Page 85 of Challenged by the Single Dad

Dom grunted. “Yeah, well, that mustached motherfucker is onmyblacklist.”

Snorting a laugh, Jagger tipped his bottle up and took another sip. “So you and Chloe … Wyatt said he heard you two—”

“It’s done. We’re done. Won’t happen again.”

Jagger rolled his dark-blue eyes behind his round-framed glasses. “Sure it won’t. How many times has it happened so far?”

“Irrelevant. It won’t be happening again.”

Jagger made a cocky face that said he didn’t believe for a second that Dom and Chloe were really, truly over, and that irritated the shit out of Dom.

“Change of topic, please,” Dom muttered, sipping his beer and letting the cool, clean-tasting harvest lager settle on his tongue for a moment so he could appreciate and enjoy the subtle notes of orange, clove, cinnamon, and malty sweetness that balanced out the hops.

Jagger made a noise in his throat, but ultimately acquiesced. “Been invited to the Winter Wine and Beer Fest in Seattle in late December. Like less than a week before Christmas.”

“Youwere? Or the business and brewery was?”

“The business and brewery. Obviously, Clint wants to go, but I’m going to push to join him since I’m head of PR. It’s the first time they’re doing this, and I’m still a little perturbed that they’re holding it so close to Christmas. But whatever. Apparently, it’s by invitation only—for vendors anyway.”

“Have you seen a list of the other vendors?”

Jagger’s top lip curled up in disgust at Dom’s question. “Unfortunately.”

That made Dom snicker. “Let me guess, your BFF Raina Aaronson was invited too?”

“Westhaven Winery was invited, yes.” Jagger’s eyes formed thin slits, and his knee began to bounce.

“What is the beef between you two anyway?”

Jagger rolled his eyes. “She’s just a fucking know-it-all. And of course, shealsoruns the social media and does the PR for the winery. She’s always trying to one-up my posts. Doesn’t have an original idea or thought in her pretty little head.”

“You admit she’s pretty?” Dom teased, glad to be off the topic of his complicated-as-fuck love life and giving the gears to Jagger about his woman problems instead.

Jagger simply rolled his eyes again. “A poison dart frog is cute, but it’ll kill you. Most flashy things are flashy for a reason—so you know to avoid them. Lionfish are another good example.”

“Raina doesn’t seem like aflashyperson to me. She’s just nice looking.”

“You’re nitpicking.”

“And you’re evading.”

“Pot-kettle, brother dear.”

They sat there in stubborn silence, staring at each other until Dom’s phone buzzed to let him know his pizza was ready. He leaped out of his seat like his boxers had just caught fire. “Be right back.” Finishing his beer, he brought it with him to toss into the recycling bin at the pub, and was out the door to the sarcastic snickers of his younger brother.

Jagger was the only one of them that didn’t have children and had never been married. But what also set him apart from the rest of the brothers was that he was the only one who didn’t serve in the Marines. Jagger got a football scholarship in high school and went to college on that. But an injury early on put him out of commission. So he got a psychology degree.

But he’d always been a bit of an odd duck. In the best possible ways of course.

Secretive, and quiet. He kept weird hours, and was a massive sci-fi nerd. Books, movies, televisions shows. The guy was a fanatic. He was also very stubborn. Probably the most stubborn of the five of them. Dom couldn’t remember a single time since knowing his youngest brother, that Jagger had ever given in to anything. He stood his ground. Whether it was not eating his peas at dinner, or standing out in the rain without any clothes on because he liked how the rain felt falling on skin (he was four at the time), Jagger had a mind of his own and nobody could change it for him.

Dom reached the restaurant and only hesitated a moment about which door to go in. Heshouldgo through the back door into the kitchen. There was no reason for him to go into the pub. And judging by the full parking lot and the racket echoing from inside, the place was bumping.

Heshouldjust grab his pizza from Burke and leave.

But he was a glutton for punishment and heaved open the front door before his brain could do the thinking.

She was buzzing behind the bar like a beautiful, redheaded queen bee, smiling and laughing with customers. Logan was just as busy, a giant smile on his youthful face as he poured shots for the same group of girls that had entered just as Dom was leaving. They were flirting heavily with Dom’s cousin, which hopefully meant Logan would walk away with good tips—but also probably some phone numbers.

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