I blow my bangs out of my face.
“I’ll take a Fat Tire,” I finally say, sneaking a glance around the yard.
I’d be anidiotto say no, after all.Someday, I’ll be telling my granddaughters about the afternoon I spent surrounded by shirtless firemen.
Hunter heads back inside.A shout goes up from the other end of the yard as a game of baggo ends and someone wins.
“Wanna play?”Silas asks.
I honestly can’t tell if he’s flirting or just being friendly.
But is either one that bad?I think.Nothing is going to happen with Hunter because there’s never been a worse idea in human history, and a little flirting never hurt anyone.Nothing’s gonna happen.
“Sure,” I say.
ChapterSix
Hunter
I grabtwo beers from the fridge, and as I open them, I glance through the kitchen window.Silas and Clementine are walking together toward the baggo boards, and as I watch, he smiles at her and she laughs at something he said.
My stomach knots.
Quit it,I think.There’s no damn reason at all to get upset.You two are done as hell.Silas is a good guy.
It doesn’t make me feel better.I walk back outside, give Clementine the beer, and play a game of baggo with them and Daniel, another one of the guys.She and I are standing opposite each other, maybe twenty feet apart, but she’s next to Silas even though they’re on different teams.
I make myself act normal, but every time she smiles at something he says, my stomach knots a little harder.I fuckinghatenot being the guy she’s laughing with.
Finally, Clementine and I win.She sticks her tongue out at Silas, who says something back.
“Rematch?”Daniel calls.
We play again, and I have to watch them enjoy each other’s company for even longer.
As the afternoon wears on,more of my squad shows up, along with Clementine’s roommates and some people I don’t even know.But we’ve got beer, a cute dog, and plenty of outdoor games, so let the good times roll.
I try to ignore whatever Clementine’s doing, or who she’s talking to, because it’s none of my goddamn business.We’re just two people who knew each other in high school, who used to date a long time ago, and none of thatmattersany more.
I fail.After playing two rounds of baggo with Silas, she plays one with me and then one with Daniel.Some more guys come in and she tries to teach Jordan and Rupert how to lawn bowl.I toss some horseshoes and try to pretend that she’s not sitting on the lawn furniture, drinking beers and chatting with Mandy, one of her roommates, along with Silas and Daniel.
When I walk to the cooler for another beer, Mandy calls out to me.
“Hunter!”she says.“Daniel says you had an encounter with an owl.”
I grab a beer from the cooler and open it, grinning.
“This asshole said that?”I say.
Mandy reaches out and pulls a plastic chair up next to her, smiling back at me.Maybe I’m imagining it, but Clementine’s face freezes, her eyes flicking away.
“Come on,” she says.“Owl.”
I sigh and pretend to be slightly annoyed.
“This was about a year ago,” I say.“The thing you gotta know is that, when we’re on the job, we’re lucky if we get five hours of bad sleep per night.More often it’s four hours, maybe even three, and half the time we’re just sleeping wherever we can stretch out.”
Clementine tucks one leg under herself and takes a sip of beer, and I can’t help but watch the cords in her throat as she swallows.
