Page 42 of The Last Close Call

Crack!

Relief flooded her as the balls flew apart. The fourteen dropped into a corner pocket with a thunk.

“Stripes.”

Jack nodded.

She walked around the table, keeping her distance for now. She pretended to study the layout as she mentally berated herself for going with a boring gray turtleneck instead of the snug black sweater she’d almost worn tonight.

She leaned over the table and took another shot, missing this time.

Jack selected a long cue from the rack on the wall and chalked the tip.

“How’s your week been?” He leaned over the table.

“Busy. You?”

“Same.”

And yet he was here. There had to be a reason. She got the feeling he didn’t make a habit of driving out to dive bars on the outskirts of town on a typical weeknight.

He sank the seven with a surprisingly soft tap and walked to the other end.

“So, Skyler’s your friend and not just your neighbor?” He leaned over the felt again.

“We went to high school together.”

“Where?”

“Austin High.”

“Oh yeah?” He glanced up.

“Go, Maroons.”

He smiled and took aim at the five. This time he missed.

Rowan studied the layout.

“I was living in the city after graduation,” she said, “but I got priced out of my apartment. Skyler’s stepdad had the creek cottage for rent, so I decided to move there.”

“It’s kind of far out. You like living there?”

“Usually. I’m not crazy about the traffic, but a lot of my work can be done online, so it’s not like I have to drive in every single day.”

She lined up a bank shot and tapped the cue ball, managing to sink the twelve. A little thrill went through her.

“Nice,” he said.

“Thanks.”

She tried for another bank shot and totally whiffed it.

“Yikes.”

Jack didn’t comment, just chalked his cue.

“So, you were right.” He leaned over the table.

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