Justice Burning (Hellfire #2) by Elle James

hips. “Do y’all promise to behave while Audrey goes to the hospital?”
    “Hell yeah!” rose a shout from every man and woman in the saloon.
    Charli turned to Audrey, “There you have it. Now go. I’ll open tomorrow, so don’t you worry.”
    “Come on.” Jackson scooped Audrey into his arms. “Can’t have the mother of my baby girl bleeding out in a bar.” He winked and carried her through the back room to the rear exit.
    Phoebe watched until they disappeared and then turned to Libby. “Okay. What now?”
    Charli grinned. “Get to work covering her tables. Between me, Libby, you and Lacey, we can handle it. Thanks for showing up when you did.”
    While Libby filled her order, Phoebe ran to another table, returned with their order, slapped it on the bar and took the full tray to distribute the drinks. For the next two hours, she repeated the process, doing her best to keep the thirsty cowboys satisfied.
    Throughout the evening, Nash sat at a table with his brothers until, one by one, they left to go home. Each time another Grayson rose, Phoebe’s gaze shifted to Nash, and she wondered if he would leave with them. But he hadn’t.
    The crowd swelled near midnight and stayed full and rowdy until after one-thirty when the men finally clamped their hats on their heads and left to rest up for another day at the rodeo.
    Her back and feet aching, Phoebe worked on, cleaning up the empty bottles, mugs and shot glasses. After the last cowboy left, Phoebe helped Charli and Lacey stack the chairs on the tables. Mops in hand, they cleaned up the spilled beer, whiskey and sodas from the floor.
    Tired to the bone, she rinsed out her mop and hung it to dry outside off the back porch. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn’t help but feel better about her situation. Her pockets were full of bills from all the tips she’d earned.
    Charli hung her mop beside Phoebe’s. “For a newbie, you did good. Thanks for sticking it out. Rodeo week can be a killer.”
    “I’m glad I could help.” She rubbed her hands on her jean cutoffs and straightened her back. “I hope Audrey will be okay.”
    “Jackson called an hour ago. After ten stitches and a painkiller, Audrey is sleeping. He has baby duty through the night.” Charli smiled. “I’ve never seen a grown man so over the moon about a little girl as he is. Emma is one lucky baby.”
    “Audrey and Jackson seem to love each other a great deal.”
    “If you work here long enough, you’re bound to run across them getting it on in the storeroom. Just fair warning.” Charli winked. “And they don’t mind if you watch.”
    Phoebe’s eyes widened. “Really?”
    “Their love is true and they aren’t afraid to show it.” Charli pushed her long blond hair back behind her ear. “You better get home and grab some sleep. If you’re available tomorrow, we could sure use your help.”
    “I can work,” Phoebe said and then frowned. “Only thing is I might not have a way to get here.”
    Charli tapped her chin with the tip of her finger. “Where are you staying?”
    “In Hellfire. I’m renting a garage apartment from a woman named Lola.”
    “Let me work on the logistics. If I can’t find someone coming out from Hellfire, I’ll swing by myself. We can’t manage this rodeo crowd without your help.”
    Phoebe’s chest filled with warmth at the praise. Never having held a job, she didn’t know how good working felt. Putting in a hard day’s effort, gave her a greater appreciation for the staff that made her family home sparkle.
    “Charli, I could use a hand in here,” Libby called out.
    The assistant manager turned to go back into the saloon before Phoebe had a chance to tell her Audrey was supposed to be her ride home. She’d have to catch her before she left. But for that moment, Phoebe stared out at the starlit Texas night.
    A shadow detached itself from the only tree behind the building and a man wearing a cowboy hat walked toward her.
    A flash of caution made Phoebe