Page 20 of The Bartender's Baby

FIVE

NATE

Ibrushed my hand over Tabitha’s hair again and again, my lips against her temple, whispering words of how I had her, it was okay, I’d take care of her. She sniffled and shivered, and I hadn’t even realized we were outside on a thirty-degree night. I’d watched that asshole get in her face, and I’d lost it.

“You’re freezing,” I noted, running my hands over her arms, and she nodded, but when I tried to pull her back to the door, she shook her head.

“I need another minute.”

So, I held her hand, laced our fingers together, and tugged her to me, keeping her warm as best I could. When she finally met my gaze, her eyes pink and watery, she whispered a quiet apology, and I couldn’t stand it. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I told her. “This is on him.”

“I know, but… I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m apologizing. I don’t know what I’m doing.” Her breath stuttered, and she wiped the backs of her hands over her cheeks. “He obviously doesn’t want anything to do with me or the baby.”

I couldn’t even feel bad about that. “He doesn’t deserve to be involved. Not if that was his reaction.”

She sniffed. “He said he’d pay for the abortion.”

Hearing it for the second time tonight made my blood boil.

I was all for everyone living their lives and making their own choices, but telling someone else what they should do or not do with their body was wrong. Worse, telling Tabby to terminate a pregnancy after the loss she’d suffered was despicable. I didn’t give a shit if he knew about her past or not, it wasn’t his place. And I stared off in the direction that son of bitch had walked. Maybe I could catch up to him. Finish what I’d started.

“Please don’t,” she said, like she could read my thoughts. “I assumed he wouldn’t want anything to do with it.”

“But he shouldn’t have treated you like that.” I caught her chin between my thumb and forefinger, lifting her face up to mine. “I protect…”Mine, I didn’t say. “I protect my people. You are one of my people.”

She sniffed once again and eked out an impression of a smile.

I tried for a real one. “I mean… I appreciate you letting me take him down, but I really would’ve liked to see you land a kick or two.”

That earned me a husky laugh. “Yeah, it’s been a while since I got to dust off my skills.”

I stretched my neck in a search around us. “You want me to find a board or something to break?”

“No. I’m good.”

“Yeah.” He slung his arm around me. “You are.”

We stepped back into Walt’s to find Evie manning the bar with Bran, a college drop-out Tabby had convinced me to hire. At the time, I hadn’t thought anything of it, but maybe she saw something in him that she saw in herself. The need to work, the drive to do his best, even if it was slinging beers at a neighborhood dive. A lot of patrons appeared to have exited in the last few minutes, and I only had myself to blame for that.

The regulars knew me. The generous customers who kept this place running knew I wouldn’t fly off the handle half-cockedfor no reason. And those who didn’t? Well…Hope you enjoyed the show.

I shouldn’t have lost my temper. But I didn’t regret it. Wouldn’t take it back even if I could.

“Handed out a bunch of shots,” Evie explained, meeting me at the open lip of the bar. Her attention coasted over my face and down the length of me, as if checking for injuries, and then her gaze panned to Tabby. “You okay?”

Tabitha nodded, though not very believably, and my sister extended her arms, a silent offering. Surprisingly, Tabby took her up on it, embracing Evie. I jutted my chin toward Dylan, now seated at the corner of the bar. “Thanks, man.”

“You’ve really got a hard-on for punching people at your workplace, huh?”

I checked out my knuckles. Just a little red. “I rule my kingdom with an iron fist.”

“That’s what you call it? Ruling?”

“I am the king.”

He grunted a sound of amusement. “How’s your girl over there?”

I glanced over my shoulder. She was still shaken up. There was no way I would make her work after that. “Come on,” I told them all. “Let’s go to the office.”

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