That you want her, my brain responded. It was true. Didn’t mean I should go after her. I was supposed to be setting up my new life here.
I picked up the two beers and the root beer, balancing them carefully in my hands as I started toward the table. Then someone bumped into me, hard. The icy drinks sloshed over their rims, splashing down the front of my shirt and unzipped coat.
Shit, that was cold.
Beer soaked through to my skin, and I cursed under my breath, looking up to see who’d just run into me.
It was that guy Dillon. Piper’s employee from Silver Linings.
“Sorry,” Dillon said, not sounding sorry at all. If anything, he looked satisfied. “Didn’t see you there.”
I felt my anger rising, a familiar heat in my chest and a growl building in my throat.
It would’ve felt so good to just let it out. Wipe the smirkoff Dillon’s face with my fist. But I shoved it back down, clenching my jaw.
“Might want to open your eyes then. I’m taller than you, kid.”
“Silver Ridge doesn’t want you here,” Dillon hissed. “You should get back in your shitty truck and move on.”
Callum appeared with a bar towel. “Everything okay?”
Dillon disappeared into the crowd as I stared after him, glaring.
“Accident,” I said. “It’s nothing.”
I forced a smile, aware of people watching. Like they were waiting for me to get angry. Fly off the handle. Prove that I was exactly the violent good-for-nothing they thought I was.
Whatever. A few spilled drinks didn’t matter, and random people’s opinions of me didn’t matter either. Not like I was going to start brawling over some twenty-year-old having a jealous tantrum. Or whatever Dillon’s problem was.
The people of Silver Ridge could come after me with pitchforks if they wanted. I wasn’t going anywhere.
I dried off as best I could while Callum got us new drinks. Then I made my way to the table, weaving through the crowd with more care this time.
I reached the table and set the drinks down. Piper’s eyes widened when she saw my wet shirt. “What happened?”
“Small mishap. It’s fine.” I passed a beer to Piper and placed Ollie’s drink in front of him. “I hear root beer is your favorite, buddy.”
“Don’t call me that.” He pushed the glass away without looking at it.
“Ollie,” Piper scolded under her breath. “You love Hearthstone’s root beer.”
“No worries,” I said. “Sometimes we’re in the mood for something different. I could grab another drink for you if you want.”
Trying too hard, I told myself. But what did I even know about kids?
“Root beer is fine,” Piper said firmly.
Ollie stared at the table for a long moment, then pulled the root beer toward himself. “Mom, can I go play the arcade games?”
Piper sighed. “Yeah. Okay. But don’t go anywhere else.”
“I won’t.” He got up and was gone before I could blink.
She turned to me with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why he’s being so difficult tonight. Usually he loves coming to Hearthstone for dinner.”
“He hates me,” I said with a laugh. “It’s fine.”
“He doesn’t hate you. He doesn’t even know you.”
