Page 24 of Hope's Heartlands

My grip on the beer mug tightens. There’s a flash across my mind of Roxy on top of me and my hands gripping her waist. Almost as soon as it’s there it’s gone. My imagination has been going wild lately and it has everything to do with Roxy. My cock lengthens down the leg of my pants and I start counting. No way do I need to have a hard-on while I’m sitting here talking to Cat. Saint may be my brother, but he’d whoop my old ass in a minute. Through gritted teeth, I shake my head. “No, it’s not me. I don’t know why you would think that.”

Unaware of the undercurrents, she laughs. “Yeah, right. The way you two are so hot for each other, I mean everyone knows it. Y’all just need to give in to it.”

Shocked, I look down the bar and catch Roxy’s eyes. They’re guarded but I can still see the heat in them.Does she really feel something for me?

I let go of the beer and put both hands on the bar top. “No, you’re wrong. I’m old enough to be her father.”

Cat looks down at all the men on Roxy’s side of the bar and lifts her shoulders. “I dunno. Roxy hasn’t talked about anyone to me. But look at all of them. She usually has a group of men watching her as she works. I think you’re asking the wrong question, Gage.”

I jut my chin at her. “Okay, what’s the right question?”

“Who wouldn’t want to be with Roxy?” she says to me before walking over to take an order from some out-of-towners.

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks and I shoot a glance down the bar. The whole idea that Roxy is pregnant and any number of these men I’m staring daggers at could be the dad hits me right in the chest. I know Roxy, though, and I know she doesn’t sleep around. Whoever the father is, it has to be someone she cares about. She never lets anyone close.

I remember last night when Randy made a big to-do of saying bye to Roxy when we were leaving.Could he be the father?

I look for him, but he’s not standing at the bar. I turn to the room and scan the tables and the pool tables, finally spotting him on the dance floor holding some woman in his arms. I want to go and demand to know if he’s the father or not. But I know Roxy wouldn’t appreciate that. I’ve already upset her and made her mad, so me going around the room and demanding to know who the father is won’t go over well with her. No, she’d probably never talk to me again. Plus, I know she wouldn’t appreciate the fact that I’m the one telling her business. She may not even want people to know she’s pregnant.

I sit and drink my beer, watching. I figure if I sit here long enough, I’ll see something. I lean my back against the bar so I’m facing the crowd, looking out at all the faces. There’s a bunch of regulars but there’s also a bunch I’ve never seen before too. With the bike rally in town, it’s understandable. We’re the closest bar and business always picks up during these things. The events bring out weekend warriors, independents, citizens and one percenters alike. As I watch more people coming in, I can’t help but feel on edge. These events usually bring out a brawl or two. I’ve always worried about Roxy anyway during these things, but now even more so. She’s pregnant; this is no place for her. Especially knowing how handsy some of these guys are.

I had planned on going into town, but maybe I’ll just stay right here. Keep an eye out for Roxy. I catch her scent as she walks by me and I inhale deeply before shaking my head.What the fuck is wrong with me?I’ve made it my mission to keep Roxy at arm’s length, to treat her like a family member, but lately all I can do is think things that I definitely shouldn’t be thinking of her. She flips her hair as she walks past me, answering my question that yes, she’s still mad at me.

That’s fine as fuck. She can be as mad as she wants. I’m still going to sit here. I’m still going to make sure nothing gets out of hand. I’m still going to make sure she’s safe. But the one thing I’m not going to do is think thoughts that I shouldn’t be thinking. Like her lips on mine. Or her hands on me. I definitely won’t be thinking about my hands gripping her waist.Damn.I adjust myself in my jeans. I can’t even get her off my mind.

As she walks by me, I see men staring at her and I want to fight them all. I turn my back on them and lean over the bar top, thankful that she works behind the bar instead of waitressing the tables. If she did, I know I wouldn’t make it through the night without my fist connecting with someone’s face.Man, I’m fucked.

Chapter6

Roxy

Even though I don’t want to talk to Gage, I’m glad he’s stuck around since the mix in the crowd of customers is bound to stir up a few fights.

I can barely do my job right because I can feel his gaze on me since he planted himself at the bar. I know he’s upset. He thinks of me like a child instead of the twenty-three-year-old woman I am. I pull my shoulders back. To heck with him, he’s going to have to get over it. I haven’t even really begun to process everything, but I know I want this baby. I rub my hand across my stomach as I pour a drink with the other one. When I set the bottle down, I look at Gage and he’s staring at my hand. I drop it and his eyes snap up to mine. His eyes are almost hooded as he looks at me, so I can’t read his expression, but I know I’ll melt under his gaze. Just one look from him has my insides twitching. I jerk my gaze from his and get back to work.

Ranger brought in a few girls to help serve drinks for the week and two of them quit before their third hour on the clock was finished. Whitney, one of the new hires, is serving drinks to the tables and pool tables and is having a rough go of it, but I admire her tenacity for sticking with it.

I go out on the floor and let Cat and Stella make the drinks behind the bar. I know I’m going to get felt up, but that’s part of waitressing in a biker bar. Of course, I’ve got more grit than most women and the guys who get out of hand will get put in their place.

The first table I go to is a bunch of rowdy men that look like they just got a hall pass for the weekend. Wannabe bikers. We get them from time to time, but when there is a motorcycle show or rally in town, they seem to come out of the woodwork. Usually, they’re fine and don’t cause too many problems. These guys may be different, though. I can already tell they are verging on too much to drink. “So can I get you anything to eat?” I ask them instead of offering them a drink. I glance over toward the door where Bulldog is usually standing, but I see him across the room dealing with another commotion.Man, what a night.

The man closest to me stands up and moves toward me until he’s pressed against my front. I stiffen my back, knowing that I can’t let him or anyone else know that they get to me. He leers at me. “I know exactly what I want to eat.”

Normally I would have a quick retort and put the man in his place, but his breath reeks and I cover my face with my hand, unable to keep myself from gagging. I barely have time to pull myself together before I feel myself lifted and moved to the side. “Stay here,” Gage demands.

I want to argue with him, to tell him exactly what I think of his demands, but the look in his eye right now tells me to leave it alone. Plus, my stomach is a little queasy so I decide that right now is not my time to argue with anyone, let alone Gage. When I finally nod my head at him, he turns back to the men.

I should just get back to work, but instead I stand there and watch him. He always handles these situations really well. Sometimes he talks them down. Sometimes he’s been known to break up a fight by buying a round of drinks. So when I see his arm come backwards and he punches the man right in the face, I know that Gage is under a lot of pressure. And I don’t think it’s just all the issues with the Outlaws. No, there’s more to it than that. He’s throwing punches left and right and even when the guy’s buddies jump in and try to help, they don’t even have a chance. He takes them out too. I’m standing there with my mouth wide open when Bulldog shows up and helps Gage take them outside.

Gage no sooner walks out the front door of the bar than he’s back again, standing in front of me. “It’s already out of hand here. I think you need to take the rest of the night off.”

Stunned, I answer him quickly. “No,” I tell him and turn away.

I don’t get far before he grabs on to my arm and stops me. He doesn’t let go of me, even when I turn back to him. “Please, Roxy. I’m asking you.”

First, I’m shocked. Gage doesn’t ask anything. He just tells people what to do. Second, the look on his face tells me how important this is to him. But I’m not going to give in. This is just him looking out for me like he always does. I’m going to have to show him that I can handle this, all of this, on my own. “No. Ranger’s already short-handed. He only has one of the three waitresses left. I’m not leaving.”

I untangle my hand from his and he corners me against the wall, a hand on each side of the wall beside me, caging me in. My heart is beating double-time. I try to ignore it, but just being this close to him is too much. And when the clean musky scent of him hits my nose, I fight the urge to bury my nose in his neck. It brings back that night in full force and I try to hide the effect he has on me by dropping my chin and looking anywhere I can but at him.

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