Page 92 of Tangled up in You

Holy shit.If that was what she considered settling he wondered what she’d wanted to buy.

And how much moneythatmight have cost over and above this pricey ride.

She grabbed her ear plugs, holding up the familiar small, round case his used. “Got them.” She put them in and slipped the case into her back pocket.

That gave him a perfect opening. “Nice hiking boots.”

She looked down at them. “They’re comfy.”

He pointed at his own boots. “And that’s why I wore these tonight, but I was told they’d turn off a woman.”

“Are they comfy?” she asked him.

He nodded. “Very.”

He loved the way her eyes crinkled at the outer edges when she smiled. “Then who cares what anyone else thinks?”

“Thankyou! I’m glad someone agrees with me.” Instead of returning inside he motioned for her to go first up the two steps to the deck. They sat at an outside two-seater high-top and she ordered another soda.

He noticed. “Not drinking?”

“Not much of a drinker.” He must have had a look on his face, because she added, “Why’d I come to a bar in a strange town when I’m not much of a drinker?”

“Exactly. If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m stepping outside of my comfort zone. My father is fond of reminding me that there’s more to life than work.” Despite their ear plugs, both of them winced when the band launched into a new song that opened with a loudly energetic electric guitar lick that soared from lower notes up to somewhere around the stratosphere.

“And,” she added, “I rarely listen to live music. I figured if I’m going to make an idiot out of myself, best to do it in a strange town around strange people so I’m not constantly reliving every cringe thing I say or do. If my father asks if I spent time ‘on vacation,’ I can honestly answer yes. I’ll just leave out how much time.”

Holy shit.Every minute he spent with her he found more to like about her. “I do that, too. Relive my cringe moments, I mean. At least plants don’t make fun of me.”

“Well, thank god for small favors,” she said with a smile before sipping her soda.

That’s when Mark emerged onto the deck, scowling, scanning the space before locking on to them and heading their way.

“And here’s my cringe buffer,” he said as Mark walked up. “Jesse, this is my partner, Mark.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, fist-bumping with him.

He nodded. “Likewise.”

MARK

It’d irritated him when he realized Christopher wasn’t inside and he’d missed when he’d walked out.

Not that there was anything to worry about at this familiar watering hole. They were in town and Christopher was a grown-assed adult.

But now that he spotted the woman Chris was talking to, a dark and unexpected tendril ofsomethingwound through him.

She was cute and he sensed how relaxed Chris appeared talking with her. And for a moment he wondered if maybe the reason they’d moved outside without saying anything was because Christopher wanted to be alone with her.

That had never happened, but his usually predictable guy going off-script raised his antennae.

“She’s here for pleasure and work,” Chris offered.

“What do you do?” Mark asked, trying to flush the irrational thoughts out of his head. He was now also wondering why she looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place her.

“I work for my father’s company.”

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