Page 46 of The Chances We Take

“Go Miners.” She winked.God help me.

“Listen, Reece,” I started, but she was already sliding her hand up my arm.

She rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re gonna say.You seem like a nice girl, blah, blah, blah, but I’m not interested.”

“You’re right. I’m not interested,” I told her point blank, pulling my arm way from her reach.

“Shame. Well, I hope she’s worth it, because I can think of several women in this bar who would snatch you up in an instant.” She looked me up and down before she stepped away.

She is. She’s worth waiting for, even if I have to wait a whole lifetime.

I realized Hayden was sitting there the entire time, and when I looked at him, he put his hands up as if to say,“Hey, man, gotta do what you gotta do.”

I just sighed and took a long pull off my bottle.

This is going to be a long night.

“Another round?” Jake smacked his hands on the bar top.

“Nah, man, I’m done for tonight.” I shook my head,despite continued protests from the guys. I’d already had a couple beers and some shots, and I knew my limits. “Someone’s gotta make sure you idiots stay out of trouble. In fact, Colter, bud, I think this should be your last one too.”

A stupid grin appeared on his face. “All right. If you say so.” His speech was slightly slurred, but it was his bachelor party. I knew he didn’t drink as much as he used to. He knew his limits as well as I knew mine. But sometimes, for special occasions, he would drink more and, given his lower tolerance, get drunk faster. I was just glad he was a happy drunk now and not a sad one.

I waved down the bartender for some waters, passing them out to all of the guys as the bartender slid them across the bar.

“Drink up,” I ordered as my phone buzzed on the bar top. I picked it up, thinking maybe Isa was texting me, but it was just a random social media notification. When I unlocked my phone to look, though, I tried to wipe away a drop of water on my screen, accidentally opening my call log instead.

*Isa accepted call*

Hm, that’s weird.

At some point tonight, my phone must have called her from my pocket. I just assumed she answered, realized that I called her by mistake, and immediately hung up, so I brushed it off as something not to worry about. Phones butt-dial people all the time. I was just glad I didn’t accidentally call emergency services. I didn’t need another run-in with the police, even though the ones from earlier tonight weren’t even cops.

“What’re you looking at? Someone text you?” Colter asked as he looked over my shoulder.

“Nah, I just accidentally butt-dialed Isa. It’s no big deal.”

He tipped his head up in acknowledgment as Mikey walked over to the group with the girl from earlier.

“All right, fellas, Ava here and I are going to head on out,” he announced. “I’ll see you boys in the morning.” He winked as he grabbed her hand, and they walked out of the bar.

“Suppose we should get a move on too?” Jake offered.

“I don’t see why we would have to stay any longer,” I agreed. “Colt, you good to go?”

He nodded, so we paid out our tab and headed back to the rental to close out the night.

CHAPTER TWENTY

isabelle

Ipaced the hardwood floor of Colter and Ellison’s house so hard I thought my feet might burn a hole through the floorboards.

The boys were gone, off at Colter’s bachelor party, and Ellison was out seeing her future mother-in-law at the moment, leaving me at the house by myself. I could have lied on my bed for hours reading a book, but I was starting to get bored. Restless.

After what seemed like thirty laps around the living room, my phone started ringing. I hated to admit I ran over to it as fast as possible in hopes it was Reid calling—ideally about the male stripper prank I had convinced Ellison to pull on them—and it was.

I picked up the phone, putting it on speaker, immediately trying to hold in my laughter. “Hello?”

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