Page 47 of The Bachelor

“I don’t have to do anything. I want to.”

Lauren smiled. “Great, then I’m not going to say no twice. Jack and Coke please.”

“See, now why can’t Avery be more like you?” He jerked his thumb towards her. “She must have said no to me ten times now.”

“You would think you wouldn’t need to hear it that many times,” Avery said loudly over the music. “But if you’re offering to buy drinks, I will take a beer.”

“She likes me,” he said to Lauren. “She just doesn’t want to admit it.”

“She’s admitted it to me,” Lauren said with a grin.

“Lauren!” Avery glared at her friend.

He laughed. He leaned in and murmured in Avery’s ear. “I don’t think we’re fooling anyone.”

When he glanced toward the front door he saw Michael had just arrived. He ordered drinks and then told Lauren and Avery, “I’ll be right back. My friend just got here.”

“Is your friend Michael Farmer?” Lauren asked, staring at the door.

She sounded a little breathless.

“Yes. I’ll go grab him.”

“I would love to grab him,” Lauren said emphatically. “I mean, go get him.”

“I’m sure he would love to meet you. I’ll be right back.” His phone buzzed and he frowned when he saw it was his mother calling. That was odd for this late on a Friday night.

“Hey, man, what’s up?” They shook hands and Michael clapped him on the shoulder.

“Thanks for coming out.” Michael was good looking and well known around town. He got attention from women everywhere and when they were out together it was always a party.

“I ran into two of the girls who write at Rusted Truck,” he told Michael. “They’re at the bar. I need to stop outside really quick and listen to a voicemail.”

“Point out the girls to me. I’ll go introduce myself.” Michael glanced around with interest. He had long hair and two full arm tattoo sleeves. He looked like the drummer he was and he used that to his advantage.

“The redhead in the plaid shirt by the bar and the one next to her with the hair that is half black and half white.”

“Well, that was easy,” Michael mused. “They stand out in that sea of big blonde hair.”

So he wasn’t the only one who thought Avery stood out. Shane felt both a sense of pride and jealousy.

He stepped out onto the sidewalk and listened to his voicemail.

“Hi, Baby, I hope you had a good birthday week! I hope you’re having fun with your friends tonight. Mama loves you.”

That made him smile. His mother made it sound like he was sixteen.

He texted her back.

Thanks, Mama. I love you too.

She had called him on his actual birthday too, but he knew she always worried about him.

The past was the past. Tonight he was looking to the future.

TWENTY-THREE

Avery couldn’t believe Shane was at the bar. It couldn’t be a coincidence. She tried to ask Lauren if she had posted on social media, but then a guy with tattoos and long hair approached them and Lauren just about fainted. It turned out he was the drummer for Annie Oakley, a country band. Lauren was drooling and they had to move further off the dance floor because people were starting to ask Michael if they could take selfies with him.

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