Trying Patience: A Not-So-Perfect Past by Carla Neggers

Author:Carla Neggers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THREE

“YOU DIDN’T HAVE to come in today,” Allie said from behind the polished, horseshoe-shaped bar.

“Yeah, I did.” Dillon sat on a stool and shrugged out of his jacket. Early morning sunlight filtered through the windows, casting The Summit’s barroom in shadows. Despite a jukebox filled with classic rock songs, Allie hummed along to some bubblegum song playing on the radio underneath the bar. He grimaced as the singer hit a high note. “How can you listen to this crap?”

She flipped her heavy, dark hair over her shoulder. “It’s pop music, not crap. And I like it.” She did a little shimmy and shake to the chorus. “Besides, if I have to listen to ‘Hotel California’ one more time, I’ll stick my head in the oven.”

“It’s electric.”

She waved that away. “So it’ll be a symbolic gesture.” She turned the music down. “I drove by the bakery on my way here. The damage is pretty extensive. What’s Nina going to do about it?”

“Her father was there last night, said he’d take care of getting a carpenter to do the repairs.”

Yeah, Mr. Erickson had jumped in real quick. Nina’s father hadn’t wanted the town’s most dangerous citizen anywhere near his precious daughter.

Dillon’s shoulders tensed as he remembered how Nina had brushed off his offer to help. An offer he never should’ve made. She had enough people around to help her. He wasn’t going to lose any sleep over her.

Allie polished a beer glass, her eyes narrowed in concentration. He didn’t bother pointing out that water spots weren’t going to keep her clientele from drinking their booze. “Joe Roberts called me before you got here. Wanted to get my opinion on what was going to happen to Kyle.”

“Are you putting your lawyer shingle back out?”

Regret flickered across her face but was quickly gone. “Hardly. I’m a business owner now.”

Allie had been a successful defense attorney with a high-class law firm in New York City before returning to Serenity Springs last year. The few times he’d asked what had happened to send her back to her hometown, she either changed the subject, evaded his question or went into some long, boring dissertation about the legal system. His least favorite subject.

If her ability to talk for thirty minutes straight and not say a damn thing was anything to go by, she must’ve been a hell of a lawyer.

“So why’d they call you?” he asked.

“My mom is friends with Karen’s mom and she told them to call me.”

“Sounds like legal work to me.”

Having wiped each and every spot off the glass, she set it down and picked up another one. “Only work I’m doing is figuring out how to keep a bartender longer than two months.”

“Smart choice.”

He was glad she wasn’t going to allow herself to be dragged back into trying to save people. Talk about a thankless—and futile—endeavor. He’d spent the first half of his life trying to save his mother from her addictions and Kelsey from abuse—and her own rebelliousness. And it hadn’t helped any of them.

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