I rise to my full height, curious about what she’s thinking. Did she feel that too?
I raise my hand to display the frosting. “Should I lick it or get a napkin?”
“You don’t look like the licking kind.”
My eyebrows shoot up. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting her to saythat.
I also wasn’t expecting that today in the midst of all this festival chaos, I would feel anything other than annoyed. Instead, I’m very intrigued by Winnie.
“I can be. Under the right circumstances,” I tell her.
Her eyes widen. “Oh!” she says.
And I realize instantly she was not flirting. There was no innuendo. She meant quite literally I don’t look like the kind of guy who would lick my fingers.
She’s not wrong.
But I’m disappointed.
She doesn’t seem to know what to say, instantly focusing on gently pushing Barrel off her thighs and standing up.
“Let me get a napkin and Barrel some water,” I say, to try to gloss over the awkwardness. “Then I’ll help you get your truck parked behind the hardware store.”
I half expect her to wave off my offer and run away but she readily accepts. “Wow, thank you. That would be really helpful. I’m a bit rattled by all this festival chaos. I thought I would ride into town on vibes and be moved in by nightfall. That’s what I get for not doing my research.”
She doesn’t sound like she’s beating herself up over it though. She sounds cheerful again. Not the least bit concerned that it would have been the easiest thing in the world to learn that this weekend is the Spring Fling Festival because it’s plastered all over town and social media.
She has no regrets, clearly.
I, on other hand, already know I’m going to spend the rest of the day regretting my remark and wishing like hell I could undo it.
Clearly my throat, I turn to Miss Bettie, who is watching us with obvious interest. “Can I get a bowl of water for the dog, Miss Bettie?”
“Sure thing, Ian.” She gives me a wink. “If you promise to bring me a bourbon sampler right after.”
That makes me chuckle. “It would be my pleasure.”
“You have bourbon samplers?” Winnie asks.
I nod as Miss Bettie puts down a bowl for Barrel and he drinks enthusiastically. “Yes.” I don’t elaborate because I’m afraid I’ll say something stupid.
I haven’t had a relationship in a long time and Winnie has me unexpectedly tongue-tied. Better to stay true to form—I’m known as a man of few words. I’m also painfully conscious my fingers are still covered in frosting.
“Ian is one the owners of Four Brothers Bourbon,” Miss Bettie says, patting my arm. “They’ve done real nice things for Wanted with their distillery.”
Winnie’s shoulders soften. “You’re one of the Lennox brothers?” she asks, sounding surprised.
I reach behind me and grab a napkin off of Sweet Thang’s checkout table. I can’t take the stickiness another second. “Yes, I am.”
The quiet one. One of the twins. The nerdy one.
All labels I had been given at various points in my life. Being more serious in a family of boisterous boys I’m used to taking a back seat to their big personalities.
“I know Faith Young. She’s the one who helped me find a job here in town.”
Ah. So she’s friends with my brother Mackay’s fiancé. Small world. Though that shouldn’t surprise me in a place like Wanted.
I ball up the napkin. Now I don’t know what the fuck to do with it. “Is that right? Well, Faith’s amazing. She’s been great for my brother.”
