The Player Next Door

It takes me a second to clue in, and when I do, my jaw hangs open. “Steve Dipshit?” I hardly recognize him. He’s put on at least fifty pounds—little of it muscle, based on the belly that stretches his shirt—and his brush cut does nothing to hide the receding hairline.

Beside me, Justine sputters on her beer, trying to muzzle her bark of laughter.

“Uh …” He chuckles, his cheeks flushing. “Just Steve is good.”

I shake my head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean … That slipped out.”

“Don’t worry.” Shane smirks at me. “He probably deserves it.”

“Yeah, probably,” Steve admits sheepishly.

Becca shimmies out of the booth to throw her arms around his neck. “It’s been awhile! How are you? How’s Nicole?”

While they get lost in private conversation, a hulking figure slinks up to our booth, far more quietly than Steve’s arrival. This one, I recognize immediately. Unlike Steve, Dean Fanshaw has not changed all that much, other than growing taller and wider. And so much more attractive.

“Hello there,” Justine hums with appreciation.

Shane’s eyes flash to her—he heard that. “You remember Dean, right, Scarlet?”

“Of course.” I smile up at the blond, brawny guy, as memories of him behind the wheel of his red pickup truck flood back. He’s enormous now, his body rippling with muscle. Almost too much muscle.

“He works with me, over at the fire station.”

Dean smiles shyly as he pushes his wet hair off his face, the subtle move highlighting his thick arms and the ink that decorates one. He always was quiet, compared to the others. No less popular with the girls, though. Especially not with those dimples that rivaled Shane’s. What he lacked for in smarts—he was the walking stereotype of a meathead jock—he more than made up for in a kind disposition. He was always nice to me, to the point that if Shane weren’t blocking my access, I might consider sliding out to give him a hug.

“You guys order yet?” he asks Shane, his voice deep and smooth but familiar. A shiver of nostalgia dances down my spine to happier times that summer we all hung out.

“Nah. We’ll go up to the bar. It’ll be faster. Grab you ladies another one?” Shane pats my thigh beneath the table. It’s a simple gesture, almost an absentminded nudge to complement his question, and yet I feel the pleasant burn of his fingers against my leg.

Justine waggles her half-empty pint in the air. “Beer me. Albatross. Get your cute neighbor one too.”

“You got it.” Casting one last smile and another leg pat my way, he slides out of the booth and heads for the bar, elbowing Steve on the way.

“So, did I hear that right? That guy’s in the calendar?” Justine asks, ogling Dean.

“He’s a firefighter too. I don’t know about that.” Right. The hell if Dean isn’t in a calendar that flaunts Polson Falls’ finest bodies. He’s probably also on the Hunky Hero auction block.

She arches her eyebrows. “You’re getting a copy of that for your house.”

“Uh, hell no. Have you seen those things? The guys all strike awkward, cheesy poses that are not at all natural or attractive. Nobody actually enjoys looking at them.”

“Judgy much? And besides, it’s for the children!” She presses her hands to her chest with mock concern. “How can you deny the children food and warmth and puppies and—”

“I should never have told you about that stupid thing.”

“But you have, and now you must indulge me, your very best friend in the whole world.”

I sigh. “I have a calendar, remember? And it’s for eighteen months.” It’ll carry me through all next year.

“You’d rather sit in your kitchen with a cup of coffee and look at pictures of insects mating than imagine mating with one of those two?” She nods to Shane and Dean who are using their impressive size to cut through the crowd to the bar, turning heads as they go.

What if I said I wanted you?

My stomach flips as Shane’s words replay in my head. I haven’t told Justine yet that I could already be mating with one of them. He’s certainly making it hard for me to remember why I shouldn’t like him. What happens when he reappears with drinks and settles into the booth again? More alcohol mixed with his persistent charm, and my resolve is liable to melt into a puddle. The night could end up very differently than I’d anticipated. Namely, me in Shane’s bed.

Would it really be that bad an idea?

I need to let go of the past, accept his apologies, and give him another shot. What if he has changed? What if we could be happy together, as adults? Of course, there is still the complication of Cody. Maybe I should limit this to one dirty night together for the time being?

I push the illicit thoughts aside before they have time to take root. The truth is, my body is vibrating with excitement now that Shane is here, and if I’m not careful, tonight will shift from a few drinks at the local bar with the girls to a possible life-altering event before I’ve had time to weigh the consequences.