Hustle Him (Bank Shot Romance #2)(12)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Some days were better than others. I could put on a fake smile and pretend that my life was right where I wanted it to be, but inside was a different story. I was literally dying inside. To be cheated on, repeatedly, was awful. I felt like it was all my fault. Most nights I would cry myself to sleep, or not sleep at all. With Gavin continually calling me, it made it even worse to wear that smile. I did my best around the kids, knowing that my happiness fed theirs.

For the most part, my day to day struggles to accept my new life were increasingly improving. I didn’t have the money or resources to seek professional counseling, but knowing that my aunt was around did help. Going back to work helped even more.

After that sheriff came for dinner, and had been so quiet, I couldn’t believe that he would be one to hang out in a bar. It wasn’t that he was mean. He was just not sociable.

But there he was…walking in the door with that same hard look on his face. I have no idea why I did it, but I ducked in the back room to avoid him seeing me. Frantically, I started straightening my clothes and looking at my reflection in the metal door to see if I looked decent.

I’d never cared what any of my patrons thought of me. I was always that married bartender that was a good listener and nothing else. It wasn’t like I was desperately trying to impress anyone. This was just all so new to me. Still, ever since I woke up in that hospital and saw him sitting there, a part of me had to know more about him.

I was never the kind of girl to hit on a man, or even one that was remotely promiscuous. I’d loved Gavin for as long as I could remember, but here was this hot man that was so mysterious. I couldn’t help wanting to impress him from afar. He would never get into my pants; I was hardly interested in hooking up. Most men were pigs anyway, or so I’d come to notice. This one probably had an affair and lost everything when he had to pay out of his ass for alimony. I’d heard pretty much every story.

While trying to make excuses for my sudden vanity, the back room door flew open, slamming into me.

"Sue, you got customers out …Holy shit, miss, I am so sorry."

I held onto my jaw and backed myself up against the wall. The pain was instant, but the embarrassment took a few seconds. That hot ass sheriff had his eyes on mine and his hand on my arm.

I pulled away and started walking past him, out to the bar area. After looking around and noticing nobody else, I turned around to see him standing there. I moved my jaw around, realizing that the pain was already starting to subside. My cheek would be red, I was sure.

"My aunt isn’t here." I grabbed a glass out of the freezer and put it against my injured face.

"I can see that." He put his hand up to assess my face, but dropped it back down just as quick. "I’m real sorry that happened. I thought you were your aunt and usually I say hi to her. When I don’t, she gets all mad at me. Are you alright?"

His voice was deep and raspy. I bet he could sing in a real sexy voice. Making it a point to not look him directly in the eye, I answered him. "I’ll be fine. Obviously, I am no virgin to injury."

Did I really just say that? What had come over me?

"Yeah, I’ve noticed."

I didn’t give him another second to laugh about my predicament. "So, what can I get you?"

"What’s on the menu tonight?"

"Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and stewed tomatoes." My aunt had made them up and baked them at home before I came into work. It was easier to just reheat them as they were ordered. She’d said that the truckers loved her home cooked food.

"Sounds great. I’ll have that and a Jack and Coke. No ice!"

He obviously knew what he wanted. I started making his drink without replying. This was the second time that I had seen him in normal clothes and not his olive colored attire, which consisted of an all-black uniform with a black baseball cap that had a police emblem on it. Tonight he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt that revealed every muscle on his upper body.

Yeah, he had to be a cheater. There was no way that this man could ever just have one woman, with the way he looked. His hair was in between a brown and dark blonde, but his facial hair was darker. I could tell from the five o’clock shadow that was starting to appear. Perhaps he hadn’t shaved this morning at all.

I continued to glance at him as I handed him the glass. "Do you eat behind the bar, or are you going to sit down somewhere?"

It was a good question, but as he cocked his brow at me, I realized that the way it came out was quite bitchy.

Without saying a single word, he grabbed his glass and walked away.

My customer service skills were falling short. I thought about apologizing, but he didn’t seem like he would care either way, so I headed to the back to make his food. When I came back out, I found him sitting at a table in the far corner. It was the darkest, most remote table in the whole place. I sat his plate on the table and went to walk away when I felt him grab my arm again. "You think I could have some silverware?"

I looked down at the table and realized that he didn’t have anything to eat his food with. "Oops! Be right back."

Once I got behind the bar, I whispered profanities at myself for being so air headed. Ramsey was sitting back in his seat with a smirk on his face. "Here you go. Sorry about that."

"So are you new at this?" I took offense to his question.

"No! I have been bartending for a long time. I’m just out of practice, I guess." I watched him start cutting his meat with his fork. "Do you need anything else?"

"Nope, you can get back to whatever you were doing and pretend that I’m not even here. If I need anything, I will holler."

He was cold again and I didn’t like it. Maybe he was offended by my tattoos, like some people were. They only showed on my one arm. My clothes hid the other few and I was dressed appropriately, but I knew I wasn’t ugly otherwise. This was just weird to me. For so long, my looks had gotten me good tips and lots of conversation. I wasn’t attention hungry, but I didn’t like to be brushed off.

A few scruffy looking men came walking in the bar. I turned my focus on them and ignored Ramsey like he’d requested. When the men had their drinks, and had ordered food, they headed toward the billiards area. I prepared their food and headed out to deliver it to them. The first thing I noticed was the one guy staring at my tits as I reached over to put his plate on the table. "What happened to the old lady?"

"She’s my aunt. She doesn’t work nights anymore."

"Her loss was our gain." The other guy said while nudging his buddy. "You’re a real pretty one. You got a man somewhere?"