She started to reach for it, but he beat her to it.
Watching her, he said into the phone, “Rowdy’s bar and grill.” He might have adopted her suggested name for the place, but he rarely referred to it that way. “How can I help you?” His eyes narrowed. “Yes, she’s here. Hold on.” He held the phone out to her.
Avery lifted her brows. “For me?”
“You’re Avery Mullins, right?”
She stepped back so fast she bumped into the bar. Someone had asked for her by name? An invisible fist squeezed her lungs. “Who is it?”
Concern and suspicion narrowed Rowdy’s gaze. “He didn’t say.”
He. Thoughts churning, unreasonable worry blooming, Avery tried to decide what to do, how to act.
Rowdy covered the phone. “What’s the problem?”
She chewed her bottom lip. Surely it was just a customer, a bar question maybe. The caller couldn’t know that the owner himself had picked up and could share any info needed....
Rowdy moved so close, they almost touched. “Want me to take the call for you?”
He was so big, so impressively male, that he inadvertently emphasized the differences in their sizes, making her feel even smaller and far too vulnerable.
Feelings she’d tried to bury deep.
“No.” She was an independent adult—time to act like one. “No, of course not.” She tried to smile, but didn’t feel real successful. Taking the phone from him, she said with only a modicum of caution, “Hello?”
The cold silence sounded louder than a shout.
Her heart started pounding a wild tattoo. The way Rowdy studied her didn’t help. She said again, a little louder, “Hello?”
She heard a faint laugh—and the line went dead.
Worry burned into real alarm.
“Avery?”
From now on, she’d have to be more careful. No more walking out to the bus alone. No more getting to her apartment unprepared for the worst.
“All right, enough.” Rowdy took her shoulders. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
And no reason to share her absurd past with Rowdy. “Nothing is wrong.” Nothing that he could fix. Not that she’d let him anyway.
She’d gotten along well enough before meeting Rowdy.
And since he didn’t want to get tied down, well, she’d get along fine and dandy without him still.
“Nothing, huh? That’s why you’re strangling the phone?” He took the receiver from her, put it to his ear.
“He hung up.” Avery turned to do a few refills along the bar. When she finished, Rowdy still stood there. Waiting. Maybe she’d misunderstood. “You say he asked for me? Like, he asked to speak to the bartender?”
“Actually, he asked if Avery Mullins was working.”
Well...that sucked. Not many ways she could spin that, except for assuming the worst.
Someone had found her.
Rowdy caught her arm and gently pulled her around. “You work for me.”
“Seriously? How did I miss that?”
His gaze narrowed with bad attitude. “Don’t be a smart-ass.”
“Sorry. Right, I work for you.” She loved her job, so she should really be tending customers instead of fretting. “If you’d get out of my way, I could get more done.”
He searched her face, realized she wouldn’t be swayed and growled a sound of exasperation. “Stick around tonight after we close. I need to talk to you.”
She opened her mouth to refuse him, but he cut her off before she could say a single word.
“Work related.” The bad attitude remained. “Ella will be there, too.”
Oh. Well, then...“I can only stay till two-thirty.” After that, she’d miss the bus, and no way did she want to pay for cab fare.
He nodded his acceptance of that. “Won’t take long.”
“Okay, then.”
Still holding her arm, he brushed his thumb over her skin. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
Ahhh. Rowdy had his faults, sure, but he was also caring, protective.
And he possessed more raw masculine appeal than should be legal.
“I’m absolutely positive.” She’d worked hard to get her life together. No way would she backslide now.
Someone said, “Rowdy!” with far too much familiarity. They both turned to look, seeking out the voice.
Two blondes and a brunette waved at him, but Avery didn’t see a redhead anywhere. She crossed her arms and curled her lip. “If you decide to use your office again, I suggest you lock the door.”
Rowdy touched her chin, lifting her face. “We’ll talk after work.”
“About work,” she clarified, but he’d already left her, circling out from behind the bar to greet the trio of women.
* * *
THE MOON AND a flickering lamppost illuminated the dark night. A cold wind cut through his coat. He turned up his collar and, shoes crunching on the gravel lot, paced away from the pay phone. Churning satisfaction almost brought him to a laugh.
He had her now.
Avery Mullins might have thought herself well hidden, but with enough money he could uncover anyone—or hide the darkest secret. It had taken a year, but soon it’d all be over.
He couldn’t wait to see her again. Everyone would be happier when she returned to her rightful place. Never again would he be so careless. They’d both miscalculated in a big way: he’d underestimated her resourcefulness, she’d misjudged his determination.