“No,” Rory says, “but you’re sweet to ask.”
“Where’s Raine?”
“In Denver with her parents.”
“Right now? When you need her?”
I hold back a scoff. What is Raine supposed to do? All she can offer is support, and Rory doesn’t need that. Besides, maybe her parents need her right now? My God, we Pikes aren’t the only people with problems.
“It was a trip she had planned for a while,” Rory replies. “I insisted she go.”
“Oh.” Laney smiles weakly.
“We can’t put our lives on hold,” I say.
Except I have. I’ve put my life on hold. Still, I feel I have to defend my sister’s choice to let her partner leave town. I would have done the same thing.
Laney stands. “Break’s over. Good to see you guys.”
“You too,” Rory says.
I simply smile and nod. My standard when I’m pissed and feeling bitchy for no reason. Well, I have a reason, but none of it is Laney’s fault.
“Cal,” Rory says once Laney’s out of earshot, “you have that resting bitch face down to a T.”
I sigh. “I really don’t mean to.”
“I know you don’t. I get it. I do.”
Rory tries. She does. But she gave up her opera aspirations long ago and loves teaching privately and singing with Jess on occasion. She’s in a relationship with someone she loves. She no longer depends on Mom and Dad for help.
In short, she has everything, including thick dark hair and a body to die for. Why I’m the only Pike girl not to inherit Mom’s great rack is beyond me. Rory and Maddie are both stacked to the hilt. The men of Snow Creek all gave a collective “damn it” when Rory came out as bisexual after high school. Now they had twice as much competition for the town brick house.
I drop my gaze to my breasts, which are B cups on a good day, and I can’t help a sarcastic chuckle.
“What’s wrong?” Rory asks.
I take a sip of Diet Coke. “Everything, sis. Just everything. I don’t think I could be satisfied if the man of my dreams appeared in here and swept me off my feet. I’m just that damned mad at the world.”
Rory lifts her eyebrows. “Really now?”
“Seriously. I’m feeling bitchy, and I don’t see it ending.”
“Too bad.” Rory takes a sip of her beer and swallows. “Because I think that guy you’re talking about just walked in.”
Chapter Five
Donny
“Hey, Steel boys,” Laney, a Murphy’s staple, says from behind the wooden bar.
Laney Dooley is a hot little number and a professional bartender and waitress. She’s tall and blond with legs that go on forever. Four years my junior, and ready and willing when we’re both horny and available. She has that familiar glint in her dark-blue eyes. Unfortunately, I’m not buying tonight.
“What are you doing in town?” she asks.
Dale, of course, doesn’t reply. I’m the spokesman when we’re together. Always been that way, always will be, apparently. Marriage may have opened Dale up a bit, but some things will never change.
“We actually came to see Brendan,” I say. “Is he here?”
“He must be upstairs. He’s off tonight.”
Brendan lives in the apartment above the bar. Must be nice to be able to roll out of bed and simply go downstairs to get to work.
“What can I get you?” Laney smiles at Dale. “Wait. Don’t tell me. You’re going to order your own wine.”
I can’t blame Laney for trying, even though she and I have been together. Women have been trying to come on to my brother since he hit puberty. I’m used to it. Must be that ridiculous long hair of his.
“Actually,” Dale says, “just water for me.”
“Donny?” Laney smiles knowingly.
Any port in a storm. Dale’s off-limits for sure now, and I’m way more of a sure thing. He may be prettier, but I’m a hell of a lot more fun, and women are always more than happy to slip into my bed when they can’t get Dale.
Yeah, I’m pretty okay with that. No time for it tonight, though.
“We had drinks with our dinner, so I’m going to stick with water for now as well.”
She pulls out two bottles of Aquafina. “Here you go, then. You want me to call Brendan for you?”
I look at my phone. It’s a quarter to nine. “Nah. We’re a little early.” I turn to Dale. “What do you think? Want to grab a—”
I stop abruptly as I peruse the tables. In the back sit Callie Pike and her older sister, Rory.
Damn. If possible, Callie looks even better than she did a week ago.
Her hair is the same color as my mom’s—light brown—but there the similarities end. Callie is tall and slender, long and lean, and her eyes are the color of amber. Seriously. The lightest brown I’ve ever seen. Almost like an orangey-gold. Her hair is pulled into a low ponytail at the back of her neck. Classic and stylish, like Callie herself. While her mother and sisters are voluptuously built, Callie is perfect supermodel material.