Mockingbird: a Songbird Sequel

I couldn't help but laugh the second I entered the bar. The Judds were blaring on the stereo to all four of the regulars, but none of them cared about the damn song. They were too busy watching my bride-to-be grooving along to the music as she tidied up behind the bar.

"You always shake your ass when you're mixing Jack n Cokes?" I asked with a grin, startling the shit out of her.

She jumped and gave me an unimpressed glare. "How do you think I rake in all the tips? Gotta give em something. Right, Phil?"

She turned to the haggard man at the end of the bar. He looked like Willie Nelson and Santa had a baby. Subtract twenty years or so and I might've been worried. In this case, I definitely was not. "Right, sweetheart," his gravelly voice replied as he raised his beer in a salute.

"Watch it, Phil," I stated, pointing a finger at him, "or I'm making you square up on that tab before we serve you one more drink."

"Hey, can't a guy appreciate a beautiful woman?" Phil retorted with a smirk.

"Appreciate all you want," I replied. "Just keep those eyes in that skull of yours." Lennie just laughed and planted her hands on the bar, lifting herself slightly to brush her lips against mine. "Now I know why you make more tips than I ever did."

She giggled before kissing me again. "Maybe it's just that I'm actually nice to people," she retorted with a wink.

"I'll vouch for that," Phil spoke up.

I leveled him with a droll stare. "You planning on finding another bar to call home?"

"Lay off, Bossman," Nina's voice commanded as she emerged from the back. "We were having a good night til your crabby ass showed up."

"I'm not crabby!" I argued with a laugh.

"There's a first," Nina muttered as she nudged Lennie with her elbow.

"Hey! I didn't come into my own goddamn bar to be treated like this," I stated through trying to stifle a laugh. "I get enough of this shit at home."

"You poor thing," Lennie chimed in, feigning sympathy.

"I'm going to my office. I don't need this," I chuckled, but then cast my fiancée a sidelong look. "'Less you wanna get outta here? I could be convinced."

"Sir, I am about to be married and this is NOT that kind of establishment."

I let out a loud guffaw. "Fine. I'll be in the office doing paperwork if you need me."

"We won't," Nina told my back.

"Buncha assholes," I grumbled. "Why do I pay you?"

"SHE GETS PAID?!" I heard Lennie shout.

I sank into my office chair and just laughed for a solid minute. Life sure was a lot more fun with that gorgeous nut case around.

I lost myself in paperwork and payroll. Lennie and I were leaving the next day for our bachelor/bachelorette trip to Key West and I wanted to make sure everything was as covered as could be. I knew Nina and Darren could handle it, but I was nervous. I'd never left the bar for longer than a couple days. Hell, since I moved back, I hadn't even left Snyder for more than a long weekend.

As my nerves began to get the better of me, I heard a soft knock on the office door before Lennie stepped into view. Just like that, the nerves were gone. Just by her presence and that little smile on her face.

"Heya, Bossman," she greeted, pressing a denim-clad hip into the doorframe.

"Ya know, I kinda like it when you call me that," I grinned back, sinking back into my office chair.