Page 31 of Houston, We Have a Problem
But it sticks in my throat. Houston’s expression has fallen, his eyebrows low as he stares at the table, and I can’t know exactly what’s in his head but I’m pretty sure he hates that I’ve given him a reason to be impressed. I could easily answer the question and win the game, but I have a feeling he’s not going to take it as a victory.
“Chuck Connors,” Kit says, and Micah squeals when they’re announced the winners for the night, kissing her stoic boyfriend on the cheek as she bounces in her seat.
“Didn’t know that one?” Houston asks, lifting his gaze to meet mine. His reluctance to be civil is written all over his face, but there’s so much more going on behind those baby blues of his than there was before.
Tonight’s outing has sufficiently confused the poor man, and I should probably put him out of his misery. “Hate to disappoint, but I don’t know everything. I should go; duty calls.” I wave my phone as I get to my feet, hoping to slip out before his family decides to try to keep me around.
I make it just outside the tavern before Houston’s voice catches me off guard. He’s right behind me, close enough that I feel his breath on the back of my neck. “You’re working tonight?” There’s an accusation in there, though I can’t imagine what he thinks I would gain from a trivia game.
I turn my head just enough to meet his eyes. “I got a bit distracted when I should have been going back to my hotel to write.” That’s sort of true. I’m going to get crazy bored if Houston is my only story, so I’ve been thinking I should startlooking for something else Connor might like in the meantime. “Thanks for letting me play. That was fun.”
Houston frowns, clearly wary of my reply. “Write about what?”
I give him the first answer I can think of. “Little League.” Except there are no leagues playing at the end of October, so that was a pretty stupid response.
To my complete surprise, Houston smiles a little, like he couldn’t think of anything better than that. “That’swhy you’re here? Our Little League teams?”
I’m not about to question this decision if Houston is going for it. “Did you really think I would be here for you?”
“I’d say breaking into the Red-tails training room might have given me that idea.”
Right. I did do that. Laughing, I tuck some hair behind my ear and shake my head, trying to come across as calm and carefree. “You don’t think I would be able to resist that kind of access while I’m here, do you? But don’t worry. Your little team is safe for now.”
“Except O’Donohue.”
I perk up, mostly because he just said that voluntarily. “What happened to O’Donohue?” Aside from walking straight into a pole, that is.
Chuckling, Houston shrugs. “No one knows for sure, but he ended up with a broken nose during practice the other day. We all have a lot of theories that keep getting worse the longer we go.”
When I grin at him, my smile is entirely real instead of the practiced one I usually give as Tamlin. I’ve always disliked O’Donohue and the way he thinks women are his playthings, and it seems his teammates might not be fond of him either. I could definitely do something with that. Especially if the moment was caught on camera.
“Maybe you should check the security footage,” I tell him, choosing to let him see the moment blind instead of describing what happened. “And if you happen to see anything interesting, I’m just an email away. Enjoy the rest of your night, Briggs.”
“Wait.”
I pause again, curious about the hesitancy in his voice. His stance is just as tense, but there’s less of a divide between the Briggs I met at the bar and the guy who nearly kissed Darcy this afternoon. Lines are blurring.
“I’m sorry,” he says, the words coming out of him thin and quiet. I know how hard that probably is for him to say, so I keep my mouth shut and let him get it all out without interruption. “I shouldn’t have treated you like you didn’t know anything. I’m… You’re pretty smart for a diva.”
He’s just full of surprises tonight, and I can’t help but grin at him yet again. If he keeps this up, I’m going to forget who I’m supposed to be around him. “Funny,” I say. “I was about to say the same thing about you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Houston
“So, are we going totalk about that?”
I’ve just finished finalizing the plan with Micah for an event she asked me to come to in a couple of days—I’m making an appearance to endorse a newly reopened lodge—when Kit asks that question in that calm way of his. The one that sounds completely casual but is closer to digging out a festering splinter with a knife. The worst part is Kit is so likable that you don’t usually know he’s in there until the splinter is out and you’re bleeding. You’re better off in the long run, but it tends to sting for a bit.
As Micah and Fischer head back to their car, I glance behind me to where Kit leans against the side of the building with his arms folded. It stopped raining while we were at dinner, but the air is still cool and damp, everything fresh. I can breathe out here, unlike inside that bar that will forever make me think of Tamlin. I really hope she didn’t ruin trivia night for me. “Talk about what?” I ask. “Where’s Skyler?”
Kit smirks. “She’s trying to convince the bartender to trade our trophy for a free plate of cheese fries. And you know exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you act the way you did tonight. What’s wrong?”
I could probably stall until Skyler has her fries and they head to their hotel, but Kit doesn’t usually leave things alone. He’ll delay if I want him to, but he’s not going to drop it. In the year and a half I’ve known him, he’s become a source of insight and reason, and I’m so glad Micah convinced him to come to Sun City this week. I could use his wisdom now more than ever.
I sigh, kicking a cigarette butt that’s been left on the sidewalk. “She’swrong,” I grumble. “She’s like an itch I can’t scratch and won’t go away.”
“Isn’t she that reporter that works for Enhance Media? The one who did the story on the NBA betting rings?”
