Even though I was unlikely to be recognised here, I’d taken precautions by dressing in a nondescript hoodie and jeans, with a baseball cap pulled down low on my head to shade my face. So far, no one had paid me any attention, and as I bit into the hot dog I’d ordered from one of the stands, I relaxed even further. It was dark here, too, although the stalls and walkways were lined with strings of lights.
It made it harder to find my brother, though, especially as he hadn’t replied to the text I’d sent on the way to the park. Sending him another text, I headed towards the closest music stage.
My phone buzzed.Finally.
Brayden:
Sorry, I didn’t see your text. We’re at a bar now. Davis was complaining he was bored so we decided to continue our celebrations elsewhere. Call me tomorrow?
Fucking brilliant. I either needed to come clean and let him know I was here, which would not only spoil my surprise but interrupt his bonding time with his teammates. Or I could stay here, enjoy the rest of the festival, then show up at his house tomorrow with breakfast.
Yeah. Breakfast. That was what I would do.
And maybe tonight, now I was alone in a place nobody knew me, with a whole evening stretching ahead of me, I could do theotherthing I’d been wanting to do ever since I’d made the decision to visit Canada.
“Fuckingcountry music.”
My head shot around at the low growl muttered way too close to my ear. I turned fully to face the guy next to me, my brows lifting as I took him in. Although he probably only had an inch on me in height, he was packing it in the muscle department, based on his sheer bulk and the way his hoodie and jeans lovingly hugged his biceps and thighs. He had a cap pulled down low on his head like I did, shielding his eyes, but I could make out the hard line of his jaw, covered with thick stubble, and full lips that were curved into a sneer.
My heart rate kicked up. “Huh?”
“None of your fucking business,” he bit out, and I held up my hands, taking a step back. Getting caught up in a brawl was not on my to-do list on my first night in Canada.
“Sorry, mate. I didn’t mean to bother you.” I pointedly turned back to the stage, where the next band were launching into their first song. Despite my efforts to ignore him, I could still feel him bristling next to me. My brother had always told me how friendly Canadians were, and I was sure he’d even mentioned something about Calgary being voted as the world’s friendliest city, but I guessed this guy was one of the exceptions.
“You’re not local.”
Bloody hell, was this bloke’s default setting “growly asshole”?
“Sorry. Are only locals allowed? No one told me that when I bought my ticket.” Giving up on the disinterested act, I tilted my head towards him, giving him a bright smile.
“No. That wasn’t—” He scrubbed his hand across his jaw, and I was close enough to him that I could hear the rasp of stubble against his palm. Shaking his head, he exhaled harshly. “Tourist?”
“Yep. You?”
“No!”
I smirked at the outrage in his voice. “How was I supposed to know that you were local? Sorry to say it, but brushing up on accents hasn’t really been a priority of mine.”
“FuckingBritish,” he snarled, and this time, I couldn’t help the laughter that escaped.
“You’re a joy to be around, aren’t you? Is there anything specific you have against British people? Or is it just me that brings out the best of your sparkling personality?”
He gritted his teeth. “No, I don’t have anything against British people.”
“Just me, then.” I clapped my hands together. “Great. If you don’t mind, I’ll go and find anywhere else to stand. Bye.”
Before I could move, his hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around my wrist in a powerful grip.
I stilled, my eyes widening. “What are you doing?” I said slowly.
“Look. I don’t likepeople. Period. It’s nothing personal.”
That may be the case, but it wasn’t an acceptable excuse for his sheer fucking rudeness. “Yeah, I can tell. I’ll give you some free advice. Instead of being rude, just don’t speak.”
“I was talking. To. Myself,” he ground out. “Not you. You butted in where you weren’t welcome. You’re the rude one.”
Okay…he was rudeanddeluded. Fucking fabulous.
