Protecting What's Mine(68)

“I’m very proud of you, Mackenzie,” he said.

She didn’t want it to matter. Didn’t think it should matter. But it did anyway. She felt it again, that brightness in her chest. “Thanks, Russell.”

“It looks like someone else thinks pretty highly of you,” he said, tilting his glass in the direction of the door.

Lincoln Reed in well-worn jeans and a tight gray t-shirt strolled her way with his eyes on her and that charming little smirk on his face.

Thunk thunk.

Her heart got in on the excitement with an uneven limp. Just leftover hormones, she told herself. Nothing complicated.

“Hey there, Dreamy,” Linc said.

She expected him to take the empty stool next to her, but instead he walked right up to her and slid his hands up her jaw and into her hair. He laid a kiss on her that stole her breath and her train of thought.

“Woo! Is it just me or is it gettin’ hot in here?” Sophie called from the other end of the bar, where she fanned herself with a menu.

It was definitely not just Sophie.

The kiss left Mack flush-cheeked and speechless for a beat.

“Hey,” she breathed finally when her words returned.

“Oooooh,” Freida crooned, sloshing margarita over the rim of her glass.

Linc grinned, and Mack felt her mouth following his lead.

“How was your day?” he asked.

“Dr. Mack saved a life today,” Sophie said, sliding a beer at Linc.

He held his glass up to Mack’s. “Congratulations.”

“Chief Reed here saved two lives last night,” Mack countered.

“Well, don’t I just have myself a bar full of heroes today?” Sophie said cheerfully.

“All in a day’s work, little lady,” Linc said with an exaggerated wink.

But it was. Their job was to preserve life. And now, there were three souls that would live to see the weekend. It gave Mack a little tingle of satisfaction. Of pride.

She’d saved lives before. Many of them. But proximity made this one different. She’d see Dalton at the grocery store or on the ball field. She’d run into his parents at the Italian place. And they’d all be connected. Forever.

Linc, not even trying to be subtle about it, dragged her stool closer. Positioning it and her between his muscular thighs.

“You look happy,” he said.

She gave a shrug and picked up her beer. “It was a good day.”

“And last night?”

She playfully gave him a scan that started at those pretty blue eyes and traveled south to the distinctive bulge in his jeans. “Last night was pretty okay, too.”

He pinched her, and she laughed.

There was a small scrape on his jawline. “What happened here?” she asked, tapping a finger next to the abrasion. “You didn’t have that last night.” Her inner thighs would have noticed it.

He captured her hand in his. “A manly injury incurred from being manly.”

“Uh-huh. You could have just said you fell off the toilet,” she teased.

“You’re beautiful when you’re hilarious.”

“So, where’s our girl?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Sunny is entertaining my sister Rebecca’s family tonight. She has a little crush on my brother-in-law.”

“She has a crush on everyone.”

“Love is love, Dreamy.”

The door to the bar opened, and a blue-collar crew flush with fresh paychecks ambled in, talking shit and ribbing each other.

They were followed by a thirsty group of dental hygienists.

The jukebox song clunked off and the next started.

Tuesday and Freida whooped and jumped off their stools at the first twangy bars of the song.

“Come on, Dr. Mack! Let’s dance,” Tuesday said, grabbing Mack’s wrists and pulling.

“What the hell is this?” she asked as they dragged her toward the space in front of the empty stage that apparently served as a dance floor.

“‘Down to the Honkytonk!’ Dare you to not love it,” Freida said.

“What’s a Honkytonk?”

“Just listen to the song and follow us,” Tuesday insisted firmly.

The song had caught the attention of a few of the other patrons.

More joined them, lining up on the wood floor facing the door.

“I only have one good foot,” Mack reminded them.

Linc set his beer down on the bar and joined her. “Just follow my lead, doc.”

“You dance?”

But her question and his answer were lost in a coordinated heel stomp. And all questions were gone as Mack tried to mimic the line’s shuffle forward.

Tuesday called out the steps—at least that’s what Mack assumed a step pivot cross and a turning jazz box were—and the small crowd followed.

It was a catchy song, Mack had to admit when everyone around started singing along.

Linc made whatever this line dance was look sexy as hell. Thumbs hooked into his front pockets, his scarred boots moving to the beat.

Sophie bopped out from behind the bar, joined by one of the cooks from the kitchen, and seamlessly jumped into the front line.

Mack considered it a victory when she managed to clap along with everyone else at the appropriate moment.

When the song came to the line about Sheila and the effects of tequila, the entire bar hooted, including the four firefighters who’d just walked in.