ordered.
John smiled, and for a second he caught her eye. She blinked, then looked down at the pitcher she was filling, and he polished off his beer.
“You want another?” she asked a minute later, grabbing a towel and drying her hands on her way over to him. “Or are you ready to settle up?”
“You really are trying to get rid of me.”
She raised her eyebrows. Her lips parted, closed, then she said, “I wouldn’t put it like that.”
“Okay.” He leaned back, studying her face. She was good. She didn’t give anything away. “Go ahead...in your own words.”
Her abrupt laugh caught him off guard. “I was trying to be considerate. This place can get rough as the evening goes on.”
“So you don’t think I can take care of myself?”
She ran a gaze over his shoulders, did a thorough job of checking out his chest and then lingered on his belly. Maybe even a little lower. “You’d do all right.”
“Cassie,” someone yelled. “These pretzels are stale.”
“Well, Steve, you should’ve come yesterday when they weren’t.” She ignored the opportunity to break away and, in fact, didn’t even look at the guy complaining. Or at the others who laughed. Instead she’d moved back up to John’s face and stared as if she were trying to figure him out.
He slid the empty mug toward her. “You don’t strike me as someone who’d let things get out of control.”
“You’ve been here, what? All of thirty...forty minutes, and you know this about me?”
“I’m a good judge of character.”
“So am I.” With a faint enigmatic smile, she picked up the mug and started toward her station.
“You can use the same one,” he said, noticing a slight sway to her hips.
“Oh, I planned on it.” She didn’t look back, just flung the words out into the universe knowing they’d hit their mark.
He chuckled, but his amusement fled when the two guys she’d sent to wash up returned and took stools at the bar. Damn it. He didn’t want to share her. Not that he had a say. Already the waitress was back with more orders to fill. Cassie automatically popped open bottles of Corona and set them in front of the mechanics while she waited for the foam to settle on John’s draft.
At this rate, it would be a long night. But after talking to her for those few moments, he was willing to wait around. He’d have to cool it on the drinking, but that was no problem. He knew when to quit, and sitting here beat the restlessness that had him driving too fast on the long empty desert stretches before he’d found this place.
Hearing the door open again, he gritted his teeth. She’d never have a break if this kept up. Curious who’d wandered in this time, he turned around. Another man in a wheelchair rolled in and headed toward the retired air force vet’s table. The back of his chair was covered with navy decals surrounding a large American flag sticker. Following behind him was a trio who might have been cut from the same cloth, except two were lucky enough to still be upright, handicap-free, at least physically, and the third managed his severe limp with the help of a worn cane.
John assumed they were either military retirees or men who’d served their country until a bullet or spray of shrapnel changed their dreams and lives forever. These men were in their early to mid-forties with half their lives ahead of them.
His friend Danny had only been thirty when he’d died, leaving a young wife behind. They’d had no children, which was supposed to have been a “blessing.” John had heard that piece of nonsense more than once at the funeral. He didn’t get that. Sure, it was easier on his widow not having to explain why their father was never coming home. But kids would’ve meant there was still something left of Danny.
Who was John to judge? He had nothing but his career. A damn good one. He was a lucky guy. No denying it. So what the hell was his problem?
The ache in his gut was back gnawing away at his temporary peace. He hadn’t even made it an hour without feeling the walls close in. When he swung back around he saw his refill sitting on the napkin in front of him. Cassie had brought his beer and he hadn’t even noticed.
Watching her fill glasses with ice, he reached in his pocket and pulled out two twenties. He took a long