“Speaking of Irish colleens …” Sandy-haired Deputy Shane O’Brien spun on his barstool and scanned the mostly empty dining room. “Where’s mine?”
“You don’t have one,” Reece chuffed.
“You’re talking blarney. Sure as I’m an Irish lad I do,” he said in a bad brogue that made him sound like a poor imitation of the leprechaun hustling Lucky Charms.
“You’re as Irish as I am Japanese,” Reece tossed back.
Shane had been ogling Hailey since he’d arrived, and while Noah was grateful for his presence because it kept the rowdiness among the customers at a manageable level, he chafed at the blatant way the dude had flirted with her. He’d probably assumed a nonexistent level of interest on her part when she’d handled him like she did the other patrons—with a smile, a wink, and a sidestep that put her out of reach.
Dixie slid a tray onto the counter. “She left.”
“Wholeft?” Noah dreaded the answer before he’d finished his curt question.
She jutted a hip and folded her fist on it, her long nails extending past her palm. How the woman could enter data into the POS System was beyond him. “Hailey Bailey. She said she had to get back to Montrose first thing in the morning, so she left with Micky.”
“Wait. Hailey left? WithMicky?”Shit, shit, shit! And here I was worried about Shane, who’s harmless by comparison, damn it!
Charlie, who had spent the last half hour of the band’s high-tempo set slow-dancing with a cutie he had just met—and whom he was lettingput her hands all over him—suddenly raised his head. His expression was one of shock and dismay. “Without saying good-bye?”
Noah stuffed down his own surprise and disappointment because his inner alarm still roared at full throttle. “Where’s Amy?”
“Well,” Dixie drawled, “she claimed she’d had one too many wines and asked Micky to drive her home, which means she went with them. Had you worried, didn’t I?” She wore a proud little grin.
Fuck me!He wouldn’t give Dixie the satisfaction of showing his relief. “Yeah. I was worried about getting Amy paid. I’ll catch up with her tomorrow.”
Dixie’s lips formed an O, but nothing came out.
Noah Hunnicutt, one. Dixie Dobbs—never mind.She had so many points on him it would take him a lifetime to catch up.
He stroked his beard. “Huh. If Hailey was preoccupied with getting back to work, that might explain why she—” Dixie crashed into his sentence before he could finish it with a comment about Hailey’s elusiveness.
She narrowed an accusing gaze at him. “She didn’t getpreoccupieduntil after you and Ursula holed up in your apartment.”
“She’s gawahwahwahwan,” Shane howled at the ceiling. The tune was an off-key rendition of the old Hall and Oates tune “She’s Gone.” Maybe.
Noah dipped an eyebrow at Reece. “You’re driving, right?”
“Oh yeah.”
Noah turned his attention to his manager. “We didn’tholeup. I was in there with Ch—the dog, and she barged in.”
“Well, while you and the empress were doing whatever you were doing up there, Hailey probably got ideas.” Dixie sniffed.
Except Hailey had no idea who Ursula was or what she meant—correction,didn’tmean—to him. Or did she?
“Thanks for that newsflash, Dix.” Sarcasm dripped off his words.
She plumped her brassy do. “Anytime, boss.”
I think I just forfeited my point.“Is she coming back?”
Dixie blinked, and her electric-blue eyeshadow flashed him. “No, but she checked on your dog one last time and left the box with the names for you.” She pointed at said box on a back table.
He didn’t care about the box. He only wanted the girl—even if heshouldn’twant the girl.
“Hey, would you spell me here? I need to check on my pooch.” When she nodded, he pulled his phone from his back pocket, realizing only then he didn’t have Hailey’s number. But he knew who did.
Charlie had returned to grinning at the girl who was skimming her hands up and down his body as though he was a golden retriever and whispering to him under her breath.
