“I looked pissed off, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“I was just…” Wow, he wasn’t good at this stuff.
Wasn’t that what Trace had been telling him? He didn’t know how tobethere for her?
Haley’s uncertainty ate away at him; didn’t matter how crappy he was at this. She needed it. “I am fucking pissed off.” He didn’t lighten the strain in his voice. “You’re brilliant. Clever. Creative. Seeing how amazing you are at design, at writing, well, it got me thinking. Mostly about how Nate’s a fucking asshole. For so many reasons.”
Setting the coffee down on the counter, she leaned into him. “I think that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
Laughing, he wrapped his hands around her waist and brushed his lips over hers. “We’ve got, like, thirty-six condoms left. I’ve got a whole repertoire of moves and positions I’ve been wanting to try…”
“I’ve got a few I’ve been considering doing myself. We may have to take turns.”
Groaning, he tipped his head back. “Oh please god say you just implied you’ve been considering doing yourself.”
“Not what I meant. I can do that anytime… without a rebound and a big box of condoms.” Her head tilted as she challenged him with that lopsided grin.
“ButIdon’t get to watch you do that anytime. Please?”
“We’ll see. Right now, I was more thinking about right here.” Her hands braced against the kitchen countertop, biting her lip in pure flirty taunt.
“How about this? Right here, right now. Then I snag your extra garage door opener and head to work. Then I’ll sneak into your bed tonight. Tomorrow, you can make me breakfast, maybe I can help around here, clearing the patio, whatever. But as soon as that furniture arrives, you treat me to a show on your new couch.”
Tipping her head back in laughter, she shook him to his core with her delight.
12
Looking into the Backfield
Damn,he’dneverseensuch a sluggish clock in his life. Well, not off of a scoreboard when they were ahead by a point, two minutes to go, and the other team was nearing field goal range. He liked tending bar almost as much as he loved the game; if he didn’t, he’d have found some other way to be a part of the family business like doing the books or something.
Either way, he really, really liked sex with Haley and couldn’t wait for the stroke of midnight. Didn’t help the pub was dead tonight. Some days, they took in enough revenue for the whole month in one insanely busy night, like the night Haley had pitched in. Other times, like tonight, they were open only to maintain their reputation and to satisfy the downtown business tenets.
Foothills was a tourist hub, but they’d always had enough of a local following to stay afloat if times got tough. Scott and Brenda had always smoked a hell of a salmon, sausage, jerky, cheddar… Pops wasn’t ready to diversify their sales and sell to retail, but Finn brought it up now and again.
Speak of the devil. Pops strolled in, noting the empty tables, scowled, then parked front and center at the bar. “Vodka. Neat. No ice or lime or any shit that’ll weaken it.”
Pouring the drink, Finn didn’t take his eyes off his dad. Scott looked… haggard. Tired. Not the mountain he usually was.
Sliding the drink across the bar, Finn held onto the glass, demanding an answer first.
“Come on. I can go to another bar. Give me the damn drink.”
“Pops? I’ll let go, when you tell me what gives.”
“Nothin’.”
“Come on. You’re always the one to find a reason to smile when the rest of us choke.” Finn let go of the glass, recognizing it was Scott’s first for the night. And a short one at that.
“Are you happy? Tending bar?”
“Yeah. I am.”
“But you could be so much more. I’ve given you time. You’ve been home for months. It’s time to consider all your options.” What had he been saying about meddling? Pops may not pressure, but he definitely meddled.
“Don’t tell me you want to take back all of your old responsibilities? How many years did you and mom work sunrise to set and then some? Maybe it’s time for you to share the load a bit.”
