Page 19 of Fire & Frenzy

“I couldn’t sleep either,” I admitted.

He patted the concrete edge of the pool next to him. “Sit. Have a beer.”

“You sure?” I asked. “I don’t want to interrupt your alone time.”

“Interrupt, please.”

Excitement rippled through me.

Oh no…I’m developing a crush on my best friend’s father.

I slid out of my shoes, rolled up my pant legs, and then sat down and stuck my feet into the pool. Smoke grabbed a bottle of beer and opened it before handing it to me.

“Thanks.” I took a long drink. The dark beer was flavorful and thirst quenching.

Smoke had scrunched up his jeans and his feet dangled in the water.

“Been out here long?” I asked.

“About half an hour.”

The motel was close to the highway and every now and again I heard a truck zoom past. Other than that, it was peaceful.

“How’d you meet?” Smoke asked, shattering the silence.

“Tavy? I thought I told you—”

“Your fiancé. How’d you meet your fiancé?”

“How’d you meet Tavy’s mom?”

He paused and took another drink of beer before looking at me. “She was a waitress at the country club.”

“You were a waiter?” I asked in surprise.

“I didn’t say that. I said she was a waitress at the country club.”

I blinked and then understanding dawned. “Wait. You were a member of the country club?”

“Yup.”

“You don’t look like the country club type.”

“I’m not anymore. Obviously. But I used to be. My parents were big into that world. They still are, from what I know.”

“You don’t talk to them?”

He shook his head. “They wrote me out of the will when they found out Leslie was pregnant and that I was going to stand by her.”

“Wow,” I murmured.

“Now you,” he said.

“Now me. Right.” I took a sip of beer. “I got an internship at Brown, Mullins, & Schreiber my senior year of college.”

“What is that, a fucking law firm?”

I sniggered. “No. Interior design. Knox is a lawyer. His firm hired BM&S to redesign their firm lobby. I met Knox one day while I was there.”

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