“Is that all?” Noah asked dryly.
“No.” Dominic tossed back the shot and slammed the glass down on the bar. “I need a job.”
“You chose one helluva way to ask, coming in here and demanding free liquor before noon.” Noah folded his arms in front of his chest. “All the bartenders report to Josie. Sure you want to work for your sister?”
Dominic rested his right hand on the bar’s polished surface and picked up his coffee with his left hand. “I don’t have a choice.”
“Your dad would take you back on the force for a while.”
“He would, but I can’t shoot worth shit right now. And my handwriting is crap. But I can pour a beer and mix a martini.”
Noah sighed. “Your resume’s better than half my staff. But look, I need to keep this place profitable. It’s not just about me.”
“It never was. You joined the marines to send money home,” Dominic pointed out. “But I get where you’re coming from. You have Josie and Isabelle too. And I know my sister still has some debt to pay off. I’m not going to screw up. I’ll even bounce for you if you need it.”
“I know you can do the job.” Noah rested his hands on the bar and leaned forward. “But how long are you going to stay?”
“I’m not going anywhere if I can help it,” he said. “As long as Lily’s living here, I’m staying.”
Noah let out a low whistle. “Things are serious again?”
“No.” He took a sip of his coffee. “She kicked me out of her bed and her life.”
Noah stared at him and pity lined his furrowed brow. Unable to take it, Dominic held out his shot glass with his right hand. “I need another.”
His best friend nodded and picked up the bottle. “She ended things because they caught the guy?”
“You heard about the arrest?” Dominic accepted the glass and poured it down his throat in one swift swallow. Looked as if his damaged hand was good for something after all—taking shots.
And getting Lily off in the bathroom.
“I heard from Josh. He told me that he ran into you two ‘celebrating’ behind the bar.” Noah raised his hands, palms out. “I don’t want to hear anymore. I’m just glad you didn’t leave the bar in the same state as the staff bathroom.”
“It’s not the guy.” Dominic held up his coffee cup for a refill too and Noah turned around for the pot. “I showed her the mug shot this morning.”
With a fresh cup of joe, Dominic gave the down-and-dirty overview of the conversation.
“So she told you to go and you walked out the door? Knowing the guy’s still out there?” Noah asked. “Did you leave her with a gun?”
“She can’t shoot. Never could. Plus, it’s been six weeks. If I think with my brain instead of my . . . If I rely on logic and trust the police report, I know no one’s come after her. My dad’s still right. It was random, but she’s too caught up in the lingering anxiety to realize that now.”
“You’re willing to risk her safety on that?” Noah demanded.
“I’m not saying I won’t drive by her house after I sober up a bit. And again later tonight. Probably again the next day and the one after that. But, man, I need to respect the fact that she is trying to pull her life back together. I want that for her. More than I want to figure out what the hell I’m doing with my life.”
Noah nodded. “Sounds like you’re working here now. That’s a good first step.”
“Yeah, it is.” But they both knew he needed to heal on the inside. And a big part of that was coming to terms with the fact that he’d never be Lily’s hero.
“And you’ll still be nearby in case Lily changes her mind,” Noah said slowly. “If you’re still interested.”
Dominic let out a laugh. If he was still interested? He would be interested in Lily Greene until he drew his last breath.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Noah murmured.
“I’m fucking in love with her,” Dominic said. “I always have been. But I keep messing up. And if I have any hope for a future, I need to do this right. I have to earn her trust and hope that she’ll fall back in love with me.” He looked across the bar at Noah. “I can’t afford another mistake. If I get another shot with Lily, I can’t fail.”
“I’ll hire you.” Noah ran his hand over his face. “But you need to break the news to your sister. I promised her I’d hire an actual bartender next.”
“Thanks.” Relief washed over him for the first time since he’d left Lily’s house. Or hell, maybe that was the whiskey. But he’d made the first move toward staying. “And I’ll talk to Josie.”