“Plum? Plum Washington?”

I paused mid way from putting a bottle back on the shelf. I’d graduated eleven years earlier from high school and that was the last time I’d heard anyone call me Plum.  Glimpsing up into the mirror above the bar, I nearly dropped my Jack Daniels onto the floor. My contacts prescription must be old, because my eyes had to be deceiving me. Turning around to face the bar, there was no mistake. Kendall Bright was in my bar with his fine ass perched on one of my stools.

“Bright, what the hell are you doing in this bar?” The words were said with a grin so he couldn’t mistake how pleased I was to see him.

“It’s Friday night. I’m here for a beer, a burger and the game. Couple of guys from my squad said that this is the only bar to get all three.” Twin dimples flashed at me as he smiled. “What about you, how long have you worked here?”

“Well I opened four point play two years ago.” Surprise painted his face at my pointed correction. It wasn’t the first time someone had assumed I was just another employee. Not many females opened sports bars and I was the only one to open one in Maverick.

“I should have known. You were the queen of making four points for the Lady Mavs.”

It had been a long time since playing for my Alma mater but hearing that he remembered my accolades did send a surge of pride thru me. Before a witty comeback managed to leave my lips, his name cut across the crowd. Following the summons, I saw a group of guys in a booth, one of them standing and directing a wtf shrug at his friend. Clearly they wanted Bright to do less flirting and more beer fetching, or at least that’s what I assumed. Bright threw him an expression I didn’t quite catch before turning back to me and apologizing. Laughing it off, I asked what he was supposed to be getting and set aside the JD bottle to get it.

Bright’s eyes stayed on me as I went to prepare the two pitchers for his table. I knew what he was seeing, but what he thought of it was another matter entirely. From the neck up things were mostly the same as they had been. Dark brown eyes, heart shaped face, full lips. My trusty ponytail had served me well in high school and did the same now. Like everyone else at the bar I had on white tennis shoes, black pants and a shirt sporting the 4 point logo. Since it had been a scorcher outside, my shirt of choice was a tank top baring my arms. In no way was the outfit unflattering, but it left little doubt that I was one of those women who had softened out over the years. With most of that softening being in all the right places, it wasn’t like I was obsessed with being too thick or anything, but being realistic, it wasn’t to every man’s liking. When my last boyfriend had start squawking the ‘f’ word at me, it had made him my latest ex. Who needs a man to make you feel bad about your body when you live in a world with size zero models and monthly magazine to beat on your self esteem?
The pitchers ready, I placed them on the bar in front of Bright. Reaching into his pocket he extracted the cash and handed it over. I swear I felt electricity as I took the bill from him. I definitely felt something as he gave me a gentle grin before promising that we’d talk a little later. I don’t even know if what I responded made any sense but it must have because he gave me a nod of acknowledgment before taking his friend’s their beer. My eyes followed him until the crowd cut him from sight.

The Bright in my mind over the years had still been newly eighteen and sexy in the way only a guy with his own car and teenage hormones could have been. Our school’s talented running back, he was muscled, tanned and in possession of a voice that should have been illegal it was so sexy. I never even for a moment thought he’d be into me seeing as I wasn’t the cheerleader type that hung on his every word. But we had the same crowd of jock friends, so we were friendly. Like most of the guys at Maverick Senior High, he just thought of me as the tomboy that would get our girl’s basketball team a state title. They were right of course, but I’d bet none of them ever thought of me as the girl who got myself off fantasizing about Bright between my thighs.

Now having seen him over a decade later, it was guaranteed that I was going to be hands down my panties with him on my mind once again. Time had given him a few extra inches in the height department as well as in muscle area too. I had always been a girl impressed at the gun show and his arms were huge. If that wasn’t sexy enough, tattoos peeked from underneath the navy t-shirt he was sporting only put gas on the fire. And the way his jeans were hugging his ass... yep I still would definitely be getting off with fantasy Bright later.

A throat cleared beside me and I turned to find my favorite bartender Alex smiling at me. Bright might have been oblivious, but Alex was not. Giving him a conspirator's wink, I asked him to send over a round to Bright’s table on me. After he assured me that he’d do just that, I headed to a table of my own with a basket of fries and a soda just in time to catch the last inning and a half of the game. Or more accurately I watched my team choke in the ninth. Even though most of the patrons in the bar had been drawn in for the game, the majority of them stuck around after the loss.

Not that I was watching him or anything, but Bright was one of the people to stick around after the game was over. The rest of his friends trickled off one by one, but he remained at their table nursing the same beer. After the last of his friends were gone, he still sat in the booth. I couldn’t quite read him from across the room. He wasn’t looking around at the various chicks in the room, so he wasn’t trying to hook up. He wasn’t focused on any particular monitor, so he wasn’t waiting to check the scores. From the looks of it, his body was seated in that booth, but his mind was a million miles away.

There was something about him sitting there all alone that got to me. It dawned on me that it was just like when I was finished with soccer practice and would notice him sitting in the bleachers. Sometimes after he’d finished football practice and showered, Bright would sit up in the bleachers alone. At the time I figured he’d been there because he was watching his crush on the field, but as time went by and there was no hook-up or rumors to back that, I figured he must have just wanted a place where he could be alone with his thoughts. Even though I understood the desire to have some solo time (what woman with three overbearing sisters wouldn’t?) I also remembered wanting to go up those bleachers, plop down next to him and offer a penny for his thoughts.

Seeing as I wasn’t 16 any longer, my curiosity launched me from my seat and sent me to his booth. Bright’s eyes didn’t light up with recognition until after I’d plopped down in the booth across from him. “Handsome you’re thinking way too hard to be sitting in my bar.”

A smile found it’s way to his face. “Sorry about that. Thinking about work.”

“What is it you do?”

“I’m the commander of the Tri-County Fugitive Task Force.”

Most of the blood in my brain rushed south. “You’re a cop?”

He nodded. “Meredith County Sheriff’s Department for the past four years.”

Pushing my badge bunny fueled fantasies down, I had to admit to him that I hadn’t pegged him as someone who would devote themselves to protecting and serving the community. Rather than taking offense, Bright explained that some experiences in college had lead to him joining the Marines and while enlisted he realized how much law enforcement appealed to him. Once his time with Uncle Sam had been up, he’d joined a sheriff’s department back west and then gotten a job closer to home a year later. His recent promotion had brought him back to Maverick where the task force was headquartered. According to him being commander meant a hell of a lot of paperwork, loads of responsibilities and a group of miscreants to look after, but he loved every second of it. Even if he hadn’t made that proclamation, I could have easily guessed just by the excitement in his voice when he spoke about his career.

The conversation turned to me and of course Bright asked how I’d ended up the owner and operator of a bar. Considering that he’d never seen me even drink a beer when we were back in school, I guess the career path was a surprise. Unlike him, I’d stumbled into working at a bar and found it interesting and somehow it had snowballed from there. After getting a masters in business, I’d worked my butt off, saved all my money and purchased the bar from the very man who’d given me my first job at eighteen.

We sat there talking about other odds and ends that had happened since we’d graduated for who knows how long. Only when Alex came over and interrupted did I realize how late it had gotten. The majority of patrons had left the bar and my staff were in the beginning stages of cleaning up. Alex announced that he was going to have breakfast with a couple of the wait staff if I was interested.When I turned the offer down, he didn’t seem too surprised. Instead he wanted to know if I wanted him to drop me off or if I was going to take his car home. I’d completely forgotten Alex had given me a ride because my own car was getting work done on the brakes. Not wanting to put Alex out, my brain was stumbling for a solution when Bright offered to take me home.

Of course my initial reaction was to refuse the ride. But Bright insisted that he didn’t mind and flashed a deal sealing smile. Before I knew it I was agreeing and asking for a minute to get my things together.

Once I had my purse and jacket, Alex practically kick us out of the joint. If Bright noticed, it didn’t show as he gently put his hand on the small of my back and lead me toward the parking lot. I recognized most of the cars remaining as those of my employees, so it wasn’t as if I needed him to guide me to the massive SUV. But admittedly the warmth of his hand was comforting against the slight chill of the spring night.

After getting me into the cab, Bright jogged around to his own side and put the key into the ignition. Fiddling with dash he announced that he’d give the heat a minute to warm up. I nodded absently, playing my fingers against the leather of my handbag. For a moment we sat there without speaking, the only sounds being the air whooshing from the vents in the dash. Completely sure us sitting in silence wasn’t a good sign, I’d opened my mouth to speak at the same time Bright began to say something. Realizing we were talking over one another, we did that ‘What were you going to say?’ dance for a few moments before I insisted he continue.

“Do you remember the last time I gave you a ride home?”

It took everything in me not to ask him if he was crazy. Of course I remembered the last time I’d rode with him. We’d graduated on a Thursday night and Bettina Callings had a party at her parent’s house to celebrate. It’d been the usual teenage party. More beer, loud music and hormones than was good for all of us. I’d spent the entire night dancing and gossiping with friends, loving every second right up until it neared two am. Unlike most of my friends who’d gotten passes for the night, my father had been insistent that come two thirty, I be at home in my bed. Back then early curfew was one of the many ways he tried to keep my virginity in tack as long as possible.

My choices for getting home were pretty limited. My soberest friend was getting felt up by her then boyfriend, so you know leaving to get me home in time for curfew was the last thing on her mind. But just as I was going to give up and call my dad, Bright appeared and asked if I needed a lift. I don’t know if he overheard me or what, but I wasn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth. Telling my friends I’d call them tomorrow I headed outside with him.

Back then his mode of transportation was a hand-me down from his grandfather. I don’t know if it was because the handles on the old car were hard to manage or if he was being a gentleman, but Bright opened the passenger door for me and waited patiently. My Grandma Mae had sewn me a beautiful white lace dress for graduation and I hadn’t taken it off from earlier. Smoothing it to the back of my thighs, I sat on the warm leather of front seat and scooted myself over. Once he was sure I was safely in, Bright carefully closed the door. He hadn’t even moved away from it when his name was called. Turning in the seat I saw Jase Nolan stumbling down the sidewalk. My stomach dropped in disappointment before I even heard him ask Bright for a ride home. Turning back in my seat, I listened as the back door opened and the car jostled under the weight of Jase falling onto the seat.

Bright got into the car and seemed almost apologetic as he explained that he’d drop me home first. I think my quiet okay was the only thing I said. We drove the ten minutes to my house in silence. Nervously playing with the hem of my dress the entire time, I should have been eager to dart out of the car as soon as he parked in my driveway, but instead I hesitated. Bright told me to hold on and got out of the car to walk around to my side to open the door. As he offered a hand to help me out of the backseat, Jase opened his door in the back to take my seat. What happened next happened so fast, it think it startled all three of us. Bright was getting ready to say something to Jase over my shoulder, but the next thing I heard was a mumble that he didn’t feel well. That was all the warning I got before the distinct sound of him being sick was followed by liquid splashing down my left side. The shock on Bright’s face was nothing compared to mine. Grossed out, embarrassed and desperately in need of a shower, I left both of them standing there as I ran for my house in horror.

What had been a devastating experience now brought amusement to me. Bright had his own smirk so clearly the memory was with him as well. “You know up until that moment, the most horrific thing that had happened that day was Dr. Brandon announcing my full name as I crossed the stage.”

A laugh burst from him. “I don’t know. I think Augusta Mae is pretty. It suits you.”

Groaning, I buried my face in my hands. “I cannot believe you remember that.”

“I never understood why you were so embarrassed by your name.”

Lowering my hands I shot him a pointed look. “The same reason you don’t like people calling you Ken-doll.”
“I do not look like Ken.”

“Maybe not now, but when your hair was blond?” Now it was his turn to groan and roll his eyes. His hair however had darkened to a shade of brown. Maybe because it was longer than it had been, it looked thicker than I remembered it. Perfect length to dig your fingers in and hold him in a spot that you needed him to be.

Oh God, I was sitting here fantasising about this man’s hair. Clearly it was time to get home and get as much distance between him and making a fool of myself as possible. “So do you remember where Ocean and Third is?”

The change of subject clearly surprised him. “Yeah, why?”

“That’s where my place is. Ocean and Third.”

“I would need to know that in order to get you home wouldn’t I?”

Or to get in my bed. Rather than voicing that horny fueled thought, I nodded. Bright gave me a long look that I couldn’t read then put the vehicle into drive.