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Chapter 1
Christie
The ice tinkled as it slowly melted, diluting the double Crown I hadn’t ordered. God, I didn’t want to go home. I really, really didn’t want to go home. Mom would want to listen to my lecture if I did it at home, and there was no way in hell I wanted to put on a show like a five-year-old. She would be cooking now, which meant she’d have plenty of time at the dinner table to ask why I didn’t make my flight and when the next one would be. And why did I smell like a bar?
Screw. That.
I spun the glass, then downed the drink.
I cringed, blinking as if that would cure the burn blooming in my chest. When the bartender set another double in front of me, I sniffed, catching a heated look from a man at the end of the counter. His deep-blue flannel shirt enhanced the broad frame hiding beneath it. The last thing on my mind was romance, but the pair of hazel eyes glinting under the dim lights had other thoughts. Obviously. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have time, but it meant that I couldn’t prepare before my first session at the conference tomorrow. Stupid flight cancelations. I took a smaller drink this time, hissing as the cold whiskey burned my throat.
“You’re thinkin’ long and hard over there,” a voice said, almost causing me to choke on my next sip. I glanced at the stranger who bought me the drink, but as the whiskey’s haze settled in a soft veil over me, I realized the words came from a different man who drew a sip from his beer two seats over.
“Yeah.”
“Miss your flight?” He scratched his full beard and angled toward me. I opened my mouth to answer, then a figure slid into the seat between us.
“May I join you?”
The sound was like dark silk, and I almost shuddered at the smile accompanying it. It was Blue Flannel from down the bar. I offered a polite smile and a nod as he made himself comfortable and set his glass on the counter, neglecting the napkin the bartender had slipped toward him moments before. He brushed his shirt. It was ironed too flat like he was used to wearing button-up shirts and pressed pants. I was tempted to look at his pants to see if he wore jeans and if they had iron creases in them too.
“Are you looking for conversation?” I barely met his gaze, the green in his eyes more vibrant now.
“Nah. The seats over here just looked more comfortable.”
I snorted a laugh, sputtering into my glass as the whiskey shot into my nose. I heaved, sputtering again and wheezing out words that weren’t words at all.
Blue Flannel rubbed my back as if that would do anything, and I tried to swat him away as I gasped for fresh air. My breath tickled my throat, sending me into yet another coughing fit. I inhaled slower, clearing my throat and squeezing my nose to help the burn dissipate.
He was laughing, brushing back his blond hair and dragging his hand down the side of his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think I was that funny.”
I shook my head. “Honestly, I just meant to be polite.” I shook my head and smiled as I confessed my mistake. “I inhaled through my nose instead of my mouth, and it went downhill from there.”
He offered a short laugh, shaking his head as he faced the bar again.
“Thanks for the drink,” I said in a raspy tone, ready to call it a day and go home after all that. I wasn’t really comfortable having this guy slip in like some jealous suitor, either. Not that he was that. At all.
“You okay there?” It was Full Beard from two stools over.
I leaned back behind Blue Flannel enough to catch his eye, and we exchanged smiles. “I lost a couple of years off my life, I think.”
His laugh was deep and hearty. He slapped the table lightly, the dark red hair on his arms glinting orange in the light. “It’s all right. I know CPR if you end up needin’ it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Thanks.”
He dipped his head. “I’m Ryan, by the way.”
“Christie.”
Ryan’s smile enhanced his features tenfold. His cheekbones rose, the lines on his face deepening and showing his true jawline. His auburn hair brought out the freckles in his cheeks, which were faint everywhere except right around his eyes.
“And I’m Mike,” Blue Flannel said. “Another drink?”
I almost smiled back but caught myself. “Another might kill me.”
Mike grinned. “I won’t let that happen.”
I struggled not to roll my eyes. “My hero,” I said sarcastically, though I didn’t think he noticed.
