Page 36 of The Third Girl

CHAPTER 17

MATT

It’s been a while since a group of us has been able to gather at Sidewinders for a night out. We’re missing Lucy and Mick tonight because they’re home with Aidan, and Laney was kind enough to come over and watch Sailor for a few hours so I could get out for a bit. She’s always been a homebody but said she could just as easily read at my place as she could at home.

I almost asked Skylar if she’d do it, but I didn’t want to impose. She deserves a kid-free Friday night, too. Another week has slipped by, and the two of us have mostly been like ships passing in the night. Her presence in my home still throws me off sometimes, but it’s also a relief to know my child is being well-cared for. I’ve chosen to ignore the way my body responds anytime she’s near. It’s becoming more and more clear that I definitely have a thing for her. But that’s too fucking bad. I won’t screw this up.

I totally wigged her out by asking her to come to the park with us last weekend. It was a mistake, mostly because she already does so much for me whenever she can. I’m sure she has a life outside of us and her job. Other things she likes to do, people she likes to hang out with. But… I wasn’t asking her to come with us as the nanny. I asked her because I selfishly wanted to spend more time with her, even if it involved endless rides down the slide and pushes on the swings for my daughter.

Twenty-six. The number is now burned in my brain. She’s twelve years younger than me.

Slipping into the booth next to Logan, I give everyone a wave. “What’s everyone been up to?”

Kennedy smiles, grasping Travis’s arm and leaning against him. “I hear Trav finally asked you to be his best man.”

I nod. “Indeed, he did.”

Logan laughs. “Did you really make him ask his own brother? Wasn’t that kind of a given?”

Kennedy shoots an amused scowl across the table aimed right at Logan. “You’re supposed to be on my side, Logan.”

He shrugs, winking playfully at her. “Calling it like I see it.”

“That’s what I thought, too, that it’d be obvious, but she insisted.” Travis smirks but turns his head and delivers a loud kiss to his fiancée’s forehead.

My gaze softens as I watch their interaction. They’re so in love. I miss these simple moments. The ones where teasing each other is okay because you know the other person loves you.

“It was cool. We had a bro moment. It’s all good.” I shoot Kennedy a wink as well, which makes her lips curve upward. “So, what are we drinking?”

Her smile immediately turns into a funny, snarling grimace. “Well, Trav and I both work early tomorrow morning, so, water it is. But the two of you can partake if you’d like. We can drop you at home and figure out the car situation since there are two of us.”

I nod. “Sounds good, but I can’t get too crazy. I’ve gotta get back to Sailor at some point. A couple of beers would be good, though.”

“There’s only one waitress on—you’d have better luck ordering at the bar, I think.” Travis nods in that direction, and I follow his gaze, wondering at the odd face he’s pulling.

I keep my amusement to myself when I spot the reason for his glower. Tripp is working tonight, the dude with the man bun who was too flirty with Kennedy for Travis’s liking. That was back when she first came home from New York, though, and Tripp is now well aware that Kennedy is with Trav. Thank goodness he’s not a dumb guy and picked up on Travis’s possessive attitude because I wouldn’t want to have to scrape him off the sticky, grungy floor of the bar or take my brother down to the station in the back of my patrol car.

“Cool. I’ll go order.” I tap the table with my hand as I stand back up. “Be right back. First one’s on me.”

I make my way through the crowd, and as I approach the bar, I catch Tripp’s attention with a raised hand. It helps that I’m taller than most people in the room.

He comes over, nodding his head, his brow arched. “What can I get ya?”

“Two bottles of Blonde Bombshell, please.” There’s a brewery near here that’s known for the smooth pale ale that goes down way too easy. Consequently, Logan and I both favor it.

“You got it.” Tripp pulls out two ice-cold bottles, uncaps them, and sets them in front of me, then turns to ring up the sale.

I’ve just finished paying for them when I catch a glimpse of red hair in my peripheral vision.No.Can’t be. Is she here with friends?

I allow my gaze to swing back over there. Yep. It’s definitely Skylar at the other end of the bar with some guy. He’s about five-ten, which probably doesn’t matter to her because she’s only about five-two. His jet-black hair is a bit too long if you ask me because it keeps flopping into his face. He’s touched it no less than three times in the last thirty seconds that I’ve been watching them. Begrudgingly, I admit he’s good-looking enough, barring the hair issue.

She explicitly told me she didn’t have a boyfriend. When I mentioned not wanting a bunch of people in the house while she’s watching Sailor, she made it seem like it was a ridiculous suggestion. And I’d assumed from her attitude about it that she wasn’t dating anyone either. My jaw locks. But I can’t look away. She’s smiling at him and laughing at whatever he’s saying in between sips of the drink in front of her and flips of his hair out of his face.

And then, almost as if she senses me there, she glances up. Our eyes connect across the distance, and her rosy-pink lips immediately part in surprise. I lift a hand, then nod, all while she continues to stare at me.If this isn’t awkward, I don’t know what is.She takes another sip of her drink and sets it down. She tears her eyes from me when her date whispers something in her ear.I can’t watch anymore of this.Swallowing hard, I look down at my hands where they rest on the edge of the bar.

Across from me, Tripp makes a noise in the back of his throat, getting my attention as he sets my receipt down next to the beer I’d ordered. “You good?”

My teeth clamp down on my bottom lip and scrape across the tender skin as I casually glance back down to the end of the bar again and consider his question. My heart twists into a knot in my chest, struggling to beat.Am I good? I’m not so sure.I exhale sharply through my nose. “You know what? I’m fine. Thanks for the beer.” I pick them up and turn around, striding quickly back to my friends.

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