“Once upon a time, I was all you needed.” Dylan let out an exaggerated sigh. “Knowing I’m second best hurts my heart.”
“We had a good run, son.” Levi slapped Dylan on the back. “Find yourself a good woman. Hell, find yourself a bad woman. I’ll be your wingman.”
“Thanks, but I prefer to fly through life single,” Dylan said. “Why do married people think everyone is dying to follow in their footsteps?”
“Did I say anything about finding you a wife?” Levi shrugged. “Just thought you’d be happier with someone steady instead of hopping from bed partner to bed partner.”
“Want to know the problem with a long-term girlfriend?” Dylan asked with a serious expression.
“She would object if you slept with someone else?” Levi guessed.
“Correct the first time.” With no more to say on the subject, Dylan removed a picture from his pocket and handed the photo to Levi. “Here’s who we’re looking for. Her name is Eve Stewart.”
“You’re certain she’s the one who's looking after your niece?”
“Alleged niece,” Dylan said, determined to find out the truth before welcoming another member to his family.
“Why would Tanner pay out ten thousand dollars if he isn’t certain?” Levi asked.
Dylan sighed. Knowing his brother, the answer was multiple choice. Either the money went where Tanner claimed—to his DNA certified daughter—or…
“You think Tanner pocketed the cash?” Levi shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I don’t know anything yet.” Dylan wanted to believe in Tanner. Just once. “Hopefully, I’ll know more after I speak to Eve Stewart.”
“She’s cute,” Levi said as he checked out the photo again, memorizing the smiling face. “Wholesome. Very girl next door. Definitely not your type.”
“We aren’t here to find me a date,” Dylan reminded his friend. “We’re looking for the woman who currently has custody of Daisy Juniper Montgomery. My job is to determine whether she keeps the child or not.”
“Eve Stewart must care about the kid,” Levi pointed out. “Why else would a single woman in her twenties take on so much responsibility?”
“Another question to add to the growing list. According to my research, she works here on weekends.” Dylan grimaced when his elbow stuck to the table. “Doesn’t seem she’s very good at her job.”
“Can’t be easy,” Levi said with a sympathetic frown as he watched a waitress pick up an order at the bar.
“What’s not easy?” Dylan asked with a frown as he tried to wipe the goo from his jacket.
“Have you ever bobbed and weaved your way through a crowd in sky-high heels?”
“Have you?” Dylan shot Levi a speculative look. “If the answer is yes, I promise to keep the details just between us.”
“Good to know that I can always count on you to keep a secret.” Levi tapped his wedding ring. “My knowledge comes from my wife. Piper wears stilettoes most days when she goes to the office. When she gets home, her feet hurt. Unlike the waitresses, she spends a lot of time behind a desk.”
Dylan thought about Levi’s observation and imagined his friend was right. Then again, work, by definition, was hard.
“Every job has drawbacks,” he said with a shrug. “I spent one summer cleaning septic tanks for less than minimum wage.”
“Fine. You had a shit job.” Levi let out a snort of laughter. “But I’ll bet my next endorsement check that you weren’t required by your boss to wear short, shorts, a cleavage-bearing t-shirt, and ankle-breaking heels.”
Already in a bad mood because of his mother’s latest Tanner centric guilt-trip, Levi’s need to have the last word grated heavily on Dylan’s last fraying nerve.
“Now that I think back,” he said with a sneer. “I didn’t ask you to come along.”
“I invited myself,” Levi agreed with a happy nod of his head. “As moral support. Did you forget? Not ten minutes ago you thanked me. You were so moved, so grateful for my company, tears glistened in your eyes.”
“Glistened?” Despite himself, he had to grin. “What? Are you writing a romance novel? Am I your perfect love?”
“In an alternate dimension, sure.” Levi winked. Then, his expression turned thoughtful. “Wait. I’m wrong. My heart would lead me to Piper. She’s my one true love in any dimension.”
“Jesus,” Levi scoffed. “I must be the only man to be rejected here and in an alternate universe?”
“I’m a bad, bad man,” Levi said, clutching his chest with an exaggerated sigh. “And yet, with all the women in both worlds, something tells me you’d find a way to get over me.”
Chuckling at the absurdity of their conversation, Dylan was truly thankful to have a friend like Levi by his side who knew how to pull him from his darker thoughts. He scanned the room again. This time, his gaze landed directly on the reason he was stuck in Trident, New Mexico.
“Found her.”
“Where?” Levi asked, scanning the crowd.
“Straight ahead,” Dylan instructed.
“Straight to the right, or straight to the left?” Levi asked, shaking his head. “I don’t see her. Be more specific.”
“How can you miss her? Short dark hair, slender, subtle but interesting curves.” Dylan’s gaze narrowed as he saw nothing but the woman walking his way. “Great smile.”
“Now I see her.” But Levi wasn’t looking at the woman. His eyes were on Levi. “Forget what I said before?”
Only half-listening, Dylan frowned.
“Hm? Before? What did you say? I don’t remember.”
“Something about Eve Stewart not being your type,” Levi responded with a wide grin. “Guess I was wrong.”
“No, you weren’t,” Dylan assured his friend. “But she does have a killer smile.”
Content to wait and observe, Dylan found himself fascinated by the young woman he’d come to see. Like the other waitresses, she wore cut-off jeans that hinted liberally at the beginning swell of her butt. The t-shirt was tight and compared to her counterparts, her cleavage was minimal.
Eve Stewart’s legs weren’t long, but they covered a lot of territory in a short amount of time. Levi was right. The heels were too high and utterly impractical. But somehow, Eve managed to balance a tray of drinks, take new orders, and stay upright in a pair of shoes no one should want to wear let alone be required as part of her job.
“She’s a bundle of energy,” Levi said, admiration in his voice. “A motorized pixie.”
“Pixie,” Dylan mused. “Good word.”
“I see what you mean about her smile. Megawatt. And a laugh to match.”
Like music, Dylan thought as the sound reached his ears.
“She’s not as endowed as the other waitresses,” Levi observed. “But how much do you want to bet she outdistances them on tips?”
Dylan simply nodded. Growing impatient, he waited his turn; anticipating the moment Eve, and her smile, finally reached him.
“Welcome to Shady Dan’s.”
Eve’s voice was a surprise. Deeper than Dylan expected with a husky note that made the air in his lungs stutter in his throat. She cleared away the empty bottles, giving the table a quick swipe with a damp cloth. She glanced at Levi and smiled.
“Sorry I didn’t get to you sooner. The place is busier than usual because the rodeo’s in town and one of our waitresses called in sick at the last minute.” Eve took a breath and laughed. “None of which matters when you want a drink. What can I get you?”
Eve directed her remarks and her bubbling personality toward Levi. Dylan wondered if he’d suddenly become invisible. Wondering why everyone in the room received her attention but him, he glared at his friend.
“Two bottles of beer,” Levi told her.
“Be right back,” Eve said.
Stunned, unsure what just happened, Dylan watched as Eve disappeared into the crowd.
“Clos
e your mouth,” Levi told him. “Your chin is about to hit the floor.”
“You can see me, right?” Dylan waved his hand in front of Levi’s face.
“Yes.”
“Then why did she act as though I wasn’t here?” Dylan demanded. “She acted like you were the only person at the table.”
“My face tends to have that effect on people?” Levi said with a straight face. “Not the first time my good looks have left a woman dazzled.”
“Explain why all quarterbacks believe they are God’s gift to the world,” Dylan said, his lip curling into a sneer.
“Because we are,” Levi answered with a shrug.
“Fuck you.”
“I get why you’re pissed off,” Levi continued, unconcerned by the glare Dylan shot his way. “You felt a blast of unwanted instant attraction.”
“Not a blast,” Dylan muttered. “More of a slight breeze.”
Ignoring Dylan’s pout, Levi shrugged.
“Women fall at your feet left and right. Must have been a shock to your ego when Eve didn’t do the same.”
Dylan didn’t want Eve at his feet. For reasons he couldn’t explain, all he wanted was a smile. Every other man in the bar received one. Hell, she graced Levi with a week’s worth. Why not him?
“And she’s back,” Levi said. As Eve set the beers on the table, he checked his watch. “Impressive time.”
“You looked thirsty,” Eve explained with a wink.
A wink? Dylan rolled his eyes. Unbelievable. Tired of watching their stomach-turning flirt-fest from the sidelines, he decided enough was enough. To get Levi’s attention, and because hitting a woman was forbidden, he punched his friend in the arm—this non-throwing arm. Hard and with conviction.
“Did you forget Piper already?” Dylan asked, enjoying Levi’s wince. He turned to Eve. “He’s married. A newlywed, to be exact.”
“Congratulations,” Eve exclaimed to Levi. She didn’t show the slightest flicker of recognition toward Dylan. “First drink is on me”
“Thank you.” Levi raised the bottle to his lips and took a long drink. “Free beer is the sweetest kind.”
“Hey.” Dylan rapped his knuckled on the table. “Did you forget about me?”
“I didn’t,” Eve said, looking at him for the first time. She nodded toward his beer before holding out her hand. “That’ll be four dollars.”
Levi snorted, barely suppressing his laughter. With a grin, he wiped a trickle of liquid from his chin.
“Sorry for my gruff friend,” Levi said. “His manners leave something to be desired.”
“No problem,” Eve said, practically beaming at Levi. “You more than compensate for his deficiencies.”
“Deficiencies?” Frustrated, Dylan scrubbed a hand over his face. “Are you kidding?”
“I’m Levi, by the way. Levi Reynolds.” Levi pretended to read Eve’s nametag. “Eve. Nice to meet you. And my friend is—”
“I know who he is,” Eve said, ice dripping from each word?”
“You do?” Dylan exchanged confused looks with Levi. Certain he’d never met Eve in his life before tonight, he frowned. “How?”
“Enjoy your drinks,” she said. “If you want another round and I’m not around, flag down one of the other waitresses. Any of them will be happy to serve you.”
Dylan grabbed at Eve’s arm but, more elusive than a lightning-quick running back, she slipped through his fingers.
“Did you see that?” Dylan demanded of Levi.
“Hard to miss,” Levi said. “Should we call Darcy Stratham? The Knights’ general manager is a progressive person and the team can always use speed on offense. Who knows? She might sign Eve to a contract on the spot.”
“Does my pain amuse you?” Dylan wanted to know.
“No,” Levi said, then proceeded to contradict himself. “But if the tables were turned, you’d laugh your ass off if a woman thoroughly put me in my place.”
Dylan wasn’t worried about his place. Instead, he had the feeling something about Eve was off. The flicker he saw in her eyes made him uncomfortable.
“You know the premonition you get during a game when a play is about to go south?” Dylan asked.
“The tingle at the back of my neck?” Levi nodded. “Sure. Tells me it’s time to chuck the play and improvise.”
Dylan planned to meet with Eve and have a reasonable conversation so he could get a better idea of what was going on. But when he searched the crowd and she was nowhere to be seen, the tingle Levi mentioned turned into a full-blown electric jolt that shot him to his feet.
“What’s wrong?” Levi asked.
“My instincts tell me Eve is about to blow up my playbook.” Dylan flagged down a waitress. “Is Eve Montgomery on a break?”
“She left for the night. But I’ll be happy to get you whatever you need.” The pretty redhead—very much Dylan’s type—batted her eyelashes. “Anything.”
“Maybe another time,” Dylan said, not the least bit interested. He looked at Levi. “Let’s go.”
“You think Eve plans to take the kid and run?” Levi asked as they jumped into the rented SUV.
Dylan checked the information he had on Eve and typed her address into the navigation system.
“Maybe. Probably,” he said, pulling out of the parking lot and turning right. “She recognized me and if she’s smart, it didn’t take her long to figure out why I’m here.”
“But why run?” Levi frowned. “If you turn out to be the little girl’s uncle, all the better. If not, you’ll head out of Dodge. No muss, no fuss.”
“Maybe Eve is worried I’ll demand she returns the money. Maybe after the way Tanner abandoned her friend, she doesn’t like the idea of his family having anything to do with the girl.” Dylan shrugged. “Who knows. But before she takes a powder, I plan to find out.”
Trident, New Mexico wasn’t a large city. However, the person who planned the layout must have been drunk at the time. One-way streets turned into dead ends. Roads looped around each other leading nowhere. Without the car’s GPS, Dylan never would have found Eve’s apartment.
“Where are the streetlights?” Levi asked as they parked near a vacant building that once was home to an Italian restaurant. “I can barely see my hand in front of my face.”
“No moon and everything’s shut up for the night.” Dylan used the flashlight on his phone. At the side of the building, a few feet down the alleyway, he found a doorway. He looked inside. “Here’s the place.”
“The place is pretty rundown,” Levi observed as he followed Dylan up a set of stairs to the second floor. “Clean as a whistle, though. Not a speck of dirt to be seen. Not even a gum wrapper. Maybe Eve is a neat freak.”
“Maybe I don’t give a shit.”
“Uh, oh,” Levi said. “You reached the point where your anger has turned ice cold. Not a good omen for Eve.”
“She ran. Without provocation,” Dylan said without inflection. Ten feet down the hall, he stopped at apartment number three. “Whatever she gets, she’s earned.”
Dylan raised his fist to pound on the door. Sporting a cooler head, Levi grabbed his arm.
“Before you destroy a perfectly good piece of wood, take a breath and remember.” Levi squeezed Dylan’s shoulder. “A little girl lives here. A person who might be your niece. Do you want to scare her first thing out of the box?”
Levi was right. Dylan would be happy to scare the crap out of Eve. After taking off the way she did, she deserved to have a few years shaved off her life out of sheer fright. But Daisy Juniper was the one innocent person in this whole mess and despite his protestations, he had a soft spot a mile wide where children were concerned.
If the little girl turned out to be his niece, he wanted to be her rock. A bastion of stability. The chances of earning her trust dropped considerably if the first side of him she saw was scary Uncle Dylan.
“You knock,” he told Levi, standing back. “
I need a moment to summon up my kind and gentle side.”
“Summon away.” Levi took a moment. “Eve might not be home. Or, you could be wrong about her intentions.”
“Only one way to find out,” Dylan said as he concentrated taking in long, calming breaths and breathing out his anger.
“No peephole. Good for us, bad for her.” Levi’s expression darkened with concern. “She needs a peephole. Two strange men knocking on a woman’s door in the middle of the night? What if our intentions were nefarious?”
“Find a hardware store in the morning.” Dylan pushed Levi out of the way. “All your yammering has calmed my temper. Plus, I noticed a doorbell.”
Dylan pushed the button and waited, running through his head what to say. The door opened, Eve on the other side. Though she looked frazzled and he saw a skittering of panic zip through her eyes, to her credit, she didn’t slam the door in his face. Instead, she looked at him as though he was the one at fault.
“What?” she asked, raising her chin.
For the first time, Dylan noticed the color of her eyes. The flecks of gold in a sea of gray seemed to glow. Bright with hate, he supposed. Good, he thought. He would rather deal with her anger than her tears.
Dylan could almost admire Eve’s brazen, fuck you, attitude. Almost. Unlike his brother whose bravado collapsed soon after he was caught doing something wrong, he had the impression that she was the kind of person who could fart in an elevator and convince the only other occupant that he was the one who passed gas.
Unfortunately for Eve, Dylan was neither gullible nor easily intimidated. And he sure as hell wasn’t in the mood to beat around the bush.
“If you planned to run, don’t,” he said, holding Eve’s gaze. “I have more money, more resources, and more power. I will find you.”
Eve blinked, the only sign his guess about her intentions were correct. He continued.
“If you think you can hide, just long enough for me to lose interest, think again. I won’t give up. Never.”
“He won’t,” Levi chimed in. “Professional athletes are relentless. To succeed, we have to be.”
Eve swallowed but didn’t back down. Again, Dylan gave her credit. She was foolish, but she had balls.
The Last Honest Man: A Sports Romance (One Pass Away: A New Season Book 3) Page 3
