Page 14 of Forever With You

The other guy, the one with the short bronze hair and military written all over him, was also behind the bar. If I remembered correctly, that was Jax, the owner. Near the well, Roxy was working; I squeezed myself in between two stools.

Only a few seconds passed before her bespectacled gaze drifted past me and darted back. Surprise widened her eyes. “You came back.”

What an odd statement.

Roxy whirled toward the owner and shouted, “She came back!”

Um.

Jax arched a brow as he glanced in our direction and then shook his head. Unperturbed by the lack of interest on his part, Roxy looked like she was seconds away from doing a cartwheel. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, leaning against the bar in front of me. “What can I get you?”

Pushing aside the strange greeting, I flicked my gaze to the bottles beyond her and then gave up on trying to think of a drink. “I’ll go with whatever you have on tap.”

“Coming right up.” Roxy whirled around, and like a little tornado, she moved behind the bar, returning with a full glass. “Want to start a tab?”

I shook my head and handed over cash. Opening a tab always ended with me drinking way too much. “Keep the change.”

Roxy smiled, and I realized the bruise that had been on her face before was completely gone. She returned from the cash register after getting a guy sitting two stools down a fresh bottle. “I was starting to think I’d never see you again. It’s been, what? Two weeks?”

“I started a new job,” I explained. “I think it kind of wore me out a little.”

“Totally understandable.” She propped her elbows on the counter. “You’re enjoying it here?”

I nodded. “It’s taking a little bit to get used to the city. Where I come from, we don’t have anything like that.”

“Yeah, Calla—­Jax’s girlfriend—­has said that, too. But she’s actually from here, though she goes to Shepherd.” She paused long enough to take a quick breath. “But you don’t know her very well, right?”

“I just know of her. She seems like a really nice girl, though.” I took a sip of my beer. “You’ve lived here your whole life?”

“Born and raised. I love it. It’s really the perfect locale. Super close to the city but still has a town feel to it—­one sec.” Roxy buzzed down the length of the bar, handling someone who walked up with an empty drink.

Taking another sip, I turned around and scanned the bar. There was such a unique mix of ­people here, young and old, all different ethnicities and backgrounds.

“There’s a lot of hipper bars in the city,” Roxy said, returning. She grinned when I turned back around. “Sorry. You had that look on your face. Not a bad one,” she quickly added. “Mostly just checking everything out kind of look. I’m surprised we actually get a younger crowd here. There’re so many more options in Philadelphia.”

“But Mona’s is nice,” I told her, meaning it. “Yeah, it’s not ... the most in style.” I glanced at the neon Coors sign over one of the pool tables. “But I like it.”

“You need to get out more,” came a voice from behind me.

Roxy folded her arms as she raised her brows at the intruder. I turned sideways. A tall man stood there, his close-­cropped dark brown hair matching his classically handsome face. He winked in Roxy’s direction.

“It reminds me of home,” I replied, raising my glass to my lips.

The guy laughed. “Then I’m kind of worried about your home.”

Before I could respond, Roxy sighed. “Shut up, Reece.”

A smile broke out across his face as his gaze shifted toward her. “Oh, I love it when you get bossy with me.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You love me,” he replied.

“I don’t know why.” She sighed again, much more dramatically. “But I do.”

So this was the boyfriend she’d mentioned last time. Nice. Roxy had good taste. Reece tapped his fingers on the shoulder of the guy on the stool. The man looked over at him, and Reece raised his brows. “Why don’t you be a gentleman and let this lady have the seat?”

“That’s not—­”

---