Page 19 of Melody

Besides, there was an added bonus—having a guy around on occasion might provide some level of protection, a little safety.

No…not really. Not with Tommy. The guy was a loose cannon and, when he was provoked, just about anything around him could become a weapon—chairs, lamps, forks, candles in jars, cutting boards, and hammers were just a few of the items Scarlett had seen him brandish in a rage.

Still, having a man like Kyle around would make her feel safer, even if it was only an illusion. Scarlett herself had no protection other than the pepper spray in her purse—which did her no good when she didn’t have it with her.

And it was high time to admit to herself that she’d found herself quite attracted to Kyle, the first man she’d even allowed herself to feel anything for in a long time. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to spend time in the company of a man. It didn’t hurt that he consistently made her laugh and smile. And, like he’d said about her effect on him, he made her feel better about herself.

All positives.

The only negative she could see was the possibility of falling in love. She couldn’t trust her own judgment. What if Kyle was only putting on an act? She’d seen that kind of thing before. Hemight be a real son of a bitch underneath the mask. But, more than that, she knew she’d have to leave Silver City eventually, and it would be harder if she had to leave a piece of her heart behind.

It had been hard enough leaving a good friend like Marin. What would she do if she had to leave someone she shared her heart with?

By the end of Intent to Murder’s set, Scarlett was torn…but she decided she would take a chance. She simply had to be smart about it.

Later, when Kyle approached the bar, the first thing she said was “Yes.”

His eyes narrowed in confusion. “What?”

“Yes. I’ll go out on a date with you.”

A slow smile crept over his face. “I thought you said I was insane to keep asking.”

“Maybe so—but maybe I felt a little sorry for you.”

“A pity date?”

Cocking her head, she said, “We can talk later. Do you need anything to drink right now?”

“Tink, you gotta work on your bedside manner. You call me insane, get my hopes up, and then shoo me away.”

If he hadn’t been smiling, she might have been worried that she’d hurt his feelings. “Come back when it’s slower and I promise to soothe your weary soul.”

What the hell was she even saying?

“You got a date. Wait—no. I don’t want to blow my one chance. Scratch that. I’ll be back.”

It was hard to focus the rest of the night. Fortunately, much of her job she could now perform by rote until it came to drinks she didn’t make too often.

After the headlining band finished and the bar switched back to pre-recorded music, it was still loud with all the peoplearound, but they finally started filtering out around eleven o’clock—and, even though Kyle had come to the bar a couple of times for beer and then water, he’d stuck around.

Closer to midnight, it looked as if his bandmates had left, and Kyle walked over to her side of the bar again. Things had slowed enough that she was now cleaning up. Denise was tackling the bathrooms before leaving for the night; Al had already left; and there was one server remaining, wiping off tables and bringing stray glasses back to the bar. Even with the occasional order that Scarlett was bound to get, she could afford to give Kyle more attention now.

“Still think I’m insane?”

“Well, youdoplay a crazy mean guitar.”

Kyle chuckled and sat on one of the many empty stools at the bar. “I guess.”

“You do. Did you need anything to drink?”

“I wouldn’t mind another glass of water.”

“You got it.” Scarlett scooped a few cubes of ice into a glass and then poured water over it. As she slid it to Kyle on a cocktail napkin, she said, “On the house.”

“That’s awfully generous.”

“Well, I’d promised to buy you a beer—but I guess I’ll have to owe you.”

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