by Vivian Arend
The pub was loud with the echoes of laughter and conversation, the music of the dance hall pounding against the far wall and only softly piped into the pool-hall side of the building. Beth glanced with approval at the rich dark tones on the walls, the scent of barbecue ribs making her mouth water.
The sound of familiar voices greeted them as they approached a large round table pulled off to the side of the busy room.
Jaxi was there, the pretty blonde tucked under Blake’s big arm. Four couples, a couple of women, and three more men waved hello. Beth recognized most of the group as part of the extended Coleman clan from around town. She’d been introduced to some of them before, during outings with Daniel.
Matt rose from his chair and came over, hand extended.
“Now that you managed to drag yourselves into public, welcome to our Friday night get-together. Jaxi isn’t drinking anything stronger than root beer because of the baby, but we’ve got draft. Or if you want something else, I’ll grab it for you.” He gestured to the table where there were pitchers of beer waiting. Beth wrinkled her nose.
“Could I get a rum and Coke? Not much of beer drinker. Sorry.”
“No problem. Helen doesn’t like beer either. By the way, I’m sorry she’s not here to meet you. She had to cancel last minute—some emergency at work.”
“Seems she’s been working a lot lately,” Blake grumbled.
Matt hesitated, his smile twisting for a moment before he turned to Beth. “I’ll be right back with your drink.”
Jaxi waited until Matt had stepped away from the table before she punched Blake’s arm. “Stop poking. It’s not his fault Helen’s been jamming out on family events.”
“Something’s up. I wish he’d…” He stopped in mid-grumble, then smiled up at Beth. “And now I’ll shut up and be quiet as ordered. Come and join us. We won’t bite.”
The momentary flash into family politics somehow made her feel more welcome than if everything had been perfect. Beth glanced around the table, counting heads. “I thought Travis was supposed to be here as well.”
Jaxi laughed and jerked her thumb over her shoulder to the back of the room. “He’s here. He’s…busy.”
It only took a second to spot what Jaxi indicated. Beth gaped in surprise. “Holy shit.”
Travis had a girl pinned against the wall, their hands all over each other. Beth felt embarrassment flush her face, maybe a touch of guilt at the rush she got from being a voyeur. Travis had a double dose of the Coleman good looks, and even with Daniel at her side, Beth could appreciate a nice bit of eye candy.
Although she didn’t think it was legal to do in public what they were doing.
“Yeah, ‘holy shit’ just about covers it.” Jaxi kissed Blake’s cheek then sat up straighter, patting the seat next to her. “Come and be my buddy. It’s good to have another woman hanging out with the Coleman crew. The girls have been sorely outnumbered for the longest time.”
Daniel snorted. “Travis’s woman doesn’t count?”
Jaxi waved a hand. “His most recent flavour of the month? Hello, we don’t find out their names half the time. Nor the twins. I’ve never seen any of those boys with the same woman for more than thirty days.”
They did a little wiggling to rearrange chairs, and Beth settled next to the younger woman. The few times they’d done things together, Beth had found her easy to talk with, in spite of their eight-year age difference. Jaxi made her laugh.
“Flavour of the month?”
Jaxi twisted to check out Travis again and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Shoot. Or flavour of the week like this time.”
Beth was in the middle of turning to see what Jaxi was talking about when the woman with the flaming-red miniskirt who had been lip-locked with Travis only moments earlier swished past their table. Her chin stuck out as she headed for the door. With every twitch of the hips, the bare length of her legs flashed.
“Hope she’s got blankets in her car for if she gets stuck in a snowbank. Those shoes would be about as useful as spit outside right now.” The disdain in Blake’s deep voice rang clear.
“Hush, she’s trying to look hot.” Jaxi wiggled against his side.
“Hmm.” He grunted. “Not working. She should try a pair of cowboy boots. Or maybe less war paint.”
“Now, Blake, the ladies can’t all be the same.” Travis sauntered up and folded himself into a chair. A bright red palm print decorated his cheek. He leaned back and stretched his limbs in front of him.
“Damn it, Travis, you’re a right bastard sometimes,” Blake muttered. “But I’m glad you came out tonight with us.”
Travis’s cocky smile shifted to something warmer. Almost like he was pleased with Blake’s attention.
Beth watched the family dynamics with amusement as the boys proceeded to give Travis hell. There was something about the younger man that seemed a little on the dangerous side, and she was happy when Daniel casually draped his arm around the back of her chair.
Travis raised a brow and whistled softly. “So, the mighty have fallen, have they?”
“Shut up, you ass.” Daniel threw a coaster at his brother, but Travis just smirked in response. Daniel tilted his head toward the door. “You’ve managed to piss off almost every female within a two-hundred-kilometre radius. What happened this time?”
Travis lifted his hands innocently. “Hell if I know. She wanted me to join her somewhere next Friday, and I said I’d already made plans.”
“She slapped you for that?” Beth asked in confusion.
Jaxi poked Beth in the side. “Travis is probably forgetting a key phrase or two, right?”
Travis broke out his wicked grin and shrugged. “What? It’s not like I told her I had plans to go dancing with Ms. Sylvan Lake or something. Just wanted to hang out with the guys.”
“You’re such a dog,” Matt said. He shook his finger at his younger brother. “You’re lucky we don’t convince Dad to make you head into Red Deer on deliveries more often, just to mess with your free time.”
Travis sat up straight, all trace of his devil-may-care attitude gone. “Speaking of which, I need help. There’s a rush order of furniture that I kinda accepted and while we’ve got everything we need…” He glanced at Daniel sheepishly.
Daniel shook his head. “You didn’t. Damn it, Travis, you know we don’t mind helping, but could you try to not make it a last-minute emergency every time you notice the sky is falling?”
“I hate the workshop.” Travis refilled his mug and leaned back.
Blake echoed his agreement. “It’s not my favourite thing either, but it’s a part of the family business. There’s a lot less fieldwork now that the snow is down, so it makes sense to have something else to do to keep money coming in.”
Beside her Daniel tensed for a moment, as if he was about to speak, then sighed softly. She leaned against him and whispered in his ear, “You okay?”
He snuggled her tight to his side and kissed her temple. “Just something I’ve been thinking about. No firm answers yet, but I might need to borrow your math skills to see if what I’m pondering will work.”
The idea of being able to help him, in some area outside the bedroom, made her warm inside.
Matt rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Okay, now that you’re all loosened up a bit, who’s on the chopping block for pool?”
Travis stood. “I’m in. All that money I saved on drinks tonight is fighting to be free.”
“I’m in as well.” Daniel turned to her. “Beth, you joining us?”
She followed his lead and went for casual. “Sure. I think I know how.” He squeezed her hand under the table, and she fought back her laughter. To hide it, she turned to Jaxi. “Sorry, I’m not being a very good backup girlfriend if I desert you. You want to play?”
Blake growled, and the other boys laughed while Beth stared at Daniel in confusion.
“I’ll explain later,” he whispered.
Jaxi smirked as she leaned back against her h
usband, patting the soft rounding barely showing in her belly. “Nah, me and Blake will sit here and argue about names for princess for a while.”
Blake choked on his beer. “Don’t start on me again.”
“Why, Blake, I’m just suggesting you should be ready for anything, maybe even six daughters. That would be so righteous.” Jaxi winked at Beth and motioned her away.
Daniel held her hand as they walked to the side of the pool table. “Don’t mind them. Jaxi likes to keep Blake off balance.”
Beth grinned back. “I think her methodology is excellent.” His fingers were warm around hers, and she glanced to see if anyone was watching before sneaking in to kiss him, a fleeting touch on the lips. He tasted good. Daniel pressed a big hand to the middle of her back, holding her against his chest until she’d given him a proper kiss. When she pulled away, he stared back, his gaze tracing her mouth, her eyes. His pupils were dark and growing wider.
“I’m looking forward to taking you home tonight, just so you know.”
Beth licked her lips, and he groaned before turning away to grab her a pool cue. Oh damn, the things this man did to her, body and mind and soul.
An hour later Beth dropped the final ball into the pocket, again, and held in her laughter as Matt swore.
“Daniel never warned us you were a shark.” He slapped a bill on the edge of the table, and Beth waved it off.
“We’re playing for fun. You can keep your money.”
Travis grabbed the twenty and stepped closer. “This is part of what makes it fun. People don’t beat Matt very often, and it’s about damn time. Go ahead, take the cash.” He reached around her to slip the money in her back pocket and icy fingers slid up her spine.
She was in his arms, his hands resting lightly on the waistline of her jeans. He grinned saucily, and understanding rolled over her. The ass was testing to see her reaction.
“You lose something, Travis? Or you waiting for me to make sure your next girlfriend likes men who sing soprano?”
Matt snorted and poked Travis in the arm. “Leave her alone, jerk, Daniel doesn’t share.”
Travis ran his gaze down her body and sighed as he stepped back to a polite distance. “True. Pity, that.”
“You boys are something else.” Beth crossed her arms in front of her. “How you’ve not all ended up on Wanted posters all over the country is beyond me.”
Travis winked. “Who says we haven’t?”
“Where the hell did Daniel get to?” Matt glanced around the bar.
“Fuck.” Travis tugged Beth’s arm and pulled her toward the pool table, refusing to let her follow the direction of their stares. He turned his bright smile on her and motioned to the table. “How about one final game? Double or nothing?”
“Travis, what’s your problem? Let go.” She pulled free and found herself blocked by Matt’s muscular frame.
He spoke calmly, as if he were dealing with a skittish animal. “Now don’t go getting the wrong idea.”
She frowned. What was happening?
“What kind of wrong idea could I get?” Travis glanced at Matt and the two of them fidgeted, like her boys did when they got caught doing something wrong. “Stop it, both of you, I’m not twelve years old.” She shrugged off his hand and poked her head around Travis’s big shoulder. “Oh.”
Daniel was at the other end of the room, close to the bar counter, clutching their drink refills in either hand. A dark-haired woman stood far too close, pinning him in place. As Beth watched, the woman flung her hands around his neck and locked her lips on his as if she were giving emergency resuscitation. A funny sensation tickled Beth’s belly, and she stepped back, considering carefully.
Before tonight they’d made no formal announcement in public that they were a couple, not really. They’d mentioned they were dating to the kids, but no one else. She had no right to be upset, but from a logical, analytical point of view—some hussy was crawling over her man. Time for a decision, that’s for sure. In fact it was past time.
“Beth, you okay?”
She turned and lifted a brow at Matt. He and Travis watched her with concern written all over their faces.
“Just fine.” She took the couple of steps back to drop into the seat next to Jaxi. This was one of those moments she wanted a female touch. “Who’s the woman with a death-wish sucking face with my guy?”
Jaxi snorted behind her hand. “Daniel’s ex, Sierra. She dumped him last spring. You want me to come help deal with her?”
Beth stopped to consider. This wasn’t Daniel doing something deliberately to hurt her. In fact, when she evaluated what she knew of his character, he would expect her to speak if she wasn’t happy.
Standing up for herself was slowly getting easier.
She took a deep breath. “He doesn’t want her anymore, does he?”
“Hell, no. I’m surprised to even see her here. We’ve all made it pretty clear she’s not welcome in our circle. She turned out to be a self-centered bitch, if you’ll excuse me for saying it.”
Beth sighed. “Thanks. Okay, I think I can handle one hormonally challenged, poorly groomed woman.”
Blake choked again and Jaxi patted his back. “Don’t worry, dear, it’s a girl thing. Like you’ll have to deal with our daughters down the road.”
By the time she rose and made her way to where Daniel stood attempting to untangle himself from the woman’s clutches, Beth was still undecided what tack to take. It was obvious Daniel wasn’t the instigator, but he needed to learn there was a time to stop being such a gentleman.
She reached his side shortly after Sierra finally let loose the vacuum seal on a second kiss and Daniel tried to get a word in edgewise. The creature covered his mouth with her hand and pouted prettily.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she said in a husky voice.
Beth fought to keep from retching. The dramatic effect the woman was attempting was so pathetic.
“There you are, sweetheart, can I get that for you?” Beth carefully took one of the glasses from Daniel’s fingers and smiled at him. Finally able to move, Daniel stepped clear of the clutches of his ex. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand and grimaced.
“Beth, you want to meet Sierra before she leaves?”
Beth raised a brow and looked the woman up and down slowly. Okay, the ex-girlfriend was good looking, but damn it, Daniel was hers now. Sierra had missed her chance.
“Not really. Not unless she wants to explain why she was clinging to my lover like a piece of Saran Wrap?”
“Lover?” Sierra sputtered. She glared at Daniel. “But you… But we…”
“Split up. A long time ago now, and that’s the end of it.”
“But, I thought maybe we could try again.”
Beth sighed. Sierra was obviously not one of the brighter bulbs in the room. There was no need to be unpleasant about it. As long as the woman didn’t even think of making another move.
Daniel wrapped an arm around Beth’s waist as he shook his head. “You thought wrong. Beth and I are seeing each other, and if you don’t mind, we’ll be returning to our friends.”
The woman stared in silence as they walked away. Halfway back to the table, Beth glanced up to discover everyone was watching, their eyes glued to the drama. Travis and Blake wore matching smirks, Matt looked impressed. Jaxi pumped a fist in the air in victory. Yeah, there was a place for her in their midst, and she felt surprisingly comfortable with that. But the fact she hadn’t even known Daniel had an ex in town bothered her. A lot. Heck, she’d never imagined he was a monk before he met her. Suddenly she wanted to know it all. Who he had dated, what he had loved to do while growing up. What his dreams were for the future.
Holy cow, somewhere in the past two minutes she’d realized she really cared about the big cowboy. She almost felt she should run after Sierra and shake her hand enthusiastically for pushing the right buttons.
Beth was falling in love, and the thought didn’t make her sick to her stomach.
>
She tugged his hand and led him to the side of the room, staring up at him seriously for a minute.
Daniel touched her cheek gently. “I’m sorry about that. I had no idea she was going to be here, and then I couldn’t figure out how to get away without—”
She pressed her fingers over his lips. Yeah, he should have cut the woman off a lot faster, but his tender heart was part of what she appreciated about him. Time to jump in with two feet and stop holding back.
“You know, we’ve spent an awful lot of time together in the past months, and it appears we haven’t talked about anything more important than the weather and where our next sexual tryst is going to be.”
He frowned. “We’ve mentioned a few things but…you’re right. I was thinking that the other day as well.”
“It’s not easy, not with the kids around. And I know I haven’t been the best at opening up. I’m going to work on changing that, okay?”
There was a flash of delight in his eyes. “You’re not mad at me for that little display with Sierra?”
She shook her head. “Not your fault. Only, if a woman does an octopus imitation on you again, you are allowed to accidentally pour the drinks in your hands on her. That would make her let go quick enough.”
He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am, I’ll remember that.”
She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. The scent of Sierra’s perfume hit her, and she wrinkled her nose.
“Ugh. You smell like that woman.” Daniel laughed as he leaned over to kiss her. She pressed her hands against him and turned her face away. “No sir. You’re sterilizing those lips before I kiss you again.”
He tucked her fingers into the crook of his arm to lead her back to their table. Somehow in the next while they would find the time and ways to start sharing with each other.
Beth took her seat at Daniel’s side, surrounded by the Coleman clan. Maybe making a few more friends along the way would be a good idea was well.
