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We walk for over four hours, and when we get back, she drinks for a solid five minutes. “Good ride?” Emmett asks when I get back.
“Yeah,” I say to him as he stands there looking at me.
“A couple of guys and I are going to have a drink tonight. You want to join us?” Emmett offers.
I stare at him. “Drinks where?”
“At Brady’s place.” He mentions her brother as if I won’t know it’s Autumn’s place also.
“Sure,” I agree, shocking him a bit. “Meet you there.”
I spend the rest of the afternoon in my office, going over the schedule and interviewing another therapist to add to the ever-expanding company. I take another shower, and at eight o’clock, I get up and make my way to town.
I park my truck in the back, next to her car. I get out and walk in, seeing it’s more crowded than it’s been the last few times I’ve been here. Definitely fuller than it was the last time. I look around the room, my eyes going to her behind the bar serving a group of women sitting on the stools. Light music plays in the background, something that has never been done before. I look to the right, seeing most of the tables full as I spot Emmett and a couple of the guys. I walk over passing Brady. “Hey,” he says, “you want something to drink?”
“Yeah,” I reply and then look back at the bar, “but I’ll go to the bar and get it myself.”
“Um,” Brady starts, and I’m sure he’s heard about Autumn and me, “listen—”
“It’ll be fine.” I slap his arm and make my way to the bar, her eyes coming to mine as soon as she looks up. Shock fills her face but she puts up a shield. “Hey,” I greet when I stand on the side of the bar.
“Hey,” she says softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. I see she’s wearing a short white tank top with blue jeans, her sweater wrapped around her waist. “What can I get you?” she asks me, avoiding looking at me.
“The house blend is good,” I remark, and she nods as she walks over to the other side, grabbing a glass and filling it before coming back to hand it to me. “I’m going to be sitting over there.” I motion with my finger to my group of guys. “Do you want me to pay for this now?”
“I can start a tab.” She outstretches her arms on the bar top. “Emmett has one going also.”
“Sounds good.” I pick up the glass and head over to the guys, who look surprised to see me here.
I sit down next to Emmett, listening to them talk, but the whole time, I keep looking over at the bar and seeing her smile with the girls. She gives them a different smile than she gave me, but then again, she doesn’t hate those girls like she hates me, and they haven’t made her life hell for the last eight years. The whole night, I’m constantly looking over at her. Every two minutes, I feel my eyes go to her. “You got your head out of your ass?” Emmett asks from beside me as I look at Autumn. I pick up the drink and bring it to my lips, not answering him because I don’t owe him an answer. The only one I’m going to owe that answer to is Autumn.
Chapter Twenty
Autumn
I watch him sitting there with Emmett and a couple of the ranch hands, and my whole body feels like it’s on fire, literally burning up. “Are you okay?” Brady asks, and before I turn to look at him, Charlie turns his gaze over to me. We lock our eyes for what feels like an eternity before I look at Brady.
“I’m fine. Why?” I ask him, my hands a touch shaky.
“You look all flushed and shit,” he notes, putting the tray down on the bar top.
“I’m fine,” I lie to him. I’m not fine. I’m the opposite of fine. I was fine this morning when I walked in here, but then people started coming in. A table of two, then a table of six, and by the time I looked around the bar, it was almost full. I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes, but then he walked in. The man who I thought, after everything was said and done, would never want to be in the same room as me. But then he walked in the door, and I felt the air being sucked out of me.
“You sure you’re good?” he asks, looking around. “I’m okay with you leaving.”
I raise my eyebrows at him. “Um, how are you going to serve…” I turn and count the number of tables, and when I look at Charlie’s table, he’s still looking at me. I try not to let it get to me, but how he looks at me is different from the last couple of times. “Fifteen tables plus the half-full stools.”
“I would handle it.” He rolls his eyes, and I laugh. “Do you want to switch it up?” His eyes go to me, then to the four women sitting at the bar, laughing at something.
“No.” I shake my head. “The last thing we need is for you to—”
“I’m not doing anything.” He feigns innocence. “I’m just trying to help you out.”
“Be a doll”—I fake smile at him—“help me out by going back and checking on your tables and getting more orders.”
He taps the bar top for a couple of seconds before grabbing his tray and turning on his way.
I walk to the far end of the bar. “Are you good?” I ask a couple of men who came in and sat together. They let me know they are in town for the week for some convention or something in the next town over, but all the hotels were booked.
