She stopped in the middle of the parking lot. “I saw that look you gave me. What was so bad about that?”
“You don’t even wanna know.”
“Well, now I do.”
“Come on. Let’s go get a drink at Bash’s bar and I’ll tell you about it.”
“I really should go home.”
“Is your dad there?”
“Yes.”
“Then you can have a drink with me. I’ll take you home after. Just call your dad and tell him you’ll be a little late.”
She felt ridiculous that at thirty years old she had to check in with her parents—one of the drawbacks of living at home again. She hadn’t had to answer to anyone for years. But she called her dad, who said her mom was asleep, everything was fine, and to go out and enjoy herself.
Not that she was going out—like on a date, going out. She was just going for a drink. With Carter.
Which didn’t mean anything.
After a short drive, Carter pulled into the No Hope At All bar.
“Cute,” she said after they got out of the car.
“That’s Bash’s sense of humor.”
“So he owns the bar?”
“Yeah. He bought it out from one of his dad’s best friends who was retiring, and renamed it. It’s a pretty popular place.”
“I can tell. The parking lot is pretty full for a weeknight.”
“He shows sports on big-screen TVs, and has a couple of pool tables, so there’s a lot more to do than just drink.”
“And you come here a lot.”
He shrugged. “When I don’t have anything else to do. Tonight is a night for a drink.”
Molly wondered what the “anything else to do” meant. When he had a girlfriend, or a hot date? For all she knew, he might already have a girlfriend.
Not that it mattered to her if he did or didn’t, since she wasn’t interested in him that way.
The bar was great on the inside, with multiple televisions showing sports of all kinds, tables spread around for ample seating, a pool table at either end, and a beautifully weathered bar top.
“Do you know Bash?” Carter asked.
“Just from the wedding.” She smiled at the quite attractive bartender, who grinned as they took a seat at the bar.
Bash arched a brow. “You both look like you need a shot or a double.”
“Committee meeting tonight,” Carter said.
Bash nodded. “No wonder. What’ll it be?”
“I’ll have a Grey Goose and cranberry juice,” Molly said.
“Crown on the rocks for me.”
“Coming right up.”
Molly swiveled on the barstool. “So how often do you come here?” she asked Carter.
“Not often enough.”
She laughed. “Life couldn’t possibly be that bad, could it?”
“Actually, it’s not. I just had a rough day. But the meeting tonight wasn’t as awful as I thought it would be.”
Bash slid their drinks across the bar top toward them.
“Thanks,” Molly said, then took a sip, her eyes widening. “Wow. There’s a decent amount of vodka in here.”
“Bash makes good drinks. He doesn’t half-ass anything.”
“I can tell.” She took another sip. It tasted good. “So you were going to fill me in on the holiday parade.”
“Oh yeah.” Carter took a long swallow of his drink, then sat the glass on the bar. “You need to steer clear of Mavis.”
“Because . . .”
“I was on the parade committee for three years. Until she fired me.”
Molly laughed. “She fired you? What for?”
“For not giving Henderson’s first place.”
“Henderson’s, the car dealership on the edge of town?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be based on who has the best float?”
“According to Mavis, it’s based on who provides the mayor the most in campaign contributions every election.”
“Ouch.” Molly grabbed her drink and took a big swallow, then wished she hadn’t. She really tasted the vodka in that one. “That seems a bit unethical.”
“That’s what I told her. After that, I was replaced on the judging committee.”
Molly snorted, then finished her drink. “I can promise you, I’ll be a fair and impartial judge. And besides, I likely won’t be here anyway.”
“Already planning your exit strategy?” Carter signaled Bash for refills.
She shouldn’t have another. The first one was strong enough, and she’d already drained it. In a hurry, as a matter of fact.
But Bash laid down a bowl of pretzels along with their refills, so why not?
She took another drink. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“You could stay here.”
Her hand stilled and she put her drink down. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Why not? What’s here that you’re so afraid of?”
“I’m not having this conversation with you, Carter.” Instead, she grabbed a handful of pretzels. So did he, popping them into his mouth and finishing off his second drink. He signaled Bash for a third.
“You sure you should be drinking more?”
“Yes. Definitely sure.”
He filled his hand with more pretzels, and Bash refilled both their glasses and the snack bowl before disappearing to the other end of the bar.
“You’re avoiding my question.”
She lifted her gaze to his, wishing there wasn’t so much history between them. If he were just some stranger, she’d definitely want to know more about him. He was incredibly good-looking, had an amazing body, and she wanted to put her hands on him. And her mouth on his. And do all kinds of things with him.
Naked.
She blinked and looked down at her glass. Her third glass, which was now empty.
Definitely the alcohol talking, because sensible Molly did not have lascivious thoughts about the man who broke her heart.
Inebriated Molly, on the other hand, was definitely having some.
“Tell me about your life, Carter.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know. Everything, I guess. Tell me about your work.”
He shrugged. “I started working for the garage when I was still in high school, as you know. I left for college, but every time I was on break I worked there. When I got my business degree, I bought out the original place in Hope and converted it to a full-service garage. Several years later, I bought out a few more auto service companies in and around Tulsa and made them full-service as well.”