He crossed the room and landed next to Kane.
Weird tension filled the air. I had to wonder if Colter was aware that Kane wasn’t a fan. Not with the way his lip curled. I wouldn’t say I was the best at body language, but I had a feeling if Colter were on fire, Kane wouldn’t put it out.
“Giving your condolences, Saint?”
Disgust twisted his lips. Clearly, the nickname wasn’t one he appreciated. He cut a glance at Colter and back to me. “Again, I’m sorry about Maya.” Kane strode off and returned to the table he’d been holding up.
Colter laughed before he turned his attention to me again. “Well, look at you.” His gaze raked from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. “You’re looking good, Cora.”
Yuck. An involuntary shiver ran down my back. I wanted to find the largest paper bag in the world and put it on. “Hi, Colter.”
He shoved a hand in Jason’s direction without taking his eyes off me. “Nice to meet you. Y’all together?”
“We’re friends. Good friends,” Jason answered as he slipped his arm around my waist.
His lips curved up further as he raked his gaze over me again.
As if! What an arrogant, narcissistic, pompous creep. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and he was used to people asking how high they needed to jump when he barked.
The last two times I’d met him, I’d felt a darkness about him. Part of that I attributed to my genuine dislike of him because of Maya, but here, in this bar, the man’s soul was black as tar.
“What do you say we find a table and talk?” Colter drawled.
I wanted to scream no. No, no, no. I’d rather be chained to a cinderblock and dumped in the ocean than sit at a table with this guy. Jason seemed to sense my hesitation, and his fingers tangled with mine.
It was such a small gesture, but it meant the world to me. I squeezed his hand. “Sure.”
As I took a step, Colter’s gaze dropped to our hands, and that snarl returned. “You can leave the muscle here. I won’t bite.”
Ew. The very idea of being alone with him gave me the heebie-jeebies.
“I like having him with me. Besides, whatever you tell me, he’ll hear it anyway. This way, it’s not second-hand knowledge.” I smiled because it was true. I wouldn’t have kept anything from Jason.
Colter worked his jaw. “You sure you’re just friends?”
I nodded. “Yes. We are.”
“Fine.” He turned and stalked toward a nearby empty table.
We followed behind him. We’d barely reached the table when a dark-haired waitress stopped at our table with a huge grin. “Hey Colter, the usual?” The twang was strong with her.
He hooked his arm around her waist. “As long as that includes you, Lanie.” His tongue darted out, wetting his lips.
Good thing we weren’t eating.
She laughed. Not obnoxiously, but I did get the feeling she was being extra agreeable in the hopes of a good tip. “Maybe. My shift ends at midnight.”
“Midnight? Such a long time to wait.”
This was supposed to be a funeral… for my sister. His wife. And he was flirting with the waitress? What a pig of a man.
Jason would have never treated me like that and we weren’t even married. The thought stopped me short as I wrestled with the question of why I was even comparing them. Jason and I weren’t together. We’d definitely moved into friends’ territory, but that was it.
Another giggle punctuated with a wiggle. “It’s only six hours.”
Colter took a deep breath, letting it out like he was tired of her already, and dropped his arm from around her waist. “All right. Yeah, the usual.”
Lanie looked at Jason and then me. “What are you having, sweetheart?”
