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I don’t spare the owner a glance as I pry the fingers from my body. “Don’t touch me.”
“What a dick.” Her scoff reaches my ears.
The group blocking the door clears, and I continue by without offering a response. The current beneath my skin settles into a continuous buzz while my eyes remain glued across the room. I make my way there without a care for the people around me. My trajectory is set. Damn whoever steps in my way.
Her brother sees me first and fixates a scowl on his face. Seeing him without the blinding tint of rage, I notice the similarities between the siblings. Their eyes are the same round shape with thick eyelashes, and they have the same chin. Evie’s face is rounder and full, where her brother’s is sharp and angular.
Noticing her partner’s look, the other woman at the table follows the direction of his gaze to me. Her eyes pop comically wide. I hope that’s a sign of approval and not one that she’s about to talk Evie into running far away from me.
Evie must finally take notice of the others’ expressions because she turns fully in her chair. Our eyes lock across the crowded room. A shy smile curves her lips. Her tongue makes an appearance by swiping across her lower lip, and now I’m fighting against getting hard. Images of her on her knees with my cock in her mouth suddenly occupy my mind.
I grin back and approach the table, pausing at a respectable distance. “Hey. I hope I’m not late.”
“Not at all,” Evie answers. “You can sit.”
“Do you want me to grab a round first?” I offer the group. Money is still tight, but I can’t stifle who I am. Some might say I throw my money around, but I prefer to be generous with the people I care about. Unlike my ex-wife, my spending comes without conditions.
“That’d be awesome,” the woman across from Evie responds.
“Hey, I’m Rhett Senova.” I step closer and offer my hand.
She shakes my hand. “Caiti Harris. I’m the sister-in-law, but we’re as close as real siblings.”
“Nice to meet you.” I drop her hand and move to the brother. “We haven’t met officially. I’m Rhett.”
“Eric,” he grunts and squeezes my hand briefly. Not in a douche way. I get the impression he’s not thrilled to meet me. If we have any hope of getting him off Evie’s back, we’ll have to change that.
I take everyone’s order and return a few minutes later with a tray of drinks. After handing them to their owners, I take the empty chair next to Evie and toss my arm casually over the back. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, but the move feels natural for the situation.
“So what brings you to Arrow Creek?” I ask before I savor that first smooth sip of whiskey after a long day.
“Someone wouldn’t tell me where she was staying, so once I got the name, I had to come check out the place,” Eric answers. “Glad I did too.”
Evie relaxes back and keeps a hand wrapped around her glass. “I’m not a child anymore. You don’t need to look after me.”
“Did she show you around yet?” I trail my gaze through the faces at the table.
“We went on a beautiful hike today,” Caiti answers first. Probably to keep her husband from spouting more sarcastic remarks. “It was incredible. Evie said you brought her there first.”
I look at the woman on my right side and grin. “I did.”
“It was okay,” Eric puts in and slings back his own whiskey.
“Eric,” Caiti hisses followed by his grunt of pain. If she kicked him beneath the table, I like her already.
“It would have been better if he didn’t spend the entire time hounding me about my living arrangements. Still a beautiful day for a hike, nonetheless.” Evie’s response quells the bickering. She reaches discreetly beneath the table and squeezes my thigh.
Not helping the dick situation. I hide a groan by sipping my drink.
“Hey, sorry for the wait. Are you guys wanting to order food tonight?” Dane, the bartender, stops by our table and picks up the discarded drink tray.
“Busy night, huh? Enough for you to come out from behind the bar.” I make small talk with my friend.
He slings his white towel over his shoulder and holds the circular tray in front of his abdomen. “I had one waitress call out, and another’s out on maternity leave. I’m lucky I have two bar trainees tonight, or I’d be swamped.” His gaze scans the table again.
“Sorry to hear that. I think we’re interested in some food and another round.”
Dane pulls out a notepad, and we take turns giving our orders. He leaves with the promise to return shortly with the new drinks.
