Page 15 of The Games We Play
I shrugged. “What do I care?”
“When Lizzie’s on your ass for the millionth time, you will.”
I let out a dry laugh, leaning against the back of the bar, arms crossing over my chest as I propped one foot over the other.
“Hell will freeze over before I give a shit what she thinks.”
And that was the truth. I’d grown up unaffected by her opinions, and I sure as hell wasn’t about to start now.
Boone shook his head, giving me a pointed look over the rim of his glass.
“What?” I asked, eyeing him skeptically.
Aspen straightened, leaning forward over the bar, eyes narrowing like she was trying to figure me out.
“Mac…” she drawled, studying my face.
“Yes?”
Her gaze sharpened, then suddenly her expression lit up with amusement.
“Is that amustache?” she gasped, sitting back with a laugh, tipping her head as she grinned behind her glass.
I smirked and strolled toward her before leaning across the bar on my elbow, closing the distance between us.
“It is,” I replied with a wink.
Then, tilting my head toward Boone, I added, “I know you have a thing for a mustache. Do we tell him?”
Aspen giggled, shaking her head, playing along.
I extended my hand to her, flashing a cocky grin. “Let’s run away, baby.”
That smirk? It had gotten me what I wanted more times than I could count.
Boone, unimpressed, cleared his throat and took another sip of his drink. “You’re lucky I know you’re joking,” he muttered. “Otherwise, I’d kick your scrawny ass.”
“Whoa there,cowboy,” I said, stepping back with my hands in the air in mock surrender.
Before Boone could respond, the door swung open again. This time, Theo and Rhodes walked in.
Rhodes held the door open for his woman, and Theo entered with a bright smile, her hair styled in pigtails.
Rhodes removed his hat and raked a hand through his hair before setting it back on his head.
“I didn’t know they were coming too,” I muttered, tilting my head toward the couple.
Aspen turned toward them, waving. “Rhodes’s mom is watching the baby tonight so they could come out.”
Theo picked up her pace, leaving Rhodes a few steps behind, and pulled Aspen into a hug before sliding onto the stool beside her.
Theo and Aspen were also Faircloud natives; we all went to school together. Growing up, we never crossed paths, but ever since Boone started taking a liking to Aspen nearly a year ago, we all became one big happy family.
“What can I get you two?” I asked, tapping the ash off my cigarette before placing it between my lips.
Rhodes clapped Boone on the shoulder in greeting before turning to me. “I’ll take a Coors.”
“I’ll have the same,” Theo chimed in, tossing her pigtails over a shoulder.
