Dale grasps the towel and the veins in his temple throb. It almost looks scary, as if they’re about to pop out of his head. “Are you sure you can handle it?” He stands up and pushes the barstool back in. “If Kade doesn’t show up then you’ll be by yourself and I can’t come back tonight. I have . . . I just have shit to do.”

I nervously chew on the inside of my lip, while trying to decide if Kade would leave me hanging. He’s usually good about showing up for our shifts and I hadn’t even noticed he was ditching his other ones. “Yeah, he’ll show up. Now go home. You look like hell.”

Dale looks up as I start wiping down the bar. He looks almost relieved as he nods his head. “That’s what my wife tells me.”

I look up again and smile at him. “What? That you look like hell?” The thought makes me laugh.

He chuckles and grabs for his keys. “Nope.” He looks back at me before reaching the door to leave. “Both.”

“I bet. I would send you to someone else’s home if I had to deal with you daily as well.”

He laughs and reaches for the handle. “I don’t blame you.”

I shake my head and laugh as he walks out the door leaving me alone in the silence of the big bar. There’s usually an hour in between the shift change where you are pretty much lucky to see one or two customers. I don’t mind it though because it gives me the necessary time to get things set up the way I like them. From the looks of the messy tables and misplaced product, I have a lot of work to do.

Seven o’clock rolls around and here I am, by myself, taking care of the whole baseball team along with a few other stragglers that are hanging around the joint.

My heart’s racing and I begin to sweat as I struggle to keep up with the orders. My arm accidently knocks into one of the seven drinks I’m currently working on, causing me to let out a deep breath to calm myself.

“It’s okay. You can handle this.” I have to remind myself. “Just breathe.”

“You look hot when you’re all wet and sweaty.”

I look up to see Kade standing on the other side of the bar. His messy curls hang loosely, brushing against the top of his baby blue eyes that are looking at me with amusement. It might be cute to most girls, but right now, I just want to smack him.

He gives me a carefree smile before letting himself behind the bar and reaching for the drink ticket to help me catch up. “Sorry I’m late.”

I look away from pouring one of the cocktails and give Kade a forced tight-lipped grin. Unfortunately, he finds it to be cute, so he just smiles. Jerk.

I wipe an arm over my sweaty forehead, being careful not to drip over any of the glasses. “Don’t smile at me.” I grab for another glass and start on the next one. “You were supposed to be here at six. Did you forget? I’ve been working my ass off here.”

He leans over the bar and smiles at the two cougars that have just now appeared in front of us. “I’ll be right with you, ladies.” He winks at them and they both smile in satisfaction, swooning over his usual charm.

The women whisper to each other, before the taller brown-haired woman responds. “Take your time. We’re not going anywhere, honey.”

Kade turns his attention back to me and helps me carry the drinks over to the table of drunken men that have been shouting at each other about their game for over the last forty-five minutes. Apparently, they lost the game, it was Andy’s fault for twisting his ankle, and Andy doesn’t seem to think his fall caused the other team to get a home run. I’m not sure that I agree.

“Are you shitting me? Did you see how fast I got back up?” Andy argues. “Let’s see your fat ass get back up that fast. You can barely walk on your feet even without having a twisted ankle.” He yanks the bigger guy’s hat off.

“Oh, f**k you, Andy.” He snatches his hat back and the others jump in to settle the argument.

Ignoring their banter, I head back to the bar with Kade following closely at my heels. As soon as we get far enough away, I hear him talking behind me.

“I was helping my friend Jack work on his car.” He leans in closer so I can hear him better. “He’s a shitty mechanic. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”

He pushes open the door behind the bar for the both of us, and the women waiting at the bar instantly fight for his attention.

“I’ll take sex on the beach,” one of the women requests. “Actually, make that for the both of us,” she says, pointing to her friend with a look on her face that makes even me embarrassed by her desperation.

Kade looks me in the eye with a look that makes my heart jump out of my chest and my mouth suddenly go dry. Then he turns his attention away to help the eager women.

I watch him as I wipe down the bar and I can’t seem to pull my eyes away. His faded jeans are hanging perfectly on his slim waist and his black V-neck shirt is form fitting enough to show off his sculpted chest and arms. No wonder women all go crazy over him. I always tell myself I won’t be one of those girls and now look at me, I’m practically drooling over him. It’s ridiculous. He’s only . . . Kade.

I turn my attention away from him so I can focus on making a list of liquor that needs to be refilled.

I look up from the paper, peeking, as a figure sits down in the barstool in front of me.

Before he even speaks, his heavy breathing gives him away.

“There’s my favorite bartender in all of Alba, Texas.”

I bring my eyes back down to the list I have just started and shake my head. Martin has been a regular for the last two years and it’s almost impossible to keep him away for a day. “When you say favorite bartender, you do mean the only one left that will serve you, right?”

Martin laughs and slams his wallet down next to him. Everything inside of it is bulging out and looks as if it’s about to fall apart. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s full of all of his bar receipts that he’s accumulated over the years. Some paid and well some . . . I’m still waiting on. That son of a . . .

“You’ve got a point.” He pauses to nod at Kade while digging in his wallet to pull out a five-dollar bill. “That’s not the reason why, though.” He slams it down next to him on the bar. “You’re pretty and you have a smart ass mouth. What’s not to love?”

My lips twist up into a smile as Martin leans over the bar either trying to get a look at the list I’m making, or just trying to see my br**sts. Either way, I should smack that wrinkly grin off his face.