Page 28 of Willow Vale

“Well, you would know.”

“I’d shut my mouth if I were you, Ward,” Finn said as he came around Wren’s stool and blocked her from his view. Based on the glare my sister was leveling him with, I’d say she could handle herself if he tried anything. Not that I’d let it get to that.

Victor raised his hands. “Hey, man. I’m just here to get a drink and have a good time. Just like everyone else.”

“Go somewhere else to do that then.” I nodded to the doorway. “You’re not welcome here, in case you forgot about the last time I kicked you out.”

“That’s harsh. You know we could have really been friends before you went all crazy over a piece of?—”

“Do you remember what happened the last time you opened your big mouth in front of me? Because I do.” I placed my hands on the bar top, feeling Delilah’s eyes on meas well as everyone else’s. I didn’t care. No one talked about her like that in front of me. I smirked as I watched Victor rub a hand over his face, his index finger lingering on his crooked nose as if he was remembering how I’d made him eat his own words.

But then he said as he raked his eyes over Delilah. “Oh, I remember. Trust me, I remember everything.”

Before he could see it coming, my hand shot out and I gripped the front of his shirt, yanking him to me. Victor’s eyes widened, and I would have laughed if I wasn’t so pissed. I pulled him close and said, “I broke your nose fortalkingabout her last time. What do you think I’ll do to you if you look at her like that again? Try me. I dare you.”

“Travis!” I felt Delilah’s hands on my back. Warm and gentle just like her voice as she said, “It’s okay. Just…stop. He’s not worth it.”

I shoved Victor away, making him stumble off his stool and sending it clattering to the floor. His face was red as he looked at me, but whatever he saw on my face made him falter.

“Victor.” A deep voice cut through and he turned to face his brother. “Just walk away, man.”

The Ward brothers stared each other down for a long moment before Victor scoffed and shoved past Logan, the latter appearing unphased by his brother’s behavior. Victor muttered curses under his breath as he stormed out of the bar.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the bar erupted in cheers and hollers. The music from the jukebox blared to life with Brooks and Dunn’s “Play Something Country”all while I kept glaring at the door, waiting for Victor to stomp back in.

“Good job getting the crowd pumped, boss. Imagine what would have happened if you got into a fist fight.” Desi beamed enthusiastically as people started to gather around thebar, ordering more drinks and congratulating me on taking out the trash. Their words, not mine. “Now that’s something I’d pay to see.”

I ignored her. Not in the mood to joke around.

“Travis?”

I turned, feeling Delilah’s soft hands slide off my back as I faced her. Her touch like a brand against my skin. One I didn’t realize I’d missed up until now.

We stared at each other for one long minute. The world around us melted away as I looked at her beautiful face and wondered how the hell I could have gone four years without her.

Not a mistake I’ll make again.

“Why did you do that?” I almost couldn’t hear her over the ruckus people were making.

I didn’t hesitate. “You know why, darlin’.”

Her gaze turned gentle then. With an appreciative nod and a small smile, she turned to help Desi man the bar.

“Well, damn. I forgot how fun it is to be back home,” Wren said from her stool, making Finn laugh.

I could only roll my eyes.

The restof Delilah’s first shift went by without incident. Taking over for Desi so she could go on a break, I’d kept an eye on Delilah in case she needed help making a drink. Considering she didn’t drink and had never worked behind a bar, I was surprised by her natural ease and quick learning on the job—as always, she struck me stupid. But not as much as seeing her direct one of her beautiful smiles at one of The Rusty Pint’s bar regulars, Saul. He’d been coming here sincebefore I bought the bar from the last owners. He was also a shameless old flirt.

I caught her glancing at her cellphone on the rare occasion we weren’t too busy, and I knew she was checking in on River. She couldn’t help herself, and I wasn’t about to tell her not to text my mother if she was worried.

When Desi came back from her break, I wandered back into my office to renew the bar’s registration and cursed while I looked for a folder in the filing cabinets until I finally gave up. I’d talk to Desi about rearranging the paperwork again tomorrow.

I swear that woman had it out for me. Someone needed to teach her how to properly organize things. What made sense to her didn’t make sense to me, or any sane person for that matter. Just because everything was color coordinated or alphabetized didn’t mean it was right.

Once I noticed it was time for Delilah to get off shift, I shut off my computer and locked up the office to take over for her so that she could head to the ranch and collect River.

“Come on, honey! Just have one shot with us, that’s all. I’m beggin’ here.”

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