She coughs on her beer and nods. “Girl, you’re preaching to the choir. But Jackson’s young. Hear me when I say it only gets more complicated when they get older. My daughter has opinions on every-fucking-thing. Can you imagine what Katie would do if I actually brought a guy home?”
“She’d quiz him on his political views and make him feel like trash for every time he shopped at Walmart.” I shrug. “There are worse ways to filter the guys you date.”
Star chuckles. “God forbid I actually like someone. She’d recite all his flaws the second we were alone.” She wrinkles her nose. “But, hell, wouldn’t it be worse if she didn’t? I swear, the only thing that scares me more than disappointing this kid is that she’ll stop talking to me.”
“She’s amazing, and so are you. I’m not even worried about that.”
She waves a hand. “Regardless. Jacks will only find your dates lacking if they somehow reveal they don’t like Spider-Man.”
I mock gasp. “The horror.”
“Right. The kid has to have some standards, but who doesn’t love Spidey? I’m saying get out there while you still can.”
“I don’t know. I might eventually want to try, but sometimes a girl just wants her needs met. It’s like going to the dealer for an oil change and having them assume you’re there to invest in a whole new car.”
Star chortles. “So Colton thinks you want to buy the car when you’re really just looking for some service?”
“I don’t pretend to know what Colton thinks. I try not to speculate. What about you?” I ask. “Is it time for you to get back on that horse?”
She bites her bottom lip and waggles her brows. “I might be contemplating a dusting off of the old riding muscles.”
“Crosley? I know he’s been waiting to drop to his knees and worship you like the goddess you are.”
She rolls her eyes. “Not Crosley. That boy wouldn’t know what to do with me. I’ve been testing the waters with someone more . . . mature.” She winks.
I smack the table. “I need details, bitch.”
“Nah. I’m not about to jinx it by talking about it too soon,” she says. “Hey, look who’s back!” She nods to the door, where Amelia and Juliette are standing, laughing with the bouncer.
I scoot over in the booth to make room and wave to the waitress to take my order. I’m ready to have a little fun.
Colton
It isn’t all that uncommon for the guys and me to meet at Jackson Brews for a drink after work, but now that we’re here, I realize what they really wanted to do was be at the bar while Amelia and her friends were out. Crosley’s got a thing for Star, and the other guys? Well, they just like hot women in general, and that group is smoking.
It’s not that I mind coming out with my friends. They’re actually great. No one gives me shit about my NA beers or tries to get me to take shots. A striking improvement over the people I surrounded myself with in my former life. Back before my second round in rehab, the only person who gave a shit about keeping me out of trouble was Levi. Sure, there were times when Levi was the start of the trouble, but I blame myself for that. I was the bad influence. I was the inspiration behind every bad decision.
Those days are behind us now, and I’m grateful Levi turned out okay despite me. He took a sales position with his family’s brewery, and I cleaned up and bought into Heartbreak Bay Adventures with Crosley, Wes, Miles, and Brady. Between the five of us, we had enough capital to get the bank to give us a business loan. We bought the neglected bay-front business and some new equipment—well, new to us, at least. This shit’s expensive. We all traded everything we have for the opportunity to work our asses off and carry more debt than I like to think about.
So far, it’s been good. Better than good. I get to spend part of my work week outside, on the water, or leading tourists on ATVs, and the other part putting to use the only worthwhile thing my asshole father ever gave me: my brain.
“You gonna talk to her or not, Cros?” Wes asks, tipping his beer back to his smiling lips.
Crosley eyes Star from across the bar and shakes his head. “I’ll get around to it. Just mind your business. I’m playing the long game here.”
“The long game?” Brady asks.
“Hell yeah,” Crosley says. “It’s the only way to make a woman like that give you a chance.”
Miles wrinkles his nose. “I don’t get it. Star’s fine as hell, but you get with her and suddenly you have a teenager.” He shudders. “No pussy’s worth that.”
Crosley smacks the back of Miles’s head—hard, judging by the way Miles flinches. “Don’t reduce women to their parts, you juvenile man-child.”
Miles rubs the back of his head, messing up his perfectly styled dark hair. “Jesus. I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”
“What about Veronica?” Wes asks, glancing toward the girls. “Her kid’s, what, three?”
Every muscle in my body locks up. “What about her?”
Wes shrugs. “I just wondered if anyone knows if she’s interested in, ya know, getting out there again.”
“What is this, seventh grade?” Brady asks. “If you’re interested in V, just tell her. She’ll give it to you straight.”
Crosley groans. “Or . . . don’t. Do you want to make shit awkward at work?”
My shoulders loosen and I make a mental note to do something nice for Cros, since he spared me from having to say something myself.
“Yeah,” Miles says, frowning at Wes, “you’re technically her boss, and that shit’s shady.”
“She’s only there for the summer. And anyway, I’m only her boss in the sense that I’m part owner,” Wes says. “Really, Colton’s her boss more than anyone.”
Just like that, I scowl again. “No more than you,” I mutter, and Crosley eyes me curiously. And I get it. Objecting too much is real subtle.
Wes shrugs. “I know I’m not the only one who’s noticed her, so don’t pretend like you’re a bunch of saints.”
“We’re not saying we haven’t noticed her,” Brady says. “We’re just requesting that you proceed with caution. Do you forget your track record with women?” He ticks off examples on his fingers. “The one who keyed your car, the one who threw your shit in the street.”
“Let’s not forget the one who climbed into my bed in the middle of the night to try to piss you off,” Miles says.
Wes turns up his palms. “So I attract the crazies. Veronica’s not like that. She’s chill.”
I choke on my drink, and Crosley smirks at me.
“You don’t attract the crazies,” Brady says. “You turn them crazy.”
Everyone laughs, even Wes, who can’t deny it.
I look Veronica’s way again and catch her watching me. Again.
She yanks her gaze away quickly, but a guilty little flush creeps up her cheeks. What’s she thinking about? And fuck, why do I hope she’s as haunted by that night as I am? I hope she thinks about it when she touches herself. I hope she’ll touch herself tonight and remember all the dirty details. The thought’s enough to make me half-hard standing in the middle of the damn bar.