Bailey pushed back the lump in her throat. “Well, I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Her smile grew until her eyes twinkled brightly. “And we’re so happy to have you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Bailey felt butterflies as she stepped into El Lago. It’d been weeks since she’d spent a Friday night here. She missed it and the rowdy crowd. Since the kidnapping, she’d grown anxious in crowds and around strangers, which kept her home and indoors a little too often these days. Her friends and Ryan understood and didn’t pressure her to go out, but she wanted to get beyond her apprehensions and get on with her life. The truth was, every time she was in a crowd, she felt watched and talked about. She felt Rosa Sikes’ influence was strong, and she always wondered who believed what The Rosa Trials reported versus the truth of what had happened.
She hadn’t run away with Dex.
She hadn’t killed Dex or caused his death in any way.
She hadn’t caused her own injuries to hide the truth or create sympathy from the public.
Why anyone would believe such nonsense, she would never understand. Logic alone should have been enough for people to see that The Rosa Trials and what they reported was complete bull. The people who knew her knew it was all lies, but that didn’t keep her from worrying about the people who didn’t know her well, or at all.
Anyway, none of that mattered today. She was meeting her family here for dinner. They had agreed to come to South Lake Tahoe for the weekend, and Alex had booked a vacation rental near her house, so they would be close. Bailey was excited to show them her home and give her friends a chance to meet everyone. She had to admit, she was excited to show off her siblings.
Most of all, she couldn’t wait for her family to see Ryan on stage. She’d gotten the impression they didn’t think he was good enough for her. Especially after what Nicole had said about Alex prejudging Dex. Alex had been right about Dex, but right or not, Bailey wouldn’t let him judge Ryan. Ryan wasn’t just some guy Bailey had hooked up with. He was special. Once they saw him perform with their own eyes, once they heard him play, they’d see how great he was.
Before she had time to look around, someone had her in a bear hug and off her feet, spinning her around in the air. “Bailey,” Wade said before placing her back on her feet. “It’s so good to see you here.”
She laughed and looked up at his smiling face. “Thanks. It’s good to be here. It’s been a while.”
She held on to him for a few seconds to get her bearings after spinning in circles. When she let go, Lucas greeted her with a big hug, but let her keep her feet on the ground.
He released her to stare into her eyes. “How are you?”
“I’m all right. Really.” She lowered her eyes and said, “Have you seen signs of any reporters? I’m not sure how they found out I reunited with my family, but it’s already been on the news and The Rosa Trials.”
“Nope, not tonight, but…” He turned toward the door. “Greg over there is keeping an eye out.”
Bailey turned to see Greg, an El Lago bouncer, collecting door fees. “He won’t let them in if they show up.”
She smiled at Lucas. “Thank you for always looking out for me.”
“My pleasure. If you get uncomfortable, let me know, and I’ll help you get away. You can always hide out in the office when you need a break from the crowd.” He turned to look at the corner of the room. “The family is here. I had them seated at the big table with a view of the lake.”
She looked over to find them all staring at her. “Gee…do you think they’re over there talking about me?”
“Oh, I’d bet the bank they are.” Lucas smiled and led her over, stopping at the hostess station to grab a handful of menus.
When they approached the table, he pulled out a chair for Bailey next to her father. “Welcome to El Lago, Mr. and Mrs. Spatz. It’s good to see you again,” he said, handing out the menus. “Everything is on the house tonight, so eat, drink, and be merry.”
“We don’t mind paying our own bill,” Alex said, taking the menu.
Lucas brushed him off. “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Spatz. Bailey’s due for a raise anyway.”
Bailey laughed and said, “No kidding.”
Lucas winked then held his hand out to introduce himself to Bailey’s siblings. “Hi, I’m Lucas, Ryan’s business partner, and the chef here at El Lago. It’s nice to meet you.”
Bailey jumped into action. “This is James Spatz, my brother. He’s the oldest, next to me.”
James stood and took Lucas’ hand. “Hello, Lucas. Stanley and I”—he pointed to his younger brother—“have been here several times before. It’s a great place.”
“Oh, wonderful,” Lucas said. “Well, I hope we see a lot more of you after tonight.” He reached over to shake Stanley’s hand. “Nice to meet you both.”
“Lucas,” Bailey said. “This is my little sister, Nicole.”
“Nicole,” he said, grabbing her hand excitedly. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“You have?” she asked. “From who?”
Lucas’ cheeks grew a little pink, and Bailey prayed he wouldn’t say from the press. Lucas had been the spokesperson for the search center when she was missing. He’d met and became acquainted with a lot of the local reporters. This exposure gave him a lot of inside information the public didn’t always get. It had also put him and El Lago in the national spotlight. Business at El Lago had grown a great deal over the last several months, and they usually turned more customers away than they let in. The place could only hold so many people. Bailey was glad business was
