosen to come straight here for one because he wanted to dive straight in, but he also needed space to think. The damn woman was driving him out of his mind with want, lust, need. He didn’t recall needing anyone the way he’d found himself craving her the past few days, not even when they were together the first time.
They’d spent their honeymoon in the suite, completely naked, save for the few times she’d thrown on his shirt when they’d had carpet picnics. They’d even made love on his private jet on their way home.
So, yeah. The chemistry was stronger than ever.
“There was an older man that came around,” the bartender stated, pulling Lucas back into the moment. “Wealthy. Don’t know his name, but he always wore a suit and tossed out hundred dollar bills for tips. Always thought the guy was arrogant.”
Buster’s Bar was certainly not the type of establishment you’d toss around wads of cash. That type of cockiness sounded like Sterling Perry, but this definitely wasn’t enough proof to confront the guy.
“Would you know his name if you heard it?” Lucas prompted.
“I never heard Lynette say,” the old guy replied. “But she sure was smitten with whoever it was.”
Lucas nodded and shoved the photo back into his pocket. He pulled out another and held it up.
“Do you recognize this man?”
The man’s eyes narrowed and he thought for a moment. “It’s been a long time, but I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”
Lucas gritted his teeth against the frustration and offered a smile. “Thanks for your time.”
“Can I get you a beer?”
Lucas offered a smile. “Next time,” he promised. He figured he’d bring Paisley back sometime. There might be more questions once he dug a little deeper.
He weaved his way back through the crowd and out into the night. Just being away from his wife for an hour had him itching to get home. Yes, he’d needed a few minutes to himself, but now he realized he wanted to be with her. Their time in Vegas had been intense, but too short. Lucas wanted to schedule another getaway for them soon. First, though, he’d have to find the truth about Sterling.
Maybe this wasn’t a traditional marriage, maybe Paisley wanted an end date, but he was taking full advantage of being married to the one woman he’d always wanted. She’d gotten away once, but he had no intention of letting her go again. His reasons were just a tad different this time.
Before, when he’d been young and too trusting, Lucas had been expecting them to live forever after on love and happiness. Now they could live on determination and passion. Hey, that was more than most relationships, right?
He wasn’t under some delusion that he’d ever marry for love. Such a notion was for fairy tales and fiction novels. He did want a child and he hadn’t lied when he told Paisley he wanted her to be the mother. There’d been no other woman that had filled that bill so the whole fatherhood thing was something he’d thought had been off in the future. But then she’d walked through his office door and the opportunity had landed in his lap.