I cup his face in my hands, brushing my lips over his. “You’re not jealous now are you, my dark knight?”

“This is no time to play, Kinsley,” he says seriously, taking my hands with his. “Let’s go upstairs, you can get ready for work and pack some things to take to Jesse’s.”

I pout playfully and Tanner shakes his head, leading me by the hand towards my bedroom. I can’t help it. I’ve always been the one awkward person who laughs in situations that are the furthest thing from funny. It’s a coping mechanism I suppose.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kinsley

Tanner refused to leave me at work until Becky and Brad arrived — together mind you. I’ll need to ask her about that; I’ve suspected something has been going on between the two of them for a long time, but she’s never confirmed nor denied it.

“Hey, guys!” I call out as I walk into the bar.

Working the opening shift means we can all hang out for a while before the regulars filter in; right now it’s still only us here.

“I know I’ve been away on and off since the break-in, and I want to apologise. I also wanted to make sure everything is going okay —” The two of them glance at each other, not knowing where this is going, clearly the photos have shaken me up more than I had thought. With a sigh, I cut straight to the point, “— I need to know if you have noticed anyone suspicious hanging around, or anyone causing trouble?”

“I haven’t noticed anything, nothing out of the ordinary anyway,” Becky says, rubbing my arm in comfort. “It’s been business as usual here.”

Brad pipes up from behind the bar, “Want me to comb over the security camera footage?”

Hell to the yes. Why didn’t I think of that earlier? From the conversation Tanner and Jesse were having earlier it wouldn’t surprise me if someone had already checked the footage, multiple times.

“Oh no, honestly — please don’t stress. It’s all good.”

Brad pins me with a knowing look. “Kinsley, if it’ll put your mind at ease, I’ll do it. It’s no trouble.”

I smile, we aren’t super close but this little work family I have created, they always look out for each other. “Okay fine, only if you get a chance, no pressure!” I say.

Before long the regulars fill the empty booths and bar stools, the drinks are flowing and the jukebox is playing old school hits. I almost forget about the problem at hand, that is until the small crowd parts as Jesse enters the bar.

“Daddy’s home!” he sings out, making an entrance as always. He picks Becky up with one arm and throws her over his shoulder. She punches his back, whilst laughing, and he plops her down on a bar stool next to me.