“No trouble.” He forced a smile and reached for the tomato juice mix he kept on hand for Sunday afternoons. The university crowd confused four in the afternoon with brunch time. “Plus we’re out of the Hoppy Heaven,” he added.
“I love that beer,” she said and launched into a monologue about how she used to drive to Portland with her girlfriends to pick up four-packs for their respective boyfriends.
“Here.” Noah thrust the Bloody Mary across the bar, cutting off the story. “I’ll start a tab for you.”
The door to the back room swung open and he turned away from the chatty customer. Josh Summers emerged wearing jeans and a button-down shirt that fit the description of dressed-up logger.
Noah raised an eyebrow as the youngest Summers brother approached the bar. “When did you start using the back entrance?”
“Thought I’d avoid the crowds,” Josh said with a smile and a shrug.
“I have five paying customers, counting the vets drinking pop and swapping war stories at the end of the bar.”
Josh held up his hands in mock surrender. “You caught me. I was delivering a pie to your dishwasher.”
“She gave the last one to my dad,” he said, knowing “shared” might be a better description.
“Generous. I like that.” Josh claimed a stool in front of Noah and leaned forward, his forearms pressing against the wood. “You know she’s carrying, right?”
“Yeah.” He’d unlocked Caroline’s gun from the safe that morning. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Beer. Whatever you recommend. I don’t need the fancy stuff.”
Noah nodded and turned to pour a pint.
“She told me that she has MST,” Josh said as Noah turned around and handed him the glass. “Military sexual trauma, right?”
Noah nodded, unsure what to say. He didn’t think Caroline talked about what had happened. Hell, she’d never used the official term with him.
“I’m guessing that’s why she went AWOL and someone’s after her now?” Josh continued.
“It is,” Noah said. “And why you might want to reconsider your plans to bake a third pie.”
Josh looked down at his beer and shook his head. “It figures that when I decide I’m ready to settle down, to find what my brothers have, I’d fall for the one woman who’s a long way from having so much as a conversation alone in a room with me.”
“And if she’s arrested, Caroline might face time in a military jail,” Noah added.
“That would be a new spin on long-distance.”
What the. . .
Noah rested his hands on the bar and leaned forward. “You’re planning to ask her out?”
“No,” Josh said. “Right now, I want to be her friend. I know what it’s like to work your way back from something you’re not sure you can overcome. And hell, I’ve seen Lena struggle with her post-traumatic stress.”
“This is different,” Noah cut in.
“Of course it is.” Josh met his gaze across the bar, his smile gone. “But I look at her and I see a beautiful, determined woman. I’m not going to walk away because it’s hard to be her friend right now, and impossible to hope for more. Everyone has their problems, man. It’s all about how they face them. Caroline did whatever it took to find you and warn you about whatever has her carrying a handgun while washing dirty pint glasses. I have to admire that.”
Noah nodded as the door to the back swung open a second time and Josie marched into the room. She’d faced a helluva lot and yet here she was, smiling at customers. She’d buried her child and still refused to give up on paying his bills. Guilt and pain had hit her hard. But she was fighting back. Dammit, he loved that about her.
Love?
A decent dose of “fuck me” settled on his shoulders, threatening to force him to the ground with his head between his legs so that he didn’t hyperventilate. But he fought back. Of course he loved Josie. She was like family. One night in a barn—shit, make that two nights now—didn’t lead to falling in love. Not that he was prepared to tackle that particular challenge right now, piled up onto everything else.
But maybe love didn’t have to be a challenge.
And he sure as shit shouldn’t use it as a reason to walk away from Josie, even if she was pushing him to the door. They’d been friends for too long. He wasn’t about to give that up. Plus, he knew she was safe when she was serving up drinks in his bar.