Rock Bottom (Dawson Family 6)

“So there’s not a serial killer on the loose?”

“Oh, I’m sure there are tons.” I give a one-shoulder shrug. “Anyone in here could be one. I could be one.” I lean back. “You could be one.”

Dean holds up his hands. “Busted. It’s not until I’ve bound and gagged my victims until they figure it out.”

“I’m a fast learner.”

“I can tell.” He laughs and I pick up my drink. “You have two brothers then?”

“Three older brothers. Made growing up fun.”

Dean’s eyes light up, and that cocky air is gone again, and it’s like the real guy is showing through. “I have three brothers too. And one younger sister.”

“She’s the youngest?”

“Yep.”

“I thought having three brothers was awful.” I recoil and make Dean laugh.

“We gave her hell growing up, but we get along well now.”

“Same with me. Mason—the detective—is only like a year older than me, and we did not get along when we were kids. But we’re all close now, though we all moved away from Silv—Silver Mapletown.”

I internally wince. My poker face isn’t what it used to be, and when Lennon and I would go out pretending to be British sisters, we had a hashed-out backstory.

Why the fuck did I have to go with Canada? I’ve only been there once, and it was ten years ago. I need to be better prepared next time.

“I miss them,” I go on, unable to shut my damn mouth. “But I’m not that far and I’m sure we’ll all get together for holidays, which is nice and all, but it’s not Friday-night dinner. At my parents’ house, I mean. We all go to dinner. On Friday night.”

I bring my drink to my mouth, making myself stop talking.

“My parents still do Sunday-night dinner,” Dean says softly, almost as if it’s to himself. He looks away, lets out a slow breath, and turns back. Smug Dean is back, and damn, that smirk is doing bad things to me.

I suck down another mouthful of the Long Island, forgetting how strong these things are, and make a face. I set it down and trade it for my water.

There’s a lull in our conversation now, and these things can easily turn into sand traps for me. Yet I feel comfortable around Dean, which is silly since I just met him.

“Have you lived in Eastwood long?” I ask, stirring my drink with the straw.

“My whole life.”

“And you never wanted to leave?”

“Oh, I did,” he tells me. “When I was younger all I could think about was getting out of this town.”

“What changed?”

“I went away for college and realized how much I looked forward to coming home. And it wasn’t just a house that was home, but the people in the house. It’s lame, I know.”

I smile, knowing exactly what he means. People can be home. “I don’t think it’s lame. You could have the best house in the world but if you came home alone, what’s the point, right?”

“Yeah. My friends and family are all here.” He shrugs. “It’s home.”

“I’m really liking it so far.”

“That’s good to hear. You’ll like it better in a month or two when the weather finally turns.”

“Yes, I am very much looking forward to being able to wear sundresses again.” I motion to my short hemline. “And not freeze.”

“You look good, if that helps.”

“It does. Though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to getting under my heated blanket in the near future.”

“That does sound nice on a night like tonight.”

“Yeah,” I agree, not realizing that I’ve been messing with my necklace with my other hand, running my fingers over the little moon charm that hangs right above my breasts. I let it fall to my chest, and the metal, warm from my hand, feels good on my skin. Dean is looking me over again, and acting like I don’t notice, I lean back, stretching my long legs out.

And then I let myself look Dean over.

He’s tall, taller than me in these heels and is probably several inches over six feet. His hair is effortlessly pushed back, messy yet sexy, and his eyes are intense and hypnotizing at the same time. He’s simply dressed in dark jeans with a leather belt, and a gray Henley shirt. He looks firm and muscular through his clothes, and my body begs me to reach out and see if he feels as good as he looks.

I look up and see Jane, who I’d honestly forgotten about. Sitting here talking with Dean made the rest of the world stop turning, and it shocks me how much he sucked me in.

“Want to play darts?” I blurt when I think Jane has spotted me.

“Sure. You any good?”

“You’ll have to find out.” I wiggle my eyebrows and hop off the stool, feeling the alcohol hit me as soon as I stand up. I take a small sip of the Long Island and bring it with me.