Ch 9
Bree
“Omigawd. What in the hell was that?” Hannah’s voice squeaks, her blue eyes comically wide as she spears a cube of cheddar from the charcuterie board. “It’s like we crashed a photoshoot for Lumberjack Monthly!”
The three of us decided to skip yoga, opting for drinks and appetizers at Kaleidoscope. There was simply too much testosterone in Declan’s yard. We were left speechless, which is hard to do when we get together.
“I thought my panties were going to burn right off on the spot.”
I smack my sister’s arm, and she flicks my hand away before glancing at her phone and placing it screen down on the table’s wooden surface.
Kaleidoscope is an eclectic restaurant on the bottom floor of Urban Blue, a boutique hotel in the historic district. Its mix of pressed copper ceiling tiles and wrought iron fixtures blends well with the modern seating and vintage touches.
“Well, it’s true,” Izzy shrugs, her brown hair pulled up in another messy-bun. It’s her go-to look this week, and I’ve got to say, I like it. It’s good to see her let loose. “I’ve never seen so many biceps in my life. It was an absolute muscle fest over at Declan’s.”
“I was too busy looking at the treasure trails to notice the biceps.” Hannah giggles. “Who knew that eight-pack abs were real? No wonder their last name is Wilder.”
It’s all I can do not to choke as I take a sip of my cocktail, the crystal coupe glass nearly tipping over. I definitely noticed Declan’s treasure trail sitting right between his chiseled V-lines. My ovaries basically did a standing ovation. Grabbing a nacho chip, I savor the crunchy, cheesy goodness, dragging my mind back to the table.
Hannah looks at me, her blue eyes bright. My bestie’s heart-shaped face has broken the hearts of many men, but I think it’s her dimples that keep them coming back. She is, without a doubt, one of the cutest people on Earth.
“Did you notice something different about Ford?”
“Well, yeah.” I grab another olive. “He didn’t have a shirt on.”
Hannah’s eyes widen. “That’s it! That’s it! Did you notice the snake tattoo below his belly?”
“No.” I was too busy ogling Declan.
Izzy smiles. “I saw it.”
“Look, look, look.” Hannah shoves her phone at me. “This account. I think the guy is Ford.”
On the screen is a hot guy chopping wood. You can’t see his face; he’s just shown from the shoulders down. He definitely fits Ford’s build, but so do a lot of men.
“I don’t know, Hanns.” I raise my shoulders. “Maybe?”
Izzy studies the video, pulling the phone closer. She swipes through several more, stopping at a video where @axemanbluesplits a log, his gravelly voice punctuating each swing in a familiar timbre.
“Oh, that’s definitely him.” Izzy zooms in. “See that in the background? It’s Indigo Peak.
Sure enough, the mini-mountain just above the treeline at about the same distance it was when we were at Declan’s yesterday.
“Looks like @axemanblue’s pretty popular. He’s got almost 500,000 followers.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Hannah snatches the phone back. “He was at 30,000 a couple of days ago.”
“Looks like Declan’s brother is going viral.”
Hannah stares at the screen, biting her thumbnail absently.
“You okay?”
She closes the phone. “Mhmm.”
Izzy’s eyes brighten. “Which brother was Gunnar again?”
“The middle one. Why?” I lean forward, intrigued.
