Not, of course, that there was any guarantee Eli would kiss her even if he did show up on time, but a girl could hope in the privacy of her own heart and mind.
Carly left the stage to take a breather before the evening’s big finale and crossed to where Brynne was sitting, feet dangling.
“Thank you,” the girl said. “For letting us perform tonight. It’s been great.”
Brynne reached out, took one of Carly’s hands and gave it a light squeeze. “Thank you,” she replied. “You and The GateCrashers always draw a crowd. Tonight was very profitable.” She’d paid the band earlier, during a break. “For all of us, I think.”
Carly smiled. “I only get to spend half of my share,” she confided, with mock regret. “Dad and Shallie insist I save a major chunk of everything I earn singing, even though I’ve made a boatload of money from my YouTube channel. It isn’t as if I can’t afford college with no help from anybody.”
Brynne laughed softly. “Not many young people can say that, Carly,” she said. “You should be very proud of yourself.”
The girl’s shoulders moved in a shrug-like gesture. “It’s been fun,” she replied, as though she’d had little or no part in her own success. “I’ve been lucky—found myself a dad and two fantastic uncles.”
She’d also lost her mother, Reba, to cancer, been left alone with a greedy stepfather and his girlfriend, and made her own way across country to arrive at the back door of Sully’s Bar and Grill not that long ago, looking for her biological father.
Brynne, though certainly not friends with Reba, had been the one to break the news of her death to Cord Hollister, who had passed the word to J.P. and Eli.
Despite the fact that Reba had virtually stolen Eli from her, back in high school, Brynne had secretly felt sorry for the other girl. Oh, she’d had plenty of resentment, too, but even in her teenage years, she’d known how lucky she was to have two loving parents, a good home and a lot of friends.
Reba, arriving alone, working at the Painted Pony Creek Motel, partying like the proverbial rock star, clearly hadn’t been blessed with a home and family, loving or otherwise.
“You have been lucky,” Brynne agreed. “And so have I.”
Carly smiled, nodded. Excused herself to return to the little stage occupied by the rest of the band.
A few more songs followed, each one drawing cheers from the dwindling but determined audience.
Brynne suspected she wasn’t the only one watching the clock, though her reason was probably different from theirs.
Once again, she sighed.
And then it happened. At two minutes before midnight, the restaurant door swung open and Eli entered, looking both weary and frazzled, both of which were unusual for him.
He was usually so self-possessed.
As soon as he was inside, the door closed behind him, he searched the room, found Brynne. Held her gaze.
Her heart jumped.
He was pale with exhaustion
They simply stared at each other for long moments, across the crowded space between them.
Then Brynne slid off the stool, stood on her shoeless feet and waited.
Eli came to her.
“You look terrible,” she said.
He quirked a grin. “Thanks. You, on the other hand, look fantastic.”
Brynne blushed. She’d heard that particular line many times, from many different men, but coming from Eli Garrett, well, it was different.
She didn’t speak, because she couldn’t.
“Festus is in the SUV,” he said. “Is there any way I can bring him inside without getting you in trouble with the health department?”
Brynne studied him briefly, feeling troubled by his mood. What had happened since he’d left the place earlier?
“Come in through the back way,” she said. “I’ll be watching for you.”
Eli nodded, looking grateful and worried at the same time.
“Eli,” Brynne said, taking one of his hands, much as she had taken Carly’s a few minutes before, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” he said.
“Not good enough, Sheriff,” Brynne countered gently. “I meant it when I said you look terrible, and I want to know why.”
He dredged up a smile. “Okay,” he replied, “but later.”
The countdown had begun, led by Carly, who held the microphone.
Cheers erupted a second after she’d shouted, “One!”
And Eli took Brynne in his arms, gazing straight into her eyes, while she looked up at him in hopeful wonder.
When he kissed her, the earth swayed on its axis.
It was as if they’d both sprouted wings and soared into the dark night sky to seek out hidden stars and claim them for their own.
“Happy New Year, Bailey,” Eli said gruffly, when the long, long kiss ended.
“Same to you, Garrett,” Brynne replied.
He laughed.
The noise surrounding them was deafening, and yet they might have been entirely alone in a silent place, for all the attention they paid the others.
Twenty minutes later, when virtually everyone had shaken Brynne’s hand, thanked her for a great evening and/or kissed her on the cheek, the restaurant was finally empty.
Except for herself and Eli, that is.
They stood facing each other, close together, swaying ever so slightly from side to side, in response to music they could feel but not hear.
Streamers dropped from the ceiling.
Confetti covered the tables, the counter and the floor.
The buffet table was a mess.
All of it, Brynne decided, could wait.
“Go and get Festus,” she said. “I’ll head upstairs and shut Waldo—my cat—in my bedroom. Meet you out back in about five minutes?”
“Five minutes it is,” Eli agreed. “Lock the door behind me.”
Again, Brynne felt a niggle of unease. Of course she locked the doors when the restaurant was closed, but she’d never had cause to feel afraid, either in Bailey’s or anywhere else in town.
She nodded, locked the door behind Eli and turned to survey the happy wreckage left behind by visiting celebrants.
The chafing dishes on the buffet table were mostly empty and covered by their lids, but some of the flames beneath them were still flickering.
Brynne extinguished the tiny fires quickly, then hurried upstairs to her apartment.