Page 117 of Finding Our Reality

Jackasses.

“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think my live-in girlfriend would appreciate that. Have a good night.”

Well, that’s new. And unexpected.

And quite frankly, music to my ears.

Sitting beside me, his large hand circles around my hip, and he tugs my barstool closer. It screeches across the floor. “I was worried about you for a minute.”

I snort. “Oh, yeah?”

“Your eyes rolled so far back in your head I thought you were having a stroke.”

“I did not roll my eyes.”

Cullen puts a beer in front of Ry. “You totally rolled your eyes.”

My mouth falls open. “Cullen!”

He holds his hands up in surrender and disappears to help the next customer.

“Well, if I rolled my eyes, it was only because you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself.”

He chuckles. “She was about to fall.”

I sip on my cocktail, talking around my straw. “She probably fell into you on purpose.”

Ry nods at my drink. “I see you’re drinking again.”

I spin the glass, watching the pretty blue liquid swirl around against the ice cubes. After my incident with the Long Island Iced Teas, Will and Cullen decided to have me taste-test a sampler platter of non-alcoholic mocktails. Knowing I wanted something pretty, Cullen plied me with all sorts of concoctions in hues of pink, red, purple, and green. The winner was a non-alcoholic version of a Blue Lagoon. Cullen garnishes it with a stick of oranges, cherries, and mangoes.

“Yep. And who knows, I may get shit-faced tonight.”

He leans forward, playfully nibbling on my ear. “Good thing you’re coming home with me tonight. I can take care of you.” He sits back, taking a long drink from his bottle. “As long as you keep your throw up to yourself.”

Will leans against the bar, tossing a rag over his shoulder. “Eww. Raylee told me you threw up on him. I forgot about that. Gross.”

Ry laughs, squinting his eyes in good humor.

I open my mouth to make a catty comment, but really, there’s no defense. I did throw up on him.

Ridge points at his brother. “Cullen threw up all over me once. Remember, C, on that road trip to the Grand Canyon?”

“Shit. I completely forgot about that. You’re the one who paid me five bucks to eat five hotdogs.”

“Okay! As intriguing as this conversation is, me and my woman have somewhere to be.” Ry tosses some money down on the bar and grabs my hand.

“We do?”

He leans in and almost growls, as if I didn’t know what he meant. “Yes. Bed.”

Chapter 38

CRUTCH

I’m glad we live out in the middle of nowhere.

She’s even more vocal than I remember.

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