Page 60

“A Bulleit rye.”

“You bet. On ice, a splash of water?”

Bennett chuckled. “You’re good, Marc. Yes, please, and thank you.”

Bennett’s drink was in front of him before he could glance at the door and back.

He sipped, the warmth sliding down his throat the only thing familiar about this whole setup. Until it wasn’t. He felt Maggie’s presence before he saw her. The hairs on his forearms stood on end and his pulse kicked up a notch.

When he spun around, his heart constricted and damn if his mouth didn’t go dry. She wore a red sundress that came down to her knees and tan and turquoise Alvies. Her curls were half-pinned up and her shoulders were bare thanks to the thin straps of the dress. A lump bolted to his throat and his jeans tightened in the front. He was all too aware of the not-a-date stipulation she’d set on tonight.

Damn.

Maggie hadn’t seen him yet, and the unfettered smile on her face when she waved to someone she knew hit him in the gut. She might have a few more laugh lines, but she was the same steadfast girl with big dreams and a bigger heart, just wrapped in a woman’s body. A gorgeous, accomplished woman’s body.

When her gaze landed on him, her smile went crooked, but it didn’t fall. He’d take that as a win. She gave a little wave like he’d done to her the other day, and he laughed. Her eyes stayed locked on his as they navigated the crowd that still kept growing. Seriously, it was as if the whole town had shown up.

“Hey, Maggie.” He drew her in for an embrace and when he breathed in, vanilla and something flowery hit his nose and made his stomach flip. “You look beautiful. No brace?”

“I bought a smaller one so I could wear the boots. And thanks.” She grinned sheepishly, and it was all he could do not to take her hand right there and propose his intentions, this time loud enough they’d hear him over in San Antonio.

Like his mom pointed out, he and Maggie might be different people than they’d been a decade ago, but he cared a whole helluva lot for her, he was sure of that much.

“Good idea. What can I get you to drink?”

“A glass of pinot grigio. Thanks.”

He smiled and ordered and as fast as his drink had arrived, hers was quicker.

“Cheers,” she said. “To business partners.”

“To reunited friends,” he added. And hopefully more someday. She held his gaze and nodded. He cleared his throat that felt clogged up all of a sudden. “Should we get a table?”

She nodded behind her. “Unless you’re building one, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

He followed her gaze. Yeah, she was right. Every seat was taken, some twice over. He ran a hand through his hair.

“Well, shoot. I hadn’t thought it would be so busy tonight.”

She giggled, and he’d take a lifetime of that sound over any band, no matter how good.

“What did you think a small-town bar with live music would look like on a Saturday night?”

The left corner of his mouth kicked up in a crooked smile, and he shrugged. “Like an office where we could talk business? I, uh, might not get out much, either.”

“So it seems. Well, what should we do about that, Bennett Marshall?”

There was the stomach flip again. He loved when she used his full name, even when it sometimes meant she was mad as a kicked hornet’s nest. The way she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and gazed up at him with liquid-brown eyes said she was anything but that at the moment. God, what he’d like to do with that bottom lip.

His eyes focused on hers. He was having a hard time thinking of reasons to keep his distance from her, save one—she’d asked him to do just that.

Well, he wasn’t one to let a good time go to waste.

“Come here,” he commanded, holding out his hand for her to take.

“What are you doing? We’re here to work, Bennett—”

“Nope. Work’s done for the night. You deserve a break, Maggie. Let’s go.”