Her eyes flicker with… not surprise exactly, more like suspicion. As if she’s waiting for the catch, like there’s always one with me. But there isn’t.
“Ginger.” Nina calls her name, drawing her attention away from me. I don’t mind. It allows me to study her beyond the flirty glances I habitually throw around. There’s a slight crease between her dark-blonde eyebrows, even when she smiles. Her jaw is set too tightly for someone sitting around a table with friends. I wonder what it would take to make that tension melt away.
“Are you okay?” Nina asks.
Ginger nods. “Yeah, why?”
“You look like something’s on your mind,” Nina explains, watching her.
“Oh.” Ginger rolls her lips together and gives a slight shrug. “I was thinking about the shelves I need to get hung on the wall in my shop.”
Nina perks up. “Are you talking about the ones for all the awesome merchandise you’re going to sell?”
“I sure am.”
“You got the shipments in and you didn’t tell me?” Nina gasps with mock outrage.
Ginger lets out a soft laugh, but it’s genuine, and the crease between her brows fades. “Relax. They just came in this afternoon.”
Nina rubs her palms together, clearly thrilled. “I can’t wait to see them.”
“Maybe you can help me organize the displays. After all, this was your idea.”
“Don’t give me credit for suggesting something that millions of companies do,” Nina says.
“Still, I wasn’t taking advantage of something that has the potential to make money for me,” Ginger replies.
Across the table, Nina tugs on Travis’ sleeve. “Can you hang up some shelves for Ginger?”
He nods. “I don’t see why not.” He looks at Ginger. “When were you thinking?”
She takes a moment before replying, “How about Sunday night after five? We close early, and you won’t have to worry about customers while you’re working.”
“Sounds good,” Travis agrees.
“You’re the best.” Nina beams at him.
He leans in, tapping her nose. “You are.”
Reed thumps Travis on the back. “I never thought the day would come when my grumpy older brother would turn to mush over a woman—and a city one at that.”
“Right?” Drew, our youngest brother, adds, laughing.
Travis tries to keep a straight face, but the twitching corners of his mouth betray him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I want to know which one of the other brothers is next,” Willow chimes in, drawing laughs from all around.
“Fuck that,” Reed says. “I’m as single as I can be.”
Willow rolls her eyes. “By choice or because no woman can put up with you?”
He wraps an arm around her shoulders. “You put up with me.”
She raises a dark eyebrow. “Barely, and we’re just friends.”
He pulls her closer, resting his cheek on top of her head. “Aw, come on, Will, you know you love me.”
Ginger leans toward me. “One of these days, those two are going to tear each other’s clothes off and screw like wild animals.”
