Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Duke had never married or had children of his own, but he’d taken the role of surrogate father seriously. He’d even put off retiring to stay close to us. I knew he’d been saving for years to move to a warmer climate where he could fish year round, but he’d refused to leave until Josh had graduated from high school. And thank God, he had. If it had been anyone else but Duke who’d arrested Josh the day before, they would have reported us to CPS. Duke being Duke, had locked him up to scare Josh and me. And it worked. Last night I’d gotten a solemn promise from Josh that he wouldn’t screw up again until he was over eighteen. That gave me three years to straighten out his head.
Rachel Moore approached the bar as I grabbed a towel to wipe down the surface. Logan moved in beside me, his hand running across my ass as he passed behind me, sending tiny shivers up my spine.
“Got an order for me?” I asked as Rachel approached.
For some reason she ignored me as if I hadn’t spoken and went straight to Logan, her hips swinging in overdrive as she walked. “Logan takes care of me,” she said, sliding up to the bar with a sultry smile. “Don’t you, honey?”
Rachel and I had gone to school together, but she was a class ahead of me. She was short but built, with blonde hair and big blue eyes. I’d hired her when her former boyfriend hit the road and never came back. She was a hard worker, but always on the hunt for her next conquest. I’d watched her over the past two years with something akin to fascination. She could work a room full of tourists and make more tips than I cleared for the house, when her hips were in high gear. I’d even high-fived her more times than I could count when she pulled in a huge tip, egging her on with, “Get’em, girl,” as she passed.
But now those hips were aimed toward Logan, and it shed a different light on her.
I turned my head to watch his reaction when he took the slip of paper from her. But he wasn’t looking at Rachel, he was looking at me. I wasn’t sure what he saw when he studied my expression. Trepidation, maybe, that what we were starting could be sidelined by a pair of swinging hips. Instead of taking her order though, he slid his arm around my waist and jerked me to him, lowering his head for a kiss.
I didn’t fight him. He’d already kissed me in front of everyone the day before, so I rose up and opened my mouth as catcalls and whistles erupted around the bar. When he released me, Rachel was heading away from us, her order laying on the bar top waiting to be filled.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“If you mean, I kissed you because I wanted to, then yes. If you mean, did I kiss you to kill two birds with one stone, the answer is still yes.”
I looked around for another woman coveting what was mine. “Two birds?”
Logan jerked his head toward the front of the bar, and I looked over his shoulder. Ty was leaning against the wall watching us. He didn’t seem pissed, just observant.
“Oh. I should probably talk to him.”
Logan stayed my arm as I went to move past him and walked us to the end of the bar for privacy. “I’ll talk to him.”
“That might set him off. He’s a lot like Jake. Punch first, talk later.”
“Even more reason for me to talk to him.”
“He would never hurt me, Logan. He’s been looking out for me since we were five.”
Logan looked over his shoulder at Ty then back at me, his jaw ticking for some reason. “Stay inside the bar. If he touches you in a way that’s less than brotherly, I’m not gonna like it.”
I blinked. Logan wasn’t just being protective; it was clear he was also jealous.
Women could be friends with men without it being sexual, but most men didn’t understand that. They’re wired differently than women. Ty had smothered me when we dated, and it drove me nuts, so I was curious if Logan’s jealousy would do the same.
I waited for the familiar annoyance to surface as he glared at Ty, but for some reason I found it reassuring instead of annoying. Was it possible when the right guy was jealous, it had the opposite effect?
I decided to test my theory.
“Is hugging off-limits?”
He looked away from Ty and his eyes flared with menace.
Not even a tickle of annoyance at his reaction.
Hmm.
“Handshake?”
He rolled his lips between his teeth.
This was kind of fun, in a purely scientific sort of way.
And hot.
Who knew?
“Can I pat his shoulder for comfort?”