AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The bar’s rough-cut wide plank floors and matching walls with old western saddles, cowboy ropes, and all sort of other decorations give this bar an obvious identity.
In the middle of the bar is a large square space with overhead lights where a few dozen people are all dancing to the same line dance.
“Come on, let's find Harper. She probably already got us a table.”
He opens his hand up for me to take to keep me close in this packed bar, and I do, happy to get to touch him.
The second our fingers touch, my hand tingles everywhere his presses against it.
I mindlessly follow him, not even bothering to look for Harper. I’d blindly follow this man wherever he leads and maybe that’s something that should scare me, but right now it doesn’t.
He catches sight of her and pulls me with him.
“Did you order starters yet?” he asks her, pulling out one of the barstools for me around the six-top table that Harper saved for our group still on their way to meet us.
“Yeah, an order of fried pickles and two orders of garlic bread knots.”
I take a seat and then he pulls out the barstool next to me and takes a seat.
“Have you heard from any of the guys yet?” he asks.
“Camden is on his way, Everett is getting the boys to sleep first, and Austin is bailing because Kali is having really bad Braxton Hicks from being on her feet all day.”
I noticed that Kali seemed pretty far along. She said it was their first, and that Austin is a bit of a helicopter dad already. From my point of view, considering my father doesn’t even want to see his kids, a helicopter dad is better than no dad. But I also get that when you’re the one that’s pregnant, getting bossed around to sit more and drink more water can get on your already fragile nerves.
Harper's name gets called over the loudspeaker for a food order pickup.
“I’ll get it,” Ryker tells her. “Just relax. You played a good game today, little sister.”
This is the part of Ryker that I see so much at home. The Ryker that carried all of my luggage up when I moved in and the one that opens doors and shows up at my brother's apartment with gifts.
Seeing it here again is evidence that it’s not just something he does for me… it’s who he is.
He turns to me next. “I’m getting a beer, want something?”
“Water to start would be great.”
“One water, coming up.”
He turns and heads behind us to the pick-up window.
“How do you like Vancouver so far?” Harper asks over the music.
“It’s beautiful, and it feels a lot like home,” I tell her.
With Seattle being less than three hours away, and Vancouver also being on the water, it’s not surprising that it feels so similar here.
“I like Seattle too. I’m there a lot to curate art shows for my company’s clients,” she tells me.
“You’re an art curator? That sounds like a pretty cool job. How did you end up in that field?”
Seeing her in full hockey gear, I wouldn’t have guessed that’s what she does for a living.
“I fell in love with art during an art history elective course my freshman year,” she says, taking a sip of her red wine. “What do you do… besides put up with my brother?” she says with a grin behind her glass.
“I’m a party planner. Mostly weddings and birthday parties, but we just got a new larger account doing events for the Hawkeyes.”
Her eyebrows raise for a second, seemingly impressed with the new addition to my portfolio, though I’m sure she assumes that Ryker got it for me… which he did.
