Page 58 of Keeping Zita

“No, I’m good. Just need that moonshine.”

Whip kissed the top of Angel’s head. “On it.” He nodded at Obi-Wan and Zita before escorting Angel back to the bar, then heading toward the hallway that led to the bathrooms and, presumably, the infamous storage room.

“Wow, I can totally see him running a less-than-reputable bar,” Zita said with a grin.

Obi-Wan could too. It was obvious Angel was the only thing keeping him from being mostly feral. The man had an undercurrent of hostility coming from him. But it just went to show how finding the perfect partner could smooth out a person’s rough edges.

And that had Obi-Wan thinking about himself and Zita. She made him feel more relaxed than he’d felt in a very long time. He used to live and breathe being a Night Stalker. Resented his time in the States waiting to be called up for a mission. Would’ve preferred to live full-time on a naval ship so he could fly every day.

And now? He was finding he liked the down time. Yes, he obviously loved to fly, but he could already feel a shift happening. Like with Zita to fill his days, he no longer lived to fly. Which was a huge distinction.

Her cheeks were already flushed just from her single drink, and she was looking around the bar with wide eyes, as if seeing it in a new light after hearing Whip’s story…which she probably was, because Obi-Wan was too.

Their waitress reappeared with two plates in her hands. “Can I get you anything else?”

“Two waters, please,” Obi-Wan told her, wanting to ensure Zita didn’t have a headache in the morning.

The food was as good as the atmosphere and the company. And it wasn’t long before both he and Zita were finished and had scooted their chairs closer together. They talked and watched people playing darts for a while before she suggested they try their hand.

Obi-Wan agreed and escorted her over to an empty dartboard.

She was terrible. Most of her darts bounced off the target and landed on the floor. And every time it happened, she simply laughed. She wasn’t competitive in the least, whereas Obi-Wan strove to hit a bullseye every time.

They were complete opposites in that regard, and he found he liked that. A lot.

Who was he kidding? He fucking loved it. Zita was cheerful and kind and made friends wherever she went. In fact, she’d already struck up a conversation with the couple playing darts next to them.

To his surprise, the man owned On the Rocks, the other bar in the Fallport square. And the woman he was with, Elsie, his wife, used to work as a waitress at his bar once upon a time.

Before he knew it, Obi-Wan and Zita were back at their table, and Elsie and Zeke were joining them. Zita was sipping on another lemon drop, telling her new friends how much she loved their little town. When she told them they were staying at the Mangree, Elsie perked up.

“Don’t you just love it there? I lived there for a while with my pre-teen son. It was ages ago, but sometimes it feels like yesterday.”

“Edna is awesome,” Zita said, clearly feeling relaxed from her drinks.

“Isn’t she? She put me and Tony in the room right next to the office, so she could keep her eye on us.”

“That’s where I am! Room twelve.”

Elsie laughed. “Some things never change.”

The two women talked a mile a minute, and Obi-Wan was content to sit next to Zita, a hand on her knee, just listening.

“You’re the Night Stalker, right? The helicopter pilot?”

Turning to Zeke, he nodded. “How’d you know?”

“Fallport’s tiny, and it has a very good gossip network.” He grinned. “When you retire, Fallport would hire you in a second for the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team. I’m one of the original members, and let me tell you, a chopper and a pilot on staff would be a huge advantage.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Obi-Wan said. “But I’m not planning on retiring anytime soon.”

Zeke nodded. “Don’t blame you. Loved my time in the Army, but if I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have met Elsie and Tony, and I wouldn’t have the family I have today.”

“You’ve got kids?”

“Three, including Tony.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened.