Page 73 of The Moment He Couldn’t Walk Away

The men shook their heads at that, except Kurt the asshole, who took off his shirt to a roar of approval. As he was waving it over his head, Finch nudged Ryder, who stumbled into the asshole. Kurt had to stop his movements to brace himself against the new antler light fixture hanging too low over the bar.

Looking at Nina, Finch saw she was laughing now, and the look in her eyes told him she knew exactly what he’d just done.

He found his mom dancing in circles with her hands in the air, shawl gone entirely now, kaftan billowing. All good there, and clearly her eldest son hadn’t shocked her too much by dancing on a bar.

“What the fuck,” Ryder said softly, but Finch heard and saw he was looking at the doorway. A leather-clad figure walked past.

“Was that a Bandit?” Finch asked.

“Looks like it to me. Not sure why they’d be here tonight.”

“Takeout, maybe?” Finch said, remembering the encounter he and Dan had with their leader.

“Maybe,” Ryder said. “I just don’t trust those fuckers after the years of hell they put us through.”

“You’re not wrong,” Finch added.

“Dan told me you’re looking at the Burns land, Bud. It would be good for you, just FYI, if you want my opinion,” Ryder said.

“Not sure why you wouldn’t give it, seeing as everyone else in this town wants to tell me what I should do,” Finch said. “Also, agree about the bikers. Can we get down now?” he added with a final step to the side. “Music’s stopped.”

Ryder jumped off the bar, then grabbed his woman and bent her back over his arm to kiss her loudly. The rest of the women cheered and asked when it was their turn. Libby dragged him to the dance floor.

Did he want to have that? Be someone’s special someone? Yes.

He found Nina, and she was looking at him. She tapped the side of her face and smiled.

She liked his glasses.

Could Nina be that someone special? But it wouldn’t be fair for her to take him on when he was broken. He needed to be whole before he thought about a future with anyone. Turning away from her, he went to take the next order.

Chapter 20

“We need some shisken fingers,” Cill whispered loudly to Nina.

They were seated at the bar now, after dancing for what felt like hours and laughing—really laughing, and that had felt so good. She’d almost forgotten the shit show that was her life—almost, and then she’d get a wave of sadness, remembering the few times her mother had come to girls’ night.

“We do,” Nina agreed, her mouth watering at the thought of the greasy treats.

Blue was leaning on her shoulder and Zoe on Blue’s. Libby sat on another stool, and next to her was Leah. The others were either still dancing or having those intense, in-depth conversations you only had when you’d had one drink to many and thought you had your shit together, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Shisken fingers!” Leah cried suddenly and thumped the bar.

Nina hadn’t drunk as much as the others. She’d already done enough of that at her mother’s funeral, so she’d only had three drinks interspersed with water.

“What can I get you, ladies?” Finch inquired, leaning on the bar and looking sexy in those glasses that Dr. Hannah told her would help him cope in certain light.

They had her vote. Glasses notched up his already high scale of hotness.

“Shisken fingers!” Blue punched her fist in the air.

“If only those high-end fashion house people could see my sister now, what would they say?” He patted Blue’s cheek. “You need some water.”

Watching Finch be a big brother made Nina’s insides gooey, and right now, she didn’t need that in her life. She was navigating so many things. Falling hard for Finch McAllister would only complicate that.

“Sh-should we have tequila?” Cill asked.

“Yesh!” Blue punched the air with a fist once again, regaining her feet.