Chapter 4

J.T. had known it would be too good to be true not to run into anyone he knew at Ray’s Wednesday night. His cousin, Rena, manned the bar. Guys from Webster’s Garage—more Del’s place than his father’s, what with his dad semiretired—were playing darts. He recognized the pair and Heller, who wasn’t supposed to be back yet.

J.T. considered Axel Heller, owner of Heller Paint and Auto Body, a true friend. The poor guy had recently lost his mother to cancer, and J.T. had intended to pay his respects the moment Heller returned from Germany.

Sam and Lou were amazing mechanics who worked for his sister. For that alone, they deserved praise. The guys were a lot of fun, decent despite looking like street fighters, and he considered them friends.

“Do you see people you know?” Hope asked from beside him. “You can go talk to them if you want. I see Rena waving me over. And there aren’t too many people here giving me dirty looks, so I doubt I’ll get into a fight,” she teased.

He’d warned her to be cautious at Ray’s. She’d smartly worn a pair of jeans and a casual pink T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Nothing fancy. Yet she still drew every male eye in the place.

Gruffly, he said, “I’m going to say hi to Heller. Guy lost his mom recently. I hadn’t realized he’d come back already.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She put a hand on his arm, and J.T. felt her touch to his toes. Warmth trailed, and not just the sexual kind. Hope had a way about her, doling compassion that made him feel as if she truly cared about him. Not just because she was a nice person, but because she felt for J.T.

Stupid to think that. She clearly didn’t want a relationship. But she cared. And that mattered.

He seated her at the bar and warned her and Rena to watch out for assholes, which had both women rolling their eyes at him. Then he promised to return once he’d talked to the guys.

He reached their table and gave Lou the stink eye.

Lou shrugged. “Sorry, amigo. I had no idea he’d come back until he sat down next to me.”

Next to him, Sam nodded. “Yeah. He’s not lying. This time.”

Lou shot him the finger. Sam arched a brow and told him to do something anatomically impossible.

Next to them, Heller regarded J.T. with blue eyes so dark they looked black.

“You okay, man?” J.T. asked and sat on the other side of him.

“Ja. Life and death coexist,” Heller said, his German accent thick. “We cannot have one without the other.” Six five, blond, and typically scary as fuck, Heller intimidated those who didn’t know him. But the guy had a soft spot for artists like J.T. and Lou. And he was a genuinely nice person under all the anger and aggression he often showed.

Lou, Del’s paint specialist, shook his head when J.T. would have commiserated.

Instead, J.T. slapped his grieving buddy on the back and nodded at the dartboard. “Who’s winning?”

Sam sighed. Almost as big as Heller but now more mellow since he’d found love, he didn’t fight nearly as much as he used to. A crying shame, in J.T.’s opinion, because watching Sam mop the floor with the idiots at Ray’s could be entertaining as hell.

Lou grinned. “Like you have to ask. Heller’s ahead by thirty. I’m hanging in there. Sam sucks.”

“Shut up.”

J.T. chuckled. “Like old times, except the gang isn’t all here. Where are the others?”

The mechanics from Webster’s were a family, usually thick as thieves. But now that the others had all gotten girlfriends, the guys didn’t get together as much. A shame, but J.T. knew they had to grow up some time. They had. Not him, though. He’d learned from his father’s example too well.

Sam answered him. “Foley’s with Cyn. Dinner at her folks’. Johnny and Lara are doing whatever the lovebirds get up to when they’re not around. Probably playing nurse.” Lara was close to completing her nursing degree, and the guys loved teasing Johnny about it. “But the real question is what the hell are you doing with a Donnigan? I recognize the blond from Del’s wedding party. That’s Hope, right? Mike’s cousin?”

As one, everyone at their table turned to see Hope laughing with Rena. Then the guys turned back to him. Lou raised a brow. Sam smirked. Heller just stared.

“What? We’re just friends. She wanted to see Ray’s, and I’m not a moron. I brought her here on a mostly empty night. She’s stubborn enough to come on her own.”

Lou winced. “Yeah, not a good idea.”

“I know.” J.T. saw some slick asshole approach her, say something, then leave.

“I brought Ivy here once,” Sam said. “Never again.”

Lou snickered. “That’s because you’re an idiot. You think I’d bring Joey to this place? No way in hell.” Lou’s girlfriend seemed too innocent to hang out at Ray’s. Yet for some reason, J.T. didn’t think Hope would have a problem here.

“Rena works here.” J.T. felt the need to defend the bar. Okay, so Ray’s wasn’t superclean or finicky about their clientele. So they had no dress code, frequent fights, and a few police raids now and then. J.T. liked the place.

“She’s a hard worker,” Heller added. “I think Ray’s is fine.”

“Whatever. You just want the bartender,” Sam muttered. Heller turned icy eyes on him, but Sam wasn’t deterred. “We all know it. Hell, she knows it. Make a move, Romeo. Take advantage of that sympathy she keeps shooting your way when you’re not looking.”

Heller sat straighter in his chair. “She’s looking here?”

“Yep.” Lou fought a smile. “Maybe you should get us another pitcher.”

Heller left the table in a rush.

The guys laughed at him, J.T. included. “Sucker.”

“Okay, look. He’s in a rough place,” Lou said. “Might want to check on him in a few days. I’ve been keeping an eye on him, but my paintwork finishes tomorrow, and I’m scheduled to be back at Webster’s as of Friday. He’s not doing so good.”

J.T. sighed. “I know. His mom was great. His dad’s an ass and, I bet, making trouble for him?”

Lou nodded.

“But enough about Heller.” Sam thunked his glass on the table. “What’s up with you and the hot blond?”

“I told you. I’m showing her Ray’s.”

“Uh-huh.” Lou’s smirk was annoying.

“Watch the tone, Cortez.”

“Or what? You’ll insult me to death?” Lou snorted. “Hate to break it to you, guy, but no one is afraid of your tiny fists.”

J.T. looked from his own graceful, artist hands to the guys’ blocky mechanic ones. “Not my fault I care about my art. But push comes to shove, I can hit back. I mean, I was raised with Del. Among the wolves, man.”

Sam tilted his head, considering.

Lou chuckled. “Good point. But don’t change the subject. I saw you drooling over Hope at Del’s wedding. You had it bad then. I’m wondering if you’re gonna try to make a move now that you’ve got that McCauley connection going for you.”

J.T. cringed. “It’s like a curse, that name.” The guys laughed. “But seriously, Del is so happy lately.” And pregnant—but that was something she needed to tell the guys. “Mike’s a dick, but he’s great to my sister. Their whole family is. And with Dad hooked on Sophie…I’m thinking there might be another wedding down the pike.”

“Seriously?” Lou blinked. “Liam taking the plunge? Damn.”

“Yeah, well, don’t count on wedding bells yet. The old man is scared but trying not to show it. I’m gently easing him into his ‘I do’s.’” J.T. grinned. “If he lets Sophie get away, I’ll personally kick his ass. He’s so much nicer with her around.”

“Agreed.” Lou nodded. “We don’t see him all that much anymore. But when we do, he’s always in an up mood. It’s nice to see.”

Sam frowned, and J.T. wondered what the guy had to be bugged about. Did he not like Liam being happy? Then he said the words J.T. had dreaded. “Ah, you might want to head back over to your girlfriend. Trouble ahead.”

J.T. swung around to see Fletcher sneering and mouthing off. “Damn. I thought Ray kicked his ass out.” He hurried to Hope just as Heller punched Fletcher in the face.

And the night got more interesting…

* * *

Hope stared in shock as a scary giant of a man, who’d seconds ago been staring at Rena with adoration, smacked an obnoxious racist in the mouth. The guy’s head snapped back, and the giant followed with a punch to the racist’s stomach that felled him to his knees.

Before Hope could move, J.T. pulled her back behind him. “Stay there.”

Like he had to tell her twice. She watched in shock and awe as the giant—Heller, according to several onlookers—took out two more rude men, both of whom could have used a bath several times over.

When a fourth man would have attacked Heller’s blindside while he dealt with the others, J.T. calmly decked him, a clean kick between the man’s legs. The sneaky guy went down with a groan.

“Ow, that’s gotta hurt,” someone said from behind her.

“Rena, you good?” J.T. asked his cousin, who remained behind the bar.

Unlike Hope, Rena didn’t seem fazed by the violence. She poured more beers and handed them out. “Fine. J. and Earl are coming.”

Two men not quite as tall as Heller—but large, angry, and wearing black T-shirts with the word BOUNCER in bold white letters—collected the injured.

They dragged the defeated brawlers away, gave Heller a look and a warning, then returned to their posts near the main door.

“I am sorry if you were scared,” Heller said to Hope in a gravelly German accent. His deep voice startled her into taking a step back. “But they were not going to go away because you said no.”

“Oh. Yes. I see.” She swallowed. “Thank you.”

J.T. roped an arm around her shoulders. “Hope, meet Heller. Heller, this is my friend Hope.”

“Hello.” The giant, Heller, glanced from her to Rena. “You are Rena’s friend too, yes?” Taller than J.T., with huge muscles and menace dripping off him in waves, he seemed a little too much for a girl to take. Handsome, yes. But too overpowering for Hope.

Not like J.T.

She subtly stepped back once more, so that she was nearly on top of J.T. “Yes, I know Rena. She was making me laugh when those guys came over. The one, Fletcher, said some rude things to her.” Hope frowned. “Some racist things. I’m glad they threw him out.”

From behind her, Rena said, “Ray let him return on a probationary basis. But now Fletcher’s permanently banned.” She sounded smug, took a look at Heller, and made a sad face. “Oh, Axel. Come here. Let’s see those knuckles.”

The huge man meekly followed her into the back, and Hope could see his unabashed admiration for his makeshift nurse.

“I like her,” she told J.T. “She’s so sweet and funny.”

“Yeah. We all have a soft spot for Rena.” He tugged her with him away from his friends at the other table, who had yet to take their gazes from her and J.T., and sat with her at a different table. “Rena’s mom and my mom were sisters. When mine died, my aunt stepped in to help with me. Well, when she wasn’t running from one guy to another. Unlike Rena, Aunt Caroline is not good with men or money.” He sighed. “Mama with drama, that’s our Aunt Caroline.”

Hope tried not to smile.

“What?”

“You’re funny. That fight was crazy, but you’re still so calm. You kicked that man in the… Well, between his legs. He went down hard. But you barely blinked, and now you’re here with me, talking about your mama-with-drama aunt.” She shook her head. “Ray’s is just like my brothers said it was.”

“I’ll bet.” J.T. paused, studying her. “You don’t want to leave?”

“Heck no. We just got here.”

He sighed. “Of course you want to stay.” He muttered something she couldn’t make out, but she was having too much of an adventure to care. Hope had been sheltered all her life. She’d never seen a fistfight before. Not one other than between her brothers or that had been scripted for a movie or TV. Had her mother called her staid? Unadventurous? Hope wished Linda could see her now.

Except that wanting to stay at Ray’s wasn’t a way to get back at Linda. She liked it here. “Do you get in a lot of fights?” she asked her rescuer.

J.T. shrugged his massive shoulders and waved at one of the waitresses. “Hold on. Hey, Sue. A pitcher of Coors and some nachos?”

The waitress, a woman with muscle, tattoos, and lots of piercings, nodded.

“I did her Chinese dragon,” J.T. mentioned. “Hell, I did artwork on a lot of the guys who come to Ray’s. But to answer your question, no, I don’t get in a lot of fights. My hands are my livelihood, and frankly, I’m old enough to know better.”

“How old are you?”

He grinned. “Thirty-two. How old are you, Miss Nosy?”

“Twenty-nine.” She sighed. “I’ll be thirty in a few weeks.”

“Why the sigh?”

“Because I’m not married, don’t have kids, and have a job with no potential, according to my mother.” All of which were true.

“So what? You don’t have to be married with kids to be happy, do you? I mean, I’m not. I’ve got a job I love. I’m sitting with the hottest girl in the place, and I don’t have to worry about having an active social life because I don’t have a kid at home waiting on me to play daddy.”

“Good points.” Her cheeks felt hot because he’d called her the hottest girl in the place. You’re so easy, Hope. “It’s just hard when all your friends and family are moving on to a different stage in their lives and you aren’t.”

“Tell me about it. My sister is happily married. Even my dad’s getting all clingy with Sophie. Not that I think that’s a bad thing, but it’s weird. All the guys at the garage, who I used to hang with a lot more than I do now, are hooked up with women. And Heller’s always mooning after my cousin. It’s like all the happiness of being single has been taken over by these couples.”

The disdain with which he said that had her laughing. “God, I feel the same way. I went to a wedding last week. Remember? I was wearing that awful pink dress when I met Greg on that hill.”

He nodded, his gaze intense. “I remember. I was thinking, man, she looks sweet. Pink was my new favorite color. Then I saw Greg starting to hassle you. Before I could get close enough, you had him on his ass.” He chuckled. “It was freakin’ hot how you handled him.”

She blushed. “Thanks. I just did what I was taught. I took my brothers’ self-defense class.”

“Good thing you did.” He paused as Sue brought their pitcher and some glasses, then darted away with a promise to return soon with food. “Seems like the class was worth it.”

“Yeah, it was.” Hope watched him pour them beer, taken with his huge yet graceful hands, his long fingers, the corded strength of his forearms and biceps.

“Ah, you mentioned a wedding?”

She took a hasty sip, found it palatable, and took another. “Yeah. A friend of mine got married. It was a beautiful wedding.” She sighed. “Except for the bridesmaid dresses, it was awesome. She and her husband are honeymooning in Paris. Now my best friend won’t stop talking about all things French.”

He chuckled. “I dated a French chick once. Don’t believe all that talk about the French making the best lovers. She was boring and hated kissing. It was weird.”

The woman had to have been nuts, because the one thing Hope could attest to was that J.T. could kiss. “I’m not sure what to say to that.”

“Not much to say.” He shrugged and drank his beer. The waitress dropped off the nachos, and he pushed them toward Hope. “Ladies first.”

“Oh. Cheese. Yum.” She took a large bite, not caring that she wouldn’t appear dainty or ladylike while she gobbled down nachos slathered in sour cream and guacamole. Normally, she did her best to try to impress a date, but since this one with J.T. didn’t count, she didn’t bother.

He didn’t either. They fought for the few black olives in the dish, as well as the cheesiest chips.

“Hey, back off, woman. That’s mine.”

“Please. You need to watch your figure. I’m doing you a favor.”

He blinked. “Watch my figure?”

“Yeah. You don’t want to get all bloaty from the dairy, do you? Especially since that table has been eyeing you all night.”

He groaned. “I’ll talk to them. Sam and Lou are such a pain in my ass.”

“Are Sam and Lou girls? Because I’m not talking about your friends. I’m talking about them.” She nodded to the girls making eyes at J.T. the moment he turned.

Hope wanted to be above catty jealousy, but it annoyed the heck out of her that the “ladies” at the table couldn’t see J.T. was with her.

“Oh.” He blew out a breath. “Sorry. I dated one of them a while ago. She wants to get back together.”

Surprised at his honesty, she nodded, hoping he’d continue.

“But we’re too different. She wants babies and marriage. I want to stay swingin’ single.”

“Right.” Hope refused to feel an ounce of disappointment that the man she refused to date didn’t want permanence. “Swingin’ single is where it’s at.”

“It is when it comes to psychotic exes,” J.T. mumbled and leaned closer, his voice low. “She was talking about dating exclusively ten minutes into our first date. And she…” He blinked, flushed, and pulled back. “Let’s just say she was willing to do anything to get an agreement out of me.”

Hope frowned. “Please tell me you didn’t date her for sex then dump her.”

“That was our agreed plan,” he said, being shockingly forthright. “She wanted some lovin’, same as me. I don’t try to scam my way into a girl’s heart. See, when I’m dating someone, we both go into a relationship with the same goals in mind. Fun, pleasure, and parting our separate ways. Trish…well, she tried changing the rules from the get-go. I tried to let her down easy.”

“Uh-huh.” Enjoying herself, because the insight into his character amused her, Hope continued the interrogation. “I’m sure you rejected her advances and sent her home with a polite not interested.”

He smiled. “Well, now. I wouldn’t say that. I’m a gentleman, Hope.” He ignored her snort. “I didn’t want to upset her. So I shared myself, spreading joy. And even…hope.”

She groaned.

He laughed. “Kidding. I mean, I did make her happy. And that wasn’t a euphemism for sex. I tried going out with her, keeping my intention of casual fun clear. She seemed on board when I told her I refused to date her and only her. But after a few weeks, she got weird. I bailed. I’ve tried to be nice, but—”

“Hey, J.T.” The woman stood behind him.

Hope had watched her approach and wondered how he’d handle it.

He crossed his eyes, and Hope had to work not to laugh at his annoyance. “Oh, ah, hey, Trish.”

“Hi, baby.” She shot a cold-eyed glance at Hope. The girl was pretty. Long, dark hair, dark-red lips, dark eyes. She had curves and dressed to show them off in a short skirt, a belly-baring top, and heels. “Who’s this? My replacement?”

“I have a feeling nothing I could do would replace you,” Hope said, trying to sound complimentary. Sadly, as curvy as she was, Hope would never fill out the clothes Trish wore. And with her luck, she’d kill herself in stilettos that high.

The woman blinked. “Huh.”

J.T. tried to bite back a smile, but Hope saw it. “This is my good friend Hope. She’s never been to Ray’s, so I’m showing her the place.” He blew out a breath, then added, “She’s my new girl, Trish. Be cool, okay?”

“Oh. It’s cool here.” Trish put a hand on J.T.’s shoulder. “Very cool.”

He tensed, and Hope felt for him. As much as she thrilled at being in her first He’s my man altercation, she’d never been in a situation where she had to fight over someone. But feeling the animosity growing and wanting to live on the edge for once, she raised her chin and gave Trish the stink eye.

“Yeah, cool.” Hope pointed a finger at J.T. “He’s mine now, Trish.”

Trish frowned, most likely not having expected Hope to be anything but perky.

J.T. just stared at her.

“Well, okay. But don’t hog him forever.” Trish let J.T. go. “He never stays long, you know.”

Hope nodded. “That’s his appeal. Have a great night. And I have to say, you’re really working those heels.”

Trish laughed. “I know, right?” The woman sashayed back to her table and was soon joined by a pair of rough-looking customers.

“That was impressive.” J.T. guzzled his beer and poured another. “But I was really hoping for a girl fight.”

“Please. First of all, it would have been a woman fight. I doubt Trish was a girl even when she was five. More like a brawling preteen. And second, is it wrong if I was hoping for a little sparring match while I’m here?” She laughed, joyous and excited and feeling alive for once. “Man. That’s never happened to me before. Ray’s is awesome. I’m definitely coming back here soon.”

J.T. put a hand over hers. “Not without me.”

“Well, okay. I guess.”

“Don’t guess. Say it.”

Her laughter fled as she looked into eyes darkening with authority. She nodded, her throat dry. “Not without you.”

He didn’t smile, but his satisfaction was clear.

Feeling strange and now a little unsure, Hope tried to take charge of their date again. “Okay, I told you about the wedding. Now you tell me. Do you have a lot of kids with a lot of different mothers? Have you done jail time? And do you have tattoos I haven’t seen?” Yet.

Oh God. I am in serious trouble with this one. I need to end this date and not have another.

But she couldn’t stop herself from moving her hand so it now rested on top of his. She gripped him, once again tingling from their contact. “Answer the question, J.T. Or I’ll have to get mean.”

“Promise?”