I’m screwed.
But then…
An angel, in the form of Brayden Wild, steps out of the Men’s Room across from me. Our eyes catch.
Terrified he’s going to say my name, I act on instinct. I cross over to him and, using his body as a shield, I throw my arms around his neck and bury my face in his chest. His flannel shirt smells so good—like detergent and pasture and him.
His arms go around me immediately, and he presses me against the wall. From Noah’s angle, it would be impossible to see my face.
“Hey! Noah!” A raspy voice comes from behind me. “You ready to get out of here? This place blows like always.”
“Yeah, let’s go into Missoula,” Noah says in response. “Glad I’m only here for the weekend. I forgot how fucking boring it is here.”
Hearing their voices get closer, I keep my face pressed against Brayden’s solid chest, and he rubs my back with one hand while keeping the other on my hair.
I stay motionless until the sound of the footsteps disappears, and then I let out a ragged breath.
“They’re gone,” Brayden says in my ear.
I pick my head up and stare up into the cool blue depths of his eyes.
His arms are still wrapped around my back, and I step back cautiously.
“I’m so sorry,” I say to him as I smooth down my hair. “I just…that was…”
“I know who it was.” Brayden scowls. “Let me get you out of here. You can text Sophia once we’re in the truck.”
All I can do is nod.
Brayden’s warm hand touches the small of my back as he guides me through the hallway. “We’ll go through the back, and I’ll text Cam to let him know. I’m parked on a side street.”
A shiver runs through me. “Okay.”
* * *
“Phillip’s still not home,” is all I can think of to say once Brayden and I are in his truck and he’s finished texting Cam. “So I can’t get into my house yet.”
“It’s okay,” he says softly. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved,” I admit. “Sophia was more worried about dressing me up than eating before we went out. Thus my outfit. I’m pretty sure I’m way overdressed for a bar.”
“You look gorgeous,” he says casually as he puts his hands on the wheel.
I press my hands onto my lap to stop them from doing something crazy like touching him. “Thank you.” I send off a quick text to Sophia to let her know I’m leaving and will talk to her tomorrow.
“How about we stop at Clyde’s, the new steakhouse on Main Street?” Brayden asks me. “Do you eat meat?”
“Yes.” And while I feel a bit guilty eating somewhere that Phillip was so disapproving of, I know it’s a good decision. There’s no way Noah and his friend will go out for dinner right now. They’re too busy trying to find the best place to get drunk. “That sounds great.”
* * *
We take seats across from one another at a private booth in the back. No other customers are seated in our section, and I feel the relief of it being just Brayden and me. The dark wood paneling of the walls is filled with large photographs of Montana. Two beautiful pictures of Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake are closest to our booth.
“I’d love to paint one of those scenes,” I say spontaneously.
Brayden looks at the photographs and then returns his gaze to me. “I saw what you did with the sign outside June’s store. Looks like a professional artist did it.”
I flush with heat. “Thank you. I used to dream of painting for a living, but then…” I wave my hand in the air. “Life got busy with more important things.”
