stepped onto the cobblestone patio, he felt lighter. A warm breeze rippled his T-shirt, and across the back lawn, lightning bugs were starting to appear in the dusky twilight.
He inhaled deeply, letting the scent of honeysuckle drift across his nostrils. Man, did he love it here in his small town with his friends, his life and his job. Living in a place like Houston? Definitely not for him.
“Hey, Wes,” Ellie said as she walked over.
To his surprise she hugged him, tucking her head underneath his chin and squeezing tight. Any hugging that went on between them was always at his instigation and not without a lot of blushing on her part.
“Hey, what was that for?” he asked as she pulled away.
She smiled sweetly up at him. “You just looked like you needed it.”
His heart soared a bit higher. He knew it took a lot for Ellie to instigate any kind of intimacy with anyone except Jake. It made him pull her into his arms and give her another big hug. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and gently squeezed her.
“Thanks, sweetness. As a matter of fact, I always need a hug from a beautiful woman.”
She blushed and ducked her head.
“Get the hell away from him,” Jake grumbled. “His charm is highly overrated.”
“Says you,” Ellie said with a wink in Wes’s direction. “You’re a man. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Lord, I hope not,” Jake said with a laugh. “The day I start understanding the sex appeal of another man, well, that’s the day to put me in a pine box and call it good. I much prefer to concentrate on the sex appeal of a certain sexy little brunette.”
Ellie’s cheeks turned a darker shade of pink, but her eyes lit up with such joy and happiness that Wes couldn’t help but smile. It reminded him too much of the way Payton had looked at him.
Gracie walked back outside with a pile of plates and a handful of utensils. Wes moved to help her, and she happily unloaded them on him.
They worked together to set the patio table and Gracie hurried back in for glasses and the tea pitcher. Five minutes later, they were all kicked back watching the deepening twilight and enjoying amiable conversation.
The sounds of crickets and tree frogs filled the air. In short, it was a perfect evening. The first stars were starting to pop in the sky, and in the distance an almost full moon peeked over the horizon.
Luke dished up the steaks while Gracie poured tea and replenished beer cans. When they all sat, Gracie raised her tea glass.
“To a perfect evening with good friends, those here and those who couldn’t be with us.”
“Hear, hear,” Luke said as he raised his beer.
Wes raised his beer in salute as Jake and Ellie raised their drinks as well.
This was what he didn’t want to change. Ever. The idea positively depressed him. But then so did the idea of not seeing Payton again. She’d blown him off, not the other way around. And he damn sure wasn’t going to go chasing after her ass.
His cell phone rang, interrupting a bite of steak on its way to his mouth. With a sigh, he set his fork down. He hoped to hell it wasn’t a call in to work.
When he looked at the LCD, his heart stepped up a few beats. Payton. But why call now? Friday night, when they had no hope of weekend plans.
He flipped it open and slapped the phone to his ear. “Hello,” he said curtly.
“Wes, hi, it’s Payton.”
When he didn’t respond, she continued on.
“I, uh, thought I’d drive up tomorrow. I’d like to see you if you’re free.”
“I’m not.”
“Oh. I see.”
“Sorry, I have to work,” he said, mentally cursing himself for A. lying, and B. feeling the need to soften the refusal with an excuse. It should have been enough to just simply refuse.
“Too bad,” she said with a sigh. Was that regret he heard in her voice? The thought of that irritated him further. She had all damn week to line out weekend plans with him if she was so damn set on seeing him. “I had some unexpected—”
“Look, this isn’t a good time,” he cut in before she could continue. It sounded rude, but he damn sure wasn’t going to pretend he wasn’t annoyed as hell.
“Sorry to have bothered you,” she said softly before a click sounded in his ear.
He closed the phone and let it slide down his chest before he shoved it back into his jeans pocket. He avoided the stares of the others and resumed eating.
He heard Gracie curse softly under her breath, but he refused to look up. The steak that had tasted so damn good just moments before now tasted like a giant turd.
They ate in silence. No one seemed willing to break it with conversation. When they’d finished, Gracie got up and began clearing the plates. When Wes stood and offered to help, Ellie stuck a hand out. “We’ll get it. You guys enjoy the evening and a beer.”
He sank into his chair and leaned back, staring up at the sky. He heard the girls go in and shut the door. Then he mentally counted to three. Sure enough, about the time he said three, Luke cleared his throat.
Wes righted his head and looked over at Luke. “Gracie ratted me out, didn’t she.”
Luke’s body jerked with muffled laughter. “Yeah, she did. I held out on her until she caved.”
“Bastard,” Wes muttered.
“It doesn’t take a fucking genius to see you’re miserable,” Jake pointed out. “The question is what are you going to do about it?”
Wes sighed. “It’s complicated.”
Luke arched an eyebrow. “Judging by the brush-off you just gave her, I’d say it’s not too complicated now. She’d have to be awfully thick not to get it after that conversation.”
Wes closed his eyes. “It’s twisted, I know.”
“Try me,” Jake said dryly. “I know a thing or two about twisted. Twisted described every aspect of my feelings for Ellie until the time we got together. Hell, the woman still manages to tie me in knots.”
“That’s me,” Wes said morosely. “Tied up in one big fucking knot. I don’t know my head from my ass anymore.”
“So why the brush-off?” Luke asked.
“It sounds stupid. I don’t want my life to change. I want to be with her, but I only want it on my terms. And she doesn’t seem to have any interest in me beyond a good fuck.”
Luke and Jake exchanged amused glances.