Page 74 of The Fixer

The drummer called out “Off The Ground” by The Record Company. “You know it?”

“Of course I know it.” Charlie settled the strap around his neck and plucked a few strings, getting used to the feel.Sweet.He nodded to the drummer, who counted down with his sticks. Soon they were jamming, and Charlie was lost in the music. Not totally lost, though, because he stole looks at Joy to see if her expression broadcast what a total fool she thought he was. Instead, what he saw was unadulterated admiration, and while he was used to that look from other women whenever he performed, having it reflected inhereyes sent him soaring into the stratosphere. Energy bloomed inside him.

Three songs later, he thanked the crowd and the band. “Virgil, thanks for letting me play with you and the boys. It’s been a minute, and it felt good.” They tried to coax him into one more, and he politely declined. “I’m so out of practice. I don’t want to mess up this good thing you’ve got going on here. Besides, I gotta get back to my girl before someone steals her.”

Exhilaration lifted him off the stage and to the table, where Joy gave him an awkward half hug and clapped with more enthusiasm than he thought possible. “That was amazing! You’re really good! Do you perform much?” She practically gushed, and his self-esteem ballooned.

“Not so much. My brothers and I have played together since we were teenagers, but it seems the older we get, the less time we have to make music. I really enjoy it, though,” he lamented.

“Well, I really enjoyed watching you.”

He leaned in, cupping his chin in his palm. “Yeah? Wanna share your reasons why?”

The woman who’d been driving him nuts for two weeks had captivated all his attention … and he couldn’t wait to find out what else the night held in store for them.

Chapter 21

Spitfire

“You, Charlie Hunnicutt, area man of many talents,” Joy teased. “You can sing, strut, play guitar, draw, make jewelry, mix cocktails, and turn a ramshackle pile of wood into a masterpiece.”

“That’s debatable, except for maybe that last thing.”

“Do you cook too?”

“Not very well.”

She faked a snap of her fingers. “Well, damn. That was the last box on my list that needed ticking before I got down on one knee and proposed.”

“You’re kind of adorable when you’re being ridiculous,” he snorted. Not only was shedamncute tonight, but she was sexy as hell. Whether it was her new look or the fact that he was seeing her in a different setting, he had no idea, and he didn’t care. This Joy Holiday was a version he liked a helluvalot, even when she wasn’t being goofy. Was the alcohol in her system responsible for this peek behind the curtain, or did she simply feel comfortable enough around him that she was exposing her human side in its entirety? He hoped it was the latter.

“I’ll take that compliment and run with it.” She squinted at him through the dim light. “Why are you single again?”

Charlie hadn’t had much to drink—definitely not as much as Joy—but he was on a high that loosened his tongue. The answer he gave was an honest one. “I don’t want to settle. I want what my parents have. I want what Noah and Hailey have.” He shrugged. “I haven’t met anyone who meets the requirements. To be fair, I haven’t been looking.”

“How old are you?”

“Just turned twenty-seven in June, which I guess makes me responsible now that my prefrontal cortex is fully mature.” He paused until she stopped giggling. “How about you?”

“I’m twenty-nine. Way ahead of you.”

“Ooh, I love me an older woman. There’s so much she can teach a young pup like me.” He grinned at her, enjoying this conversation way too much.

“Ha! I have a feeling there’s not much left to teach you, young pup. Seriously, you have the entire female population of at least two counties to choose from. Are you that picky, or have you been through them all already?”

“Even if that were true,” he scoffed, “the counties you’re referring to aren’t that big. We’re talking about three thousand peopletotal, and the average age is fifty-five. So no, I have definitelynotbeen through them all, nor have I wanted to. Not even close.”

Their waitress brought them fresh beers, and Joy raised hers to him. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m glad I came tonight. And now you can tell anyone who cares that you weren’t lying, and it’ll be true.”

He toasted her back, holding her eyes with his. “Me too. For all kinds of reasons that have nothing to do with lying about tonight.”

Joy’s cheeks pinkened. She put down her beer and bent over the table toward him, giving him an enticing glimpse of the silky skin below her neckline. She crooked her finger at him, and he leaned in like one of his dogs about to get a treat. Eager.

She dropped her voice. “There’s something I’ve been dying to know.”

If that kiss in the dark at Miners was real? If I’ve read every single one of Lacey Dewinter’s sex scenes and jacked off afterward? Hell yeah, to both questions.Pinpricks of desire raised goose bumps along his arm. “Whatever it is, I’m dying to tell you.”

“Is Charles your real name?” She bit her bottom lip.

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