“Nonsense. You just need to get out more. Socializing takes practice like anything else. Come on.” She pulled on one of his arms. “It’s on me. Come out with us. You’re practically part of the crew, anyway.”
That was hardly true, but he didn’t bother to correct her. She was just trying to persuade him, and he wasn’t about to let her. “I’m busy.”
“I know your schedule,” she said. This time the wink was implied rather than carried out, but he could definitely hear it in her voice. “You’re as good as done for the day. Come out with us. Please,” she pleaded. “It won’t be the same without you.”
Charlie agreed. “Correct. It will be better without me.”
Anna rolled her eyes and tugged at his arm again. “Not true. Come on. Bond with the crew. They’ll be far more likely to respect your property if they like you.”
“They’re respecting it fine,” he said, “because of you.” It was true. The person protecting his property now was Anna. He’d seen it for himself. She was working her magic and getting her crew to leave everything exactly as they found it. She was fighting for him. Refusing her now felt like taking an insult too far.
One last time, she begged him. “It’ll be so much better with you there. Come on.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Fine.”
Anna blinked like she couldn’t believe she’d actually won this one. She had clearly expected him to put up much more of a fight. But after a moment of disbelief, she grabbed his arm and started dragging him along. “Let’s go, then!”
“Can I at least put my stuff in my truck?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“I’ll meet you at the Jolly Ram, then.”
She shook her head. “Oh, I’m not letting you off that easily. I’ll walk with you. You’re sure to run away otherwise, and I’m not letting you back out now.”
CHAPTER 11
CHARLIE
They strolled casually back to Charlie’s truck so he could put his new purchases inside. “I never even have to lock it,” Charlie said after closing the door. “That’s the kind of town Denson Oaks is.” He took a deep breath and glanced around at the only town he’d ever calledhome. It was twilight, and the sky was about eight different colors all at once. In this kind of quiet, a man could really find himself. It was this kind of quiet Charlie was so afraid of losing.
On their way to the Jolly Ram, Anna pointed at the local bookshop. “That’s where we were filming today. See? All in one piece still.” She grinned proudly. She didn’t realize he was more worried about what would happen after the movie was released rather than what could happen during filming. Years of tourists could do so much more damage than one small film crew.
As they passed, the owner stepped out of her shop and closed the door. Anna called out to her. “Shelly! Hey, we’re all heading over to the Jolly Ram. Want to join us?”
“Right now?” Shelly asked.
“Yep. See you there?”
Shelly scrunched up her face as she considered the invitation, then finally nodded. “Sounds like fun. I’ll be right there.”
Charlie had to admire how easy it seemed to be for Anna to make friends with anyone and everyone she came across. He’d known Shelly for years—well, in passing anyway—and he would never have thought to just ask her to join him for a drink. Being in a group, and being a woman, certainly helped. Either way, it was impressive to Charlie.
They continued to stroll toward the Jolly Ram, and Charlie couldn’t help noticing that they were moving at an unusually slow pace. He had to wonder why. No chance Anna was enjoying his company as much as he was enjoying hers. No one enjoyed his company enough to extend the amount of time they spent alone with him. But she seemed content to meander around town, chatting easily to Charlie and everyone they ran into. Somehow, everyone already seemed to know Anna well.
The Jolly Ram was already hopping by the time Charlie and Anna arrived. Just seeing the outside of it made Charlie’s blood pressure drop a bit. That log-cabin look had never changed, not in all the years he’d lived here. He could hear that there was live music tonight, too, which was a lucky break. The only thing that made him uncomfortable was the loud chatter he could hear from the crowd already inside. “Hope John doesn’t mind me sending everyone his way,” Charlie muttered, thinking of the owner dealing with this crowd.
“If he hates money, he might.” Anna laughed. “My friends tend to order a lot of drinks, and they tip well. Your friend’s bar is going to do well tonight.”
Charlie sighed. “He’s not a friend, just an acquaintance.”
Anna’s eyes lit up with a mischief Charlie shuddered to see. “Oh, maybe we can change that tonight, huh?”
Before he could protest, she pushed open the door and walked in. Charlie followed, trying to grab her arm before she could go saying something she couldn’t take back, but he never did manage to stop her. She marched right up to the bar and called out John’s name.
Much to Charlie’s disappointment, John was actually working tonight. He waved Anna over like they were old friends. “Hey, Anna. Do I have you to thank for all this business today?”
She pulled Charlie up to the counter. “That would be Charlie’s fault. He told us this was the best place in town.”
