One Night With the Grumpy Boss

She's the sunshine waitress with a tomboy grin. I'm the grumpy bar owner who never breaks rules- until I break them with her. I own The Lantern. I keep my distance. I don't cross lines, especially with my staff. Then Emily Carson stays after closing on her birthday, all laughter and defiance, and my control bends. One drink. One forbidden night we swear won't turn into more. No strings. No promises. Just heat we lock in the dark and walk away from. But secrets don't stay buried in a town this small. Weeks later, she's distant. Careful. Hiding something I can feel in my bones. I've always been the silent protector who doesn't stay. But the secret growing within her is bound to me... and there's no running from that.