Page 45 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
Tryingnot to frown, Sana tried to comb her memories for a name to the vaguelyfamiliar man, but she turned up nothing. He called her "little Sana,"normally, that would indicate someone was older than the one receiving thatmoniker, but this man looked only a few years older than her.
Readingthe struggle for answers on her face, the man laughed as he took his beer fromEdgar and stepped over to her. "Yeah, you probably don’t remember me much.My uncle and I worked on your dad's van one summer you were down here, and hebrought you along on a few visits."
Oh,that was it. Something Owens, she remembered as she recalled the grungy littlemechanic shop on the other side of town.
"WyattOwens," he introduced himself, holding out his free hand for her to shake."I don't think you and I said even a word to one another back then. But Iremember you regardless," he admitted, and Sana could see the flush at theadmission color his pale cheeks.
"Please,sit," she indicated to the empty seat next to her. "And I do rememberyou now, I'll have you know. But you're right, I don’t think you ever spoke tome."
"Ha,more like you never spoke to me," he corrected her with a laugh as he tookthe seat next to her. "Trust me, I would have, but I knew your parentswere strict, and I knew my uncle would have thrown a socket wrench at my headif I tried to flirt with one of our customers."
Sanalaughed at the mental image. "Well, you were right on that. My parentswere strict and still are, for that matter. But thankfully, they're focusing onmy little brother and not me."
"Yeah,I can imagine,” he grinned, setting his beer down on the counter and swiping ahand through his long brown hair. “Hey, maybe you can give me a few pointers onhow to divert overbearing family's attention elsewhere. I run the garage now,but my uncle, I kid you not, still micromanages me, but now he does it from achair he permanently perches in."
Sanalaughed and shook her head. "I only have one strategy, and that is to putas much distance between them and you, so I am not sure that will work foryou."
"Yeah,probably not," Wyatt shook his head before giving her a contemplativelook. "Hey, how about-"
"Howabout you leave." The deep, commanding voice finished the sentencecrashing over them both like a thunderstorm. Turning, they both looked up tosee Zach standing behind them.
Turningall the way around in his stool, Wyatt gave Zach a stony look as he looked upat the man. A hush settled over the bar, and Sana looked around nervously.Everyone seemed to freeze in place, their gazes locking on the two men. No,that wasn't right. Their eyes were locked onto Zach. Edgar, with his handsstill planted on the bar counter's edge, where he had been leaning and talkingwith the two older men at the other end of the bar, had his head turnedcompletely in their direction now—watching Zach with a wary eye.
"Andwhy would I do that?" Wyatt asked a mean smile of his own tugging at hislips.
Sanacould almost hear a collective groan from the other people in the bar as a wildglint settled in Zach's eyes. With his thick, black hair framing his face, Zachclenched his jaw and took a step forward. "To avoid serious and lastinginjury, of course."
Thetension between them went up a notch, and Sana shifted uncomfortably in herseat, struggling to find something to say to dispel the energy, but nothingwould come to mind. This type of tension always made her recoil in discomfort.She hated fights and avoided confrontation like the plague.
Asif sensing her discomfort, both men looked at her before looking back at eachother. Her stomach unclenched as she watched both of them swallow their pride.Stepping back, Zach watched Wyatt with silent expectation as the manreluctantly stood from the barstool.
"Don'tget your hackles in a bunch, Waatese," Wyatt grumbled as he slapped Zachon the shoulder, earning him a surly grunt from him.
Steppingaround Zach, Wyatt stretched his arms over his head, and Sana could see thatboth men were the same height. Turning to her, Wyatt gave her a dashing smile."It was nice officially meeting you, Sana. Oh, and before I go, did youknow that the Waatese family and the Owens family are all connected under theKatzie people?"
Sanafrowned dubiously as her eyes purposely passed over his pale complexion andsandy brown hair. "Really?"
"Yeah,"he grinned. "We don't look it, do we? Our looks lean more towards ourFrench-Canadian side, but we are a part of the Katzie clan through andthrough."
"Ifyou're done with the history lesson, you can go," Zach muttered darkly ashe took Wyatt's vacated seat and leaned his back and elbows onto the counterbehind him.
Wavinggoodbye at her, Wyatt turned and strode out of the bar, leaving her alone withZach.
Turningin his seat, Zach settled his burning golden gaze on her. "What are youdoing here?"
"Havinga drink and meal. Why are you here, and why did you harass poor Wyatt likethat?"
"I'mhere looking for you and fuck Wyatt. He knows you're mine,” he growled tersely,eyeing the door as if to throw a final sneer at the vacating man.
"That'swhere you're wrong, I'm not yours,” she informed him. Flinging her napkin ontothe bar next to her plate, she sat the money for the meal on the counter beforegetting up from her seat. "And just how did you find me?"
Wavingat Edgar’s worried gaze, she strode through the bar door with Zach on hertrail.
Zachignored the worried glances people were still giving him as he shouldered hisway through the door and through the parking lot after her.
"You'rein a town swarming with my family—your family soon enough,” he added.
Thatmade her turn around. Standing next to her car now, she readjusted her purse onher shoulder and shot him an accusing look.
