“That I, without a doubt, want to keep this baby.”
I’m grinning ear to fucking ear. “Me too.”
“These would normally be served in a copper mug,” I tell Sierra and Lisa. “This bar is not equipped for hipster drinks, apparently.”
Sierra laughs. “I’m not surprised.”
“It’s strong, you’ll probably only want one,” I say, making sure Lisa hears. The less Sierra drinks, the better. It’ll lessen the chance of her getting caught sans alcohol. “I’ll come back and see if you need a refill though.”
“I like that you’re fucking the bartender.” Lisa takes a big drink. “We get to drink for free.”
Sierra shakes her head. “Don’t work too long. I mean it. You’re supposed to take two to three weeks off.”
It’s Friday night, and we’re busy. “I’ll stay behind the bar. I won’t move around too much then.”
Sierra stares at me flatly. “I’ve seen the bar. And you behind it. You’re on your feet the whole time.” She takes another drink then makes a face, hand going to her stomach.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I have cramps again.”
“I hate that,” Lisa groans. “You’re so lucky you have a penis,” she tells me.
I nod, hiding the concern on my face. Sierra’s been having cramps on and off for a week now. She thought it was her oncoming period before, but now that we know she’s pregnant, it’s freaking me out. Cramps can’t be a good thing. I tried to keep her from Googling her symptoms because nothing good comes from that, though according to the internet, slight cramps like she’s been feeling aren’t anything to worry about.
Sierra’s friends Katie and Bella come to The Mill House not long after, and are trying to get Sierra and Lisa to sit at the bar and then dance. Not consuming alcohol is easy enough, but avoiding the smokers at the bar isn’t possible. Sierra meets my eye across the room, smiling and putting her hand over her stomach. I smile back as I bring drinks to another group of young women.
Cory is getting a better handle on running solo but is still struggling. I’m glad Jax was able to come down here this past week and lend a hand. I take a tray of drinks to Sierra’s table, hoping I can keep her friends happy with being away from the main part of the bar for a while longer.
Katie and Bella are drunk already, and ohh and ahh when I give Sierra a kiss. I slide into the booth next to Sierra for a minute, wanting to get my fix of her and needing to get off my feet for a minute.
“You still should go lay down,” Sierra tells me, resting her hand on my thigh. “Before you overdo it.”
“I’m fine,” I assure her. “I need to get back to my routine in order to feel better.”
“I’m not going to get you to listen, am I?”
“Nope.”
She rolls her eyes and squeezes my thigh.
“You guys are like the cutest couple ever,” Katie slurs. She drunkenly points at Sierra. “You’re like the prettiest, and he’s seriously hot. Physically, you look good together. And mentally, you look happy.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Bella giggles. “You can’t see someone’s mental…mentalness.”
“But she looks happy.”
Bella considers her words. “Yeah. She does. You do look happy, Sierra.”
Her friends start to gush again, and I almost don’t hear what’s going on behind us. Almost.
“Where’s the big guy?” someone demands.
“I…I don’t know,” Cory stammers. I turn, not in the mood for a fucking bar fight. But what I see isn’t some drunk getting agitated. It’s the Haynes brothers. Both of them, surrounding Corey, fists clenched, looking pissed off as fuck.
“Shit,” I mutter and get up.
“He was here yesterday,” one of the brothers says. They’re not twins, but they’re both big, ugly brutes. “We saw him.”
“He…he left. I don’t know where he went.” Corey’s eyes dart to me. Fuck.
The bigger of the two whips around. I only saw them once before this, but I never forget a face. Beady blue eyes, spiked blonde hair, too-tight polo shirt with the collar up, and enough cologne to choke a horse…classic asshole apparel.
“I know you,” he says, narrowing his eyes. “You fucking stole my car!”
I roll my eyes. “I didn’t steal your car. I wouldn’t want it anyway. I’m a Ford guy.”
“Jay!” Big Haynes calls to his brother. “Look who I fucking found.”
Jay’s there in seconds, glowering at me. “Where are the fucking cars?”
I shrug. “Probably in the garage of someone who could actually afford them.”
At that, Big Haynes takes a swing. I catch his fist and twist his arm behind his back. Country music blares from the speakers above us, but a hush falls over those around me. They step back, anticipating a fight.
“Easy now.” I twist his arm hard, knowing it hurts. “You’re not starting shit in my bar,” I hiss. “Get your brother and get the fuck out before I kick both your asses and take whatever piece of shit you drove here.”
“Give us the fucking cars.”
“I don’t have them,” I say through gritted teeth and shove him into the bar top. “You lost them when you stopped making payments. The dealership took them back, dumbass. If you want the legalities of it, take it up with the judge who signed off on it. Now get the fuck out of here.”
“Fine,” Big Haynes grunts. I let go of his arm and step back, ready for him to come at me again. He gives his brother a look, and he nods. They storm out of the bar, tension hanging in the air.
Corey looks at me, unblinking. “You’re kind of my hero,” he half jokes. “Those guys were looking for Jax…who are they?”
“No one. Just two assholes looking for a fight.”
“It seemed like you knew them.”
“We crossed paths once.”
“And you stole his car?” Corey’s voice gets high-pitched with nerves, and I have a good guess what he’s thinking. If I’m the kind of person who steals from those assholes, there’s nothing that I won’t do.
“No. He stopped making payments on it but refused to give it back to the dealership. I was the one who went and retrieved it.”
“Wow,” Corey says, taken aback. “No wonder they’re pissed.”
“Yeah. Just pissed at the wrong person.”
“Are they gone?”
I glance at the door, knowing they didn’t come all this way just to let it go after a stern talking to. They’re going to be even more pissed to know they’re one step behind. By now, Jax is already in Florida fucking his cougar. “For now. I’ll handle it. Get back to work. If everyone here sees you looking rattled, they’ll leave. Give one free round to that group over there. Make them look back and think this was an exciting night.”
Sierra rushes over, pushing through the small crowd around the bar. “Are you okay?” she asks, eyebrows pinched together. Her hands fly to my waist and she starts to lift up my shirt.