Epiphany (Legacy of Payne) Read Online Free PDF

and cowboy boots. What a combination.
    “That’ll be three dollars,” I said, setting a Coors Light in front of a guy wearing an Elmo costume. “Where’s Big Bird?”
    “I ate him for dinner.” His blue eyes smiled at me through the holes in the red fur.
    I couldn’t help but grin back. “Can I get you anything else?”
    “No, thanks. Keep the change.” Our fingers brushed together as he handed me a five-dollar bill. I gave Elmo an amused smile and turned to the next customer, which happened to be Christie and two of her sidekicks. She leaned forward and shelved her breasts on the bar, and cleavage spilled from her Pocahontas costume.
    “We’ll take three Long Islands,” she shouted over the raucous beat of the band. The dance floor in front of the stage was full to capacity. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, eerie flameless candles lit the counter and the wooden tables, and black lights created an atmosphere ideal for the holiday of ghouls and goblins. The lead singer, belting out Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” wasn’t half bad. The guy could sing, I’d give him that, but he didn’t hold a candle to Michael’s dance moves.
    “Sure, be right back,” I hollered at Christie. I maneuvered around Tony—the third bartender working the shift—and fetched the order. When I returned a few minutes later, I saw that Aidan had arrived, and the vultures had swooped in to feast. I swear he had a sixth sense when it came to my presence. Our eyes collided, freezing me to the spot. I should have looked away. I should have done anything but stand there like an idiot drinking in the sight of him. His five o’clock shadow seemed out of place, and the cagey glint in his eyes more pronounced, but damn he wore disreputable well.
    As my pulse thrummed at my throat, I forced my feet to move and set the tray of drinks on the counter. “You opening a tab?” I asked Christie.
    “You bet.” She slipped me her plastic before rubbing against Aidan, drink in hand, as she slid by him. At least the hussy wasn’t sticking to the counter like chewed gum. She and her friends no doubt had bigger fish to catch. I spotted Judd in the crowd, clad in uniform. If he wasn’t on duty, he was as boring as calculus when it came to costume selection.
    The pirate-cowboys waved at me from the other end of the bar. “We’re dry over here, baby!” Tony had just approached Aidan, so I resigned myself to serving the men with the come-hither eyes.
    A half hour later, after three rounds of drinks and a dozen lurid jokes, I extracted myself and was certain four pairs of lascivious eyes were glued to my ass.
    Six grabbed my arm mid-stride and gestured toward Aidan. “Talk to him. It won’t kill you, I promise.”
    I wasn’t so sure about that—I’d been trying to talk to him all week, but he’d been tight-lipped. The band went to break, and I kissed my excuse to duck and hide goodbye. Six gave me a final nudge in his direction.
    “How’s it going?” I asked, gripping the counter for support. His eyes answered for him. Troubled and drawn, they indicated a sleepless night. Two full shot glasses sat between his hands; three empties had already been pushed aside.
    This couldn’t be a good sign.
    I said the first thing that came to mind. “No costume tonight?”
    “I’m not really in a festive mood.” His eyes traveled the length of my body, and the corner of his mouth crept up in a lopsided smile. “Nice hat,” he said, swaying in his seat, “but Bonnie was blond.”
    “I don’t play well with hair dye or wigs. It’s a character flaw.” What had gotten into me? Talking to the opposite sex had never come so easily, especially with a man as attractive as Aidan.
    Sexy. Gorgeous. Hmm . . . wonder what’s underneath those clothes?
    I swallowed hard. Now who had lascivious eyes? Time to pour cement into my mind’s gutter.
    “You’re right. I can’t picture you blond.” He swayed on the barstool again, and I figured he must have