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“I’m sure you can, ma’am,” he answered easily. “But my mama wouldn’t hold too kindly if I was to let this guy get away with roughing you up that way.”
As if just aware of it, she looked to where Muscles’ thick fingers circled her upper arm. “Let go,” she said in a soft command.
“We need to talk,” Muscles argued. “Alone,” he added with a dismissive glare at Jake.
“Seems to me,” he began slowly, “the lady pretty much said all she needed to say. I believe she gave you your walking papers.”
“Back off,” Muscles warned as an angry red stain seeped up over his collar. “This is between me and my fiancée.”
“Ex-fiancée,” she corrected. “I’m involved with Josh now. Right Josh?” she called across the room.
“Anything you say, sugar,” he answered with a wink.
The other waitress, the one they called Beth, groaned. Jake had to admit he shared the sentiment. The bartender didn’t seem like much of an improvement over this clown.
“You haven’t been here long enough to get involved with anyone,” Muscles argued.
“What can I say?” She sighed heavily as her lashes fluttered over her eyes. “Love at first sight.”
“Which brings me back to my original point, friend,” Jake interjected. “I think the lady has made it pretty clear that you aren’t welcome here.” Jake lowered his leg and took a step so that he was right up in the other man’s face. “I believe she asked you to leave. Now.”
“Josh!” Ellie called, her voice slightly panicked. “I think you’d better get over here.”
The bartender came over and got between the two men. “Rose doesn’t allow fighting. You two have a problem, take it outside.”
“I don’t have a problem,” Jake said. “I was only doing your job.”
Ellie rubbed her hands over her face and said, “Mike, you have to leave. You should never have come here in the first place.”
She watched the indecision on his face and silently prayed he would comply. The last thing she wanted or needed was for this collection of men to start brawling in the middle of her sister-in-law’s restaurant. Dylan would kill her.
“Please, Mike?” she asked in a softer tone.
“For now,” he grunted before turning on his heel and heading for the door. Angrily, he yanked his coat from the hook on the wall, nearly pulling the hook out along with the jacket.
“Be careful,” she called out. “The roads are really slippery.”
Mike’s only response was to slam the door. The action shook the ornaments on the Christmas tree perched in the far corner of the room.
“Thanks,” she said to Josh, then turned her attention to the tall, handsome man.
Having him in such close proximity made her breath catch in her throat. His hair was blond and stylishly long, falling well below the collar of his chambray shirt. She could just make out the impression of the hat she’d seen her nephew Chad race off with a few minutes earlier. But it was his eyes that had stolen the starch from her knees. They were so clear and green that she had the uncomfortable feeling that he could see right into her thoughts.
In order to talk to him, Ellie had to lift her chin. It was an unusual occurrence; at nearly six feet tall, she rarely had to look up to a man. “There wasn’t any need for you to intercede,” she told him firmly but politely.
“I didn’t see it that way,” he drawled in a sexy Southern accent that told her he wasn’t a native of the area. “My mama was real clear on protecting the fairer sex.”
Ellie felt her blood begin to boil and it had nothing to do with his display of even white teeth or those boyishly charming dimples on either side of his mouth. “Josh and I had things under control. Didn’t we, Josh?”
The bartender shrugged. “I could have taken him. No problem.”
The tall man said nothing. He didn’t have to. He had a full vocabulary of eloquent looks that easily communicated his doubts.
Chad came bouncing back into the room then, followed by Rose. The hat was still clutched in the little boy’s chubby fingers. He raced over to the tall man and thrust the hat forward. “Jake’s hat,” he announced.
Rose wasn’t as quick as the small child, possibly because of her stiletto heels, or then again, it might have had something to do with her skintight Lycra pants. Though her choice of clothing was showy, her smile was genuine.
“Are you the one dumb enough to let him get his hands on an expensive thing like this?” Rose asked as she wrestled the hat away from Chad.
“Guilty as charged,” he answered easily. “He’s a cute kid. Really bright.”
Ellie was gaping at the tall man, wondering where on earth the uneducated, good-ol’-boy drawl had gone. He was speaking to Rose in the polished voice of a professional.
“Rose Porter,” she introduced.
“Jake Devereaux,” he said as he shook the woman’s hand.
Then, turning slightly amused eyes on Ellie, he asked, “And you are?”
“Ellie Tanner.”
“And the guy with the neck the same size as his thigh?”
She tried not to smile. “Mike Avery. We work together back in Albany.”
“More than work,” Jake speculated. “I got the impression he wanted you home for the holidays.”
Jake was about six feet four inches of trouble. Ellie sensed it in the same way a small animal senses a predator. He was a lankier, smarter version of Mike, so she decided immediately to nip her own curiosity in the bud. It was fairly easy to accomplish, especially when she looked up and saw the smug look in his emerald eyes.
“Sorry to do this to you, Jake, but I’m closing the Tattoo, so you’ll have to be on your way,” Rose announced. “The roads are only supposed to get worse and I doubt we’ll be inundated with business.”
“We’re closing?” Beth asked. When Rose nodded, the waitress’s lower lip protruded in a definite pout. “But I need the tips. I’ve got a new coat on layaway that I—”
“You shouldn’t buy things you can’t afford,” Rose interrupted. “Besides, take a look outside. I don’t think the good people of Charleston will want to risk life and limb for a plate of grilled sea bass.”
“Hey, Ellie,” Josh began as he placed a hand at her waist. “How about giving me a lift home? I’m no good at driving in the snow.”
“I can take you,” Beth suggested. “You live on my way.”
Josh laughed. “You’re no better at driving in this stuff than I am. I think I’d rather put my life in the hands of a pro.”
“Organize yourselves quickly,” Rose insisted. “I want to get out of here as soon as possible.”
“What about Chad?” Ellie asked. “You want me to take him with me?”
Rose shook her head. Thanks to an abundance of hair spray, not a single teased curl came free. “The house is less than a mile away and I promised him we’d stop at the toy store to see if they have any sleds. This may be his one and only chance to go sledding.”
“Tell Shelby I’ll be home soon, then. Let’s get our coats,” she suggested. Ellie was careful not to make eye contact with Jake as she led the others toward the kitchen.
The coats were all piled in a small closet near the rear exit. Everyone bundled up, wrapping layer upon layer of mismatched winter gear on their bodies. Ellie smiled but said nothing. She guessed these Southerners would freeze to death inside a week back in Albany. This was a simple snow shower. They were dressing as if Charleston was about to experience a blizzard instead of the predicted inch and a half.
“The front door,” Rose said with a groan as soon as she’d hoisted Chad and his ten pounds of coat, hat, mittens and scarf into her arms. “I forgot to lock it after that Jake fellow.”
“I’ll lock it,” Ellie offered.
“Don’t be long,” Josh purred.
Rose gave him an admonishing look and Beth simply grunted at the lecherous suggestion behind the words.
Thanks to years as a criminologist for the New York State Police, Ellie was quite comfortable walking through a strange place in dim lighting.
There was, however, just enough light spilling through the windows for her to see him well. Too well. Jake Devereaux was behind the bar, with both hands inside the cash register.
Chapter Two
Ellie let out a yell that brought Josh and Beth racing from the kitchen. The next few minutes went by in a flurry of arms, legs, punches and grunts.
Upon seeing the melee, Rose shielded Chad’s face from the violence as the two men tumbled out from behind the bar. The struggle continued as chairs were toppled and tables were upended.
“Watch the tree!” Rose called as the men skittered across the floor, dangerously close.
“Watch his right!” Beth called too late.
They grimaced in unison when Jake’s fist landed solidly against the other man’s cheek.
“Stop it,” Ellie heard Jake exclaim as he dodged blows as effortlessly as a professional. “I can explain.”
“Thief,” Josh growled as he butted Jake with his head.
The two men went sailing backward. Ellie heard Rose exclaim, “Oh my God,” a fraction of a second before the Christmas tree came crashing down.
Glass shattered and several of the lights exploded in a series of multicolored pops.
“Do something,” Beth whined.
Ellie, thinking this was not an appropriate thing for her nephew to see, went into the fray and grabbed Josh by the back of his coat. “Stop this right now,” she insisted as she gave a hard jerk. It wasn’t her strength but probably the fact that her action caused his shirt to act like a noose. Whatever the reason, it earned her Josh’s cooperation. Instinctively she knew Jake wouldn’t continue the fight. With the exception of a few punches meant to deter the aggressor, Jake had gone out of his way to keep from hurting the bartender. Still, seeing his readied stance and balled fists, Ellie had no doubt that this man could pound Josh into a bloody pulp with little or no effort.
“What is going on here?” she demanded as she watched Josh struggle for breath.
Jake tested his jaw by opening and closing his mouth in an exaggerated action. “I was looking for something.”
“Money?” Rose accused, one brow arched toward the mass of lacquered hair.
“My money,” Jake corrected. “I had a special coin with me that he must have—”
“Yeah, right,” Josh grumbled. “And to think I didn’t even charge you for the cup of coffee.”
“Thanks,” Jake answered wryly. “But the point remains that I had this item with me when I came in—”
“And you think that gives you the right to break into my register?” Rose said with a sneer.
“I was out the door before I realized I didn’t have it,” Jake explained. “I thought you all had left so I simply went looking for it on my own.”
“Call the police,” Beth insisted. “He’s probably wanted.”
Jake didn’t even flinch at the suggestion. Instead, he took a moment to pull several strands of tinsel from the front of his jeans. “I can assure you, I am not a thief and I was only looking for something that belonged to me. If you don’t believe me, I suggest you check the amount of cash in the drawer. You’ll probably find that your cash drawer is exactly one cent over.”
“You mean to tell me you were trying to steal a penny?” Ellie asked, astonished.
Rose handed the wide-eyed little boy to Ellie as she went over to the register. After a few minutes she said, “He’s right. Nothing’s missing.”
Again Jake didn’t react in any visible way. His casual, relaxed features piqued her curiosity. Of course, the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous didn’t help, either.
Remember Mike, she silently admonished. Though New Year’s Day was still two weeks away, Ellie had already made a resolution—no more alpha males. And Jake was nothing if not an alpha. It was apparent from the hard set of his jaw. This man fairly screamed arrogance bred of too much testosterone, and she wasn’t about to let history repeat itself.
“So,” Beth began as she dabbed at Josh’s bloodied lip with a napkin. “Are we going to have him arrested?”
Josh shrugged away from Beth. Ellie guessed the action was the result of having so many people witness his thrashing.
“I should,” Rose huffed as she went over to survey the damage that was once her Christmas tree. She sank down to her knees. “Look at this!” she whined. “Do either of you two barbarians have any idea how long it’s taken me to collect these?”
Ellie offered a conciliatory smile. “Maybe we can glue them together.”
Rose grunted in response. “This one,” she said, holding up a fragment depicting part of a nostril, “was painted by a woman Elvis kissed in Germany. I have the certificate of authenticity at home.”
“I’ll be happy to share the cost of replacing what was broken,” Jake offered.
Rose glared at him. The hostility in her eyes reminded Ellie never to get on this woman’s bad side.
“They aren’t replaceable,” Rose said.
“Neither is my penny,” Jake said.
Rose got up slowly, still clutching the small piece of the King’s nose in her hand. “Do you really think an Elvis Presley collectible and a penny are in the same category, Devereaux? We’re talking Elvis here. Much more important than a dead president cast in copper.”
Jake moved then, drawing Ellie’s eyes to the definition of muscles where his well-worn jeans hugged powerful thighs. She shouldn’t be watching his legs, she admonished. Nor should she care that his sheepskin jacket hung from broad, even shoulders. It was as ridiculous as fixating on the fact that he didn’t just walk, no, this man swaggered with a pure male confidence that reminded her of an old movie hero. The kind that breezed into town, saved the day, then disappeared without a backward glance.
“Hot,” Chad said as he wiggled in her arms.
“Yes he is,” Ellie mumbled. “Rose, maybe your daughter-in-law can do something with the pieces. Isn’t she some sort of preservationist?”
“Yes,” Rose answered. “But I don’t think Tory can fix all these in time for the holidays.”
“So buy some new ones,” Josh suggested, a touch of annoyance in his voice.
“You have no appreciation for the King,” Rose said. “If you did, you wouldn’t make such a stupid suggestion.”
“Forgive me,” Josh said on a sigh. “I guess listening to his music hour after hour, night after night, has kinda turned me off the guy.”
