Page 13 of Tide Over

I shake my head, draining the last of my beer. “We’re better off as friends. We both agreed.”

She shrugs one shoulder. “Alright. But it’s been over a year. I think it’s time to get back out there.”

“With all the free time I have?” I ask.

Heather tilts her head and gives me a knowing look. “You do that to yourself, and you know it.”

“Whatever,” I mumble, as Allison slides our drinks across the bar. “Thanks,” I say to her as I pick up mine and Liam’s beer and turn away from Heather. “Don’t get too drunk.”

She chuckles. “No promises.”

I head back to the table and place a beer in front of Liam. He looks up, surprised, as if he’d been lost in thought. Then he smiles softly. “Thanks.”

“Sorry about that,” I say as I take my seat. “I was just talking to my sister.”

Liam glances at the bar, and Heather waves at him with a smile. He huffs out a light laugh and holds up his hand in a wave back to her.

“Careful,” I say, taking a drink of my beer. “Give her an inch, she’ll take a mile.”

He flashes a genuine smile, and his eyes light up in a way I haven’t seen yet. I find myself wishing he would show that smile more often, even though I’ve only known him for two days. And I also can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction knowing I caused that smile.

What the fuck is wrong with me.

I take a deep breath in and turn back to Caleb and Emily as they finish their set and announce they’re taking a break.

And Caleb heads right for our table with a huge smile.

“How’s it going?” he asks as he takes a seat with his beer.

“Pretty good,” I say. “You guys sound great.”

“It’s all her,” Caleb says, then he smiles at Liam. “Hey, I’m Caleb.”

“Liam,” he says, shifting in his seat. And I’m starting to see he’s not exactly a fan of attention.

“Liam is going to be living here when he’s not working away,” I say, attempting to make him feel a bit better by explaining this situation for him.

Caleb’s expression morphs into one of intrigue, and he turns back to Liam. “Rotation? Offshore?”

Liam perks up a bit. “Yeah.”

“Sick,” Caleb smiles. “I know a few people who do that. What do you do out there?”

“I’m a welder,” Liam says, leaning forward a bit. “Just starting offshore after working in Alberta.”

Caleb lets out a low whistle. “Shit. That’s fucking intense, man. Underwater welding and hanging from ropes over the raging sea… damn.”

Liam smirks, and I swear I see a sparkle in his eye. “Should be an adventure.”

“I could never.” Caleb leans back in his chair and looks between me and Liam. “You guys got balls. I can just manage to get in a boat to casually fish close to shore, and you two just head out there to battle the sea. You’re both insane.”

I laugh. “Battle the sea?”

He shrugs. “Basically.”

Liam laughs as well, and I can’t help but sneak another look at him, my eyes immediately falling to his smile.

“I gotta make my rounds though, before I head back up there,” Caleb says as he pushes his chair back and stands up. “I’ll catch up with you again soon.”

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