The Bartender's Daughter Read Online Free Page B

leave management and day-to-day operations to me. Or you can sell your share. To me. Ray had the bar assessed, and I can offer you a reasonable amount.”
    “ I don’t understand. What if I decided to sell the bar to someone else?” He tensed at the question. He wouldn’t let it happen. Splitting the bar with another buyer would kill it.
    “ You can’t. I have an option to buy you out. In our agreement, you have to give me an opportunity to buy your share before you could sell it to someone else.”
    She seemed to take his measure before opening her mouth again. “Could you?”
    “ Could I what?”
    “ Could you pay for my half?”
    Unease settled over him. There was something in that look that put him on guard. “I could. Yes.”
    “ How? What exactly have you been doing in the last two years?” Her green eyes darkened as their gaze connected.
    All at once he felt drawn to her. A need to tell her everything welled up. The sound of a car door drew his attention away from her. The silver Lexus gleamed in the morning sun , and the reflection blinded him to the newcomer until he was right in front of them. Dylan St. James wore the typical club attire, khaki pants, polo shirt paired with dark sunglasses and a thousand-watt smile.
    Sam walked away from him to meet Dylan at the edge of the driveway. He rubbed her arm and pulled her in for a hug.
    Lee wanted to punch that possessive look off his face.
    “ Are you okay?”
    “ I’m fine. I guess I don’t have to introduce the two of you.”
    “ No.” Dylan looked up from his assessment of her face. “It’s good to see you again. I came to see if Sam was up for lunch and a little sailing this afternoon. Want to join us?”
    Before Lee could answer, Sam was shaking her head. “I can’t. I have to find some place to stay when you go back to New York. It looks like I have some unfinished business around here.”
    Awareness dawned in Dylan ’s eyes as he looked from her to Lee. He turned his back, closing Lee off from the conversation. “I can work from here for the next week. We can stay in my parents’ beach house until we leave.”
    She answered Dylan but her eyes drifted to Lee, over his shoulder. “I don’t think I’ll be going back any time soon. My dad left me the bar. Well, part of the bar. I can’t go until I get that figured out.”
    “ What about your job?”
    “ I’ll let them know. They already have a temporary nanny from the agency. You don’t have to stay. I know you’re busy and you’ve already done so much by coming with me and giving me a place to sleep.”
    “ Sam…”
    She stepped back before Dylan could put his hand on her shoulder. “We can talk about it over lunch. Lee, can I meet you at the bar tomorrow morning? Maybe around ten?”
    “ I’ll be there.”
    She walked around the car and slipped down into the passenger seat. Dylan gave him a mock salute before getting in and peeling out. Lee waited until they drove off before getting into his Jeep. He ’d have to wait until tomorrow to find out how long Sam meant to stay. Until then he’d grit his teeth and ignore the lingering feeling of her in his arms.

 
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
     
    Sweat slipped down her back as her feet pounded the pavement along Bay Drive. It hugged the shore and, with a view of the water, she hoped to keep her mind clear and calm. One entire night spent worrying over her conversation with Lee left her exhausted , and she still had no idea what to do. It all hurt. The morning sun was strong, and Sam could just make out a figure in the distance. Another morning jogger. Hopefully, no one ready to stop her for another condolence chat. She wasn’t ready to think of her father without regret and loss.
    Pulling her father ’s favorite baseball cap down low over her eyes, she kept pushing herself further along. Eyes forward. As she took each step, the words he didn’t cheat echoing in the rhythm of her run. Had she been wrong about Lee? Why had Michelle