“You know what?” I say, opening my door. “Let’s do that.”
Nineteen
Hadley
“People get here this early?” I pause outside the door of Crave and take in the cars lining the street. “I guess I thought this was a late-night thing.”
“Machlan has a good thing going here.”
“Lots of drinkers in town, huh?”
“Believe it or not, people come in and don’t drink alcohol.”
“Really?” I flip my attention to my brother. “Why?”
Cross shrugs. “I guess they just like the atmosphere. Everyone in town filters through here at some point during the weekend. Hell, Machlan makes more here than I do at both my gyms.”
“Are you serious?”
“He’d never admit it, but yeah. I’d bet that’s true.”
This sparks a moment of pride in me. It’s not about the money because I know Machlan doesn’t care about that. But that he took something he enjoys, something I’m just realizing means something entirely more to him than I would’ve ever guessed and made it a success.
That makes me happy for him.
A roar of laughter ekes through the closed door. The windows are blacked out, so I can’t see in, but if I weren’t already curious, I would be now.
“There’s a bar in Vigo,” I say. “It’s a great place to go until it gets dark out. Then all hell breaks loose, and it becomes a shit show.”
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t happen here. Machlan doesn’t hesitate to toss people out on their ass.”
Stepping to the side to let a couple pass, I look at my brother. “Think he’ll toss me out?”
“He’ll have to get through me.”
“So think he’ll toss me out?” I repeat with a laugh.
Cross shakes his head and reaches for the door. “You act like it’s a given he’d win.”
“Because he would.”
“Have you even considered that I’m an actual fighter? Like I’ve been in sanctioned boxing matches. I own two gyms. I train people how to fight.”
“And Machlan would kick your ass.” I laugh. “But I still love you, and I’ll always lie in front of Kallie about that.”
“I …” He holds a hand on his heart and yanks open the door. “I’m hurt.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
It takes a couple of seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. The salty scent of the bar mixed with the perspiration from the throngs of people already dancing hit me quick and hard.
Blowing out a breath, I give myself a moment to adjust. The place is hopping in a very controlled manner. It’s not what I was expecting even though I don’t really know what I was expecting.
Cross touches my shoulder and nudges me to move as a crowd of people come in behind us. I take a few steps before my feet falter.
Machlan is behind the bar. Dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt that hugs his body like it was made just to show off his muscles, he’s hard to look away from. The colorful tattoos on his right arm peek out from under the sleeve of the shirt while his hair does the same from beneath a plain black baseball hat that’s turned around backward.
I’m nudged forward again. My heartbeat picks up as I get closer, knowing he hasn’t seen me yet. A part of me wants to fade into the background and just watch him from a distance. Another side of me wants to climb him like a damn tree. Thank God for the rational side that tells me to breathe, smile, and let things be.
“Well, lookie there,” Peck says. He scoots over one stool and pats the one he just vacated. His eyes light up like a bright summer sky. “What’s happening?”
“Not much. What about you?” I ask.
“Oh, just having a beer. Watching the game,” he says, nodding his head toward the television above the beer cooler. “Also, kinda trying to flirt with the new bartender.” His face scrunches together as though he’s embarrassed.
I sit down beside him. “Yes! She’s super pretty and seems really nice. I love her for you.”
“Settle down,” Cross says. “He didn’t say he was marrying her.”
I press my elbow backward, and it lands in my brother’s stomach. “You stay out of this.” Taking a quick check down the bar to see Machlan’s gone, I look instead at Peck. “Navie, huh? Much, much better than Molly. I approve.”
“Now, let’s not go hating on my girl. I’m still marrying Molly someday,” he says. “I’m just testing out my flirting skills on Navie. I don’t think she minds.”
He gives me the cutest smile, the one I think of when I think of Peck. It’s adorable with a hint of disobedience that makes you want to hug him and hit him at the same time. It’s pretty charming, actually.
“No, I bet she doesn’t,” I say. “I …”
My cheeks flush as my gaze finds Machlan’s. He seems oblivious to the guy he’s handing a beer to. His chin is dipped ever so slightly as he narrows his eyes as though he’s unsure if he’s seeing things—meaning me—correctly.