“Ryker? Wait. Why did I forget he was your brother? Ryker James, right?”
“Yeah, the last few years you visited, he was already trying to break into the business. Man, did he have the biggest crush on you.”
“What?” Savannah exclaimed as she turned toward Norah and apologized over and over. As if she had any say over the boy’s crush.
“My husband is the guitar player in the band. He’s on baby duty tonight.”
“I’m sorry. You probably want to get home and I made you stay late.”
“Girl,” Cassidy said as the girls at the table giggled. Norah reached for an empty glass and poured a beer from the pitcher before placing it in from of Savannah. She normally wasn’t a beer drinker, but she could withstand it tonight. “First of all, you were working, and it’s not late. It’s like eight. Second, all of our men are down at the other end of town at Horizon’s with the babies in tow. I guarantee you some of them are playing pool with babies strapped to their chests. And the bigger kids are with my mom.”
“Wow,” Savannah mumbled as she reached for her glass of beer. She had been expecting the beer to be bitter but it was surprisingly cool and refreshing. Maybe she could be a beer drinker after all.
“It’s pretty damn hot if I say so myself.” The gaggle of women around the table dutifully agreed.
Soon a man stepped from around the bar and came to stand at the end of their table. He was the same man Savannah had seen exit the large vehicle at Beau’s shop. Up close, she could see that he was incredibly handsome, though he held himself in a way that kept you from getting too close.
He introduced himself to her as the owner of the bar and Savannah noticed, along with herself, that everyone at the table swooned. That light Irish accent was a doozy for their hormones.
He asked the group if they needed anything and Savannah immediately asked for a menu. She had skipped all of her meals that day and her stomach was protesting. It was also a good idea to add some sustenance before she had too much alcohol.
Landon offered her a menu and she quickly perused it, settling on a mushroom and swiss burger. At the same time, the group reordered a pitcher of beer.
Savannah fell into the conversations flowing around her with ease she didn’t know was possible. She had been friends with her roommate, Hilary, since she was little, but there still wasn’t the same comfort level. When Landon dropped off her burger, she barely remembered eating it as she caught up with the girls. Though she recalled it being delicious.
She wasn’t even sure what time it was, but Savannah didn’t really care. She was having such a good time and was afraid for it to end. There was an instant camaraderie between the group that Savannah was delighted to be a part of.
Somewhere off the in the distance, she heard Landon chuckle as he said, “Uh oh, here comes trouble.”
Savannah immediately stiffened and looked around for the quickest escape. She didn’t know what was coming, but she didn’t want to be any part of the trouble. That was what she was trying to avoid.
The door to the bar opened with a whoosh and Savannah felt the air leave her lungs. A gathering of men stood, all of them far too attractive for their own good, and a trio of them had small infants and toddlers strapped to their bodies.
“Jesus,” she heard a woman moan from her perch at the bar. Savannah understood the sentiment.
One by one, each of the men locked eyes with their significant others at the booth where Savannah was seated. It was a bit awkward to be the lone wolf in the crowd. There was no need to linger with the couples. It would be awkward and uncomfortable. Plus, she had an early morning and needed to head back to the house. As Cassidy slid from the bench, Savannah made her quick escape, seeking refuge at the bar in the hopes of closing out her tab.
After asking Landon for her check, she lingered against the wooden countertop, watching in the mirror as her friends nestle against their significant others. A few of them she recognized from her childhood. The sheriff stood out since she had seen him just a few hours prior. And the man with the tattoos wrapping around his arms had a hard stare as he met her gaze. She was immediately petrified, but then he smiled and put her at ease. He was scary and comforting at the same time. And Savannah smiled as he wrapped his arm around the tiny Alexis. Savannah had learned that she was a badass in her own right as an FBI operative.
She couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to find that other half, the perfect match to your soul. It had to feel like finding that diamond in the rough, the four-leaf clover in a field of wildflowers, or the perfect temperature for a relaxing bubble bath.
Savannah signed her name on the paper receipt with a sigh and shoved her copy in her clutch. She turned around to face the group and saying her goodbyes. But as she turned, she came face to face with the man she hadn’t expected to see that night.
“Hi, Savannah.”
She swallowed thickly. Her mouth instantly became parched. Licking her lips, Savannah replied, “Hello, Beau.”
***
He hadn’t expected to find Savannah resting against the counter at the back of the bar. Hell, he hadn’t expected to see Savannah at all. Not that she didn’t fit in. She looked beautiful in her black outfit draped casually beside the interior's dark wood. There was an elegance about her that fit matched the space.