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She gasped when I moved like lightning and kissed her throat right where I always did, loving the way my touch to that spot made her shiver.
“Axel…” she whispered, but I just pulled open the door and held it for her.
A wall of noise hit us as we walked in, the sound cutting off her protest. Good. She had to come around to being mine, and the sooner the better.
Acting as if nothing were off with us, I glanced around for our friends. Apparently, since there wasn’t a big game tonight, the owners had opted for a small band to play on the stage at the far end of the bar. I didn’t know if it was a local group, but I didn’t recognize any of them.
However, Ididrecognize five of the six smiling faces that turned toward us when we entered. Oak and Barke waved, and I guided Bristol over to the high rectangular table with tall stools around it.
“Axel,” Oak exclaimed, meeting us halfway and pulling me into a bro hug. “Good to see you, man.”
“You, too. Missed you. But I—” I stopped abruptly. I’d almost mentioned I’d read all his books, but remembered at the last second that I wasn’t supposed to know about them for some fucked up reason. Someday, I’d find outwhy. “I heard you have news.”
“Yeah. I conned a girl into marrying me and staying in Cherish Cove.” He grinned, so damn happy it glowed off him, and he reached for the hand of a pretty woman, with light brown hair and an obvious but small baby bump, who had come up beside him. “This is my wife, Luna. Luna, this is our friend, Axel. You met him when you were here that summer? He was always busy racing and training, so you might not remember him.”
She nodded thoughtfully and smiled toward me.
“We went to a couple of his races,” she told her husband then turned her attention to me. “Nice to see you again.”
“Nice to see you. I’m glad you’re back.”
Oak squeezed her side, as if any of us needed the reminder how gladhewas. There was no mistaking it.
“And you know my cousin, Bristol, right?” he said. The Donovan-Woods were a large family. It didn’t surprise me he’d have to ask.
Her sparking eyes turned at Bristol—clearly Luna was as delighted as my friend. “We’ve met a couple times. You work at the library, right?”
“I do,” my girl said.
Luna looked back at me after a nod and smile at Bristol. “And like old times, you’re the one Oak and his brothers watch race almost every weekend for most of the year.”
“Guilty. You look familiar—more than just from that summer.”
“She’s a social media influencer,” Oakley said, looking as proud as if he were living vicariously through her and wasn’t a New York Times bestseller, who occasionally had more than one book charting at a time. I’d feel the same way about any of Bristol’s accomplishments. Fuck, she was amazing with her passion for bringing words to little kids, so they could develop a love of books. I wondered if she’d ever considered writing kids’ stories.
“I’m not on socials very much, but maybe, that was where I’ve seen you.” Or maybe, she just had a familiar face. God knew, I saw plenty of them during race weeks with all the meet-and-greets, as well as signing autographs on my way to practices or back and forth from the hauler or the garage.
“Hey, man,” Barke interrupted us, pulling me into a hug similar to his twin’s. He didn’t have to introduce me to the woman beside him—Sadie, his not-girlfriend. She ended up as his plus one all the time, but the stupid ass wouldn’t make their relationship official due to some feud between them. I didn’t get it, it made no sense, and I couldn’t understand why she hadn’t given up on him yet.
“Hey, Sadie,” I said, giving her a full hug as soon as Barke released me. “Did you check out that dating app I sent you yet?”
It was bullshit. I hadn’t, and she knew it, but Barke didn’t.
“Some hot guys on there,” she answered, playing along with a wicked smile. Her eyes sparkled, and I knew I’d just fed the flames of their bullshit feud.
“What app?” Barke demanded.
She ignored him, giving me a wink before walking back to her seat.
“Sadie! What app?” Barke repeated, following her.
“You’re terrible,” Bristol chided me. She knew what I’d done. I shrugged, unrepentant.
“It’s no less than he deserves after the hell he’s put her through,” our friend, Ginger said, coming up for her hug, while Bristol took the opportunity to follow after Sadie. “Hey, hey, the gang’s all here.”
“It’s great to see you! I didn’t know you were coming!” I pulled her into a quick embrace, but my attention was half on Bristol and eyeing the too-buff waiter who’d rushed over to get her drink order. I didn’t like him near her while I was here.
“Gotta get the whole crew together when we can,” Ginger said, stepping back and into the side of a man, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders, the move clearly staking his claim.
