The Family Gathering. Робин Карр

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      “Well, what a coincidence,” Alyssa said. He saw her reflection in the mirror and turned toward her. She put her hand on the chair beside him. “Are you waiting for someone?” she asked.

      Dakota was amazed at how quickly Sid could sneak away. She was all the way down at the other end of the bar. “No,” Dakota said.

      “All right if I sit here?” she asked.

      “Sure,” he said. “Of course. Can I buy you a drink?”

      “That would be so nice,” she said, fluffing her hair. “What have you been doing with yourself?”

      “Nothing much,” he said. “Looking around. You?”

      She laughed brightly and he knew. He was being stalked. There must be a real shortage of men around here. This wasn’t something that happened to him with regularity—women coming on to him. It happened, but not often. What was more common was him coming on to them. He certainly couldn’t complain about their looks, the two women who’d hit on him since he’d arrived in town. Alyssa was gorgeous. She was probably five-ten and her silky hair screamed for a man’s hands. And those legs, so many possibilities there.

      She began to describe her day of styling hair, laughing at her own stories.

      “Hi, Alyssa,” Sid said. “What can I get you?”

      “A glass of merlot? Whatever label you like.”

      “Coming right up,” she said, turning away.

      Dakota was disappointed. He enjoyed a little good-natured bantering with a woman who was capable of giving it back. Alyssa was very sweet and polite, nothing about her put him off. He asked her what she did for fun. She liked to shop. Did she ski in winter? “Sure, everyone skis. Do you? Is that what brought you to Colorado?”

      “As a matter of fact, I do, but I’m no expert. What else do you do for fun?”

      She liked to get together with friends. Sometimes they went to Denver, clubbing. Three of them, single girls, went to Las Vegas for a long weekend; now, that was a blast. Talk about hangover city.

      A couple of uniformed troopers came into the bar, sat at the end and Sid brought them coffee without being asked. They had her laughing her head off in no time. She put in their dinner order and went right back to them. She seemed to have a lot to say to them, laughing and gesturing with her hands. She refilled their coffee.

      “Did you hear me?” Alyssa asked.

      “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was distracted by the cops.”

      “I said, maybe we should go out sometime. What do you like to do?”

      Crap, he thought. “Let me get a little settled first. I’m new around here, remember.”

      “I could help with that,” she said.

      “And I appreciate that, Alyssa.”

      A man in a plaid shirt brought out a couple of plates from the kitchen and went behind the bar, taking them to the cops. He put a hand on Sid’s shoulder and they all laughed together. The brother, Dakota thought. They reminded him a little bit of himself and Sierra; you could feel the bond between them.

      “Are you wanted or something?” Alyssa asked him.

      “Huh?”

      “I said, are you wanted? Do you have warrants? Because you can’t take your eyes off the cops.”

      “God, I’m sorry,” he said, running a hand down his face, over his beard. “I was wondering what it would take to get on the police force. Highway patrol, maybe. A lot of military men end up in the police department or fire department. I might not be that smart but I’m definitely in shape.”

      “Oh, I bet you’re very smart,” she said.

      “So, tell me how you chose your career,” he said, then inwardly cringed. He really wanted to run for his life. He was a bad person. She was just being nice; he should be flattered. But he wanted her to go away so he could talk with Sid.

      “Ready for another beer?” Sid asked.

      “Thanks, but...” He looked at his watch. “I’m going to have to go.”

      “No dinner?” she asked with a devilish curve to her lips.

      “Not tonight, I’m afraid.” He stood to dig out his wallet. “You take good care of the police,” he commented.

      “Absolutely. They return the favor.”

      “Take care of me and Alyssa here. Keep the change. Alyssa, you staying?”

      “No, I’ll walk out with you,” she said.

      He put a hand on her elbow to escort her out and asked her where her car was. At the beauty shop, of course. He prayed: please don’t try anything. Wasn’t that upside down? Didn’t normal men want beautiful women to try things? Anything? But this was a real small town and he had no follow-through here. He took her keys from her, beeped her doors unlocked and nearly pushed her into the car.

      “There you go,” he said with finality. “I’ll see you real soon, okay?”

      “Okay,” she said, clearly disappointed in him.

      “Drive carefully!”

      He plunged his hands in his pockets and sauntered back toward the bar to get his vehicle. Ah, that was how Alyssa knew! She could see the bar and grill from the salon; she could see his Jeep. He got in and started the engine. Then he sat there a minute. He thought about driving around the block a couple of times, then going back. He thought about just sitting there for a while, waiting for when Sid got off work. To do what? Follow her home? “Argh,” he growled, disgusted.

      Then he asked himself two questions. One—what was it about Sid that was threatening to turn him into a creep? And two—did Cal have anything in the refrigerator he could eat?

      The happiest moments of my life have been

      the few which I have passed at home

      in the bosom of my family.

      —THOMAS JEFFERSON

       3

      SID ENJOYED WALKING home from the bar. It was nine, it was a brisk spring night and she’d put in a full, long day. She rarely stayed until closing; one of the other waitresses and Rob could manage behind the bar with the dwindling clientele. She left the weekends to the men and more energetic women. She typically worked Monday through Thursday but was willing to fill in here and there when needed. And, of course, her brother being the owner, she had good benefits.

      The bar had saved her life. Well, Rob had saved her. And now she was schlepping drinks and meals and everyone was her friend. From introverted mathematician to gregarious barkeep. She didn’t know she could be this happy.

      The new guy, Dakota, was a cocky one. He knew he was good-looking; she’d seen his type before and stayed far away from them. He downplayed it even though he had women crawling all over him. What was he doing? Playing hard to get? Letting the women make fools of themselves while he enjoyed the attention? If she could trust any man she might take the time to understand him. But she would only get to know as much of Dakota as could be learned with a nice big bar separating them.

      She trusted one man only—her brother. Rob was the strongest, most genuine man she knew. When she was about to die of a broken heart, he came for her.

      It had been a dark, desolate time. Without warning, her husband left her for another woman. They’d been together seven years; she’d put him through medical school and supported him through his residency, and when he was done, he left her. He’d been with the other woman for two years, he’d said. She had never