Page 76 of Glacier

I was counting inventory of nails when the door swung open, admitting a blast of cold air.

For a moment, a woman stood framed in the doorway before she pushed the door shut against the winter wind.

I wasn’t sure who she was, but she was strikingly beautiful, with high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and blue eyes. And she was tall, built like an Amazon. Long blonde hair streaked with magenta and sea-foam blue tumbled down her back. She wore jeans, knee-high rubber-soled boots, a flannel, and a sheepskin jacket.

Several earrings caught the light as she strode towards us, a stack of leaflets clutched in one hand, silver rings glinting on every finger.

“Holy shit,” Rita said with a soft laugh. “Sassy Hogan.”

The blonde grinned and dropped the stack of papers onto the counter with a sharp slap. “Rita, Harri. Good to see you both.”

Her eyes landed on me. She stepped closer and held out her hand. “You’re not from this town. I’m Cassandra Hogan, but my friends call me Sassy.”

A smile tugged at my lips. I liked her already. A straightforward, no-frills, no-nonsense woman. Just the type I liked.

“Julianna Fraser, but my friends call me Juju.” I gave her hand a firm shake.

Her gaze dropped to my cut. “You’re wearing a patch. Who do you belong to?”

I huffed a quiet laugh at her bluntness and turned so she could see the back of my cut. “Glacier.”

“Huh.” Her eyebrows lifted, and surprise flared in her eyes. “Never thought he’d have a woman.”

I turned to face her again, my curiosity prickling. “You’re obviously from here.”

She snorted. “Born and bred. Left as soon as I could, but you always seem to end up back home.” She tapped her finger on the pile of leaflets. “I bought the bar. We open tomorrow night.”

I glanced down at the flyers, a smile pulling at my lips when I saw the name of the bar and the tagline.

THE S-ASSY SALOON. We Prefer You Come In the Back Door.

Rita and Harriet sniggered. I grinned wide. I fucking loved it.

I lifted my gaze to hers. “That’s a brave move.”

Sassy laughed, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. “Or stupid. Jury’s still out.” She tilted her head slightly. “But the wording’s true. The front door stays closed. The back door only opens one way. Same with the front. In an emergency, we flip a switch that resets everything so the doors open normally. It’s all been cleared by the fire chief.”

Rita snorted behind me, and I relaxed a fraction. They liked her, and she hadn’t been a bitch to them.

I leaned a hip against the counter, studying her properly now. “If you’re anything like you seem, I’m guessing you’re brave.”

Her eyes met mine for a second before flicking away. “Not always,” she admitted. “But I’m getting better at being brave. Or at least faking it.”

I huffed a quiet laugh. “Aren’t we all?”

“Maybe.” She smiled. “Anyway, I’m doing the rounds of the shops. Ladies drink for free for the first hour. I’ll make jugs of margaritas and anything else you like.”

Harriet hummed under her breath as she picked up a flyer. “We’ll hand some of these out if you want to leave a few here.”

Sassy’s shoulders eased a fraction at the acceptance and unexpected support. It was small, but I caught it.

Rita cleared her throat, then asked hesitantly, “Will Harriet and I be welcome?”

I stiffened, waiting to see what Sassy said.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t you be?” she replied easily. “We don’t know each other well, but you were both always lovely at school. I’m guessing that hasn’t changed.”

“I’m like my mother, though,” Rita warned, as if she needed to get ahead of whatever reaction might come.