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I leaned down to Katie, dropping my voice into a loud whisper. “You’re more mature than your parents, kiddo.”
I checked the time on my phone. It was 4:30. That gave me enough time to get to Sweet Lila’s and grab a booth before the after-work crowd started filtering in.
“Thanks for the catch-up, Web.” I leaned down and kissed the top of Katie’s head. “See ya, munchkin.”
Whitney got to her feet and gave me a warm hug. “I’m so happy to hear about you and Rob. We need to have a girl’s night soon. I want all the details.”
I patted her back. I was always slightly uncomfortable with my friends’ physically demonstrative ways. “You betcha,” I promised.
“Tell Rob we said hi,” Kyle called out as I left.
Bunch of smart asses.
I left the Webber house and drove the five minutes to Sweet Lila’s. It was practically empty when I went inside. I scanned the room, not seeing Robert yet. I had almost twenty minutes before I was expecting him. I walked up to the bar and waved to Brad who was wiping down glasses.
“Hey, Sky, how goes it?” he asked.
“Can I get whatever you have on tap that’s hoppy?” I pulled out my credit card and gave it to him for my tab.
“We got something in the other day I think you’re going to like,” he grinned. I understood why Lena wanted to set me up with him. He was good-looking in a slightly unnerving way. He was a few years younger than me, so I hadn’t known him well in school but the Sawyer boys were well known in Southport. Mostly because Brad was a star on the basketball team and his older brother, Sebastian, was the trouble maker known by local police for starting fights and drinking in public. It was only fitting that two homegrown boys took over the institution that was Sweet Lila’s.
He slid the beer down the bar, and I caught it before it went off the edge. I took a sip and gave him a thumbs up. “Good stuff.”
“Brad, where’s the wine glasses? Oh hi, Sky,” Hannah called out as she came in from the kitchen. Lena’s high school best friend looked slightly frazzled in her normally chaotic way. She looked as if she had just come from the school where she worked as a teacher. There was a smear of red paint on her elbow and her hair had fallen out of the bun at the nape of her neck.
“I told you I would put them away,” Brad said with a note of something I couldn’t quite read in his voice. I noticed the way they moved around each other and got the feeling something was up between the two of them.
“Thanks, Brad. I’m waiting on Rob, so send him my way when he comes in,” I said, wanting to get away from the strange tension between him and Hannah. I had enough of that in my own life.
Hannah looked up; her eyes wide. “Rob Jenkins?”
“Yeah,” I said slowly.
“Are you two seeing each other or something?” She came over and leaned on her elbows in front of me. “Dude, he’s so hot. You are one lucky woman. What I wouldn't do to take a bite out of that tight ass.”
I noticed that Brad’s face became thunderous, and he turned and went back into the kitchen. Hannah didn’t even notice or pretended not to.
“Yeah, keep your teeth away from his ass, please,” I joked with a hint of warning. I liked Hannah, but her flirting was too much sometimes.
“I wouldn’t dream of stepping on your toes, Sky.” She made the sign of the cross over her heart.
“I’ll hold you to that,” I shook my finger at her in a mock warning and she chuckled. “Okay, well I’m off to nurse my beer until Rob shows up.”
I escaped to the back corner. It was the booth farthest from everyone and everything and would give us a little privacy in the soon-to-be busy bar. I pulled out my phone, checking my email, which was really an introvert’s signal to the rest of the room to leave them the hell alone.
It seemed not everyone got the memo.
“Is that you, Skylar?”
I looked up, instantly recognizing the stunning older woman standing beside my table.
“Tiff, hello,” I said, forcing a smile. My talk with Whitney and Kyle earlier had me re-evaluating my conversation with the lovely stranger from the clothing store. “How are you settling into Southport?”
“It’s such a nice town, full of nice people. I think I hit the jackpot when I found this place.” She put her hand on her hip. “How have you been? I’ve been thinking about you,” she said, her perfect lips spreading into what appeared to be a genuine smile.
“Oh really? Why is that?”
Tiff sat down without waiting for an invitation.
