Page 3 of Sin for You

I hung up my jacket and hat, and used the mirror to fix my long black hair, tying it back in a high ponytail. As usual, I was wearing skinny jeans and a black T-shirt, provided by Bull, with The Thirsty Mule in white lettering across my chest. I glanced down at myself. Jeans were pretty much as dressed up as I got.

My brother called me a tomboy, and honestly, he wasn’t wrong. But what did he expect? I was raised by a single dad in a house with two manly men who had no clue that underneath my desperate attempts to be like Mason, to be included in their hunting trips and fishing excursions, was a little girl kinda lost and confused after her mom died.

That I’d been desperately trying to get my dad’s attention, some of his time.

Don’t get me wrong; my dad was the best, he loved me and Mase and made sure we knew it, but he’d been lost as well. His wife, the mother of his children, had been killed by a drunk driver, and he didn’t know how to deal with that. How to cope with his own pain.

He had no idea what to do with me a lot of the time. He didn’t know how to do hair, didn’t think to buy me dresses and hair accessories and all that crap I’d been secretly desperate for.

I’d ended up wearing a lot of Mase’s hand-me-downs as a kid. I thought being like my brother made my dad happy, and that’s all I’d wanted.

Now putting on a skirt just felt weird.

The last time I wore a dress was to Mase’s wedding. I’d been a bridesmaid.

Bull, of course, had been one of the best men, but Janie, my sister-in-law, had paired Bull off with her best friend, so I’d had to dance with Janie’s handsy younger brother—while I watched Bull dance with some other chick. He’d been all big and adorably awkward. And, God, sexy as hell in his suit.

Bull’s partner, on the other hand, had been confident and gorgeous. The kind of woman who actually looked and acted like one. Yes, I know women came in all shapes and sizes and could wear and do and think whatever the hell they wanted. But sometimes I didn’t feel very womanly.

That night I was painfully aware that she was everything I could never be. That was totally on me, not her. But she’d had the nails and all this gorgeous hair and perfect makeup. She was nice, too, really nice, so I couldn’t even hate her.

Ugh. I was pretty sure they’d hooked up.

I watched my nose screw up at my reflection in the mirror. Nope. I still didn’t like to think about that, and it had been three years ago.

She’d gotten to have naked cuddles with Bull, and I never would.

I sighed. And I still hadn’t worked out how to achieve what she had so effortlessly. The only jewelry I wore were the small silver hoops in my ears and a couple of things that had belonged to my mom. I wore her gold wedding band on my right pinkie, since her fingers had been so tiny, and a silver bracelet on my right wrist.

Yeah, I dressed like a college student, not a twenty-six-year-old woman.

Whatever.

Letting out a breath, I shoved all that extra crap from my mind and left the small room.

As expected, within an hour the bar was packed. The band, Oblivion, was awesome as always, playing mainly covers as well as a few original songs. Everyone loved them, which was why Bull always booked them for Friday and Saturday nights. He’d make a killing and the locals would love him for it.

The night passed in a blur of taking orders and delivering drinks. I didn’t mind being busy. Busy meant the night went fast, and it also meant great tips, which was always a bonus. I liked this kind of work, I liked people, and I loved music. All in all, working here was a win-win for me.

Ezra, the drummer of the band, waved at me when they finished their last set. I’d been keeping their drinks topped up all night, making sure they had everything they needed.

He grinned at me as I approached.

“You guys were awesome,” I said.

His grin turned wicked. “Yeah, I saw you dancing when you were supposed to be working.”

I laughed. “Hey, I worked and danced. I’m a multitasking kind of girl.”

He moved out from behind his drum kit and closed in. “You want to get a drink?”

“Oh sure, what can I get you?”

He shook his head and chuckled. “Nah, I meant do you want to have a drink…with me?”

I blinked up at him. He wanted a drink with me? The last person to ask me out, even if it was just a drink, was Bevan, and look how that turned out. “Um…”

“What time does your shift end?”