Luellen, one of the other bartenders at Rough and Ready, continued polishing the bar with the zeal of a missionary. “It’s going to be crazy. Ziggy already bought the body paint.” Kylie laughed and mopped up her own end of the bar. They’d just hit that midafternoon lull before all the diehards wandered in for happy hour—and beyond, considering it was New Year’s—and she was happy to be able to escape before the madness started. She’d worked more than a few New Year’s Eves in her day, and she didn’t mind missing one. The date she had planned with her couch and an action movie fest suited her just fine. “Sorry, Lu, no can do. I already bought the steak and champagne for my solo feast at home tonight. I’m going to eat like a damn queen—” She broke off as she glanced up at the sound of the door opening. Not a rare event at a bar, but the man who crossed the threshold might as well have been a damn rock star for the effect his presence had on her rocketing heart. Justin searched the bar, his gaze drifting until it landed on her.
