Page 56 of Isabelle & Jason
Neither did running.
Perhaps it was time to try something new.
With fresh, desperate resolve, Isabelle entered the restaurant. The hostess smiled brightly at her. “How many?”
Isabelle glanced over toward the bar. “Could I… is the bar available?”
“Of course.” The hostess grabbed a menu. “Follow me.”
She was led through the restaurant toward a more dimly lit area. It had been years since she’d allowed herself even a glass of wine. Drinking was not a way she preferred to shut out the world—running had taken that place in her mind.
But running wasn’t doing it for her anymore.
Not with Dillan’s arrival.
Not with the way Jason had taken to looking at her.
Everything was crumbling around her.
“Here you are. Sue will be your server. Have a good evening.” The hostess gestured toward the row of stools at the bar, and Isabelle picked one.
A cold sort of numbness wrapped around her. Why couldn’t she shake these feelings of anxiety and despair? It should have been easy. Other people had gone through so much worse than she had and come out on top without nearly as much effort.
Something was inherently wrong with her.
Maybe Jason was right.
“What can I get for you, hon?”
Isabelle looked up to find a beautiful woman with blonde hair and a little too much dark makeup around the eyes. Her hair was swept up into a messy bun, and she wore a tank top with a pair of jeans. A black apron was tied around her waist, and she was drying a glass as she waited for Isabelle’s response.
“I don’t know,” Isabelle said. “What’s good?”
Sue eyed her up and down. “You look like you need to take your mind off a few things.”
Isabelle nodded. She’d heard that bartenders could read people well. Perhaps she should just let Sue take care of her tonight. If she sat at the bar, then there was no risk of becoming a target. No one would handle her drink between the moment it got made and the moment it hit her lips.
The bartender smiled brightly. “I got you covered, sweetheart.”
Isabelle felt eyes on her and glanced around the room. The goosebumps were the worst of it because the second she made eye contact with the cowboy, she allowed herself to relax. He was familiar, but she couldn’t place him. He offered her a genuine smile, then touched the brim of his hat in greeting before turning back to the guy seated next to him.
At least he wasn’t Dillan.
Or Jason.
Right now, she just needed to escape.
One night.
Then she’d figure out her next steps.
21
Jason
Thud.
Thud.
