Serving Trouble (Second Shot 1)

“Dominic is going to be fine,” she said. “Well, he’ll probably never fight the bad guys again. The doctors said he did a number on his hand. And the pulmonary artery doesn’t exactly heal overnight . . . But he’s awake, breathing, and today he might get to eat something.”

“I’m so fucking glad to hear that, Josie,” he said, glancing at Josh. He had questions for her, but none that he wanted to ask in front of an audience. “Hold on a sec,” he said to Josie. Then he covered the mic with one hand and spoke to Josh. “Mind going into the back to check on Caroline? She’s been jumpy lately. I try to check on her every so often.”

“Is she armed?” Josh asked casually as he slid off his stool and picked up his pint glass.

“No, her gun is still in my safe,” he said.

Josh nodded. “Then it would be my pleasure.”

Noah waited until the door to the back room swung closed, and then he removed his hand from the mic. “I’m back, Josie,” he said, rounding the end of the bar and heading for the door. It wasn’t anywhere near closing time yet. Hell, it wasn’t even one in the afternoon. But he flipped the sign on the front door to closed.

“Everything all right there?” Josie asked.

“Yeah.”

Except my dishwasher thinks she’s being hunted and keeps asking for her gun back. Oh, and I miss you. The way you serve drinks like you own the place, the way you kiss, the way you feel beneath me, and hell, the way you call me a jerk.

“We’re fine here,” he continued. “How are you?”

“I’m glad that I flew over. Thank you for covering my bills. I’ll pay you back. I promise.”

“Paid sick leave, family leave . . . it comes with the assistant manager gig,” he said.

Family leave.

She just might need that newly created benefit. He ran his hand over his face, closing his eyes. He’d spent the past two weeks coming to terms with the fact that part of him hoped she was pregnant. Shit, he’d put himself through fourteen straight days of pure hell, hoping that Josie would call him up and tell him they were having a baby. He wanted a reason to hold tight to her and not let go, an excuse to give Dominic now that his best friend was going to live—­thank God—­for wanting his little sister.

But shit, he was a jerk. How could he hope for something that would tear her apart? After what she’d suffered through the last time, it felt fucking selfish.

“Thank you,” she said. “But I think I’m pushing the limits of sick leave even for the assistant manager.”

“We’ll talk about it when you get back,” he said. Please say you’re coming home soon.

“OK. But, Noah, I’m staying here until they send Dominic back to the States. My dad’s leaving in a few days. He says he needs to get back to work. But I—

­”

“Take as long as you need,” he said firmly.

“Thank you,” she said, and this time her voice was soft and gentle. “When this is all over and Dominic is settled into a rehab hospital, then I’m coming home to you.”

Noah opened his eyes and stared out into the empty bar. What the hell did that mean? Coming home to him or the bar, her job, and her debt?

“Hey, Noah?” Josh called, peering around the edge of the door to the back room. “Sorry, man, I didn’t realize you were still on the phone.”

“I’ll let you go,” Josie said.

“Bye. And, Josie, take care of yourself.”

He lowered the phone, ended the call, and slipped his cell into his pocket. Turning his attention to Josh, he said, “What’s up?”

“Your dishwasher is having a panic attack back here,” Josh reported. “And it has nothing to do with the sparkling clean pint glasses.”

Shit.

What could have happened since they arrived at the bar? They hadn’t heard from Dustin since he sent that picture. Noah was close to convinced their former commanding officer wasn’t hiding in his woods. So much so that he’d stopped searching the property after he closed the bar. Not that he was getting any more sleep. Most nights he lay awake thinking about Josie.

But he knew Caroline felt as if the threat was still imminent—­from Dustin, from the police, who would arrest her if they found out she was AWOL. And while Noah was all for keeping her identity and the fact that she’d served alongside him in the marines out of the Forever gossip mill, he was starting to question if Dustin still posed a danger. Maybe their former commanding officer had given up. It wasn’t much fun to torment someone who didn’t respond. And the guy did have a family in California even if his wife had kicked him out.