Page 33 of Forever To Me

I pull up in front of the Dogwood. I kill the engine, but Red doesn’t move.

“That was…” she trails off, breathless.

I glance back over my shoulder. “Not so bad?”

She clears her throat. “I was gonna say kinda exhilarating.”

I chuckle. “Told you.”

Just then, the door swings open, and Maggie stands there, grinning as if she’d just witnessed the juiciest small-town gossip in real-time.

“Well, well, well,” she drawls. “Didn’t take you for the knight-in-shining-leather type, Walker.”

“I’ll finish up your move-in paperwork for the nursing home,” I tell her.

Maggie rolls her eyes as Red hurries to climb off the bike, removing the helmet and fixing her hair like she hadn’t just been wrapped around me for the past half hour. I took the long wayso she could see more of Bridger Falls. Really, I just liked having her on my bike. It’ll be worth the shit that Ollie’s going to give me later for this.

“Bad news bears, Walker. Cash called out. His wife is in labor,” Maggie says, her voice light but knowing. “Wherever would you find a last-minute bartender who has experience?”

I swing my leg over the bike and lean against it. “Why? You interested?” I know damn well the angle she’s playing at, but I’m going to give her hell.

Maggie smirks and nods toward Red. “Not me. Violet.”

My gaze flickers to Red.

She crosses her arms. “I do need a job, especially now that I have extra car repairs.”

My lips twitched. “You sure that’s a good idea? Working with me?”

Red meets my gaze, challenge dancing in her eyes. “I thought we were gonna be friends, Walker?”

I exhale slowly. Damn this woman.

Something about how she said friends made my gut clench, making me want to prove they were anything but.

“Okay,” I say finally. “Be at The Black Dog at seven.”

Maggie beams as Red smirks. “Guess I’ll see you later, boss. Thanks for the ride.”

She turns and heads toward her room, and I run a hand through my hair.

Yeah. This is a terrible fucking idea.

The bar is alive with music, laughter, and the smell of food in the air. The dim lighting gives the place a warm glow, the jukebox humming an old country tune while pool balls clack in the corner. It’s busier than usual for a Friday night, and the bar,locals, and tourists blend together over drinks and the promise of a good time.

I stand behind the bar, watching Red effortlessly pour drinks and handle the growing crowd. She’s a firecracker, all sharp edges, and quick wit, and it turns out she’s been bartending just as long as I have.

After watching her tonight, I know she can hold her own with rowdy customers and handle herself just fine. No doubt.

But tonight, trouble walked through the doors looking for her.

Two out-of-towners, rough around the edges, have been running their mouths, pushing limits, testing boundaries. I’ve been watching them from the start, but I also discovered that Red doesn’t enjoy being babysat. Nobody would.

Right now, she was proving exactly why she didn’t need it.

“Come on, sweetheart,” one man, a burly guy with greasy hair and a beer belly, slurred, leaning over the bar towards her. “Ain’t no harm in a little smile. Bet you’d look real nice if you loosened up for me.”

Red doesn’t miss a beat, setting down a fresh whiskey glass with a hard clink. “Back the hell off.”

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