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“That eye is really… something,” Trenton said.
Celia cringed, but when she glanced at him, he was smiling.
“It’s perfect,” Malcolm said, turning back to make the drinks. “Looks like me, don’t you think?”
Trenton laughed. “There’s not a right way to answer that.”
“It’s just something I saw in the airport,” Celia said, her hands dropping to her lap. She was lying. She’d gone shopping, looking for something for Malcolm, as soon as she knew she’d be coming back to town. He’d done so much for her over the years, and she’d wanted to get him something to express her gratitude.
Malcolm’s dark brown eyes looked all too knowing when they met hers. “Here,” he said, putting a yellow drink in front of her. He slid a clear one in front of Trenton.
She sipped at the coconut rum and pineapple juice, appreciating the sugar rush. “So, what was that noise upstairs earlier?”
“Oh, right.” Malcolm leaned on the bar again. “I hate to tell you this, but Blake’s working on the extra room upstairs. It’s a mess.”
“Blake’s still here?” Trenton asked, looking up at the ceiling.
Celia remembered Malcolm’s other friend, but that paled in comparison to what her cousin was trying to tell her.
Malcolm studied her even as he answered Trenton. “Who else would have made that much noise?”
A cheerful voice followed a clanging on the stairs. “Hey, it’s rude to talk shit about me when I’m not around,” Blake said. He moved to stand between her and Trenton, leaning on the bar. “I need a beer. Those damn pipes are messing with me. I cut off the water before it could flood, but it’s a mess up there.”
Malcolm froze. “Wait, the bar isn’t going to have water?”
Blake sighed. “I’ll rig something up before I leave tonight.” He turned his head, winking down at her. “Hey, Celia. Long time no see.”
She shook her head, but smiled at him. “Not long enough, Blake.”
He held a hand to his heart. “You wound me.” Blake leaned toward her, his breath warm as he whispered in her ear. “Have you reconsidered falling for me yet?”
Malcolm flicked his towel at his friend. “Leave my cousin alone, you dog.”
Blake laughed as he straightened, grabbing the beer Malcolm had placed in front of him and taking a long swig.
Warmth filled her from the old banter she’d forgotten, but it wasn’t the type of warmth Blake was likely hoping for. He’d been a player for as long as she’d known him. Watching him work his way through all the girls in their high school had taken the bloom off that rose long ago. Besides, she knew he didn’t mean anything by it. He never had.
“So, you in town for good?” Blake asked her.
“I’m not sure.” The unknown future stretched out in front of her mind, intimidating as always. Maybe that was why she’d said yes to Daniel. It hadn’t been a path that excited her, but it had been a path.
“How much longer is the work upstairs going to take?” Malcolm asked.
Blake grimaced and took another drink of his beer. “A while yet. I can only work on it at night with that other job, and it’s going to take a lot of work still. Maybe a month?”
“A month,” Celia murmured. She ran her finger along the condensation on her glass, trying not to panic over what her next step could be. She had enough to swing for a hotel for a couple of days.
“I could call Katie for you,” Malcolm offered.
Celia pressed her lips together. Malcolm’s sister hated her. Well, hate was too strong a word. For some reason, they always seemed to rub each other the wrong way. Celia could never put her finger on it, but she knew her cousin wouldn’t be happy with her as a roommate. Living with anyone would be a struggle for Celia, but living with Katie seemed somehow worse.
“No, I’ll figure something out.”
“Doesn’t your dad still live in town?” Trenton asked, looking her way.
The thought of her father made Celia’s breath catch.
“That’s not an option,” Malcolm said for her. His jaw had tensed and the hand he had on top of the bar curled into a fist.
