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“It’s all right. We’re a bit crowded tonight, though.”
“It’s always crowded on Taco Tuesday,” Dad declared. “We can wait. If it means we’ll get the best waitress.” His tone rose with each word until his voice echoed above all the other chatter.
Embarrassed heat crept up Olivia’s neck, and she caught Shane watching the Rick Green show. Shane’s gaze met hers, and he gave her wink that she felt in her core. Not wanting to be turned on in front of her parents, Olivia broke the stare.
“Dad, you do realize we know every single person in here, right?” She appreciated his efforts, but it wasn’t like there was a single person in there who didn’t know he was her father.
“I’m working the room for you. Getting you the big tips.”
Oh, heaven help her.It was time to corral them to a table before Dad made another declaration.
“I have a table over here.” Olivia held her hand up and waved her parents forward. Once they were seated, Olivia pointed to Mom first. “Cabernet for you. and Dad, a light beer.”
“Best waitress ever!” Dad announced.
Olivia covered her face with her hand. “Dad, please.”
“I don’t know why you let him embarrass you,” Mom said. “Just do what I do and ignore him.”
“Excuse me.” Dad motioned to himself in a dramatic display. “I’m sitting right here.”
“I’m going to go get your drinks.” Olivia hurried to the bar. Shane was closing out a tab, and instead of waiting, she went behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of beer and a wine glass. She scoured the area for the wine but couldn’t find it.
Shane’s mouth came near her ear, an excited chill cascaded down her spine. “Can I help you with something?” A trail of goosebumps erupted as his breath caressed her skin.
“Just looking for the wine,” she breathed.
He reached around her, his arm grazing the underside of her breast. His long fingers wrapped around the neck of the wine bottle, and he brought it to her.
She took it from his hold and spun around, not realizing how close he actually was. She pressed against the bar, but they were still practically chest to chest. “Thank you.” She tried not to fixate on the sexy curve of his mouth, but all she could think about was their kiss. Those lips brought her so much pleasure, she could only imagine the places they could bring her if they had more time and more privacy.
As if she needed a reminder that they weren’t invisible, Maria approached the bar with a smile. “I heard you two were an item,” she said. “Obviously it’s new, so I’m not going to pry, but Shane, Olivia is a sweet girl, and any guy would be lucky to have her.”
Shane’s brows furrowed in what looked like disappointment. An unexpected pang hit Olivia in the gut.
“I guess you’re not pregnant,” he said, and the pang turned to a rumble of laughter.
“Pregnant?” Confusion filled Maria’s brown eyes.
“It’s a joke,” Olivia clarified before the whole town thought she was knocked up by Daniel based on the timeline. Olivia practically laughed at that absurd thought. It would never happen. She took her birth control like clockwork. Daniel insisted a child would derail his career.
Olivia filled the wine glass and held it up. “I need to drop these off to my parents.”
“Oh, your parents are here? I didn’t see them.” Maria turned from the bar, scanning the dining space.
“You must’ve just gotten here, because you definitely would have heard my dad.” Olivia pointed to the table in the corner where her parents were in deep conversation, eyes focused on each other and talking like the chaos around them didn’t exist.
For all her dad’s quirks, Mom loved him still. While Olivia got embarrassed by his antics, Mom embraced them. They were her favorite love story, and she only hoped that one day she’d find that sort of happiness that only came with years of love, devotion, and acceptance.
“I won’t bother them now, but I’ll stop by later to talk to your mom about her appointment. I’ve been trying to convince her to add a little color to her hair. I think if she goes a little lighter around her face, it’ll brighten her complexion.”
“It would be pretty for the summer, too.”
“Exactly. I’ll keep trying.”
Maria headed back to her husband, and Olivia brought the drinks to her parents, placing them on the table. “Have you guys decided what you’d like to eat?”
“It’s Taco Tuesday,” Dad said.
