“Yeah, my other bartender had a family emergency. I don’t mind. I like staying in touch with the customers.” Turning to the bar patron next to Chris, he said, “Can I get you another beer, Mr. Smith?”
Chris recalled that he and Julián had encountered the man at O’Reilley’s right around the holidays.
“No, thanks. Your nighttime crowd’s starting to roll in so I’m heading out. Evenin’.”
Chris watched as the older man grabbed his bulky key ring off of the bar, and walked away without another word. The large mass of keys jingled noisily as he stuffed it in the pocket of his khaki slacks. Clumps of his salt-and-pepper hair stood a little on end, like he’d been running his fingers through it, or maybe he cut his own hair and slipped with the scissors.
Ethan called good-night and then looked around the bar, smiled, and shook his head. It was a Thursday night and there were only two other couples in the entire place, seated at tables, being taken care of by a waitress.
Slightly amused, Chris said, “He considers this to be a crowd?” Chris had half expected to see the key ring fall out of the cuff of his pants like it’d done the last time he’d seen him. Evidently Mr. Smith knew how to use a needle and thread and had patched the hole in his pocket. “Do you know that guy?”
“Bruce Smith. Yeah, he’s a little peculiar.” Ethan poured a half shot of tequila and turned a significant glance to Chris. Ethan was always looking out for the women who came in the nightclub and he wanted to know if she was driving and he should mix the drink weakly. Chris winked and nodded, and Ethan poured a full shot as he continued talking.
“Jack did some contracting work for him a while back when he was starting out and Adam has been out to his place to replace his air-conditioner compressor. He owns this place a few miles out. It doesn’t look like much from the road but once you get back to ‘the compound’ it’s a little weird.”
“Compound?” Gwen asked, getting drawn into the discussion as she sipped the drink he’d placed in front of her. “Ooh, that’s perfect, Ethan. Thanks.”
Ethan nodded with a smile and went back to drying the glasses that he’d been washing as they came in. “Yeah. The house is completely nondescript. But he’s contracted several sheds and outbuildings on the property. He doesn’t have any horses or other livestock and all the buildings are all secured like Fort Knox, with multiple locks, padlocks, deadbolts, you name it. I’m guessing that’s why he needs that big key ring. Adam said that Smith never let him out of his sight the whole time he was working. Jack said the same thing. Watched him and his crew like a damned hawk every time they came out there when they were constructing his outbuildings.”
Gwen sat back and twined her fingers with Chris’s. “Sounds like a man with lots of secrets.”
“I’d say so,” Ethan replied as he greeted the next patron at the bar.
They sat quietly talking for a while and once Gwen’s drink was half empty, Chris invited her onto the dance floor as George Strait’s “Give It All We Got Tonight” began to play over the sound system.
She moved as though she was a part of him, sticking as close as she could with each step. Knowing how badly both of them needed this time to just be, he didn’t break the moment with conversation, or snarky jibes intended to cheer her up. He just held her and led her in the dance. There was only one thing left to be said and he didn’t want to make these days any harder for her than they had to be.
Gwen lifted her head from his chest. “Did Julián ever tell you why he had to go out of town?”
Chris shook his head. “He just said it was important and that he’d be back as soon as he could. I trust him, so I didn’t question the reason for the trip.” Chris could guess where Julián was but didn’t know for certain. He was glad of that because he would’ve hated to lie to her. The bottom line was the same. She’d have to leave and because of his obligations he couldn’t follow.
They returned to the bar to finish their drink, had a few more dances, and she nodded when he asked if she wanted to go home. Wilbur had called her to let her know he wouldn’t be home until the following morning so they had the house to themselves for one more night.
Gwen filled the tub with hot water and he didn’t think twice before he sat down in the girlie-scented bubbles and helped her ease down into the tub with him.
For a while they just soaked while she cupped water in her palms and poured it over his muscles. Later, she lay against him and stroked the bold lines of the tattoos decorating his biceps and shoulders.