by Cindy Stark
Josh blinked and focused on the screen. He’d missed the entire thing, lost in thoughts of what had transpired earlier that day. “He does,” he answered not wanting to admit he’d zoned out.
Cam snorted. “You didn’t even see it.”
“I saw it.” He tipped his beer back and drank.
“Yeah? Then who am I talking about?”
Josh narrowed a look in his direction, silently telling him to let it go.
“You’re thinking about her. About Krystal. I have to say, I like her better than I expected. She’s sweet, and God knows, she has nice curves.”
“You’re not helping.” Josh grabbed a handful of pretzels and shoved them in his mouth.
“Here’s the thing, though. You’ve tried to make it work, and she’s obviously not interested. I mean, she’s interested. She watches you constantly. But she’s never going to let it go farther than that. You have to give her up. Maybe make a move on Paige. You two looked good together. But seriously, Krystal has some sort of hang up, and who needs shit like that in his life?”
Josh slowly shook his head. “You don’t know her like I do, Cam. She’s scared. Of what, I’m not sure. But she’s not crazy.”
“Now, you’re defending her?” The look on his face told him he thought Josh was the demented one.
“I’m not defending her. I’m just telling it like it is. We were best friends forever. She still owns my soul.” She left him raw and aching when she wasn’t near. She breathed life into him when she was. How the hell was he supposed to get over that?
Silently, he could admit he wished they had created a baby. Then she couldn’t just shut him out.
Cam lifted his beer to his lips, but didn’t drink. “I thought you were trying to get rid of her. Run her out of town.”
Josh snorted. “I was. But I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want her to go. I’m going to break up with Paige. Try a different tactic.” If Cam was right, she still wanted him, so he’d drive her crazy until she caved again. If she still loved him, she couldn’t hold out forever, and it was better than letting that pansy-ass doctor have her.
“You do realize you can’t break up with Paige because you’re not actually dating her, right?”
Josh muttered a curse. “Yes. I’m aware of that.”
Cam gave a sarcastic shake of his head. “On second thought, it’s not Krystal who’s crazy. It’s you.”
“Shut up.” He chucked a bottle cap at his friend and missed. The doorbell rang, saving Josh from a return shot when Cam stood to answer it.
Voices sounded behind him, and he cranked his head to see Andy, Paige and Levi coming through the door.
“The party can officially start.” Levi grinned and held up a six-pack of beer.
Josh raised his brows. “If that’s all you brought, it’s not going to be much of a party.”
“No shit. That’s what I said.” Andy punched Levi in the arm, his bulky arms and towering height giving him enough weight behind his gesture to cause Levi to stumble back.
“Since I’m the designated driver, I’d be happy to make a run into town,” Paige offered. “If my brother will let me drive his truck.”
“I don’t know…” Andy leveled a gaze at her, earning him a sigh of disgust.
“Thanks, Paige. You can take mine if he won’t,” Cam said as he shut the door and ushered everyone into the living room.
“Wonderful, Cam. Remind me to thank you properly later.” She smiled when Andy narrowed his gaze.
“Touch her and you die.”
Cam laughed as though Andy joked, but everyone in the room knew otherwise.
Andy took a beer and stole Cam’s seat on the couch. “If I could trust you to pick decent guys and dump that loser you’re dating, I’d have a little more faith in you, Paige. Until then, I’m going to give you shit about it.”
She rolled her eyes, making light of his comment, but Josh could sense her underlying frustration. And he did have that promise he made.
“Actually…” Josh stood and joined his circle of friends. “Paige told me she dumped him the other day. I’m surprised she didn’t mention it to you, Andy.”
Andy glanced between the two of them, while Josh pretended Paige wasn’t shooting daggers at him for ruining her game.
“I think there’s some guy going for an engineering degree that she liked instead,” Josh continued.
“Is that so?” A hint of a smile curved Andy’s mouth. “Does he have piercings?”
Paige compressed her lips into a thin line. “And if he does? Don’t you think I’m old enough you should trust my judgment?”
Josh wrapped a friendly arm around Paige’s shoulders. “Stop torturing your brother. It’s only because he cares.” He sent her a warning look full of unspoken intention.
She stared at him for a moment, and then relaxed. “Okay, fine. He doesn’t have any piercings or tattoos. You’d probably think he was perfect.”
Andy grinned. “Maybe you have grown up after all.”
A blush cascaded over her cheeks, and she shook her head. “Whatever.”
“How about you help me throw together nachos for everyone?” Josh asked Paige before she lost the ground she’d gained.
She snorted. “Oh, sure. Send the girl into the kitchen.”
“Hey. I’m coming with you.” He pulled Levi’s beer from his hands and grabbed Paige’s elbow by the other, leading her away.
“What the hell was that all about?” she whispered when they reached the kitchen. “I don’t have an engineering boyfriend.”
“No, but Andy’s going to be much happier and relaxed about you if he thinks you’re interested in someone like that as opposed to tattooed and pierced Dex. Give him some time, and he may back off.”
“I want to argue with you and say he’s a stubborn, pigheaded man that deserves to worry.” She set her lips in a firm, disappointed line. “But you’re right. Why wasn’t I able to figure that out?”
“Because you let your emotions rule your head. Always use your brain during warfare, especially psychological warfare.” He pulled a platter from the cupboard before he emptied ingredients from the grocery sack he’d placed in the fridge when he’d arrived.
“Oh, my God. That’s exactly what this is, isn’t it?” She grinned, her expression growing thoughtful. “I’ve just figured out how to gain my freedom and still keep my brother. Ha!”
She hugged him and gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek.
“About that.” He pointed to the spot on his face where she’d planted her lips. “I’m officially breaking up with you.”
“What?” she said with mock anguish as she opened the bag of chips and poured a pile on the platter. “But we make the perfect pair.”
He laughed at her acting. “I know, but it seems wrong to keep up the pretense. I’ll have to figure out another way to fix my problems.” His humor faded to something darker.
Paige’s expression followed. “I know what you mean. Every time I show up, I see the sadness in her eyes, and it’s killing me. Maybe you should try to get her back instead of running her out of town. I think she still loves you.”
He didn’t know about love, but she definitely still wanted him. “I’m considering my options.”
She narrowed her gaze and tilted her head. “I’d say she still has a thing for you.”
He grinned. “Could be.”
“Guess you’d better be for finding out then, huh?” She added beans and shredded cheese to the chips before giving him a big smile. “Thank you, too, for your efforts with my brother. I guess we’ll see what changes.”
“I hope he lightens up. Stop giving him reasons to worry and maybe he will.”
She nodded, an encouraged look in her eye. “Will do. In about an hour, I want you to send me on that beer run, even if I don’t need to.”
He chuckled. “Deal.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
In the end, it took very little persuasion for Krystal to convince Chloe they
should go somewhere rowdier instead. Chloe went so far as to do Krystal’s makeup for her, giving her a dark, smudgy look that hid her puffy eyes. Her roommate also garnered them a way home should they need it, leaving them with the option of getting “stocious if they wanted,” otherwise known as plastered to the locals.
“We’ll be heading to Sonny’s Pub, then,” Chloe announced as she drove to the center of town. The Irish lilt in her voice made the name sound exotic.
“Would you believe I’ve never been to a bar in town?” Krystal had grown up in Pinecone Valley and lived there most of her life. “I was too young, and then I was too busy.”
“Really? Too busy to have fun? That’s pitiful. I’m the newcomer to the area, and I can’t count the number of times my ass has taken up residence on a barstool.”
Krystal laughed and rolled her eyes. No wonder she cussed so much with a roommate like Chloe. Or did Chloe cuss more because of her? She smiled and relaxed against her seat. She so needed some girlfriend time on the town, even if their town was so small it rarely made it on the maps.
They followed the main road until it dead-ended in a forested area not far from the abrupt rise of mountain. Pinecone literally sat at the base of the hills, surrounded by aspens and pines, which befitted the name.
Chloe parked in the lot at the end of the street. “Did you know Sonny’s was once a brothel?”
“I did not. Wow. It’s a sad shame I don’t know more about my town.”
“That’s because you’ve been filling your head with medical nonsense. You need balance in your life. When was the last time you meditated or got laid?”
Krystal choked. Her life seemed to shift from one extreme to the other. She definitely needed balance.
“That long ago, huh?” Chloe teased.
“No. I mean yes. I mean that question came out of left field.” It also hit too close to home. “I was thinking more along the lines of my mother constantly asking the same thing, although not about sex. More like when was the last time I baked a pie for the joy of it.” Because pies were much safer subjects than sex. Especially sex with Josh.
“Trust me, love. Go for the sex. It’s much better than pie, and you’ll burn calories instead of gaining.” She shoved her car into park and turned off the foreign contraption.
For the life of her, Krystal couldn’t figure out why someone as worldly as Chloe would choose to land in their small, sometimes backward town. “I’ll have to remember that the next time I get a hankering to bake a pie.”
“Hankering?” She twisted her features into an amused expression as she opened her door. “I adore that word. I’m going to use it tonight.” She linked arms with Krystal as they headed toward the pub’s entrance.
The burly guy checking IDs at the door greeted Chloe like a regular, even allowed her to kiss him on the cheek. “Evening, love,” he said over the loud music. His gruff use of Chloe’s typical greeting made Krystal laugh.
“Evening, darling. This is my friend, Krystal Collier. I’ve brought her here to unwind and release her inhibitions. As for me, I have a hankering for fine whiskey.” She waved a haughty hand in the air, playing up her personality. “In other words, I need to get drunk, and she needs to get laid.”
Krystal widened her eyes and sent a sharp elbow into Chloe’s side.
“You’ve come to the right place.” The bouncer boomed a laugh. “Collier, huh? You have sisters?”
“I have four sisters,” she answered in a loud voice.
“Pretty sure a couple of them are regular patrons, here.” He gave her a knowing grin.
“Is that so?” She should have known she’d be the last in her family to let loose. Not only did her family consider her the “princess” of the group, but apparently, she was the uptight, serious one, as well.
“Yeah, Kaitlin and Kayley can get wild. In a good way, of course.” He winked.
“Of course.” She was sick and tired of everyone labeling her the good girl. Tired of her family’s nicknames, tired of being questioned and made to feel guilty for chasing her dreams. Her other sisters had pursued formal education as well. Why did everyone constantly question her choices, her actions?
Her brother Kade was the only one who seemed to get her, and he’d made the permanent move to Aspen. Not that he was too far away, but he had a new wife, and he was far enough that she couldn’t pop in after a long day. Something had to give, had to change. Maybe that something was her.
“You think they’re wild?” She flicked open the top button on her shirt, determined to act like a young, single, definitely not pregnant woman. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
The bouncer and Chloe both broke out in laughter. “First drinks are on me,” he said.
“The second ones are mine,” her roommate added.
She only smiled.
Dramatic red fabric shaded the lights in the tavern, leaving the room darkened and somehow mysterious. The cover band was in the middle of an Irish jig that stimulated Krystal’s pulse until it followed the beat. She caught the eye of a dark-haired stranger as she passed the table where he sat with another man his age and an older gentleman. She held it for seconds longer than was comfortable, and then smiled as she turned away.
“Why didn’t I know about this place?” Krystal asked as they found two seats at the bar. “I love Irish music.”
“They only recently made the change. At my request.” She grinned. “It was a country bar before that. But after I spoke with the owner at length over a lovely bottle of Jameson’s, I convinced him of the possibilities of increasing his patronage. Country bars are a plague in this area. He needed something different, something original. Of course, I offered to consult for free in exchange for the occasional drink.”
“Of course.” Her roommate was resourceful if nothing else.
A male bartender with lovely auburn hair approached them. “Whiskey for the ladies.” He set the amber-filled glasses before them. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you, Finn.”
Krystal eyed the liquor hesitantly. When she’d told Chloe she wanted to go for drinks, she’d thought that would entail a couple of beers.
“To the destruction of all men.” Chloe lifted a glass for a toast, her comment earning a complaint from the bartender.
How could she not drink to that? “Except you, kind sir.” Krystal lifted her glass and tipped it toward Chloe. “To the assholes.”
Chloe drained hers without taking a breath. She drew her lips into a line as she placed the crystal on the bar.
Krystal wasn’t sure she was ready for this. The only whiskey she’d ever drunk had been watered down beyond notice. Chloe and Finn both eyed her with curiosity.
Well, shit. She placed the glass to her lips, the strong scent reaching out to her as though to give her warning.
Screw it.
She downed the contents, not stopping until she’d finished it. She slammed the glass on the wooden counter, thinking she’d owned the drink.
Then whiskey fire stole her ability to breathe. She gasped and inhaled, tears rushing to her eyes.
The bartender seemed concerned until Chloe laughed. “Woo! That’s my girl.”
A weird, desperate noise came from her mouth as she inhaled and finally her lungs filled. She coughed, and then her body relaxed though the fiery sensation continued to burn. “Oh, my God.” She laughed. “Oh. My. God.”
Chloe patted her on the back. “Your first Irish whiskey, too?”
“Yes.” Warm sensations filled her, leaving her slightly giddy. Worries over Josh fuzzed, making her wonder why she’d stressed so much. She raised her gaze to the bartender. “I’ll have another.”
Her roommate clapped her hands together in appreciation. “You’d make your ancestors proud.”
She’d make somebody proud before she died, damn it. When the second drink arrived, she tossed it back as well.
“Again.” She wanted to be plastered, shit-faced, stocious and senseless by the time the night was over.
Finn laughed. “Oh, no. None for a while. Better let those settle and see what happens first.”
She shrugged. “I can hold my liquor. Watch and see.”
“I’d like to watch and see,” said a deep voice from behind her.
Both she and Chloe glanced over their shoulders. A lovely flash of attraction zipped through her when she found the dark-haired stranger standing only inches behind her. His gaze dipped down her cleavage before he focused on her face.
She could reprimand him, but why? She was the one who’d displayed extra skin in the first place.
She gave him a sexy, flirtatious smile. “What is it you’d like to watch and see?”
“You.” Eyes the color of coal caressed her. “Dancing with me. May I have the pleasure?”
Liquid heat coursed through her, encouraging her bravado. “You may have the pleasure since you asked so nicely.”
Chloe shot her a knowing smile as Krystal swiveled in her chair and allowed the man to help her from her seat.
“What’s your name, darling?” he asked as they reached the dance floor, and he placed his hands on her waist.
She slid her arms around his neck and pressed against him. “We don’t need names for what we’re doing.” Her actions hinted of wanton and wild, and she didn’t care. She’d maintained a carefully controlled life for so long, and it felt impossibly good to let go.
A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. “What exactly are we doing?”
“This.” She pulled his head to hers and claimed his lips. They were soft, tasted of bourbon.
She moved, tried to coax the feeling that inherently came with Josh’s kiss…and failed.
She pulled away and glanced around. “Too many people. We need somewhere more quiet.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Frustrated, Krystal pulled the stranger to the edge of a darkened hall that appeared to lead to offices, where she wrapped her arms around him again.
He grinned as he backed her against the wall then caught her mouth again. She angled her head, wanting him to possess her like Josh had always done, wanting him to kiss her until she couldn’t think beyond his touch.
