Bucking the Rules Read Free Page B

shoveled the last bite of egg into his mouth and reached for Seth’s bib. “Ready for your day, little man? What’s on the agenda? A little crawling, maybe some scooting? Maybe Emma will take a blanket out and let you play in the grass. That’d be fun, yeah?” He lifted the wriggling boy from his seat and frowned at the waterfall of crumbs spilling to the scrubbed wood floor. “Shit.”
    Seth giggled and clapped, as if realizing this was a word he normally shouldn’t be hearing.
    Bea raised a brow. “Problem?”
    â€œYeah. Here, hold him a sec while I go get a dust pan and sweep this up. Otherwise, Emma will skin me alive.”
    As he held out Seth under the armpits, she backed up into her chair, arching away from the offering. “Thanks, but no. I don’t do babies. We talked about this.”
    â€œI’m not asking you to change a diaper. Just hold him for a minute. It won’t kill you.” He waited a beat. “Unless you want to do the crumb sweeping.”
    â€œGive him to me.” Bea held out her arms and took the bundle onto her lap. “Can’t he just, like, crawl around on his own?”
    â€œHe could, but he wants to be held right now. He’s still waking up. It’s early.”
    â€œYou’re telling me.”
    Trace headed toward the supply closet, smiling as he heard Bea yelp and scold, “Don’t pull those, they’re attached to my ears.”
    True, Peyton took to aunthood much easier than Bea. But he didn’t worry. His youngest sister had a heart of gold under all that makeup and perfume. She might play the cold-hearted bitch on that soap opera thing she was in—or was that her evil twin? Who could keep up?—but in reality, she just needed a chance to get her feet under her again. He had a feeling her extended stay at the M-Star had nothing to do with contract negotiations and “career readjustment” like she’d claimed. But he wasn’t going to push it. She’d share, in her own sweet time, what was going on.
    Just like he’d take his own sweet time finding a social life in this place. But damn, could they not give a guy five minutes to get settled?
    Okay, yeah, it’d been well over six months. But still. He’d get around to it when he was good and comfortable. He finally felt like he had a handle on the whole single dad thing. Slowly but surely, he could add in a chance to meet pretty ladies and have a good time.
    Eventually.

Chapter Two
    J o watched two hotheads start revving their engines for a fight. Damn. She checked the corner of the bar and made sure her favorite bat was still handy. Not that she ever used it—hardly ever—but at times, it was the visual reality check men needed to take her seriously when she kicked them out. Something about a pissed-off woman didn’t always register. But a pissed-off woman holding a bat? Always a big score.
    â€œWant me to step in?” Stu popped his head in from the kitchen. “Or I could send one of my guys.”
    â€œNo, I’ve got it. They’re about to receive an invitation to the parking lot.” Jo pulled her hair back at the nape of her neck and walked through the passway to the spot where the two idiots were riling each other up.
    â€œCall if you need me!”
    Amanda raced up behind her as Jo approached the two men. “Shouldn’t you let Stu—”
    â€œNope. You know me. I’ve got it.” How often did she repeat that phrase in any given day? I’ve got it. No, I’ve got it. Really, I’ve got it. Was it so hard to believe one woman could handle her own business without a man stepping in every time things got a bit sticky?
    Luckily, brawls here didn’t seem to happen nearly as much as they did in a larger, more crowded bar. She’d never imagined being able to run a bar without a bouncer. But in Marshall, it just wasn’t necessary.
    â€œIt’s