Page 23 of In Spades

She did most of that ass-knocking dressed in that awful Taylor Creek Inn uniform. So, the sight of her in those barely-there shorts and that spaghetti strap tank told me I was a dead man.

Not why you’re here, Solomon. Pull it together.

Bridget swooped in and saved the day with a round of shots for the pack of girls.

Chase Brannan approached me and offered a handshake. His grip silently said that he meant business. “Good to see you again, man.”

Kristin and her friends congregated at the other end of the bar and knocked back shots. Bridget looked over her shoulder as she poured another round. “Chase, are you supervising?”

“Yeah, darlin’. Just water for me.”

She nodded and gave him a one-second finger. Chase turned to me. “Girls’ night. I have the pleasure of making sure those four ladies make it home alright.”

Kristin caught my eye as she darted across the bar to the pool tables with a curly-haired woman.

“That’s, uh, good. Real good.”

Chase laughed. “Don’t let Kris fool you. She looks innocent, but she’s a handful when you get a few drinks in her.”

I grinned and drained the last few drops of my beer. “She’s something else.”

“You know her well?”

“Just a few conversations here and there,” I said, balling up my napkin and tossing it on my empty dinner plate. “How long have you two been...” I didn’t know how to finish that sentence.

What I really wanted to ask was if she was seeing someone. I’d never seen her wear a ring. Never heard her talk about a boyfriend or fiancé.

“Friends,” Chase supplied. “And yeah, she’s single.”

I raised an eyebrow. Was I that transparent? “How did you?—”

He tapped his temple. “Detective. I read people for a living.”

“You want another round, hot stuff?” Bridget asked me with a wicked smile.

I chuckled. “Glass of water if you don’t mind.”

“Don’t mind a bit.” Bridget flashed a smile before shifting her gaze to Chase. “What about you?” Her voice was softer with him.

“I’m alright, Bee,” Chase said, offering a slight shake of his head. He fiddled with a stray paper napkin, tearing at the edge. “How’ve you been?”

Intense energy buzzed between them. It felt like I was intruding on a private moment.

“You know me,” she said, leaning in and resting her forearms on the bar. “Same old, same old.”

They lingered in silence for a moment, never breaking eye contact. Chase clenched his fists beneath the bar, where Bridget couldn’t see. Above the wood, he was cool as a cucumber.

“I’ll get you that water, Will,” Bridget said, tapping her nails on the bar before sauntering off.

With their weird sexual tension shattered, I took a chance.

“So,” I said, gesturing toward Kristin and the other four girls tearing it up on the dance floor. “What’s her story?”

Chase raised his eyebrows. “Not mine to tell you, that’s for damn sure. Kristin’s a private person. If she decides to open up to you, don’t shit all over it. You hear me?”

Bridget returned with two glasses of water. One for me and one for Chase.

I picked mine up and tipped it toward him. “Noted.”

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