I slid from the bar, needing some fresh air. Outside, I leaned against the old stone building, watching from the shadows as men I’d grown up with—attractive, charismatic men who treated me with respect but indifference—made fools of themselves in an attempt to attract a potential life partner.
But I didn’t know where Aiden sat with this proposal.
“So ask him,” I muttered, kicking a stone with my shoe. “Don’t be a coward, Riley.”
“Riley?”
I glanced up, surprised to see Del Bellinger standing in the shadows of the pub. The borderline recluse mountain man lived and worked with Warrick and made a decent living guiding determined hikers and climbers around some of the island’s most treacherous and challenging trails.
Tall, broad, with a shock of dark brown hair and an unruly beard, he often reminded me of Bigfoot or a yeti, rather than the cute, shy boy I’d grown up with.
“Del, hey. How are you?” I jerked a finger back toward the door. “Did you go to the mixer?”
He stepped out of the shadows and into the light, pulling the knit cap from his shaggy hair. “Mixer?”
I chuckled. “Sorry, I forgot. Warrick said you were finishing with a tour group. ”
“Aye,” he murmured, watching wide-eyed as women streamed from the door of the pub, tumbling out in a colorful parade as they laughingly headed down toward the hotel. “I came for a drink but it appears I’m not the only one to want one. Did I miss an invasion?”
“No, just the mayor’s singles weekend.”
He nodded once, tugging at his unruly beard. “I see. Did you participate?”
I spluttered. “What? No.”
“Why not?”
Heat flushed my cheeks. “We both know the answer to that.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Ah, so you’re finally with Aiden and Finn?”
If he had told me he’d married a duck I couldn’t have been more surprised.
“What! No! I mean, what?”
He began to chuckle then abruptly cut off, his mouth dropping open as his eyes widened. “Who is that?”
I glanced behind me to see Colleen navigating her way slowly down the sidewalk.
“Oh, that’s Colleen.” I turned back to him. “You should ask Warrick to introduce you since he was sniffing around her earlier today.”
“Excuse me.” Del brushed past, hurrying after the woman.
I stayed where I was, leaning back against the stone building as I tried to process the barrage of information that had been tossed my way over the last twenty-four hours and which had fundamentally shaken my world to its core.
You’re finally with Aiden and Finn.
If Del, who had zero concept of town gossip, knew about Finn and Aiden’s interest then….
“It has to be true.”
And that could mean only one thing.
Spinning on the loose gravel, I hurried back to my cottage, my mind whirling.
It was time to claim my men.
I tore through my house, searching drawers and spilling underwear and clothing out across my bed and floor.
