Fighting Dirty - Sidney Halston Page 0,86

bar; she looked like some sort of hot goth cowgirl, with her heavy black eyeliner and red lipstick. She was a tiny thing, couldn’t measure even five foot one, hadn’t been able to fill an A-cup until now, yet he’d never wanted a woman more. From first sight, he’d wanted her. He stood and with resolve stalked toward the bar.

“Macallan, neat,” he said, looking at her mesmerizing blue eyes. “I like the hair,” he said, pointing to her blue streaks and ignoring the guy who was obviously there to see her. Well, to hell with that…so was he. He was living with her and would be raising a baby with her; he had a right to see her.

“Thought today was the day to get on with my life.”

All of a sudden he realized that in twenty years, if he had to think back to the moment he knew he’d marry JL and be with her forever, it was now. That statement—it encompassed her. She’d had a hard life, topped off by an especially hard few weeks. But today she’d gotten up, dyed her hair purple with blue streaks, and gone to work with a new outlook on life, and that outlook was so fierce because she willed it to be so. She was so resilient. She was now okay just by merely declaring it to herself.

“I’m going to marry you one day soon,” he said, completely serious. She looked at him for a moment before laughing it off as a joke. He wasn’t joking, though.

“No glasses tonight?” she asked. He shrugged and turned to see Leo watching them, but she didn’t seem to care or perhaps she hadn’t even noticed, so Enzo opted to ignore him too. “So, you dressed up. Gotta say I’m surprised you played along, darlin’,” she said, reaching out to Enzo and tapping his hat.

“We don’t do cowboys in Brazil. I wasn’t sure what to wear,” he said, looking down at his shirt.

She leaned over the counter and looked at him before climbing back down. “You going to be line dancing later?”

Enzo chuckled. “Wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“Maybe I can teach you.” She winked at him as she handed a nearby patron a drink.

“Hon, I’m heading out. See you tomorrow,” Leo said as he leaned over the bar and kissed her cheek. “Later, man.” He gave Enzo a brief nod before leaving.

“Bye, Leo. Glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” He smiled and walked away.

Enzo hung around a few minutes longer, but he could see that even though she seemed completely in control, as she always did, she was too busy for him, so he slid off the stool and went back to his friends.

The next hour was a blur of noise and commotion as people line-danced, drank, and hung out for a relaxing good time. Enzo drank with his friends and watched most of them embarrass themselves on the dance floor. He caught a few women taking notice of him, but he was only interested in one, and she was currently carrying a tray full of drinks to another table. Her small, perky ass was practically on display, and her flat stomach and tiny waist tempted him.

Enzo noticed when she finally took off her apron and headed over to the group of friends. “Finally! Shift’s over,” she said, grabbing Travis’s beer, holding it to her lips, and then putting it back down. Enzo pushed a glass of water toward her, and she smiled sweetly.

“How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good,” she answered.

“Hey, Penny. How are you doing?” Jamie Lynn said as Penny walked in, hurriedly putting on her apron.

“It’s been a hectic day.” Penny looked miserable. “And you?”

“Much better.”

“Oh, good. Probably almost through with that first hump of the dreaded first trimester.” Penny smiled, then realized what she had said and added, “Or that’s what I’ve heard.”

Jamie Lynn gave Penny a sympathetic smile. Enzo realized there was obviously a secret there; he’d have to ask her later about it.

“First trimester?” Travis asked.

“Uh…” Jamie Lynn fumbled for words. Why hadn’t she told Travis? Was she scared? Ashamed?

Enzo pulled her close. “We’re having a baby,” he said in solidarity.

Travis slammed his hands on the table. “What the fuck? You are not having a baby.”

“Excuse me?” Jamie Lynn said.

“He knocked you up?” her brother said angrily. “You barely know each other. JL, what the fuck were you thinking?”

“Just ’cause you don’t like kids doesn’t mean I don’t. I want kids, Travis. This may not have been planned, but I don’t regret it!”

“You