Tropical Bartender Bear (Shifting Sands Resort 3)

Tex blinked. “Sung to you?”

“Everyone tells me you’re a great singer and guitar player, but you’ve never played me anything.” Tex could tell that the whine to her voice was for mostly for show, but he wondered if there wasn’t a little real hurt down underneath it.

“I thought you didn’t like country music,” he said, not entirely truthfully. Really, he cared what she thought, and didn’t want to be a disappointment to her.

She poked him. “So sing me something that doesn’t have stolen pickups and run-over dogs in it.”

Tex cleared his throat, feeling suddenly vulnerable. It was odd not to have his guitar under his fingers. He wracked his brain for an appropriate song, something not too sad or depressing, then chuckled and set a beat on the fiberglass beneath them with his fingers.

“Love is a burnin' thing

And it makes a fiery ring

Bound by wild desire

I fell into a ring of fire…”

Laura joined him for the chorus, and fireworks continued to light the sky. She had a husky voice, not trained, but it was a good mix for Tex’s.

“I fell into a burnin' ring of fire

I went down, down, down

And the flames went higher

And it burns, burns, burns

The ring of fire, the ring of fire…”

They may not ever be contenders for a reality talent show, Tex thought, but after the Mr. World Shifter contest, he wasn’t sure he’d ever do that kind of thing anyway.

For the moment, this was perfect, singing only for his mate. Laura was finally relaxed next to him, and Tex was singing the last few repeats of the ring of fire, not wanting to break the spell, before he recognized that one of the blaze of fireworks… wasn’t fireworks at all.

“That’s Bastian,” he said, with sudden relief, pointing.

Something dark was flying near the surface of the water, periodically lighting the area with flame. The finale of the fireworks, a chaotic, brilliant, flower garden of light, lit up the top of its wings. It was obviously a dragon, skimming just above the water in a search pattern.

Chapter 25

She was adrift on an unsteady piece of a blown-up boat, in a dark ocean with non-sequitur fireworks exploding overhead and Tex was singing Johnny Cash to her. Laura felt like she was caught up in a crazy analogy of her own crazy life.

When Tex stood up, waving his hands and shouting to attract Bastian’s attention, the shard of boat jerked alarmingly, and Laura squeaked and tried to flatten herself further, stabilizing their makeshift craft. Warm water splashed over the surface of the decking, soaking parts of her clothing that had only just gotten dry.

But it worked. Within a few moments, Bastian caught sight of Tex, or heard his ridiculous cowboy yodeling, and circled around to fly straight for them. He dove into the water just in front of their craft and came out of the water in human form, pulling himself partway up and asking flippantly, “Hey, you guys need some help?”

Swamped in the water that rushed up over the decking due to his extra weight, Laura could only laugh weakly. “I’d love a drink.”

Bastian tsked. “What kind of bartender are you, Tex, coming out all this way on a romantic excursion with no drinks?”

Tex, crouching again to keep them from capsizing, mock laughed. “Very funny, Bastian. All the booze sank with the boat. Can you tow us home?”

Bastian was already inspecting what was left of the railing, and nodded in approval. “Shouldn’t be a problem.” He had a little coil of rope unclipped from his belt and began tying a sturdy knot. “The real problem,” he added, “is what Scarlet it going to say when she sees what you did to her boat.”

“It won’t compare to what she’ll say when she realizes the entire shipment of wine is at the bottom of the drink,” Tex said.

“How did you know to come looking for us?” Laura had to ask. “Did Fred tell you?” Something was very wrong with the entire situation with Fred, and she had a bone-deep need to understand it, as badly as she didn’t want to believe it.

“Fred? That balding fellow with the nervous twitch? No, he hasn’t had anything to say beyond asking for