Page 10 of Hart Breaker

He shakes his head and smiles at me. “I’m not having kids.”

“Why?” Iz asks as they take their seats back at the bar.

“I couldn’t be the dad I wanna be, playing the game I love. I’m not expecting a woman to want to follow me around the country or put up with my schedule.” He shrugs. “So, no kids.”

“Plenty of women would follow you around the country,” Syd states.

He shakes his head and swallows back a whole cluster of words he seems to want to say. He blinks it away and chuckles. “I gotta get back to the lake and help Boone perform an exorcism.” He grins. “Maybe I’ll give Lily the golden pitchfork to take her mind off the loss of Lovey.”

“Yeah, great idea. How about you give her some scissors and tell her to run as fast as she can,” Syd scolds him.

Laughing, he turns to walk out the door.

“Hey, Hart,” I call his attention back to us, and he looks over his shoulder. “I don’t remember her having her Wovey when she came in.”

His eyes narrow slightly.

“She normally gives it to me to hold when she eats so it doesn’t get dirty. I’m betting it’s in Boone’s vehicle.”

“Gonna pray you’re right because I’d like some sleep before I have to get up and face SPD at my door, issuing noise complaint tickets.”

“If someone complains and you get a ticket, you let SPD know they should be arresting the person complaining for trespassing,” Syd huffs, and I see the exact moment when the realization hits. “On second thought, call the State boys.”

Syd’s ex-fiancé is a police officer in Skaneateles, and when she broke up with him, she got pulled over every time she pulled into town. The pathetic piece of shit told everyone she broke his heart. In my opinion, a heart attached to a man that sticks his dick in another when he’s months from the altar deserves more than to get broken. It deserves to be stabbed repeatedly.

As soon as he exits, Syd hurries to the door and calls, “Be right back!”

Iz claps her hands together and rubs them back and forth. “Syd’s going to get herself some rebound ass.”

Mags giggles. “Ry’s the ass chick; Syd’s all about eyes and arms.”

Lauren yawns, bored with the conversation. “I’m going to head to my place, get into my jammies, and watch TV.”

“We’re staying with you,” Iz says.

“Hey, what am I, chopped liver?” I ask as the three of them head toward the back exit.

“I close and clean tomorrow night,” Lo calls back.

“You’re leaving me all alone.” I fake pout.

“You have Syd, which means you’ll be cleaning toilets with a glove and toothbrush; enjoy,” Mags says, and the three start laughing.

“Have fun, brats,” I call after them.

I walk down the bar, pulling the plugs on all the sink drains below it as I make my way back to the kitchen to grab the dish tray. When I return, Syd is walking in, and she’s winded.

“You okay?” I try not to laugh when she bends at the waist, attempting to catch her breath and raise her hand in the air. “You found Wuvey!”

Uncurling her body, she stands and throws her hands in the air. “I did!” She pops out a hip. “Now call the damn fool. He was parked over it. Tell him I chased his ass down the road in these.” I look in the direction Syd is pointing. “These are not running shoes; they’re brand-new hooker boots that happen to be comfortable and look good with everything.” Her pouty bottom lip pops out. “And they’re a muddy mess.”

“I don’t have his number.” I hold up a bar rag. “But I can clean up your kitten heels.”

She walks toward me. “Is it too late to call anyone to get his number?” she asks, knowing a call after nine p.m. means someone is in trouble, and a text to anyone married after dark is an interruption, as she takes her boot off.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’d drive there, but …” She lifts a shoulder.

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