She chuckled at him when he sat in the stool next to hers. “Please, Casanova, don’t let me keep you from your adoring fans.”
“Stop it.” He nudged her shoulder. “I’m worried about you. How’re you feeling?”
The grin slipped from her face. “To be honest, I feel a little lost.” Her voice grew quiet, and she tried to smile at Wade as he approached, handing Ryan a beer.
“Hey, Bailey, whaddya drinking tonight?” Wade asked, flashing a dazzling smile at her.
“You know.” She tried really hard to smile at him, but it was weak, she knew. “I’ll drink whatever special you’re serving up, but make sure it does its job. I want to be numb when I walk out of here.”
Wade leaned on the bar and let out a low whistle then looked at Ryan. “What’s wrong with our little Bailey tonight?”
She frowned, but before she could answer, her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her purse and saw Dex’s number. “Hey, babe, are you running late?” she said as she answered.
“I’m sorry. I’m not going to make it up tonight.”
Bailey gritted her teeth at the lack of genuine sorrow in his voice. “Okay. What happened this time? Work call you in for a crisis? Too busy with your friends? Parents’ anniversary—again?”
“My sister’s birthday. My brother-in-law planned a surprise party for her.”
Dex had completely missed the sarcasm in her tone, and she wanted to laugh, but she was too hurt to even crack a smile. “Okay, well, maybe next weekend—”
Ryan snatched the phone from her ear. “Or maybe not, prick!”
Bailey reached for the phone as Ryan pounded the disconnect button.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she asked.
“That bastard is what’s wrong with me. Why do you put up with that?”
“Ryan, you need to stop.”
“You let that punk walk all over you, and I’m supposed to just let it slide? Forget it.” He turned to Wade for backup.
“He’s right, Bailey. Dex is a player. He’s going to break your heart, and if we didn’t care, we’d mind our own business.”
She shot a resentful look up at him. “I’m a big girl. I think I can handle it without your interference.”
Wade lifted his hands in defense. “Just sayin’…”
She looked down at the bottle of tequila, shot glass, and the bowl of lime wedges he put down in front of her. Her anger deflated, and she felt instantly guilty for snapping at them. “I’m sorry, Wade. Thank you.”
“It’s okay. Knock yourself out. We’ll make sure you get home.” Wade glanced at Ryan. “The natives are getting restless. You going back up?”
“No, I’m not leaving Bailey to drink alone.”
“I got her,” Mae said from behind them.
Bailey knocked back a shot and grabbed a wedge of lime as she turned to greet Mae. “Come on, guys. I don’t need a babysitter.”
Ryan vacated his stool for Mae then looked at Bailey. “Anything special you want to hear tonight?”
“Surprise me. I’m feeling pretty low, so make me smile.”
Ryan’s mouth quirked up, and he nodded. “Easy.”
A minute later, Bailey heard the crackling of Ryan’s mic. “We don’t usually play country music in this joint.” The crowd groaned. “But our Bailey needs a pick-me-up.”
All the locals in the bar looked in her direction.
“So…for Bailey.”
She stared as the familiar notes of Lee Brice’s “Parking Lot Party” flowed from the stage speakers. As much as the crowd groaned when he said he was playing a country song, they cheered and jumped to their feet when the song started.
Like everything that came out of Ryan’s mouth, it sounded perfect. Even the country twang was in tune. Bailey stared at him, not sure what to think. He was right; country music always made her smile, but when had he learned this song? He hated country music. All her friends hated it. Bailey started listening to it as a kid. It was something she’d shared with her father. He always had Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, or Willie Nelson on the radio.
When a hand touched her arm, she turned from Ryan’s gaze.
“Would you like to dance?” He was tall, fresh off the lake from the look of his tan, and his smile held the most dangerous pair of dimples she’d ever seen. No ring on an important finger, either. Too bad she wasn’t in the mood for trouble.
“Thank you, but not tonight.” She waved him off with a faint sigh. “Tonight’s just about the tequila. Sorry.”
He nodded his disappointment and walked away.
“Good. You don’t need another tourist sniffin’ around,” Mae said. “Why are you here? I thought you’d be home getting some rest.”
“I was supposed to meet Dex, but he just canceled.”
Her eyes grew wide. “The son-of-a-bitch stood you up?” She wagged her finger at Bailey. “It’s time for him to go, babe.”
Mae was Bailey’s business partner and closest friend, next to Ryan. They co-owned a boutique in The Village Plaza, an upscale shopping center on the Stateline.
Bailey and Mae had decided early on to only sell merchandise from local designers and artists. It was a brilliant move. The tourists loved spending their money on authentic Lake Tahoe merchandise, and the community loved the local support. They named the shop Bailey Mae’s Gifts. Mae was the creative one. Her custom jewelry was a best seller, and Bailey relied on her to make everything pretty. Bailey was the businessperson and bookkeeper. She did all the number crunching.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Wade to give you all the free liquor you want.”
Bailey took another shot as the song ended, frowning at Mae. “Why the hell not?”
“Because you’re only going to get into trouble.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not looking for trouble. Just numbness.” She gave Mae a good long look then gestured toward Mae’s sandal-clad feet. “So…what are you doing out tonight?” Seeing Mae in a cute little summer dress was a surprise. As an artist, Mae didn’t usually take the time to pretty herself up. She wore old jeans and t-shirts every day. Bailey liked her in grubby clothes.
