We all dug into the food and refilled our glasses, silence reigning as we stuffed our faces, completely unaware of the world around us. While I ate, I debated telling the guys what had happened between me and Stevie. Not to brag, since I wasn’t that guy, but because I needed some perspective.
“That photo looks like she’s kind of your type,” Ty remarked, completely out of the blue.
That was the perfect opening. “I didn’t say I didn’t like her, I said she wasn’t my type.” And both of those things were true. I couldn’t explain it and I wasn’t sure I wanted to understand it, but I couldn’t keep denying it. “Something… happened.”
The table fell silent for about a minute and then erupted into noise. Cheering and laughing, and I’m pretty sure Ty let out an excited whistle. “So, I guess she is your type. Eddy will be happy to hear that.”
I pointed at my brother and sent him a threatening glare. “Tell her, and I’ll make sure you have a target on your back until this calendar business is over.” Fear brightened his eyes but Ty kept the casual, not-worried-at-all smile on his face.
“She’ll find out eventually. It’s not like this is a private place.” Just to make his point, Ty glanced around the bar, which was even more packed than it had been an hour ago. “The question is, why would Eddy bring this Clara woman by if you already sealed the deal with your pretty assistant?”
I grunted and shook my head. “No, the question is why was Stevie completely not bothered at all by Eddy’s overt attempts to match me with Clara?” I’d had a good time—hell, a great time—last night with Stevie, but her complete lack of concern was troubling. “She didn’t appear jealous or angry. I’d say she was almost amused.”
“Do you want more than sex with her?” Derek asked. “Because you’ve said that she wasn’t your type. Twice.”
“Sounds to me like maybe the good doctor is worried maybe she didn’t have as much fun as he did.” Antonio’s smirk only angered me because it was a lie. And because he was taunting me.
“We both had a great time. I’m sure of it.” I shook my head. “I just don’t get it. She didn’t get angry at me or Eddy, and once Clara was gone, she didn’t even mention it.”
“Did you bring it up? Or last night?”
I shook my head and frowned at my brother. “No. Why would I?”
“He’s an idiot,” Ty said, pointing at me as he stared at the other two. “A doctor, and an idiot.”
“I’m right here. And I’m not an idiot.”
They all laughed like this was the biggest damn joke they’d ever heard. Then Ty turned to me. “If you’re not interested in more than one night with this woman who isn’t your type, why does it matter how she reacted the morning after?”
It was a good question, and I didn’t have a real answer for it. “I don’t know, okay? I just wasn’t ready for her easy acceptance of whatever the hell Eddy is up to now.”
“Ahhh,” Derek said around a mouthful of meat and onion rings. “You wanted Stevie to go all cavewoman on Clara and Eddy, pretend like she has some sort of claim on you? At the office, no less.” He shook his head. “Never took you for one of those guys.”
“I’m not,” I barked, getting angry all over again.
“Good,” Ty said with a smile. “Because Stevie just walked in.” Every head at the table swiveled to the door, where she strolled through and greeted Buddy with an easy smile. “You could just go talk to her.”
I could do that, but she didn’t even give the bar a cursory glance, as if she really didn’t give a damn who was inside because there was no one she wanted to see. Not even me, hell, maybe especially not me. “Maybe she’s meeting someone.” It was a weak answer, but I avoided saying more by shoving my face into my beer.
“He’s scared,” Ty announced, sounding way too damn amused. “Worried she’ll tell the whole bar he didn’t satisfy her properly.”
Ty was trying to goad me and I refused to give in, even if my gaze kept sliding over to the woman in question, watching her chat amicably with Buddy but otherwise ignore the world around her.
“He’s got it bad.” Antonio’s deep voice penetrated my thoughts, but I tuned them out as best I could because… because of Stevie.
Stevie, who was tough as nails on the outside but somehow managed to squeal like a little girl when Buddy brought out his favorite masterpiece, beef and black bean nachos, stacked with several layers of chips, extra guac and jalapeño peppers. She clapped, taking in the size of the plate with wide, excited eyes.
“See? He hasn’t heard one single thing we’ve said for the past ten minutes. Yep, he’s got it bad,” Derek agreed with a laugh. “Maxine will be delighted to hear it.”
That grabbed my attention, turning it away from the bar and back to the table. “You will all keep your damn mouths shut.”
Despite my being bigger than all of them, they all laughed. Heads back, with fists banging on the table to draw the attention of everyone in Black Thumb. It was all one big joke. Ty whistled and shook his head. “Looks like it’s been taken out of your hands. Tough luck, baby bro.”
The smirk on his face drew my attention to the door but there was no one there, just a few women stumbling out together. But when my gaze turned to the bar, to Stevie, she was no longer on her own. “Rafe,” I growled. The fire chief was a good guy. He was good-looking, according to all the women in town, and the whole firefighter thing was definitely a draw, but he didn’t date and didn’t seem to be looking for anything serious. He could break Stevie’s heart.
“Rafe might be prettier than you, but you’re still a catch.” Ty clapped me on the back with a sympathetic smile. “And he’s only made her laugh, what, three times since he sat down.”
“Just a couple minutes ago,” Antonio added, pouring more salt into a wound that shouldn’t even exist.
I knew what they were doing, but no matter how much I talked myself out of it, my body wouldn’t listen. The legs of my chair scraped against the floor as I pushed it back too fast, nearly toppling it. I caught it in time, righted the chair and set Stevie in my sights. “I’ll be right back.”
Behind me, laughter and cheers sounded, but I ignored it all. I had a woman to see about.
Stevie
“So, did you become a firefighter because chicks dig them, or do you have a hero complex?” Rafe Montgomery was the fire chief, and the man looked like he belonged in the movies. On the big billboard and everything. He had thick, dark brown hair that was almost black, and light brown eyes that looked gold in some lights, especially when he was holding in laughter.
“A hero complex?” His lips curled into a charming smile I was sure set plenty of hearts on fire. “Haven’t you heard? I’m an actual hero.”
He was attractive and charming, but there was no spark anywhere in sight. Still, I tossed my head back and laughed. “So, you’re one of the guys Janey convinced to go shirtless for charity?”
Rafe leaned in and stole one of my nachos, deep rumbling laughter erupting when I smacked his hand away. “If I say yes, are you gonna go out and pre-order one?”
I tapped my chin and grinned. “Maybe. I mean, the rest of the heroes are pretty hot, too, so if there’s just one dud, at least it’s for charity.” Rafe was just what I needed after a long day of reminding myself that I didn’t do jealousy. Ever. At all. He was entertaining eye candy, which was, frankly, the best kind.
He laughed again and stole another nacho. “Damn, these are good. And the perfect way to make up for being so mean.”
I frowned. “I wasn’t mean enough to share my nachos with you, Chief.”
Rafe shrugged and ordered a beer as Buddy walked past. “Where’s a little thing like you gonna put all this food?”
“I’ll find a place, Rafe, don’t you worry.” I had a healthy metabolism, and running around Scott’s office all day was an excellent calorie burner. Not to mention the Tuesday and Thursday runs to local farms and ranches, which included plenty of physical activity.
&
nbsp; “Am I interrupting?” Scott’s deep voice boomed between us, sounding jealous and unhappy. A quick look in the mirror behind the bar revealed he was both.
“Yes,” I said sharply.
“Nope,” Rafe said at the same time, giving me a look that said he didn’t want to get in the middle of whatever the hell was on Scott’s mind.
“Actually, we were in the middle of an entertaining conversation. How can I help you, Scott?”
He blinked, like he didn’t understand why his macho pissing routine wasn’t working. “We need to talk.”
Rafe stood with an apologetic grin. “Catch you later, Stevie.”
My shoulders fell, not because I wanted Rafe to stay but because I didn’t want any part of the thunderous expression on Scott’s face. “Next time, I might even share my nachos with you.”
He laughed and gave my shoulder a light squeeze as he passed, stopping to whisper in my ear. “Don’t be too hard on him, he’s a good guy. And if that picture on Facebook is anything to go by, you think so, too.”
Picture? “What picture?”
Rafe laughed and turned to Scott. “I’ll let Scott tell you all about it.” He grinned and walked away, joining Ty and a couple other men at a table nearby.
We stared at each other for a long time, too many emotions swirling between us for any type of communication to take place, so I turned back to my nachos and dug in.
He sat beside me, quietly, for a long moment. Finally, he said what he’d come to say. “About Clara. I don’t know her, and I don’t give a damn about her.”
Okay. It wasn’t what I’d expected, so I shrugged. “All right, but you don’t owe me an explanation.” We’d had one really excellent night together, but that was it.
He looked genuinely confused and for a second, I almost felt sorry for him. “So, that’s it? One and done?”
I barked out a laugh. “That’s rich, coming from the guy who snuck out in the middle of the night.”
“It was early morning, and I needed to get my run in and take care of Hershey.”
Okay, that was perfectly reasonable. “How was I supposed to know that? And what was I supposed to think?”
Buddy stopped in front of us with a smile. “Everything all right?”
“Yep.” The word came out a little too bright and my smile was brittle—at least, it felt that way to me. “Peachy keen.”
“Keep it that way,” he barked and walked away.
Scott sighed when Buddy left. “I wasn’t sure what to say or do, and Hershey was the perfect excuse to leave. I’m sorry.”
Now that shocked the hell out of me. “Are you sure now?”
“What?”
“You barged over here all angry and possessive like you have any right, so I assume you’ve figured out what to say or do?” He didn’t look all that certain, and I had a feeling he’d only come over because the handsome fire chief was flirting with me.
Scott laughed. “I had all day to figure it out and I got nothing. Sorry.” He grabbed my beer and took a long, fortifying gulp, finishing with a satisfied smack of his lips. “I had a great time, Stevie. It was unexpected and it was incredible. But…” He trailed off, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out the rest of that sentence.
“But I work for you, and even that’s up in the air,” I finished for him. Scott was definitely a rule follower, a disciple of etiquette and good behavior. “Don’t worry, Scotty, I won’t sue you when you fire me. I know those are two separate things.”
He sucked in a breath, searching for the words to make this awkwardness better. The problem was, there were no words—sometimes things were just… what they were.
“See you in the morning.” I slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the bar to cover my beer, nachos, and tip, and slid off the stool. “I had a good time, too, Scott, but I know what this is. I know the difference between desire and compatibility. You want me but you don’t want to. Some days, I’m not even sure you really like me, but whatever. It was fun and I don’t need it to be more than that.”
Maybe a small, teensy little part of me had been hoping for more, but I gave up on clinging to hope after my mom died. And I left behind that hope with Scott when I walked out of Black Thumb.
Scott
I was just about halfway through another tense yet highly efficient day at the office. If having her around wasn’t so good for business and for my peace of mind, I’d get rid of her for making me second-guess myself. If she wasn’t so unfailingly polite, I might actually have a legitimate reason to get rid of her. If I really wanted to, which I didn’t.
Dammit.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was mad at me, but I’d gotten used to her straight-forward ways. I never had to worry about what Stevie was thinking, because she would tell me if I needed to know. Except, now, she didn’t say anything that wasn’t work related, and I didn’t know what the hell to think about that. And the worst part was that nothing I did worked. Not splurging on that stupid sugary coffee drink all the women in town seemed to lose their heads over—that had earned me a small smile and a soft-spoken ‘thank you’. A big ol’ greasy breakfast didn’t even warrant a full smile. At least the utterly gluttonous dinner of pizza and a gyro I’d brought her was met with a toothy grin. But, as of yet, nothing I did or said had cracked Stevie’s armor.
A knock sounded at the door and the woman who had been doing a pretty good imitation of someone who hadn’t seen me naked strolled in with a serious expression on her face. “What’s up, Stevie?”
She sucked in an almost silent breath that came out on a rush. “We have a walk-in, a pony.” At my wide-eyed expression, she continued on, unfazed. “Yes, a real pony. Apparently, Mikey Ford spotted the poor thing on his way to ‘The Dairy Farm’ for a class field trip.” She used finger quotes, because she didn’t know Tulip shorthand. Yet. “Anyway, he called Penny, who called Ry, who called in a favor, and now Betty is here. With the pony.”
That sounded like an average day in town, and I stood with a smile. “Welcome to Tulip, Stevie.”
“Hmph.” That was her only response and before I could ask what she meant by that, Stevie was gone, as if she couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with me.
A quick look at the time said I had twenty minutes before my next scheduled appointment, so I finished my cup of coffee and went to Betty and the pony in the large animal exam room. “Afternoon, Betty. What have we got here?” The pony was black all over, with black hair that would be shiny once it had been washed and cared for properly.
“My grandson called, frantic that the poor thing looked sick and all alone, so what could I do?” She shrugged, a content smile on her face. Though Mike wasn’t hers biologically, Betty spoiled him rotten as if he was her own. “Looks all right. Seen better days, but nothing he can’t come back from. Isn’t that right, boy?”
The pony was subdued and easygoing. I already knew a few places who would be happy to have him. “Any plans for what you’ll do with him once he’s got a clean bill of health?”
Betty laughed and shrugged as she crossed her arms and got comfortable in the hard plastic chair. “I figured you could tell me what my options are. And then maybe I could tell you the same.”
My shoulders fell in disappointment. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t seen this ploy coming a mile away. I stood, with one hand still on the pony, and glared at the older woman. “Where did you even find this pony?”
This time, she let out a raucous, full-throated laugh. “I just volunteered to bring him over when this opportunity presented itself. Now, do you want to listen to me or argue with me? I’m good either way.”
Like I actually had a choice. If it wasn’t Betty right now, it would be someone else at another place and another time. “Fine. Talk.” I listened to most of what Betty had to say while I looked over the pony, which didn’t take very long at all.
“Things seem like they’ve cooled off with you and Stevie.” It wasn’t a question, and I frowned.<
br />
“You’ve got faulty intel, Betty. Things were never all that hot to begin with.” They could have been—hell, they would have been, if Stevie wasn’t so stubborn. So determined to deny this thing between us, when I couldn’t.
“Despite that photo on the Facebook?” Both brows rose in silver arches that said you’re full of it. “If you say so. I guess now we have our answer on how a handsome doctor and former NFL player could still be single. Idiocy.” Betty shook her head and smacked her lips together. “I had higher hopes for you, Scott.”
“I haven’t done a damn thing wrong,” I insisted defiantly. If this was what it meant to be in a relationship, taking blame for something I hadn’t done, then I didn’t want any part of it.
“You haven’t done anything right, either, by the sounds of things.” Betty shook her head and smiled at the pony, rubbing his matted mane. “You both look pissed off and in need of a long weekend in bed, if you know what I’m sayin’.”
“I groaned. “It’d be hard not to know what you’re saying, Betty.”
“Smart ass,” she said, and pointed me like she was chastising a child. “Look, maybe you kids do things differently today, but some things don’t change—and one of those things is that a woman likes to be wooed. She might need to be wooed differently, ‘cause I don’t think dinner and a movie or dinner and dancing will work on Stevie, but a rock concert or a tattoo convention? You can figure out something that floats her boat.” Betty made it sound simple, but she hadn’t been pressed up against the brick wall that was Stevie when she was determined to be stubborn. “If she has fun, then maybe she’ll start to think about how to float your boat.” Then she laughed to herself, so proud of her innuendo that it even tugged a reluctant smile across my face.
Misters of Love: A Small Town Romance Boxset Page 39
