Having wall-to-wall customers didn’t hurt. The roadhouse was celebrating summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and Bull had brought in live music.

Although she was running her aching feet off, she’d received so many appreciative looks that her ego was soaring. Wasn’t it silly to invest so much into her appearance? And she really hoped Gabe would be in and see her all done up.

As Audrey stopped at a table to leave drinks, Irene patted her beehive hair. “I heard you helped out during the search the other day. Good girl.”

The approving nod from the cantankerous postmistress made Audrey’s day.

Irene’s balding husband leaned forward. “Have you heard if Chevy is all right?”

“He came home from the Soldotna hospital last night.” Between Gabe and Sarah, Audrey knew all the good gossip. “They had to pump him full of antibiotics since some of those gashes were down to the bone.”

“Yeeouch,” the man muttered.

“I know, right?” Ew. “But Niko is fine, and Chevy’s wife told Sarah that people had dropped off food, so she could spend her time looking after Chevy—who is grateful to be alive and grumpy as all get out.”

“That sounds like him.” With a disapproving sniff, Irene looked at her husband. “Nonetheless, we’ll go by his place this weekend and lend a hand.”

“Yes, dear.”

Audrey smiled. Yesterday, she’d heard the postmistress scold a teen for a poor packing job, and then Irene brought out tape and fixed the package for the boy. All bark and no bite.

A flash of pink drew Audrey’s attention, and she waved at Felix who waited tables on the other side of the room. He gave her a big grin. Wearing a florescent pink shirt, he was openly flirting with a linebacker-sized tourist. Go, Felix.

She took drink orders from three fishermen, who were discussing the various Kenai River fishing charters. The salmon runs had started, and the riverbanks were crowded with fishermen.

Audrey grinned, remembering a blanket, a riverbank…and Gabe. They’d been lucky not to be caught, really. No more riverbank sex during the busy salmon season, that was for sure.

But Gabe and Tucker had promised to instruct her in the intricacies of salmon fishing. She was looking forward to the fun.

At the bar, she gave Bull the new orders and started to pick up a newly filled tray. Then her feet seemed to freeze to the floor.

Leaning against the bar, Gabe stood next to Caz. On Gabe’s other side, Brooke from the ski resort posed on a barstool. The woman’s silky red shirt made her tanned skin glow and set off her brown hair.

Seeing all that vivacious beauty, Audrey felt dull and pallid.