Buddy was a big man. That, coupled with the heat of the kitchen, had him sweating and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

“Grown men shouldn’t hit kids.”

“Couldn’t agree more. I was hoping if you saw him . . . saw anything you thought didn’t look right, you’d give me a call.”

Buddy narrowed his eyes. “This kid yours?”

Luke shook his head. “No . . . nothing like that. My girlfriend’s nephew. She’s given her sister an out, but she hasn’t taken it yet.”

Buddy glanced back at the picture with a slow nod. “Doesn’t hurt keeping your eyes open.”

Luke shook his hand. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

With a quick nod, Buddy walked back into the kitchen.

Luke moved to retrieve his beer, found something floating on the top, and abandoned it.

He started to leave the bar and found the whites of Zane Brown’s eyes. Zane turned around and walked away.

Luke double-timed out the door, skirting around bikers and a few men who’d had one too many drinks before reaching the cold of the night. He scanned the parking lot to see Zane jumping into a car.

Luke managed to get to his side before he could turn the key.

“Zane! Hold up.”

A flash of disappointment floated over Zane’s face before he offered a half-assed smile. “Hey, Luke.”

Luke left a hand on the roof of the car. “How are you doing?”

Zane looked a lot like his dad . . . younger, without the gray hair, but there wasn’t any mistaking his DNA. “Good. I’m good. You?”

“It’s been a rough week.” There was no point in lying to him. “Zoe left for Texas today.”

Zane nodded like one of those bobblehead dolls. “Yeah, I heard she was in town. I’m in Waterville most days. Work . . . you know.”

It was obvious Zoe’s brother wasn’t going to come forward with anything about Ziggy, so Luke brought up the elephant in River Bend. “How do you feel about your dad being back in town?”

Zane glanced at his phone as if he was checking the time. “I don’t know. Bound to happen at some point. It’s not like he murdered someone.”

Not yet. “Zoe’s worried. Thinks your mom letting him come back is a mistake.”

With his hands wrapped around the steering wheel, Zane leveled his gaze to Luke. “Zoe isn’t—” He stopped himself. “I get it . . . but my dad . . . he deserves a chance.”

Luke felt his hands fist.

“I’d imagine you’d want to see him as a changed man.”

“Not everyone has the perfect family, Luke. Some of us grew up with less, and that shit’s stressful.”

It was obvious Zane wasn’t going to hear anything Luke had to say.

He straightened up, removed his hand from Zane’s car. “You know where I am.”

“Yeah . . . I gotta go.”

He did, wheels kicking up gravel in R&B’s parking lot.

Zoe ruined four plates and an entire pot of orange sauce for the duck before she tossed in her apron and left her kitchen.

She might be in Texas, but her thoughts were in River Bend. The good parts of her life, the crappy parts of her life . . . all of it. She sat in the break room of the restaurant, ignoring the stares of the waiters who walked in. This wasn’t a space she often occupied outside of staff meetings where she discussed the menu and had everyone try new dishes. A half an hour ticked by with her telling herself to get it together.

In the end, she removed her purse from her locker, made her apologies to her sous chef, and stepped out the back door.

En route to her favorite dive bar, she texted Felix and begged an audience. Not that she needed to beg—the man loved to drink.

Still, she sat at the bar with her purse in the seat beside her, waiting for her favorite director and nursing a rum and Coke.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

Zoe twisted to see Raymond. She opened her arms for a hug. “How are you?”

“Same job, different day.” He glanced at the space beside her. “This seat taken?”

She grabbed her purse. “Soon. He isn’t here yet.”

Raymond thumbed toward an empty seat down the bar. “It’s okay . . . I can—”

“Don’t be silly. Sit. Felix is always late.”

He sat down, glanced around. “Where’s your friend?”

“My friend?”

“The blonde. The one that likes the big guys?”

“Oh, Jo . . . she doesn’t live around here.”

He lifted his chin. “Out of town friend?”

“Yeah . . . so how are you? How’s your wife?”

“Good.” He waved at the bartender. “Same, but what can I do?”

Zoe sipped her drink. “I’m sorry I ran out that night.”

“It’s okay. That looked intense. Hope it all worked out all right.”

She smiled. “Seems to be. I’ve known Luke a long time.”

The bartender made his way over and took Raymond’s order. “So, Luke . . . does he live close by? I’ve never seen him in here before.”

“No, no . . . he lives in Oregon.”

“Oregon? Really, whereabouts?”

“River Bend. Small town—”

Raymond sat up taller. “I know River Bend . . . it’s next to Waterville.”

Zoe’s jaw dropped. “You know Waterville?”