He needed to figure out how to get this partnership back on track. If she wanted him to forget that kiss had ever happened, he would. He’d hate every goddamn second of it, because having Rory’s lips on his had been as close to heaven as he’d ever been, but there was more at stake here than his dick’s satisfaction.
Being able to pair her design services along with everything else King Construction offered was going to be a game changer for the company—and for him. If this took off like he imagined it would, he might be able to buy out his old man before Bozeman. Which meant it didn’t matter how much his cock hated him for it, he couldn’t allow himself to entertain anything other than a working relationship with Rory if that was what she needed.
It also meant he had to figure out how to get the woman in question to even answer his calls and texts.
He slid onto a barstool at The Willow Tree, needing a cold beer like he needed air. And if Will happened to be there and could give him a little insight into her mind-boggling older sister, all the better.
“Hey, man,” Drew said, slapping a coaster down on the bar top in front of Nash. “Usual?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
After placing the mug in front of Nash, Drew rested his forearms on the bar top and leaned forward. “So, what’s new? Heard you and Miss Rory are workin’ together again.”
Nash snorted into his beer before taking a deep pull. “Supposed to be. But she’s apparently forgotten her part of the deal.”
Drew laughed. “Rory hasn’t forgotten a single thing in her whole damn life. Pretty sure she can tell you the exact date anything or anyone has ever wronged her.”
“Exactly.” Nash shook his head. “Dunno what the deal is, but she’s bailed on me for two weeks. And Mrs. Gene is climbin’ all over my back, wonderin’ when I’m gonna deliver what I promised.”
Drew’s brows shot up. “Rory know that?”
“I haven’t exactly spelled it out in so many words, but she knew we had a client waitin’.”
Drew hummed. “Wonder if something else is holdin’ her up.”
Nash’s head snapped up, his eyes scrutinizing Drew’s expression. “Like what? With her ex, you mean? She’s not gettin’ back together with that asshole, is she?”
“Shit, no.” Drew glanced around, then leaned closer, lowering his voice so his words didn’t carry. “In fact, Will’s been huffin’ around in here for an hour, cussin’ out Sean left and right. Apparently, he moved Sarah Beth in to his house without givin’ Rory a heads-up.”
“Fuck.” The move was exactly something Rory’s dickbag of an ex would do, and Nash wanted nothing more than to show him the meaning of respect. Who did something like that to the mother of his children?
“Yep.” Drew straightened and rapped his knuckles on the bar top. “So, don’t write her off just yet. She might be workin’ through some shit.”
“Working through some shit” didn’t belong in the same stratosphere as Rory. No matter what got thrown at her, she dealt with it. In fact, the only time in his memory he’d seen Rory crack had been that night last year right here in this bar. When they’d spent hours talking over a bottle of Grey Goose. That’d been the night his long-standing crush on her had dive-bombed straight into code-red territory. She’d been real that night. Genuine. More so than he’d ever seen her, and he’d been a goner.
“Are her sisters with her?” he asked.
“No, her sistersaren’twith her,” Will said from behind him, her voice tinged with annoyance. “Because she’s as stubborn as a mule and is pretendin’ everything’s just fine.”
Nash huffed out a laugh. “Sounds like Rory.”
“She’s all right, sweetness,” Finn said, tugging Will into his side and pressing a kiss to her temple. “She’s a big girl and can take care of herself.”
Will grumbled but didn’t push away from her fiancé. “That might be, but I’m still gonna swing by. Check on her to make sure she’s not just blowin’ smoke.”
“Don’t be too late,” Finn said. “We’ve got plans.”
“Since when? And I’m not even sure I’ll be back until late. I’m not gonna leave her if she’s upset.”
Finn leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Something that was probably better off being said in the privacy of their bedroom if her reddening face was anything to go by.
She flattened her hand on Finn’s chest, pressed up on her toes, and kissed him. “I’ll do my best.”
Finn slapped her ass and leaned his elbows back on the bar, watching her every step as she strode to the front door.
“Anything we can do to help, just holler,” Drew said.
“Think you can get Sean to stop being the biggest asshat in the world?” Will asked over her shoulder.
