She smiled. “It was nice to spend some quality time with her. She’s leaving tomorrow, though. Rehearsals begin on Broadway.”

“I like her. She cares about you.”

Raven nodded. “She does. Took care of me after my father passed. Put up with my crap. Still loved me.”

He reached out and ran a finger down her arm, as if he couldn’t stand to not touch her. “Not surprised. You’re easy to love.”

She sucked in a breath. He snatched his hand back, shock reflecting in those baby blues.

“Can we get another round down here?” someone shouted.

The spell broke, and Raven hurried away. It didn’t mean anything. She knew how easily words spilled from lips with no action or intention behind them. She also knew the psychology of a traumatic event increasing bonding hormones, especially between a male and a female. It was textbook.

The night flew by as she took care of the customers, kept up a light banter with Dalton, and sold a crapload of her special raspberry-mint cocktail. Amanda sailed past her, a frustrated expression on her face. Raven reached out and touched her arm.

“You okay? Anyone giving you trouble?”

She blew out a breath. “Yeah, Al. He’s out smoking again, and got snippy with me. What’s up with him?”

“I don’t know. He refuses to talk to me.”

Dalton rose from his stool. “I need some air myself. Let me check on him. Could be guy stuff.”

Raven nodded. “Okay, maybe you’ll have better luck. I’m worried about him.”

“Us men are complicated creatures. Sometimes we need some space to work things out.”

He winked, then strode out to the back, tight denim cupping his perfect ass.

Amanda gave a dreamy sigh. “He’s so hot.”

Raven sighed with her. “Yeah, I know.”

“So is he, like, your boyfriend?”

The question was simple coming from Amanda’s lips. Of course, she was a college student, boy crazy, and looked at the world with a touch of shiny-eyed optimism. Raven wished for one moment she could just say yes. Dalton would be her boyfriend, and they’d go on dates together, sleep together, and head toward something beautiful and maybe permanent.

But it wasn’t that simple. And even if they managed to get past their family history, he didn’t want anything longer than a few beautiful weeks or months.

“No,” she said with a touch of regret.

“Too bad. You guys seem to fit together.”

Amanda disappeared, leaving Raven in surprised silence.

Dalton followed the trail of smoke outside. Al leaned against the back wall in his usual spot, puffing away. His white uniform was splattered with grease, one of his sneakers had a hole in the side, and his clean-shaven head shone in the trickle of moonlight. He stared into the darkness like he was planning to kick someone’s ass.

Dalton thanked God that someone wasn’t him.

He hoped.

“Hey, Al. What’s up?”

The cook didn’t answer. His fingers tightened around the cigarette.

Dalton kept talking as if they were having a two-way conversation. “Amanda’s worried about you. So is Raven. Seems you’re not your usual sunny, chatty self.”

That got him a grunt.

“Funny, this attitude started after Raven tangled with the gunman. Would’ve thought you’d be a bit more protective instead of shutting her out. Would’ve thought you’d be threatening to kill that asshole if you ever laid eyes on him.”

That did it.

Al spun around, temper glinting in his eyes. With a low growl, he practically spit out the words. “She doesn’t need me around here to protect her! She proved that to all of us, didn’t she? You know, I asked her if she wanted me to stay and work the kitchen on poker night, but she insisted she didn’t need me. And she was right. Stupid to think an ex-con could do anything around here to help.”

Whoa. The rage shaking Al’s body was mixed with a frustration Dalton recognized well. Al hadn’t been there to help Raven. In his own code of chivalry, he’d failed her, and he couldn’t stand living with it.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Dalton leaned back against the wall and shook his head. “That’s why I’m not going to see her anymore.”

Al narrowed his gaze with suspicion. “What are you talking about?”

“You know how crazy I’ve been about her, right? She was finally giving me a chance, but then after she proved she didn’t need me, I realized I wasn’t good for her. Let’s be honest. It’s humiliating for me to admit she kicked some jacked-up criminal around with her bare hands. What if I had been there? Maybe I wouldn’t have been able to save her as well as she did herself.”

“That’s the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard!” Al yelled. “I told you she’s not looking for some guy to take care of her or fight her battles. She can do that on her own! She needs someone to stand beside her. Support her.”

“Huh. You’re saying just because she takes care of herself doesn’t mean she has no need for me in her life? Or you? Right?”

Al jerked back, shock on his face. The psychological twist seemed to hit him like an uppercut, and he looked disgusted with himself for not catching on. “Son of a bitch. I’m embarrassed for falling for that crap. My situation is not the same. I look out for my crew, and I let them down. Pisses me off.” Al threw down his cigarette. The butt glowed bright in the dark.

Dalton nodded. Oh, yeah, he got it. Being a guy who wanted to protect the women he cared about was hard today. Al had probably seen a lot in prison. If the gunman had hurt Raven, he wouldn’t have forgiven himself.

Neither would Dalton.

But he’d learned the hard way there were no guarantees when you loved someone. One day they just got in a car and never came back. One day they just went to work and confronted an asshole with a gun.

A shudder wracked his body. He understood Al better than he’d thought. And that was why it was so much better not to get involved forever. He couldn’t imagine not being able to take care of a wife, or a child. Caleb was the bravest in the crew, choosing to let Morgan into his life when the future was unknown.

Yet Raven proved she walked her own path, on her own terms. Al was right when he said she couldn’t be with a man who coddled or tried to shield her. She just wanted a man to accompany her on the journey.