Tenor
“I’ll be honest,” Teller said, moving hot dogs to the higher rack on the grill, “I thought you would’ve scared yourself off from Ruby by now.”
I handed him the plate of hamburger patties to put on next and checked on Ruby. She was standing with Wynter and Autumn. Were they talking about Copper Summit stuff, or about me?
“Why would you think that?” I asked more to stall him than to talk about the dark-haired woman I wanted to sidle up behind and wrap my arms around. I’d press a kiss at the nape of her neck and?—
“She might actually get to know you. Can’t have that,” he finished sarcastically.
I hated that I knew what he meant. “She doesn’t care about Warhammer.”
Teller gave me aduhlook. “No one should.”
I lifted a shoulder. I should’ve mingled with Gideon and Myles. Or helped Tate chase after his kids with Scarlett. To befair, Tate was probably trying to watch Scarlett’s ass as much as their kids.
Jonah took a drink of his cherry lemonade. “What about Warhammer? What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing.” Teller gave me a pointed look. “But his ex thought it was childish.”
Jonah’s forehead creased. “You could be into creepy dolls. Who cares about a game?”
“It’s that it wasn’t just a game,” I said. “It’s that I read the books, I collect the models and paint them, and I go to weekly game nights. With my units packed in nice cases. All while still living with my parents, at the time.”
Jonah had known me when I was more open about my hobby. By the time I had dated Katrina, he’d become a reclusive mountain man. He didn’t know any of the story.
“You sound like you’re defending her,” Teller said, his lip curling with disgust.
“I’m not.” I appreciated his support but pretending she’d solely been in the wrong didn’t help me. I had intentionally hidden that part of myself from her. She’d felt duped. “Most women aren’t going to want their partner to be that invested in something else on top of the relationship and their full-time job.”
“How are you balancing it now?” Teller asked.
“I paint and she reads.” It had been one night and I spoke as if we’d had our routine down for years. A little spear of want went through my chest.
“Still doing the game nights?” Jonah asked.
I nodded. “Wednesday nights. That’s when she works at the bar.” I didn’t mention that it was pure coincidence.
Jonah shrugged. “So it’s that easy.”
“We’re only dating; we’re not married.” That had been Katrina’s argument.What will it be like when we’re married? You sold me a lie.You’rea lie.
I was a lie. Then and now.
“Or...” Teller tossed the burgers on the grill. “Ruby’s not a superficial prick who only thinks of herself and her image and she doesn’t see you as another accessory.”
“Katrina was a superficial prick.” Didn’t mean she’d been wrong. Besides, it hadn’t just been her telling me I was a dud. My family had stood up for me against the asshole from school and his friends, but he’d said the same thing. I was a loser without my family backing me up. Then there’d been the girlfriends before Katrina, telling me they wanted more, they expected me to be different, and why wasn’t I more like Teller or Tate. Thoughts of all of them made me itch to be closer to my pretend girlfriend. “I’m gonna check on Ruby.”
She was chatting with Wynter when I walked up. I looped my arms around her waist, glad to have an excuse to touch her. Had to make this look legit. If only it wouldn’t be indecent to slide my hands down those bare legs of hers. Her flimsy skirt went past her knees, but the way it swayed with her hips was hypnotic.
She cast a surprised look over her shoulder but smiled. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself,” I said as if I hadn’t talked to her a half hour ago.
Wynter smirked. “Is this how sappy Myles and I were?”
“You still are,” I shot back.
Myles came up behind his wife and tucked her into his side. He had a lemonade in his other hand. Mama must have their little girl, Elsa. She was always in grandma heaven during these gatherings.
