Page 98 of Lost Lyrebird

“Raven’s at the bar chattin’ up Beth,” Griz answers and proceeds to steer me through the crowd.He pushes a big guy wearing a cowboy hat out of the way.The guy spins with a harsh look on his face and opens his mouth, but the second he gets a look at who shoved him, he backs up and shuts his mouth.

More of the same happens until we arrive at the bar.At which point, I see Raven on a stool doing exactly what Griz said.She’s got her elbows on the bar top and is talking animatedly over the music to the stunning blonde woman working behind the counter.

“Look who I found outside,” Griz announces as we approach.

Raven turns.The bartender’s gaze falls on me, and I put two and two together, realizing Beth is Bethany Hodge, Old Lady to Travis Hodge, owner of the bar and the man serving drinks at the other end of it.

“Hey!I was wondering if you were going to show,” Raven calls out.She taps the guy on the seat next to her and whispers something.The guy looks at her, looks back at me, but it’s not until his eyes land on Griz that he jumps off his seat and gestures for me to take it.

As I sit, Griz places a few bills on the bar and tells Bethany, “Get her whatever she wants.Make her feel welcome.”

Bethany nods.“That I can do.”

Griz pats my back.“Don’t forget about that dance, darlin’.”

“You’re number one on my dance card,” I joke back, and he chuckles before he strides off.

Bethany sweeps up the money.“What can I get ya?”

I look over to see Raven drinking a beer, and say, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Bethany sets the bottle in front of me in no time.Raven quickly introduces us.“Beth, Lily.Lily, Beth or Bethany.She goes by either.Lily’s the new girl at Tips.No doubt you’ve heard about her by now.”

Bethany smirks.Her striking light-green eyes trail over my attire.“Love the top.Daring and dangerous.I don’t have the guts to pull something like that off, but love a woman who can.”

“Thank you.Not too much?”

“Hell no,” they say at the exact same time.

Raven points and beats Bethany to the punch.“Jinx, motherfucker.”

“Goddamnit!”Bethany sighs and walks down the bar.She comes back with a bottle of Naked Diablo and pours a shot.She glares at Raven for a moment before she throws it back.She coughs and hisses in a quick breath.“Fuck.That shit hits like getting bitch-slapped by your ex.”She flips Raven off and snaps, “You suck.”

The girl crush sinks in at Bethany’s unruly behavior and effortless beauty.She comes across as a no-frills kind of woman—short nails, nude lip gloss, golden eye shadow.Her wheat-colored hair rests in barely there waves just above her shoulders, and sparse freckles cover the bridge of her small nose.They’re adorably sexy.

She studies me for a moment and says, “The new girl, huh?You likin’ it there?”

I shrug.“Yeah, it’s not a bad gig.The other girls are hit or miss, but I’m adjusting.”

Bethany crosses her arms and leans forward onto the bar.“Yeah, and I don’t suppose you’d tell me if you’ve seen my old man dragging girls into the back room for some one-on-one time and stuffing dollar bills in G-strings?”She pokes her thumb over her shoulder at Hodge.Red flags immediately wave all around me.Hodge turns.He eyes the three of us suspiciously.His gaze jumps from Bethany to Raven to me.His eyes flare with recognition.Bethany looks over at him and glares.When she centers her gaze back on me, Hodge is motioning with his hand in a cut motion across his neck.

“Oh, uh-mmm.”I bite the inside of my cheek.

Raven laughs.“Oh, you two, stop.That’s so mean.”She points two fingers at Hodge.He bursts out laughing.Bethany’s expression breaks into a devious smile.“Yes, he does shove money into G-strings, but that’s it and you know it.”Darting a glance at me, Raven says, “She knows everything.She’s just testing where your loyalty lies.Think of it as initiation into the cool female side of the HOC family.”To Bethany, she chides, “God, yours and Hodge’s sick sense of humor scares me sometimes.”

Bethany chuckles.“I’m sorry.I don’t get out much, so I have to find humor where I can.”

“Stay-at-home mom.Most of the time,” Raven explains.“Has the cutest damn baby on the planet.Axel, her son, is a cute little shit, too, although he’s not so little anymore.”

Bethany’s grin is sweet when she replies, “If they’d only stay little forever.I don’t know about this whole growing-up thing.It’s like you lose all control over them at eleven, and it’s all downhill from there.”

Hodge comes over, throws his arm around Bethany’s waist, and grins.“You’re welcome.”She nudges her hip into his; he bumps hers right back.“Don’t be takin’ all the credit for our cute kids.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.But Medda does have my eyes and chin,” she jokes.A guy down at the end of the bar waves to get Hodge’s attention.He holds up a finger and turns back to us.

“Hey, Lily, right?Welcome to our little humble bar in the middle of BFE.”The way he says the last part has Bethany rolling her eyes.

“Thanks.Appreciate the warm welcome.”