Chapter 20

LYNN

"Ididn't know you were working tonight," Miller says when I slip in the back door of Blue Bigfoot and drop my stuff in the office.

"Yeah, Cash wanted me to fill in for Jodi if y'all get slammed."

He nods and fiddles with one of his gazillion earrings. "Good, because Maisy is playing tonight, and it's already packed out there."

I glance at my watch. "It's not even seven."

Miller grins. "I know, right?" He takes off down the hall toward the taproom, calling behind him, "Bear and Mason are here tonight. Make sure you stop by their table so Bear can flirt with you."

I bark out a laugh and secure my apron around my waist. Miller has changed a lot in the last year—for the better. He used to not care much about anything and only gave token effort to most endeavors. Now, he's taking pride in his job at the brewery and stepping up in a big way with Maisy and Bear. He's also earned the respect of all our brothers, which is huge.

I'm low-key bursting with pride, to be honest, not that Miller's ego needs it. He's even admitted that the car crash that broke his arm last year was probably driver error—something Cart is now annoyingly smug about since it was his car that got totaled. Miller kept claiming something was wrong with the brakes, but his track record spoke for itself. All that was left was for him to cop to it. In the last year, though, Miller hasn't had so much as a fender bender or even a conversation with a member of the Asheville police force. That's considered progress in our family.

I shove my phone in the back pocket of my cut-offs and follow my brother to the taproom. Even if Cash doesn't need me, I need something to do or I'll drive myself batty thinking about this thing with Joey. Damn, I really like him.

As if the universe is messing with me, the first person I lay eyes on when I step out onto the crowded floor is none other than Joey Martel. Looking incredibly hot and… a bit guilty.

"Hey." He approaches, a sheepish grin on his full lips. "So, I figured if you couldn't join us, maybe we'd join you?"

My immediate reaction is to smile because, damn, that's sweet. But panic soon follows and has me biting my lip. Joey appears only to notice the smile, though, because he ushers me over to a nearby table where a petite Asian woman and a bearded white guy sit enjoying some drinks. They both smile up at me.

"Lynn, this is my cousin Olivia and her boyfriend Brett. Guys, this is Lynn."

Hellos are quickly exchanged, and Brett even stands to shake my hand.

"You can call me Liv," Olivia says. "This place is great! Joey said your family owns it?"

I nod. "Yeah, my brothers do. It's a labor of love, you could say." I raise my voice to be heard over the music and conversation.

"Very cool," Brett responds, looking around the busy taproom. "I don't think I could own a bar, though. I'd sample too many goods and go out of business."

"Sorry to crash your job like this," Liv says, eyeing her cousin in a way I can't quite interpret.

"Oh, it's fine." I muster a smile before glancing behind me to see if I've been spotted by Cash yet. The last thing I need is another scene in front of Joey's cousin.

Joey misinterprets my movements, saying, "Oh, hey, sorry. You probably need to get back to work."

I take the out to make myself scarce. "Yeah, sorry. It was nice to meet you guys." I keep the smile pasted on and buzz over to the bar to grab a bus tub. Cash must be next door at Hollis's dog salon or in the brewhouse with Carter because he's nowhere to be seen. Looks like I got a lucky break.

I bus a couple tables and stop by to see Bear and his dad where they sit on the far side of the room. The band is in the middle of a set, and they're playing one of my favorite oldies, "Sister Golden Hair" by America, but I'm finding it hard to enjoy it tonight. Even Bear's Casanova antics aren't making a dent, although I can't help but smile when he tells me my cowboy boots are "tight."

By the time I make it out to the patio to bus the picnic tables, the labor and stress of the day have caught up with me, and exhaustion is setting in. I sigh at the relative quiet and drop my tub on a nearby bench seat to rest out of sight.

It doesn't take long for the universe to resume its game and send Joey out to find me.

"Hey." He's got his good hand shoved in his jeans pockets and the bad one dangling at his side. No splint tonight, I notice.

"Have you been keeping up with your icing?" I ask. It's not like I can turn and run away or something. I know we need to have a conversation.

He ignores my question, instead asking one of his own. "Did I overstep by coming here tonight?"

Oh, god. Joey. You're such a good guy.Even now, he's got my boundaries at the forefront of his mind.

"No." I shake my head, and he's visibly relieved. "I just… I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay. What is it?" He steps closer to where I'm leaning against the outside wall of the building.

"This…" I wag my finger back and forth between us. "I may be way off base in assuming there's something going on here, but?—"

"No," he interrupts, taking another step toward me. "There's absolutely something going on here."

I draw in a shaky breath because his proximity, combined with those words and the confident way he said them, have my knees threatening to give out. This is way harder than I thought it would be.

"Joey."

"Lynn." Oh, damn, that rumble. Now my panties are wet.

"I'm not allowed to fraternize with the players, and I can't afford to lose this job," I force myself to declare.

His brow immediately furrows. "Your brothers are going to fire you if you date me?"

"No." I can't help my grin, despite the pain in my chest. "Although, that might be true too." I shake my head. "The rehab job. I'm going to get fired if we date, so we can't date."

"Oh." He tilts his head, causing his dark hair to flop over his forehead. "Really?"

"Yes. I was directly told it's ‘frowned upon,' and everyone knows what that means."

"Wow. That wasn't the impression…" He trails off, and it's my turn to tilt my head. "Never mind." He takes a deep breath and glances around the patio before bringing his eyes back to me and shrugging those broad shoulders. "We just won't tell them, then."

"Joey!" I cross my arms over my chest.

"What?"

"You're not taking this seriously."

"Lynn, they shouldn't be able to dictate what you do in your free time."

I frown up at him, both frustrated that he's making this harder and thrilled it's important to him at the same time. "You flirted shamelessly with me during your appointments this week—in front of everyone!"

"So did you!"

Guilty. "Yeah, well." It's all I've got in my defense.

He dips his chin and reaches out to touch my arm. Just that light contact has lightning bolts shooting up my arm and down to my clit. God, I'm easy. "Okay, I'll try to resist flirting with you at your work. It'll be difficult, though, if you keep wearing those scrubs."

My nose wrinkles. "You are seriously messed up, do you know that?"

His lopsided grin does more things to my insides. "What can I say? I've got a thing for shapeless garments that make me imagine what's underneath."

My face flames, and I roll my eyes. "Mother magnolia."

Grabbing his chest like he's in cardiac arrest, he groans, "And those Sunday school expressions. You're really hitting me with both barrels, aren't you?"

"Shut up." I move to shove him as I try and fail to fight a smile.

He grabs my hand and erases the last of the distance between us. "Lynn, I want to see where this goes."

My hand trembles in his, and I don't understand why.

"It's not that I don't. I just… this job is important to me." I ignore the whisper in the back of my mind that says seeing where this goes would be utterly terrifying and we're much safer without the temptation of Joey.

He opens his mouth to say something, but appears to think better of it.

I take advantage and ask, "Can we be friends?"

A choking noise comes from his throat. "Friends? You're killing me here."

"Yes. You've heard of it, right? When two people sometimes hang out and are generally nice to each other." When all else fails, sarcasm is the best way to go.

He watches me for a few seconds before a naughty twinkle hits his espresso eyes. "Are there any benefits to this friendship thing?"

"Yes. I'll cut your meat for you."

His head drops back so fast, I'm concerned he's given himself another injury. "Fuck, Lynn."

"I know." I swallow. "But I need to do this."

His eyes come back to mine, and he squeezes my hand. "Boundaries," he murmurs.

I nod, feeling like an asshole that I've brought us right back to the same place again—except this time we both know what it feels like to dry hump each other.

"Okay." He lets my hand go and takes a step back. I'm glad the wall is there to hold me up.

I did it, though. It's done.

But the universe isn't finished with me yet because, as Joey walks back into the brewery, he glances over his shoulder one last time and declares, "For now," before disappearing inside.

Jesus, Mary, and Jolene!