Page 88 of Second Chance Saloon

Memories of laughing with Lyla about how their children would grow up to be best friends flashed in her mind, pushing thorns of regret into her heart. She’d not only missed being there for Lyla through all the good and bad times, but she’d also never carry a child herself. Even though it was something she’d known for years, the moment Mitch told her about Lyla and Nick’s son, it hit her square in the gut.

If that was the only poker stoking her self-inflicted misery.

“There you are!” Rea’s singsong voice echoed through the ballroom. Her fingers straightened the new gold name tag pinned to her shirt.

Jackie smiled at her. “Congratulations on your promotion. Assistant manager has a nice ring to it.”

Rea flushed. “Thank you. I know you put in a good word for me.”

“Of course I did. Your work is excellent.” Jackie’s brow furrowed. “What’s up?”

“You might want to stop by the poolside bar,” Rea said. The hair clip holding up her updo must’ve slipped, as half a dozen loose strands framed her face.

“Is there a problem?” Jackie asked.

Rea blew out a breath, pushing her hand to her chest like she was trying to calm her breathing.

Jackie goggled at her. “Did you run here?”

Rea shrugged, squaring her shoulders and standing straight. “I might’ve. And no, not really a problem.”

Jackie sighed. “Tell me what happened.”

“Mr. Craigton and another guest had a bit too much to drink.”

Jackie bit down on her lip. She wasn’t surprised Mitch had ended up at the bar after he went to answer his father’s call. If she was in his shoes, she’d probably be under the table, fully sedated by now. Knowing how much his father affected him, she wanted to give him some space to cool off before she found him and picked up the conversation they started in the Jeep before they were interrupted by the paparazzi.

Would you want something to happen?

Jackie still wasn’t sure what her response would’ve been. Sure, they kissed. It was a great kiss. But what did it mean? Were they going to continue kissing for one more week, and say goodbye at the end of it? In theory, that’d be the simplest thing to do, but she knew that when it came to them, with what they shared, that kiss had only complicated everything.

Not to mention the fact he still had no idea why she left.

She cleared her throat. “Well, I don’t blame him. If he’s not bothering anyone, leave him be. Maybe don’t serve him any more alcohol, but he’ll be fine. He’s never been a violent drunk.”

The corners of Rea’s lips lifted in a small smile.

Jackie frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I couldn’t help myself when I saw the paparazzi commotion earlier and … I went into a bit of a rabbit hole, reading about you two.” Rea blushed furiously, looking at the floor.

Jackie groaned, putting her hands on her hips and attempting to muster a stern expression, but it didn’t quite work out. Maybe she wasn’t made of tough enough stuff to even play-pretend an authoritative figure.

“I knew there was something going on between you two,” Rea continued.

Jackie cleared her throat. “Either way, a couple of drunk guests is hardly cause for alarm. Is there something else you’re not telling me?”

Rea chewed on the inside of her cheek, her gaze still avoiding Jackie’s eye. “There might be some people who must’ve seen all the online gossip at the bar and are taking photos and filming—”

Jackie swore, storming out of the ballroom without waiting for the rest of her sentence.

Could she fire the mariachi band? Granted, it was one of the highlights for their guests but right now, she really wasn’t in the mood for the upbeat music. Lit lanterns lined the paved path from the hotel to the poolside bar, casting a shadowy glow on the surrounding manicured lawn.

Jackie narrowed her eyes, scanning the merry crowd with a stubborn fold of her arms over her chest.

Mitch stood out from the crowd right away. He was still in the same clothes he had been wearing to the cenote, beige linen trousers and a blue long-sleeved shirt. His hair appeared golden in the warm light of the lanterns and candles placed all over the bar. He held a tequila shot glass between the tips of his thumb and middle finger, the liquid balancing precariously against the edge.

“What are you going to do?” Rea rasped as she caught up with her. “You can’t take away guests’ phones or tell them off. It’s going to cause a big scene and it’ll be all over the internet by the morning, only confirming the gossip about you.”