She shot me a grin as the four of us strode out the front door. “You and Atlas are hard launching in front of the whole town. You’re going to need all the luck you can get.”
“Great.” I blew out a sigh, not loving that we’d apparently be the center of attention tonight. “How big are these festivals anyway? I have no idea where to meet him.”
Alicia cleared her throat. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
“Yeah, I figured it wasn’t big enough that I’d get lost.”
“No, I’m pretty sure she means because yourboyfriendis here,” Laurel said.
“My wh—” My words cut off as I turned toward her, my gaze snagging on Mr. Tall, Dark, and Grumpy leaning against his SUV.
And damn, he looked good in his worn jeans, a white T-shirt that clung to his broad chest, and an open flannel. Looking every bit of that grouchy lumberjack I’d first pegged him as.
Had he somehow gottenhottersince I’d last seen him?
“Atlas. What are you doing here?”
He swept his gaze over me in a slow, unhurried path, the move sending shivers down my spine. Once he was apparently satisfied I was in one piece, he lifted his gaze to mine and pushed off the side of his SUV. He strode toward me with purposeful steps. And with his focused gaze directed solely on me, it was hard to remember this wasn’t real.
Definitely not the way he was looking at me, as if I was his to take care of. His to protect.
“This is our first public date,” he said. “Did you think I was going to let you meet me there?”
“Um…yeah?”
“Doesn’t seem like he’s real interested in that idea, Mom.”
Atlas peeled his gaze away from me for the first time and glanced to my right, finally noticing Quinn, Alicia, and Laurel hanging on our every word. Okay, it was mostly Quinn and Alicia. My daughter looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.
Atlas grunted out what was probably supposed to pass as a greeting. “You coming with, kid?”
“Not even if you paid me.” Then Laurel got a calculating look in her eye and raised a brow at Atlas. “Wouldyou pay me?”
“Don’t be a brat,” I said before he could answer, because knowing him, he’d probably agree. “You can come with us out of the kindness of your heart, or Quinn can take you home. Those are your options.”
“See ya,” she said without hesitation. “Hope the hard launch goesgreat.”
“I want to say ditto, but it sounded a lot more sarcastic coming from her, and I actually mean it.” Quinn reached out and squeezed my arm. “Let me know how it goes.”
“I expect a full report on Monday!” Alicia said with a wave.
Quinn and Laurel walked to Quinn’s car while Alicia headed to hers, leaving me behind with this behemoth of a man and enough chemistry between us to power a small country. Yeah, so time awaydefinitelydid not help. If anything, it only seemed to make this thing between us more potent.
“You ready?” he asked, his voice gruff.
It was like jumper cables had been attached to my nipples. They perked up immediately at the sound.
“Not even a little.” I crossed my arms over my chest in an effort to hide my reaction to him. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ATLAS
I didn’t do festivals.Besides the fact that Starlight Cove had three thousand of them a year, there was also all the shit you had to do at these fucking things. Face painting. Bobbing for apples. Corn mazes, eating contests, hayrides. I’d decided to just swear off them entirely and save myself the irritation.
But the football team was hosting a fundraiser this year, which meant I didn’t have the option to skip it. And, by extension, Sutton didn’t either.
I’d spent the week assuming my fuckup had been inviting her to move in with me, so I’d been putting as much space between us as possible. It turned out myactualfuckup had been thinking that time away from her would somehow help. Hopefully dull this attraction between us.
