"But I'm with Tanner," I said instead, because that line seemed to work for me.
Ty chuckled. "Mhm. Yeah, in case you forgot, I know exactly how that works. All I'm saying is Jake's been doing alotof talking about you. How well you ride, how brilliant you are, and all the things a man says when he thinks highly of a woman. Thathe's saying it to me means he can'tstopthinking about you. So, this is me proving I really can be friends still."
"Thank you," I breathed, tossing my arms around his neck.
Yeah, ok, maybe I should've stopped with the words. And maybe the whiskey had made it a lot easier to be kinda impulsive. Still, hearing Ty wanted to be friends? Not that he was just accepting it, or had settled for it, but hewantedmy friendship?
He laughed as he hugged back, but it was in that awkward way meant to keep me at a bit of a distance. "Easy there, cowgirl."
So I leaned back to look at his face, surprised I couldn't really focus on him well. "I mean it, Ty. Thank you for being you."
He murmured, then peeled me off him. "And here's that drink you wanted. She's a bit tipsy, Jake."
"Figured that out when she started shooting whiskey," Jake said as he reached my side. "Table here, Cody. Sit, and you can have this."
"A margarita, right?" I asked, since that was what I'd requested.
"I think tipsy might be putting it mildly," he teased when I flopped down on a chair. But then he pressed a cool glass into my hands. "Cody, are you a lightweight?"
"Mhm," I agreed, bending in to sip at the straw in my drink. "I'm better than I used to be, but J.D. makes sure I get home. Unless he's been drinking, then it's Tanner."
"And if it's all of you?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Nope. Someone's gotta drive. But lately, no drinking. J.D. gets me stoned instead. Works better."
"I bet," he agreed. "I go with Advil. I'm a wuss like that."
"Yeah, you are," Isaac said as he joined us. "You good, Cody?"
"Yep!" I agreed, rocking my head upwards to try to see him.
"Oh, she's going to be fun," Jorge said, proving he was here too.
But then I saw Jackson lean over Jake's shoulder. I couldn't hear what he said, not with the music in here, but Jake patted his arm and nodded. The pair shared one more look, then Jackson left.
I kept sipping, enjoying my drink as the men talked around me. Tanner was right about one thing, though: Jake was cute. He wasn't sexy like J.D. or Ty. He wasn't pretty like Tanner. Jake was charming and handsome and wow, his shoulders were broader than I'd realized.
No, that had to be the shirt he was wearing. The one that was so tight it could've been painted on. I liked the color for him too. I was used to seeing him in his signature blue and grey, but this color? It really made his lips stand out, highlighting the natural color.
Oh, and he hadnicelips too. I thought that just as my straw started sucking air. With an annoyed little huff, I pushed the drink back. That hadn't lasted nearly as long as I'd expected.
"Ok," I said, looking up. "Where's Gustavo? He was gonna dance with me."
"Gustavo!" Jake bellowed.
"Ei!" the Brazilian rookie yelled back.
"Cody's free," Jake told him.
A moment later, Gustavo hurried over, but Jake caught his arm. The pair shared a look, then Gustavo offered me his hand, bowing over it like some kind of medieval gentleman.
"Darling?" he said, putting on his best American accent.
I scoffed. "I like the Brazilian better." But I let him lift me out of the chair and lead me to the dance floor.
"It's Portuguese," he reminded me.
"Nope," I decided. "The accent is Brazilian. The language is Portuguese." And then I stepped on his toes.
