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But the man at my side was in complete juxtaposition to my grouchy roommate. And I was relishing the difference. Maybe a little too much.
As the night wore on, the bar got busier, and I got pulled into one side conversation after another. I switched to water so I could keep my wits about me as I soaked in all the details and categorized them.
As warned, some Lovewell citizens were not super welcoming.
Case in point, my pool opponents. Adele had roped me into playing with her. Unsurprisingly, she was excellent, and she more than made up for my rusty skills. The first game we played, with a duo of friendly Gagnon employees, had been fun.
But then, that smoldering Viking from the gym showed up.
“We’ll take winner,” he said, putting his large hands on the table.
Adele ignored him and lined up her winning shot. She was seemingly unruffled, even as the intimidating man moved closer, flanked by two other men who were equally large and broad.
When she racked the balls and broke, no one spoke.
“I’m Parker,” I said, deciding to go for friendly.
The main Viking offered a large paw and slapped on a terrible impression of a smile. “Finn,” he said curtly, never taking his eyes off Adele. He gestured toward the men next to him. “Cole. Jude.”
His companions nodded at me in unison, arms crossed. They were smaller versions of the main Viking. Shorter and darker hair, but each had the same piercing blue eyes. One of them had a slightly crooked nose, like it had been broken a few times.
Adele continued to run the table, sinking shot after shot while we stood by awkwardly. The bar had gone quieter, and my cop senses were tingling. But before I could process the scene and put a finger on the cause, a strong arm slid around my shoulders and pulled me close. A strong, clean, familiar scent wafted over me, and a shiver ran up my spine.
“Is there a problem?” Paz said.
Adele looked up, her eyes widening.
“No problem,” Finn replied. “Just want to play.” The two men glared at each other like they were ready to pull out their dueling pistols. This egregious display of testosterone seemed like overkill for Thursday night at the local dive bar, but that didn’t dull my curiosity. I was invested in seeing how this would play out.
Paz’s grip on my upper arm tightened. At this rate, I’d have fingertip bruises. “Don’t see why. My sister’s going to wipe the floor with you. Why don’t you head out? Save yourself the embarrassment.”
Finn looked from Paz to me and then to Adele, where his focus settled for a moment too long. There was definitely a story there.
Before punches could be thrown or an elaborate dance fight could break out, we were interrupted by a booming voice.
“Boys.” An older man was striding toward us. “Don’t want any trouble on my night off. If I have to arrest you, it will interrupt date night with the wife.”
Ah. Law enforcement. Though he wore civilian clothing, his posture alone gave it away. The set of this man’s shoulders screamed “protect and serve.” Despite being in his sixties, he was strong looking with a ruddy face.
“Chief,” Paz said, turning toward him, donning a mask of indifference, as if to convey there was nothing to be concerned about. “I was introducing my girlfriend to everyone. This is Parker.”
I held out my hand and gave him my most innocent smile.
He took it, giving me a firm shake. “Yes, yes. Heard about the young lady at the diner. A writer? My wife’s book club is going to read all your books. I’m sure they’ll be coming after you to autograph them.” The chief seemed good natured, if not a bit weary. I could imagine his department was understaffed and under resourced. Most were in small towns like Lovewell. He was no doubt stuck trying to right all of society’s wrongs for this town.
“That’s so kind.”
“You need anything while you’re in town, don’t hesitate to ask.” He turned and faced the Viking trio. “Heberts,” he said. His mouth was set in a firm line, and the look he gave them, though not hard, was full of authority. With that, he nodded once and headed back to his table.
His warning was implicit. No trouble. And it was clearly heeded. The Heberts headed back to the bar, leaving Paz and me alone while Adele continued to shoot pool by herself. Paz’s arm was still around my shoulders, and he gently stroked the bare skin of my arm. It was soothing, despite the tension in the room. He leaned closer, his warm breath making goose bumps erupt along my shoulder and across my chest. “Wanna get outta here, gorgeous?” he murmured into my hair.
Perhaps it was a hormonal reaction to the testosterone showdown I had just witnessed, or simply the sensation of being touched after being alone for so long. But my skin tingled, and my heart raced. And I was pretty sure I’d follow him anywhere.
“Yes,” I said, trying to keep a lid on the physical reaction I was experiencing. “Take me home.”
Chapter14
Pascal
