One More Round

by Shelli Stevens

  Both had been equally charming with the girls, though.

  “Ah shite.”

  The muttered curse had Sarah glancing up at Aleck. His mouth was compressed into a line of displeasure, and his wary gaze was on the doorway.

  Crap. Her heart sank and she knew who’d just entered the pub without turning around.

  “You can’t be serious,” Kenzie joined in with a growl.

  Yup. Sarah snuck a quick glance to the door, and even though the sunshine behind him turned him into a silhouette, she’d be able to pick his form out of a lineup any day.

  Only Ian wasn’t alone. A busty blonde in tiny shorts and a skintight tank, proclaiming her Satan’s Bitch, clung to his arm.

  Ouch. It shouldn’t have hurt. It’d been eleven years since she’d considered Ian hers. That was over a decade to dump the immediate emotional response at seeing him.

  And yet, not really. Seeing Ian’s latest lover clinging to him hurt just as much as if Sarah and he had broken up the day before.

  But she was damn careful so that he wouldn’t see any pain in her eyes.

  “Serious about what, little sis?” Ian moved slowly into the bar, his stride almost a swagger and his smile a taunt. “Just came for a bit of a lunch, if you don’t mind.”

  “Oh, I mind quite a bit.” Kenzie rounded the corner and glared, jamming a finger into Ian’s chest. “Did Aleck text you?”

  Sarah looked up at Aleck and caught the quick flash of guilt on the eldest McLaughlin brother’s face.

  “As I said, we’re just here for lunch,” Ian protested with a tone of innocence that nobody was buying.

  “Hmmph. Fine. Go sit in the corner and I’ll bring you out something in a minute.” Kenzie shook her head.

  Unable to look away, Sarah swallowed hard as he suddenly turned his gaze to hers. The amused light in them and mocking tilt to his mouth made her insides flutter. For a moment she thought he would ignore his sister and come right up to the bar and take the two empty barstools next to her. And when his gaze fell on the open seats she bit her lip to avoid a groan of disbelief.

  But then he winked and gave a small shrug before turning and leading his chick of the hour to the corner table in the shadows.

  “I’m so sorry about this, Sarah. I don’t know what’s gotten into him,” Kenzie said softly, as she approached the bar again. Her gaze darted to her brother. “And you, Aleck, good job. You’ve officially joined Ian’s name on my shit list. I can’t believe you’d tell him she was here. I promised Sarah he wasn’t around.”

  “We’re all adults now, Kenzie.” Aleck’s brows were drawn together, and though there was regret in his eyes, his voice was terse. “It’s a big island, but a small community. They’re bound to run into each other.”

  “It’s fine,” Sarah agreed, her voice husky. “I’m nearly done with my lunch anyway. I should probably just leave.”

  Kenzie sighed. “Oh, please don’t. We’ve only just had a few minutes together.”

  “We’ve had almost an hour.” Keeping her tone gentle, Sarah pulled a twenty from her wallet and placed it on the counter. “This should cover my lunch.”

  Aleck pushed it back toward her. “It’s on me. It’s the least I can do. I’m sorry, Sarah.”

  Shaking her head, she refused to pick up the money. It didn’t matter that it was almost the last of her cash and her checking account was running dry.

  She hated feeling indebted to anyone, and owing any favors to a McLaughlin brother was just a bad idea in her book.

  “I insist on paying.” Sarah slid off the stool, which was high for her petite frame, and adjusted her purse. “Kenzie, give me a call and we can hang out at Gran’s home one of these nights. Watch movies, eat Top Ramen. You know, just like the old days.”

  “Okay, I’ll call you later.” The apology was blatant in Kenzie’s gaze as Sarah rushed past her to the door.

  Outside in the sun, Sarah struggled for her eyes to adjust as she dug in her purse for the keys to Gran’s car.

  “Always on the run, I see.”

  Her fingers wrapped around the keys just as the soft, lilting voice reached her ears.

  Dammit, he’d followed her outside? Heart thumping and mouth dry, she waited for Kenzie or Aleck’s voice to demand he come back inside. But there was nothing, just silence.

  As the seconds ticked by, her disbelief grew. She had to face him. Alone. Sarah turned around, struggling desperately not to let every emotion rushing through her reflect on her face.

  “What do you want?” She’d meant to say something clever. Flippant. Not only had she not managed that, but her question was almost a plea, infused with a faint anguish that was chronic when she thought of him.

  His lopsided smile fell back into a grim slash and his gaze darkened. “Now there’s a loaded question, aye?”

  “Not really, no.” She clenched her hands around her keys and turned away to unlock the door. “It should be fairly simple.”

  His hand fell past her to the door, holding it closed. “Well it’s not. We should talk.”

  A laugh of disbelief ripped from her, but then it died and her throat went tight. “You want to talk? About what?”

  “Fuck. I’m not even sure anymore.”

  Really that shouldn’t shock her. He was making trouble, just because it’s what he did best. “I’m only here for a month. Can we just make it a point to avoid each other?”

  “How very adult of us,” he mocked.

  She spun around to face him, not bothering to hold back the frustration. “Maybe it isn’t, but I think we said everything that needed to be said eleven years ago…” She trailed off as his expression slid from mocking to dark. Bitter.

  “Aye,” he said with deceptive softness. “Eleven years ago you were quite thorough in telling me how you really felt.”

  She could feel her cheeks flushing at the memory of that day—at the alternate personality she’d seemed to instantly develop. She smothered the quick rise of regret and guilt—because her words had been well deserved. Hadn’t they?

  “Which means there’s not a lot left to say, right?” She pushed his arm away from her car door and succeeded in opening it this time. “Go back inside, Ian. I’m sure your bimbo girlfriend is getting lonely.”

  “Ouch.” He gave a harsh laugh, but didn’t stop her. “You’re really quite good with the barbed insults for someone who tries hard to be known as the nice girl.”

  A response was on her tongue, but she refused to let it fly. Instead she climbed into her car, shut the door and drove off a moment later.

  In the rearview she watched him move back into the pub, and she bit her lip.

  He wanted to turn this on her? Make her look like the evil bitch? It wasn’t fair. But then it’d never been fair.

  “He’s an asshole,” she whispered. “He’ll always be an asshole.”

  When tears filled her eyes, she gave a growl of dismay. She wouldn’t cry over him. Not again.

  She turned the old Chevy onto the main road and hit the gas. Impatiently, she wiped the moisture from her eyes and then cranked the radio to distract her.

  One month. She just had to get through one month. And she’d do it by holing herself up at Gran’s with some good books and her work to keep her busy.

  She left Oak Harbor, roaring down the two-lane highway that was soon thickly lined by trees.

  It was the tears in her eyes that delayed her spotting them. But when she finally focused on the deer and a small fawn moseying across the road ahead, Sarah slammed on her brakes.

  She wouldn’t be able to stop in time! A scream tore from her throat. Instinct, and the desire not to murder Bambi, had her swinging the wheel to the right.

  The car veered off the road and even though she still had her foot on the brakes, she knew she was going to hit the tree.

  Chapter Five

  On impact everything went red, before darkness rolled in momentarily. When she blinked back to alertness, pain had washed through her a
s she struggled to push aside the deflated airbag.

  “Whoa.” She patted herself down, checking to make sure nothing was bleeding or broken. Her head hurt like crazy and her muscles were overtly taut, but nothing seemed seriously wrong.

  Her door was jerked open and the unfamiliar face of an elderly man stared down at her with concern, asking her something.

  “What?” she shook her head, completely disoriented.

  And then the man stepped back and another figure appeared, crouching down to talk to her.

  “Ma’am, are you okay? Can you get out of the vehicle?”

  Her heart rose in her throat and her eyes widened. For a moment she’d thought she was staring at Ian, but then the sheriff’s uniform registered and she realized this wasn’t her ex, but his equally attractive twin. The missing scar near his left eye was another clue it wasn’t Ian.

  “Colin?” Her voice croaked and she tried to make her way out of the car.

  Colin’s brows drew together in confusion, even as he rushed to help her climb out.

  “Do I know you?” He paused and his lips pursed. “Aye, wait a minute. Sarah?”

  She nodded, frustrated to feel her eyes filling with tears. It had already been too much. And now this? Crashing her car and being forced to face another McLaughlin family member?

  “Are you hurt, luv?”

  Shaking her head, she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. “No. No, I don’t think so. A little sore, but okay I think.”

  “There you go, then. Take a deep breath.” He caught her shoulders in his hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “It’s going to be all right. I promise.”

  What the hell was wrong with her? She was falling apart all over Ian’s twin. But she suspected she would’ve had the same reaction to whoever had pulled her from the car.

  The adrenaline pulsing through her body started to diminish and she scrubbed at her moist eyes.

  She turned to look at her gran’s car and let out a cry of dismay. The front was smashed in; the hood bent into an inverted V. And both airbags had deployed.

  “Oh no,” she whispered, shoving her hands through her hair. “This looks bad.”

  “Aye. It doesn’t look good. Can I call someone for you, Sarah?”

  Kenzie was working. She shook her head, wishing she could just spout off the number of someone. Anyone. “No.”

  No one who was in Washington State anyway. Not since Gran had passed.

  Colin asked another question, but she couldn’t focus. She was too busy wondering how she was going to fix Gran’s car—which was her only vehicle on the island. How could she afford it?

  When Colin stepped away from her a moment later, it barely registered.

  How had the island that had once been such a haven to her become such a constant state of hell?

  *

  “Why are you so interested in her?”

  Ian blinked, tearing his gaze away from the pool table where Gina was lining up another shot.

  “Who?”

  “That girl you just chased out of here.” She rolled her eyes and took the shot. Missed by a mile.

  “She’s an old friend.”

  “One you used to fuck?” Her mouth curved into what she probably thought was a seductive little pout.

  It did nothing for him. Not today. “That’s none of your damn business.”

  “You are such an asshole.” Gina wove her arms around his neck and pressed her voluptuous body against his. “Mmm. And if you weren’t so good in bed I’d be on to another guy by now.”

  She’d been exactly what he’d wanted a few months ago. All tits and arse, fun in bed and with no commitment. But lately she’d been turning him off like a cheap perfume.

  “Hey, if that’s what you want.” He threw it out there, knowing she wouldn’t bite, but almost hoping she would.

  “I want you, babe. Though I’m kind of pissed we haven’t done it in almost a month.” She kissed him slow and deep, and lifted her head a minute later. “Come over after work tonight?”

  Maybe a night with Gina would be good for clearing his mind—among other things. Sarah had twisted him up into a fucking emotional pretzel. She’d always had the ability to do that to him, and it had driven him nuts.

  He needed to focus on someone else. Gina was probably the answer.

  “I’ll see what I can do.” He stepped back, feeling his cell in his pocket start to buzz.

  He dug out his phone as Kenzie walked by them, giving him a dirty look. Obviously she wasn’t a fan of Gina’s PDAs. He grinned at his sister and gave an overtly innocent shrug.

  Seeing Colin’s number on his caller ID, Ian answered, “This must be important if you’re calling me from work.”

  “It’s important.”

  Where Ian’s tone had been a lazy drawl, his brother’s was curt and grim. Pretty damn uncommon for his twin, actually.

  “What’s going on?” Ian moved away from Gina, lowering his voice.

  “You’re aware that Sarah’s back on the isl—”

  “Yes, I’m quite aware.” His words flattened. “Is that why you’ve called?”

  “No. She’s been in an accident.”

  Everything inside Ian turned to ice, and his chest went impossibly tight to where he could barely speak.

  “She’s all right,” Colin continued. “Just a bit banged up. I’m going to try and talk her into going to the hospital just to get checked out. But I called because—”

  “Where is she?” Ian was already walking toward the door.

  “About four miles outside of Oak Harbor on Highway 20.”

  “I’ll be there in five minutes.” He turned off the phone and dug into his pocket for his keys.

  “Babe. What the hell?” Gina ran outside the pub after him, her mouth twisted in dismay. “You’re leaving me?”

  “I have to go check on someone. Sorry, G.” He gave her a quick kiss, even though he still wasn’t feeling it.

  “Someone?” She folded her arms across her large chest and cocked a brow. “As in this old friend again? Seriously?”

  Shit, he should’ve realized Gina would’ve picked up on his interest in Sarah.

  “I’ll call you later,” he promised. “You know I want to see you.”

  That last line might’ve been stretching it. If he admitted it, he’d only brought Gina here for lunch because he’d known it would needle Sarah.

  “You’d better call me.” She shook her head. “Because I got options, Ian. And you know it.”

  Jesus, she was becoming much more work than play.

  Not bothering to reply, he jumped into his car and left the pub.

  Almost five minutes later, as promised, he pulled up to the accident scene. The Island County Sheriff’s cruiser was parked with lights flashing just behind Sarah’s vehicle. It had veered off the road and was pretty much making out with a tree.

  Ian’s concern mounted as he climbed from his Camaro.

  Right away he spotted Sarah. She and Colin stood next to her car, deep in discussion.

  Her face was blotchy from tears and likely the airbag slamming into it. Ian’s muscles tautened, and something dark and volatile built inside him as he watched his twin place an arm around her shoulders. Surely it was a gesture of comfort, but Ian didn’t like it. And the realization both startled and irritated him.

  She stilled, as if sensing him, and her body twisted his way, her gaze locking on him. For a moment he could’ve sworn there was relief in her eyes, before it slipped away into something close to disbelief and misery.

  When he reached her side, Colin pulled away from Sarah. Her gaze was only on Ian, though, as she shook her head.

  “Do you McLaughlins have mental telepathy with each other or something? This is getting a little ridiculous.”

  “Not telepathy, just got a call from my brother here.” He gave his brother a hard look, before glancing back at Sarah. “What happened?”

  “None of your business.” She glared at Col
in. “And I’m sure you broke some sheriff code by calling him.”

  Colin shrugged and gave a small grin. “I thought you might want help from an old friend. Ian owns a garage, you know.”

  The irritation on her face faded to surprise, and her gaze darted back to Ian. “No, actually I didn’t know. I kind of figured he’d have a career dealing weed by now or something.”

  While Ian muttered a soft, “Ouch.” His twin let out a roar of laughter.

  “Well, it’s legal now, so there are worse things,” Colin murmured.

  “Look, you guys can both take off. I’ll call for a tow truck. Unless I’m getting some kind of ticket, Colin?”

  “No. You swerved to avoid a deer and hit no other cars. Just…totaled your own. I think that’s punishment enough.” Colin grimaced. “And I think you should consider getting checked out at the hospital.”

  Sarah waved off Colin’s protest and turned, striding back to her car. “I’m fine. I just want to call my insurance and get things settled.”

  Ian thrust his hands into his jean pockets and followed her. “Go for it. But your insurance premium is going to go up.”

  “Why on earth would my insurance go up? This was an accident. I didn’t cause it.”

  “Well, you did, actually. Colin just said you swerved to avoid hitting a deer?”

  “Yes. Two, actually. One was a fawn. What are you getting at?”

  “I’m saying that you swerved to avoid hitting a deer. Had you just braked instead of swerving, you wouldn’t have been at fault.”

  “That makes no sense.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Then I would’ve actually hit, and most likely killed, the deer. I would’ve felt awful, and my car would still be totaled. Are you even listening to yourself?”

  “Look, I know what I’m talking about. My career is fixing cars, doll. I live on an island full of deer and have worked with insurance companies enough to know how this works. If you’d hit the deer, you would’ve been covered, because that wasn’t your fault.” He sighed. “But you swerved and made the choice to risk your life, meaning you caused the accident. It’ll be an at-fault collision claim. Your rates are going to go up.”