I watch Charli line up her break. “You’re not going to do it like that, are you?” Quinn teases.
My sister doesn’t even glance up as she replies, “Yep, sure am. Now, shut your piehole before one of these balls accidentally flies off the table and nails you in the giblets.”
I bark out a laugh, knowing it wouldn’t be an accident at all.
“Protect the McNuggets,” Camden hollers through his cackle.
Quinn doesn’t seem concerned, however. He just smiles at Charli and waits for her to shoot.
I watch them play, while catching up with Alex. I’ve been working six days a week, so to finally be able to go out and unwind a little is much needed. When you do road construction, summer and fall are your busiest times of the year, and this season is no different. We’ve been paving two six-mile stretches of the interstate, all four lanes plus bridge and overpass work. It’s a year-long job in total, and it should keep me busy until the snow flies later this year.
“How’s work?” he asks.
I take a swig of beer. “Busy.”
“I bet, but I drove through earlier this week, and when it’s all done, gonna be a damn nice road to travel.”
I nod. “It will. That overpass has needed a facelift for a long damn time.”
“No kidding,” he mutters. “Bet the overtime is nice.”
I don’t even reply, because he knows it is. Anytime you get a chance to throw a little extra cash in the bank is a plus. I don’t spend excessively, but I do enjoy riding four-wheelers with my family and friends. We take a few trips to a couple of riding parks, usually on those long, holiday weekends. Plus, I have a small boat I like to take to a local lake and fish. Not overly expensive hobbies, but it all adds up.
“How’s work going for you?” I ask.
“It’s not bad. Definitely keeping busy as harvest approaches. All the farmers are getting their shit in order, so I’ve been doing some machinery repairs,” he starts, jumping into a story about a local farmer who needed a pretty big weld on his corn head. Alex is a welder, and a damn good one. He started off working for a local company and eventually branched out on his own. He’s crazy-busy himself, working six or seven days a week.
I listen to his story, but my eyes are drawn to the entrance when the door opens. A woman I know from town walks in, but the one who trails behind her has my complete attention. She’s…stunning. Long dark hair I can practically feel slide between my fingers and an hourglass body made for my hands. She’s wearing cutoff shorts, a navy-blue tank top, and tan sandals, and the best part is she doesn’t even look like she’s trying. Half the women in here have their tits hanging out, and their clothes painted on, but this woman looks a touch classier, her beauty completely natural.
Then, she laughs, and my heart tries to pound right out of my chest. Even from across the room, I can hear the lightness of her giggle and see the beauty of her smile as she makes her way toward the bar with her friend. As if she can feel my eyes on her, she slowly turns around and scans the room, and I’ll never forget the way my breath halts in my chest as our eyes connect.
Brown.
Dark eyes like rich chocolate.
Like a moth to a flame, I’m pulled toward her, almost hypnotically.
“Who’s that?”
I blink a few times, registering Alex’s question. Without looking away, I reply, “I don’t know.”
The beauty looks away first, her attention returning to her friend.
“That’s Allison Cartright, isn’t it?” he asks, referring to the woman I know. She was a few years younger than me in school, maybe the class behind Charli.
“Yeah.”
“Her friend is hot.”
“Don’t even think about it,” I state, not even caring if I sound a little harsh.
Alex chuckles beside me and grabs my shoulder. “Well, happy hunting, my friend. If she turns you down, let me know. She’s free rein after that.”
His stupid comment doesn’t warrant a reply. My eyes land back on the beauty at the bar. Lizzie greets them warmly and hands both ladies a drink. Allison hands over some cash and waves off the change. Then, they move farther into the room, finding a vacant small round table off to the side, and like the stalker I apparently am, I continue to watch.
“Yo, brother, wipe your chin. You’re starting to drool,” Camden announces right before he shoves his elbow into my gut.
I give him my full attention. “Don’t make me kick your ass in front of your friends.”
