He chuckles, spinning me and catching my hand as I swing around. “And you thought I was all for show, didn’t ya, darlin’?”
“You’re certainly nice to look at,” I admit, moving up on my tiptoes to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth.
The song comes to an end, and I’m flushed. I’m sure my cheeks are glowing beneath the shadow of Ryder’s hat.
We weave through the crowd, and the bartender makes eye contact with me, giving me a small smile and pouring me another drink. I gulp it down.
“Slow down there. You’re gonna be drunk as a skunk any minute, darlin’.”
“Maybe that’s the point, Ry,” I say, tossing him a wink and turning to head out. He snatches my hand, dragging me into his warm body.
Ryder cups my cheeks, kissing my forehead and lowering his voice. “Just promise you won’t puke on me because you know that makes me squeamish.”
The alcohol is already hitting me, tingling through my limbs as I gaze up at him. “No promises, Ry.”
He shakes his head, laughing as he twirls me, the contents of my stomach already swirling with the alcohol. I move past it, determined to have a good time tonight.
We dance for several more songs, taking short breaks in between. When the music swaps to something much slower, couples pairing up to embrace each other, Ryder holds me close to his chest.
My breath catches as I peer up at him, my mind a little hazy. The way he’s looking at me, like I’m the only thing worth watching, makes my heart do a little two-step of its own.
At some point, I plopped down beside Wyatt again, the outside of my thigh now pressing against his black leather pants, but I don’t have the energy or strength to move.
I vaguely hear Ryder ordering chicken wings and cheese fries as I turn to face the group. “Hi.” I wave, a wide smile on my face. At least, Ithinkit’s wide?
The five men lean over the slippery wooden bar top, their lips stretching into grins of their own as their eyes land on me.
“How’s it goin’, Lols?” Levi asks, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth.
“You doing okay after everything that went down last night?” Teddy, the blond, asks, his voice low and warm. I feel guilty I’ve met them so many times and don’t remember all their names, but I’m sure that’ll come with time. Lemmon isn’t running me out of town this time, that’s for sure.
“I’m doing about as good as I can be. The insurance should cover most of the damage, but it’s going to take time to make sure the electrical is salvageable and safe and the roof is stable.”
“If there’s anything y’all need, just holler. We’re happy to help,” Wyatt, the one beside me with the short-cropped, dark beard and glittering green eyes, says. He’s also got a warm thigh, which wins an extra brownie point, seeing as my skin is littered with goosebumps from the chill in the room.
“Yeah, Lola. We like to stay busy. Keeps our minds from wandering. We’re happy to help,” the man beside Wyatt says. They share several of the same features, and I recall they’re brothers, but his name escapes me.
As if reading my mind, Wyatt pats his brother on the shoulder and says, “That we do, Cal.”Cal.Callaway!
“We appreciate the offer,” Ryder tells them. “And we might have to take you up on that. Lola’s worked toohard for things to go this poorly so quickly, but it might be smart to wait to fix things up until after we’ve figured out the Lemmon issue.”
The bartender interrupts briefly, delivering our food. “Y’all need anything else to drink?”
I look over to Ryder, who’s got a glass of ice water. He shakes his head no, but I know what this man really wants.
“Yes, please! Ryder would like a Shirley Temple with extra cherries.” I beam at her.
“Comin’ right up,” she says, a smirk curving her magenta-painted lips.
Ryder’s strong arms wind around me, holding me up. He presses a kiss to the pulse along the side of my neck, and my skin feels like it’s on fire in the best way possible.
Raylin passes Ryder a tall, slim glass loaded with cherries, and his smile at seeing the sweet, bubbly drink is contagious. I watch him suck on the straw, his throat bobbing as he swallows.
“Would y’all mind tellin’ us a little about this Lemmon issue? We’ve heard a lot of talk, but we hadn’t realized she might be capable of something as serious as arson,” Levi asks, his salt-and-pepper brows pinched with worry.
I breathe a heavy sigh, dragging a long swig of my drink before answering. “I hope you gentlemen have got time on your hands, because it’s alongand convoluted story, and truthfully, I’m not sure she’s capable of arson either.”
“We’ve got nothin’ but time, Miss Lola,” the redheaded one, whose name I believe is Rhett, says with a soft smile.
