* * *
A little over an hour later,we're bellied up to the bar at the Cellar, sipping River Rock Amber—a beer from Three Rivers' only brewery and my personal favorite beer.
"So." Riley takes a sip, swallows with a satisfied sigh, and shoots me a look. "You're in a pissy fuckin' mood."
I nod. "Yup."
"Wanna talk about it?" he asks. "Or just drink our beer in silence and ignore our emotions like real men."
I snort. "Subtle, Rye, real subtle."
"Hey, I'm worse about it than you are."
"True."
"Because you're a pansy." He grins at me, telegraphing the fact that he's teasing.
"You're not helping," I grumble.
"No?" He makes ahuh, weirdface. "I thought some fun brotherly banter would be just the ticket to improving your mood."
"Not this time."
He makes a show of scanning the bar. "Wanna get in a fight? That table of dudes in the corner over there looks like they could throw down."
"Tempting," I say in a dry, sarcastic drawl. "But no. I'm good."
He snorts his irritation. "So, what? You just wanna sit here, drink beer, and brood silently? Then why the fuck am I here? You don't need me for that."
"Because I don't like drinking alone," I say.
He sighs. "Well, Fee, if you want my company, you gotta crack that shell a bit. I'm way too charming to waste my time with your broody ass."
This gets a sniff of amusement from me. "A build on Aspenview sprang a leak and flooded the whole basement."
Riley waits a beat or two. "And?" When I don't fill the space, he snorts. "That's not enough to put you in this kinda mood, Fee. Work setbacks and fuckups are part of the biz. You've always been able to deal with shit like that calmly. That's what makes you so fuckin' good at your job. I'd lose my temper and knock a motherfucker out day one."
This gets a real laugh out of me. "Well, that much is true."
"So?" He elbows me. "Hit me with the real deal, Fee."
I contemplate. For all his devil-may-care attitude toward most things in life, deep down, Riley does have a good heart.
"Fuck. Fine. But Rye, this stays between you and me. I don't want this shit spreading to the crews."
He nods. "I got you. Now spill. Talk to little bro."
“Met a girl a few weeks ago. I was out at my property, clearing some trees, and when I left, she was broken down in the middle of the road. Nearly hit her ass—and I mean literally."
He nods, rolling a hand. "Okay, and…?"
"She's fuckin'…" I shake my head. "A heart-stopper, Rye. Haven't felt that kind of attraction to anyone since…well, in a long fuckin' time."
"How'd you fuck it up?" he asks.
I frown at him. "The fuck doesthatmean? How did I fuck it up? How do you know I did?"
"Because you only get broody and dicky like this when you do something dumb," he answers. "You were fucking impossible to live with back when the whole Amy shitshow went down."
