She expelled a soft sigh. “Once the weather clears . . .”
“What happens once the weather clears?” Liam asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
Nash cocked an eyebrow. It wasn’t exactly a secret that I was on the hunt for a rebound. Knowing my brothers, as long as I didn’t rebound with Grant, they’d be happy. Wait . . . would that even be considered a rebound?
Nash draped an arm on the back of Adalyn’s chair as we gave Sasha our food and drinks order.
Once he left, my brother asked, “So, who were the seats reserved for?”
Spinning my beer bottle between my palms, I eluded the question by asking one of my own. “Where’s Storm?”
“With Mom.” Nash grinned. “Liam insisted on taking him home, but Mom all but shoved him down here. Said Storm was nice and cozy between her and Dad, and that Liam should go and relax, what with it being Friday night and all.”
“You two better start popping out some pups”—Niall, who I thought wasn’t paying attention, gestured between Nash and Adalyn—“or Mom’s going to suffer from extreme withdrawal symptoms once Liam leaves Beaver Creek with Storm.”
Adalyn laughed. “Yeah. Not ready for a kid quite yet. We’re still enjoying the training phase.”
“Perfecting our technique.” Nash leaned over and placed a wet one on a giggling Adalyn.
I rolled my eyes just as Sasha returned with the drinks. After he left, I asked, “Any progress on finding Shifter Zero?”
“We’re currently mapping out all the places the girl’s been to and all the people she interacted with”—Liam filched one of the six fresh beer bottles on the table and leaned back in his chair—“but she’s been living in Beaver Creek for the past two months, so that’s a lot of places and a lot of people.”
Although his legs were splayed wide, his shoulders were bunched beneath his black V-neck. Was his unease due to feeling out of place or to the case’s additional complexities?
What?The word came at me like a snapped rubber band.
“Nothing.” I upended my beer, then put it down. Couldn’t my mother have suggested my brothers take Liam somewhere in town?
He stared at me a moment longer and I stared back, because I wouldn’t be cowed by his grumpiness.
Niall’s neighbor, Lena, leaned over the table and roped Liam into a conversation about the quality of life in Boulder versus Beaver Creek.
How’s your leg?Liam’s voice slid back into my mind, less aggressive this time.
I frowned, because his attention was on Lena and whatever she was saying that required lots of eyelash batting.Note to self: keep eyes opened when flirting.
“Like new,” I said, unsure if he’d even catch my answer.
Adalyn cocked up one of her dark, defined eyebrows. “What’s like new? Besides your hymen, that is.”
“Adalyn,” I sputtered, shooting her the mother of all glowers, while Nash, supportive as always, burst out laughing. I flipped him off, but that just made him guffaw louder.
“What’s so funny?” Niall asked, turning away from Lena and Liam’s conversation.
Hopefully, Liam had also been too focused on Lena to hear my former best friend’s paltry jibe.
I shoved up the sleeves of my mustard-yellow duster cardigan. “The theme of Adalyn’s bachelorette.”
Niall speared his hands through his wavy chestnut hair. “I didn’t even know bachelorettes were themed.”
“Not usually, but Adalyn begged me for S&M.”
Niall’s eyebrows slammed down. He looked at Adalyn, then at Nash, and his nose wrinkled. “You’re into that shit?”
Adalyn grinned, but I wasn’t sure if it was at my comeback or Niall’s reaction. “I can hardly wait.”
