“Miles, did you get an invite to Brittany and Jason’s wedding?”
“I sure did.”
“Do you have a date yet?”
Shit.
“Uh, hadn’t even thought about it yet. I just opened the invite a couple of days ago.”
“Wanna go together? I just can’t imagine going alone if Adam’s there too. It won’t be a date or anything.”
“Sweetie, you two will be back together by then, and you won’t need a plus one, but if for some reason that isn’t the case, then of course I’ll take you. Now go get some sleep and stop worrying about everything.”
Finally stepping across the threshold, she says over her shoulder, “Thank you so much, for everything.” Then ever so slowly, she smiles and waves and thank Christ finally shuts and locks the deadbolt.
I’m down her front steps in a flash and flipping a bitch in the middle of her street to get my truck headed back in the direction of the magnetic woman I’m pretty sure just changed everything.
My truck feels like she’s driving through mud, and the two-minute drive feels like it’s taking forever.
A voice from within that I’ve only heard on a couple of different occasions is shouting at me to get back to the damn bar, and when I finally push open the bar door and find her laughing at what must have been one of Beau’s legendary bad jokes, my heart starts working overtime. I swear I can feel the blood thumping through all four chambers of my heart at once.
Goddammit, she finally found me.
CHAPTER 2
Mason
So far so good.
Katie was right. Everyone in Eastlyn has been incredibly friendly, and the local bar is just as she described it.
Much bigger than it appears from the outside and full of life, the bar has booths that line the walls and a long L-shaped bar on the far side. There’s a dance floor that has seen better days but supplies plenty of room for dancing in front of the tiny stage where a cute little redhead is currently belting out her version of “Firework”and doing a pretty good job of it. There are a couple of small tables and chairs near the stage as well.
There are cowboy hats, baseball caps, and bald domes adorning the heads of young twentysomethings and older locals. All the women in the bar are the epitome of the girl next door no matter their shape or their size. It’s like the small-town version of Cheers where everybody knows your name.
Beau, the bartender, introduced himself and asked where Iwas from, not even bothering to pretend there was a chance I was local. He was friendly but not intrusive.
More importantly, he knows how to pour the perfect pint of my favorite lager.
Katie gave me a pretty good rundown on the local cast of characters. I have a list of names in the notes on my phone, each with a little comment of things I need to know about them. I know I’m supposed to stay away from the creepy bar guy, James. If he makes a move, I’ve been instructed to get Beau’s attention, and he’ll take care of it with a look.
Other than possibly falling into bed with the town playboy, she said I should be fine. What was his name again? Hot, sandy hair, charming, farm boy, but what was his dang name?
Oh well, I have no intention of falling for the town hottie. Been there, done that. Well, not a small-town hottie but the playboy of the Upper East Side.
They’re all the same.
I have no intention of going down that road again.
Beau places my order in front of me, and the drool I feel begin to form in the corner of my mouth is clearly an indication of how hungry I am. I had no idea until the food was in front of me, but suddenly, I’m ravenous.
“One Verdict burger, no mayo, no onion with a side of tots. Ranch and ketchup are on the plate, need anything else?”
“I’m all set. Katie said it was the best burger in town, and after a day of traveling, I’m starving. I have a feeling this is just what I need.”
“Katie? Do you mean Katie Sandoval? Are you the house swap gal?”
“That would be me,” I reply, wondering if I should stop sharing so much with a total stranger.