Collin barks out a laugh and slaps Cade on the shoulder. “Second place, my friend.”
Cade stands up and grabs his beer, sloshing a bit over the rim of his glass. “I’m going to go cry in my beer over there.”
With that, he takes off toward the regulars, instantly jumping into conversation. “Clearly he’s devastated again.”
Collin snorts in response and takes a drink of his beer. “Clearly.” Then he adds, “I didn’t tell him anything…about us.”
My eyebrow draws upward in question once more.
“He just…knew. I know that’s probably hard to believe, but I swear, I didn’t say a word about last night. He just guessed. Accurately, I might add.”
I shrug and move over to where he sits, leaning forward on the bar. I don’t miss the way his eyes drop to the hint of cleavage flashing in the neck of my shirt. “I’m not embarrassed, Collin.”
“I’m not either, but I don’t usually kiss and tell. Well, at least I didn’t in this case.”
“Noted,” I reply.
The door opens, causing us both to look that way. When I see his youngest brother, Camden, walk in with a group of friends, Collin sighs. “I’m going to apologize in advance.”
“For what?”
The group instantly runs toward Collin, yelling loudly until they reach where he sits. Then, as if he weighs nothing, they hoist him up above their heads, carrying him off toward the pool table. I’m left standing here, my mouth hanging open in shock.
“Crap! I missed it,” Charli states the moment she walks through the door less than a minute later.
“What was that?” I ask, my wide eyes still glued to the group of guys who have finally set Collin on the floor and are harassing the hell out of him. The only thing that keeps me from intervening is the fact Collin is smiling, so I know it’s nothing nefarious.
“Collin had a rescue Thursday night at work,” she says, the pride evident in her voice. “Apparently, he told Mom when she was talking to him Friday morning on his way home.”
“Oh, that’s cool.”
She grins and nods. “He doesn’t like to tell people about those times though, and Mom let it slip. Apparently, he and his coworker, Gio, saw a man trapped on the second floor, hanging out of a window. They got there just in time to catch him when he jumped.”
“Wow,” I reply, picturing the scene and the harrowing rescue, as I glance toward the man himself.
“I heard the guy who jumped suffered a few minor burns and smoke inhalation, but for the most part, he’s okay. He could have really hurt himself jumping out of the window if it hadn’t been for Collin and Gio.”
I nod, still staring across the room at Collin. As if feeling my eyes, he glances my way and offers a slight smile. I can tell he hates the attention, but there’s also a sense of pride in the way he grins and accepts the accolades from his friends and family.
I end up buying a round for the bar in honor of Collin, which he hates, mostly because of the extra attention it garners. He accepts the toast his twin makes, even if his cheeks are a little pink throughout it.
I also get to meet his core group of friends, the ones he’s close to and grew up with. I can definitely tell why he likes them. They’re a rowdy bunch, but they all seem to click. It makes me long for those I was close to back home, even if the majority of those people were my family and extended family.
Now, the place has cleared out as the nine o’clock closing time approaches. Collin and his group left around six to eat and probably crash early, thanks to the few drinks they enjoyed throughout the afternoon. I smile as I clean and prepare the bar to close. I sweep and mop, make sure everything is wiped down, and haul the garbage to the back door. When the clock strikes nine, I flip off the open sign and lock the front door. It was dead almost the entire last hour, thanks to a rare Sunday evening with no professional ball games on TV. Plus, it was such a gorgeous weekend—one of the first real warm ones in May—and it appears everyone chose to be at home, probably cooking out or doing whatever else they do around here during the summer. If there’s one thing I know, the hot, humid days are coming soon.
Summer is stretching her legs, preparing to hang out for a while.
I don’t mind summer. It’s the humidity that gets me. When you have curls in your hair, humidity is the worst thing in the world. It doesn’t matter how much product you put in your hair, it’s a frizzy ball of fuzz that looks nothing like the infomercials for haircare products.
I get the register counted and the tip jar emptied. I’m shocked to see as much cash as what’s in there, but I suppose it was pretty hopping this afternoon. Collin and his crew hung out for several hours, shooting pool, listening to music, and generally harassing each other like friends do. It was actually a really good time. Charli came to the bar and sat with me numerous times, and the more I get to know her, the more I like her. In fact, I’m going to call the salon next week and schedule an appointment for a massage. I’ve never had one, but with the way I’ve overworked my body these last few weeks, I could definitely use one.
Just as I put the deposit and cash drawer in the safe, I hear the back door open. Since that one is locked from the outside,I know it’s someone with a key to get in. A zing of anticipation slides through my veins, and my nipples harden at the thought of Collin being here. Then, he’s there, filling the doorway to my office with his confidence and charisma.
“Hey,” he says softly, the deep timbre of his voice rumbling through my core like a freight train.
“Hi,” I reply, locking the safe and turning my full attention his way. “How was dinner?”
He smiles and holds up a container. “It was good. I brought you something to eat. I wasn’t sure if you got to eat anything this evening.”
