Tyree could say one thing for his daughter—she was a charmer.

When he walked into The Fix on Thursday afternoon, there were only a few customers at scattered tables. But half his staff was gathered around Elena at the bar as she sipped from a line-up of drinks and laughed at something Reece was saying.

“Hey!” She looked up and flashed him a smile so broad she seemed lit from the inside. “I’m learning the menu. The better to recommend a favorite to customers. So far, I’m pretty sold on the Jalapeño Margaritas.”

“I can see I’m not going to have any help with those locks. By the time we get to your apartment, you’ll be seeing two doorknobs.”

She blinked. “There are two knobs. One on each side of the door.”

Behind the bar, Cam laughed. “She has you there.”

“Seriously, I’m only tasting. Everything’s great.”

“Tiffany’s in the back putting together a sampler tray of appetizers, too,” Jenna added. “We figured Elena was right. If she’s going to work here, she needs to know the score. Oh! And a T-shirt.” She cocked her head, silently urging Elena to follow. “Let’s go get you one from the back while we wait for the food.”

Elena flashed a brilliant smile at Tyree, then followed. As soon as she was out of earshot, he turned to Reece. “So it’s settled? She’s working here?”

“For the summer, anyway.”

“Good,” Tyree said.

“Guess that makes her one of the family.” Reece’s eyes were on Tyree. Not hard, but knowing.

Tyree felt a quick twinge of guilt. Everything had happened so quickly he hadn’t told his friends about Eva or Elena. Clearly, though, they’d found out.

“Sorry, man,” he said, and got an answering smile from Reece.

“We’re all good. She’s great, and just so you know, she’s not the one who told us. Brent flat-out asked her. I guess he caught part of your discussion with her mother yesterday.”

“If by discussion you mean my off-the-rails rant, yeah, he did.”

“Well, Elena’s great,” Reece said. “And she seems happy to be working here.” He frowned. “Listen, it’s okay with you, isn’t it? Honestly, I should have asked you first, but that girl’s a force of nature.”

He rubbed his hand over his shaved head, looking more than a little overwhelmed. “She came in, we started chatting, and the next thing I knew, I’d put her on payroll.”

Tyree chuckled. “She takes after her mom.”

“That so? And how does Mom fit into this new picture?”

Tyree drew in a breath. Of everyone at The Fix, Reece knew him the best. Reece’s dad had looked after Tyree when he was green and in combat. And years later, Tyree had held Reece’s uncle in his arms as he’d bled out, trying to offer some comfort to the mortally wounded man.

So yeah, he and Reece had a bond. And maybe it was that bond that made him tell the truth. Or maybe it was just the need to talk to another man. To say it out loud. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I want her here, Reece. I want to get to know her again. But—” He shook his head. “I thought about her last night. She was right there in my head as I lay in my bed. Our bed.” He drew in a breath. “I had to move to the goddamn couch.”

Reece nodded thoughtfully. “It’s hard to move on.”

The words were obvious, but they helped. Just acknowledging that it was hard helped, and Tyree sighed. “Hell, yeah, it is.”

“Take it slow. See what happens. Maybe nothing will. Or who knows? Either way, you’re not cheating. And you’re not staining her memory.”

“I know,” Tyree said. But those were just words. In his heart, he didn’t really know at all.

Behind them, he heard Jenna’s bright, “Ta-da!”

He turned to see his baby girl filling out one of the black The Fix on Sixth T-shirts.

“Looks good, huh?” Elena said.

“Looks great,” Tyree told her, as she came back over, then twirled in front of the bar. She grabbed one of the drinks, then handed another to Jenna for a toast. Jenna, he noticed, didn’t drink hers, and after a few moments surreptitiously traded it for a sparkling water.

“I did a little bartending in San Diego,” Elena said. “Reece said you’re short on servers and bartenders. So I can do whichever you need.” She grinned, then batted her eyes. “I’m so much more than just the boss’s daughter.”

They all laughed, but then Jenna said, “Too bad you’re not a photographer, too.”

“Oh.” Elena’s mouth curved down. “I’m not bad. Mom’s had me behind a camera since I was six. Why?”

“What’s Eva got to do with it?” Tyree asked.

“That’s what she does. You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t, no.” He realized he was smiling. “Good for her.”

Elena’s brows went up, obviously in confusion.

“She used to screw around with this crappy point and shoot thing, but she took some great pictures with it. I’m no expert, but I thought they were amazing. So I bought her a present before I shipped out. A Nikon. I don’t remember the model. And I told her to document the days for me.”

“You gave that to her? She still uses it.”

He blinked. “Seriously?”

Elena nodded. “Well, she has new lenses, of course. But she told me it had sentimental value.” She grinned. “She never told me it was from you, though. Probably afraid I’d beg to have my daddy’s camera. And as for the days, I guess she listened to you, because she takes a picture every day no matter what.”

“Does she?” His heart squeezed so tight he had to reach for the bar to steady himself. “And she really kept it. The camera?”

Elena lifted a shoulder. “Why not? She loved you.”

He turned away, faking a cough so that neither she nor the rest would see the tears that had welled in his eyes.

When he turned back, Jenna was studying Elena. “Do you do portrait work? How about shots of food?” She explained about the contest, the calendar, and the cookbook.

Elena shrugged. “Honestly, I’m passable, but I’m much better with landscapes. And I suck at Photoshop. My mom rocks it, though.”

Jenna’s attention shifted to Tyree. “She’s here, right? Why don’t you ask her?”

“You should,” Elena said. “Ask her tomorrow.”

“I thought you and I were going to Fredericksburg tomorrow.” She’d told him that she wanted to see the Hill Country, and since Eli was at Jeremy’s for the next few days, and since Tyree needed to talk to some local vintners about carrying their labels at The Fix, he’d agreed, looking forward to the chance to get to know his daughter better.

“Right,” she said, toying with the stem of her glass. “I meant in the evening.” She put the glass down, then rubbed her brow. “After we get back.”

He frowned, but assumed her odd behavior was because she knew as well as he did that Eva would turn him down flat. “I’ll ask,” he said, then turned to Jenna. “But don’t hold your breath.”