It occurred to him he had no idea what her career was. She’d mentioned missing work and being worried that would lead to her being fired, but that left a lot of possibilities. And she’d made it clear the landscaping and gardening thing was just a hobby. Where did that leave him?
“She’s a writer, actually,” he improvised.
“Oh yeah? Like a journalist or…?”
“Romance novels,” Will said and took another gulp of beer.
“No kidding.”
“Must be good in the sack,” Jared commented.
Will gave him a look. “Really, man?”
Bright giggled, accepted the cocktail Callie set in front of her with a grin and a thank you. “I can’t speculate on whether writing about romance makes you automatically good in bed, but I can say that’s a fascinating career. Good for her. Have you been together long?”
It was a probing question, and Will was grateful for it. Maybe this would help set the world to rights so he wouldn’tfeel like he had to dodge Bright at every opportunity. “Not too long. A few weeks. It’s still new.”
Something passed over Bright’s face for a moment. It looked like regret and a kind of… grief. Again, she paused, as if unsure how to process this. Then she nodded, smiled again. “She seemed nice. I’ll have to read one of her books sometime.”
“I’ll bring you a copy.” If she asked about it later, he’d grab a book at random and claim the author’s name was Emmy’s pen name.
“Thanks!”
Conversation moved on to how Jared and Will had met. Jared told most of the story about Will’s short-lived stint in the obstetrics wing where Jared still worked. As soon as Bright heard he worked in the hospital, she pressed Jared for details. He was happy to oblige. Before Will knew it, Bright had changed her empty cocktail glass for a pint glass and was sharing the pitcher of beer with Jared. All the better since Will had to drive soon. At least he thought it would be soon. He hadn’t heard from Emmy yet. He checked his phone, sipped at his beer. It was getting late. He wondered how Emmy was doing at the library by herself. She’d seemed certain that she could handle any wayward men who tried to ask her out, but…
“Looking for a text from your lady?” Jared asked.
“Yeah. She must be really deep into the research.”
“Look at those puppy eyes. You aregone, man.”
“Shut up, Jared.”
Bright touched Will’s arm. “I think it’s sweet.”
“See?” he said to Jared. “She thinks it’s sweet.”
“So sweet I’m getting a cavity. You gotta work on razzing people, Bright. Single folks are supposed to stick together.”
“We are, huh?” Bright studied Jared as she sipped her beer. “What makes you so sure I’m single?”
“Not sure, pretty lady. Just hoping. So… am I right?”
She watched his face for a moment, then smiled slowly in a way that spoke of hidden depths that any man would be happy to explore. Jared’s throat worked as he swallowed.
“I am,” she said simply. “My last relationship went up in flames shortly before I moved here.”
“Sounds like a story.”
“Maybe. How about you? No way someone who looks like you stays single for long, and it’s clear you’ve got game.”
They were completely involved with each other now. Will was oddly fascinated by the turn of events. And, if he was honest with himself, a little hurt at how easily he’d been cast aside. He’d get over that, though. Checking his phone again and seeing no texts from Emmy, he finished his beer and—though he craved another drink—switched to water. When he still hadn’t heard from her after he’d polished off the whole glass—as well as the plate of cheese fries Jared had abandoned in favor of flirting with Bright—he decided it was time to check in on her. He left a generous tip beneath the empty water glass and slipped out of the bar. Neither Jared nor Bright looked his way.
Emmy was going to like this story. He couldn’t wait to tell her. It was a little weird how much he was looking forward to seeing her, considering how recently they’d met and how little time they’d been apart that evening, but he couldn’t deny that he felt more at ease with her than hewas on his own. Or with any of the… characters was the right word, he supposed. Even if it made him cringe to think of his family, friends, and coworkers as characters. The lack of texts probably meant Emmy was deep in the stacks and not thinking about checking in with him. Still, if no news turned out to be bad news, he wanted to be there for her.
The library was only a few blocks away—everythingwas only a few blocks away in Cobalt—and he navigated the streets just fine. A part of him wondered what would happen if he got pulled over. He didn’t think he was over the legal limit, but a breathalyzer might say different. That probably wasn’t supposed to happen in the book. He kept an eye on his rearview, but the street was quiet. He made it to the library with no incidents, parked in a spot by the front entrance, and went inside.
Twelve
