Walkinginto Jack’s behind Stella was a lesson in self-restraint. I found myself completely mesmerized by the elegant way her dress swished rhythmically against her hips with every graceful swing, my jaw practically scraping the floor in awe.
She was stunning in her newfound confidence. I’d found her beautiful from the first day I’d laid eyes on her, but the radiance she exuded now as she strutted those rhinestone boots up to the bar and bent over at the waist to order a drink.
Fuck me, I was a goner.
It had been ages since a woman’s charm and wit had captivated me, leaving me breathless. Since Shannon’s infidelity, I avoided getting close to anyone for more than a night. I enjoyed being able to just come and go as I pleased, not having to answer to anyone or their agendas. It kept me from inevitably getting hurt again.
The accompanying feeling of self-loathing that comes after being cheated on is a beast that’s hard to tame. I learnedthat it’s better to keep people at arm’s length, so they don’t have the power to hurt you.
Somehow, this spitfire woman on the run and her mini-me, with their fiery spirits and infectious laughter, had wormed their way into my life, slowly melting the ice around my heart. Their orbit drew me in, and I didn’t want to leave.
I sidled up next to Stella at the bar and nodded at the bartender. Not surprisingly, the bartender’s name was not Jack, it was Hayes. I’m sure that somewhere out there, there is a manual on small town dive bars that states the name of the bar is not to be in any way related to the owner, bartender, or long-time patrons.
Jack’s had been a staple in Firefly Cove for as long as I could remember. Not that I remembered much about a bar as a child, but I remember Wade and I sneaking in here with fake IDs in our late teens. Now, as an adult, I’m hyper aware that there was no sneaking involved. We’d grown up in this town and everyone knew we were underage. The bartenders never served us alcohol, but I’m sure they kept an eye on us.
Between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, Wade and I spent many nights creating chaos and facing consequences in and around Jack’s, marked by the blur of rowdy nights and close calls.
We had spent our twenty-first birthday bellied up to this bar taking tequila shots and promptly scrubbing the floors the next morning when we inevitably puked those same shots all over the dance floor.
Here at Jack’s, surrounded by locals, we learned to line dance on that same worn oak dance floor at the back of the bar.
We’d also attempted, and only sometimes succeeded, topick up chicks with our cowboy charm over by the pool tables under the neon lights.
We weren’t strangers round these parts, but Stella was. I could feel the heat of all eyes converging on the stunning blonde currently half bent over the bar waiting on a drink, the hem of her dress barely covering her ass.
I tried to appear calm, but the predatory gazes of the men in the dimly lit bar, all focused on Stella, made my senses sharpen, a primal instinct taking over. She was here to have a good time, not to be ogled by some dirty ass cowboys with a penchant for bottom shelf bourbon and a lip stuffed with tobacco.
Before I had a chance to turn around and order a beer, one was thrust into my chest, the wet label seeping through my henley and causing me to let out a slight hiss at the chill.
“Who pissed in your Cheerios, cowboy?” Stella drawled, batting her eyelashes as if unaware that every hot-blooded male in the bar was staring at her taut ass.
I shook the thoughts from my head and out of the corner of my eye, spotted Wade and Ray waving us over to a four-top table in the back corner.
Wade always tried to find a spot near the pool tables. He was a shark at pool and loved showing off in an attempt to get one of the single ladies to let him show her his stick handling skills, pun intended.
I nodded my head in their direction and steered Stella with a gentle hand on the small of her back towards our crew. She shivered slightly at my touch, and I promptly removed my hand as we approached.
“Why do you look like someone kicked your puppy?” Wade asked, using his pointer and middle finger in the shape of a ‘V’ to gesture up and down at my rigid stature.
“I’m good.” I said, sitting down in one of the unoccupied chairs around the table, refusing to acknowledge the surge of desire I was fighting being in close proximity to Stella.
Suddenly, the music in the bar shifted from a slow, twangy, oldies country song to a more up-tempo and popular beat. Ray let out a hoot of excitement and grabbed Stella’s hand, twirling her towards the dance floor.
“Come on, girl! Let’s show these lame ass cowboys how to have a good time.” She said as she flicked the brim of Wade’s hat and shimmied her hips while walking away.
Stella let out a giggle and kicked back her beer with the grace of a college party girl, plopping the empty bottle on the table and proceeding to follow Ray.
I glanced over to Wade, whose eyes hadn’t strayed from his best friend. If I was anyone else, I’d see an overprotective brother-like figure watching out for a girl on the dance floor, but seeing as how Wade and I had once shared a womb, Ifelthis tension.
“When are y’all gonna sort your shit out and fuck already?” I asked as I took a swig of my beer. The bubbles danced along my tongue and the acidic finish was just what I needed to ease my tension.
“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” he responded, averting his eyes from the tiny Latina, shaking her ass with the grace of Shakira out on the dance floor.
Ray was in her element. She was a people person and the life of the party everywhere she went. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was Wade’s charm and charisma that captivated her. They were twin flames, almost more so than him and I were actually twins.
Wade and Ray’s relationship had always been a bit of a mystery to our family. We thought they’d be dating by thispoint, but they were comfortable in their friendship—until now. The longing in my brother’s eyes as he looked at his best friend betrayed the unspoken romantic tension. I wasn’t sure when his gazes had become less platonic and more romantic, but it was obvious he was struggling with his feelings for Ray.
I let out a slight chuckle and dropped the topic- for now. I wasn’t the type of brother to pry into my sibling’s life. I knew that when he was ready to talk, he’d talk. The subject of his relationship with Ray was clearly a painful one for him, causing obvious discomfort and making it apparent that it was a sensitive topic best left untouched.
