Secrets at the Loch (Loch Lannick #5) - Hannah Ellis Page 0,11
was worth it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “And the company.”
Chuckling, she followed him out of the pub and back into the car. They chatted easily on the drive home and the journey seemed to take no time at all.
“Thanks for your help,” Nick said when they pulled up in front of his house.
“You’re welcome,” Lexie said, stepping out of the car. The afternoon had been an improvement on her plans to sit around at home doing nothing.
“If you’re not sick of the sight of me I might come up to the pub. I’m dying for a pint.”
Lexie nodded. “I’ll see you there. I’m going to jump in the shower first.”
“I might join you.” As Nick turned bright red, Lexie bit her lip and stifled a laugh. “I mean … I’ll do the same … not join you, obviously. I’m going to have a shower too. At my house.”
The smile crept over Lexie’s face. “Good idea. I’ll see you later.”
“See you,” he said, heading quickly to his front door.
Lexie beamed as she walked up the road to the bunkhouse. Most guys she knew would have made the slip about showering together on purpose. It would have been accompanied by a wink and a leery grin, but there was something endearing about how flustered Nick got.
When she arrived at the pub twenty minutes later, Nick was already there, albeit at the wrong side of the bar. There was a look of concentration on his face as he pulled a pint of ale. Lexie’s mum stood looking over his shoulder.
“I think I’ve done a good job there,” Nick said, inspecting the head on the pint.
“What’s going on?” Lexie asked.
Mary stood with her hands on her hips. “Nick said it was his fault you’re late for work, so I said he should stand in for you until you arrived.”
Lexie’s forehead wrinkled. “Because you’re rushed off your feet,” she said mockingly. There was hardly anyone in the place.
“I’m quite proud of that,” Nick said as he put the drink in front of one of their regulars. “I don’t know how to work the till though so there’ll be no charge this evening, Bob.”
“I like the sound of that,” Bob said, running his fingers through his thick beard. “Keep this one behind the bar please, Mary.”
“I will not! He’s fired. Go on.” She gave Nick a playful shove. “Get out of here. You do a much better job at the other side of the bar. And I’ll be adding that to your tab,” she said to Bob.
“Can I please get that lager now?” Nick asked, looking pleadingly at Mary as he took a seat at the bar.
“Lexie will get it for you.” Mary patted her daughter’s arm. “I’m going upstairs to rest my legs. The couple by the window are waiting on food. It should be ready any minute.”
“Where’s Dad?” Lexie asked.
“Upstairs. I’ll send him down.”
“I’m sure I’ll manage alone,” she said, scanning the quiet room.
“I can always help,” Nick said with a grin.
“Aye. Help bankrupt us!” Mary headed through to the back. There was a staircase at the end of the private hallway that led to the flat above the pub.
Lexie poured a pint for Nick and set it on the bar. He took a long swig, then grinned at her. “That tastes amazing.”
“It’s the way I pour it,” she said with a wink.
“I think it’s spending all day cleaning actually.”
“Maybe,” she agreed reluctantly. The bell rang in the kitchen and she went back there to bring out the food order. When she returned behind the bar, Nick was finishing his pint.
“You were thirsty,” she remarked. “Want another?”
He shook his head and slipped off the stool. “I want to get a bit more done at the house.”
“I guess we’ll be seeing more of you in here now that it’s officially your local.”
He scratched his jaw. “I don’t think anyone’s going to see me for a while. I’ll be spending every spare minute working on the house.”
“Or it will drive you to drink and you’ll spend every evening in here instead of going home,” she said cheekily.
“The place isn’t that bad.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard.”
He smiled at her before raising a hand to wave. At the door he turned back. “Are you going out for Logan’s birthday next weekend?”
“Leana mentioned it. Friday night?”
“Yeah. I think he mentioned going to Portree for the night.”
“Maybe,” she said with a shrug. “Are you?”
He looked at her intently. “Maybe.”
Chapter Six
On Friday, Lexie worked in the pub during the day. Lunchtime had