Page 71 of Sunny Skies Ahead
“Don’t be mad, get good,” Lucas teased, and I rounded the table, attempting to line up another shot.
“The last time I played pool was in the barracks,” I said, pulling the cue back before tapping it forward lightly. The angle was good, but I didn’t put enough power behind it, and the ball stalled out just before it landed. I cursed under my breath.
“You’re a little rusty,” Lucas said, brushing past me to line up his shot. I had half a mind to call it, knowing it would tick Lucas off. He only had two more balls to land, and this game would be his. Just as Lucas was lining up his next shot, he looked past me over the pool table.
“Do you know that guy?” he asked, voice low so just the two of us could hear.
I turned to look at the guy in question. He was a newcomer to the bar, still hovering near the doorway a few feet away. Definitely current or former military, with the way he was standing.
“No, I don’t.”
I was immediately on edge. The guy was fidgety, looking around like he didn’t know where he was, scanning the patronsas if searching for someone in particular. His behavior was way outside of the baseline, even for a place like the Roadhouse. I was immediately cautious.
“Let’s keep an eye on him,” I told Lucas, who nodded in agreement. We continued our game of pool. Lucas won, and the guy eventually took a seat at the bar. He was still glancing over his shoulder, occasionally taking out his phone to flip through messages, but at least he wasn’t making it everyone else’s problem.
One of the men at the bar turned to face him, surprised etched into his features. Before I could make a full assessment, the man shook his head, and then returned to his beer.
There was definitely something shifty about the guy, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Lucas and I retired to the bar to get ourselves some water, allowing the people in line to have a turn at the table. The guy gave me a once over.
I turned to face the man then. I wasn’t usually confrontational, but I was getting annoyed with how this man seemed to be laser focused on me.
“Do I know you?”
The man shrugged and slouched back on his stool, sticking his hands in his pockets.
“No. But you know Imogen Phillips, so I’m sure you’ve heard plenty about me.”
Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle snapped into place.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Connor’s voice rang out, and everyone, including the bartenders, paused, waiting for the blow. I hadn’t seen him come in.
My gaze snapped to Connor’s as he walked towards us, anger burning in his expression. Abbie wasn’t far behind, and her gaze was stormy, too. Connor kept Abbie behind him, one arm thrown out in front of her protectively. The man regarded Connor briefly, giving him a mocking wave before he turned back to me, a faint sneer twisting his lips.
“I’m Jacob. Nice to meet you.”
Someone else came in behind Connor and Abbie, but I wasn’t paying attention.
Instead, I turned to Jacob, and lunged for him.
Chapter twenty-three
Imogen
The best place for a girl to get some peace and quiet was at Forest Grove Books.
Mari always welcomed me with open arms, and today was no different. I strolled through the doors after the conversation with my mother, inhaling the deep and grounding scent of faded paperback pages and the new summer candles on display. I waved hello to Mari, who was working behind the check-out desk, before making a beeline for the thriller section.
I had been so stuck on romance for the last couple of months and had barely ventured outside the genre, but after everything that had gone down with my parents and Kameron I needed an escape. Reading a domestic thriller about other people’s screwed up lives seemed like a great way to get out of my head for a bit.
I settled for a romantic suspense novel, because I was still a romance girl at heart, and took a seat on one of the green velvet loveseats at the front of the store. Greystone, Mari’s catand the unofficial mascot for the bookstore, came to sit at her perch beneath my feet.
A few minutes later, Mari came by to give me some tea.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” I said. Mari just gave me a smile.
“For one of my best customers, it’s only fair. How are you doing, Imogen?”
I turned to look at the older woman and just shrugged my shoulders.
