On their own accord, my gaze swings to Laken to find her watching me. “Hi.” She raises her hand in an awkward wave.
“Laken,” I greet her. Her hazel eyes smile at me, and something happens—I feel a lightness in my chest. Something I haven’t felt in years, not since that night.
“Hey, Grayson.” Lenora smiles.
“Hey, Leni. Visiting long?” I ask. She moved away after high school.
“Actually, I’m home. Just got back today.”
“Really? Well, welcome home.” Her facial expression tells me she wants to say something else, but she doesn’t.
“Have the girls been working on their story?” Laken asks, her face turning a light shade of pink.
I laugh. “You’ve created literary monsters,” I tell her. “They made sure to tell my parents they had a story for them when I dropped them off earlier tonight.”
“They’re great kids.” She turns to look at Lenora. “They’re four, so they would get along with Trace.”
“Your son?” I ask Lenora. I knew she had a kid, but that’s about the extent of my memory where that’s concerned.
“Yeah. He starts kindergarten in the fall.”
“My twins are a year behind him.”
“We should do a play date.”
“Sure.” I shrug. “The girls would love that.” Lenora nods, and our conversation lulls. I’m trying really hard not to stare at Laken. Her long red hair hangs down her back with a slight wave tonight, and it’s sexy. I shake out of my thoughts. It’s been a long damn time since a thought in regard to a woman being sexy has crossed my mind. It has to be the way she’s good to my girls. It’s got me off-kilter.
“Ready?” Tucker asks.
“Yeah. See you, ladies, later.” I wave and follow Tucker to the bar.
“Which one?” he asks after ordering the girls’ entire table another round of beers, shots, and five bottles of water.
“What do you mean?”
“Which sister is yours?”
“Um… neither of them.” I don’t know what gave him the idea that either of them was mine. I know he’s not a Mason Creek native, but he’s been around for a few years now.
“Huh,” he says, handing over his credit card to pay.
“What do you mean, huh?”
“Just seemed like there might be some interest there.”
“Nope,” I say, popping the p.
“You sure about that?” he asks, turning his back to the bar, resting his elbows on the ledge.
“Yes.”
“Maybe you should tell her that.” He gives a subtle nod toward where the girls are sitting. Unable to stop it, I mirror his position, resting my elbows casually on the bar as well, and my eyes connect with hers.
Laken.
She turns away quickly, but I caught her. I didn’t get a good read on her facial expression, but it was obvious she was observing me. I watch her as Justine leans in close, and then her sister does the same from the other side. Laken shakes her head, and I am curious as hell as to what they’re talking about.
“Looks like it’s the younger sister,” Tucker comments.
“Nah. The only females I’m giving attention to these days are my four-year-old daughters.”
“As you should be, but let me tell you, brother, she wouldn’t want you to be lonely.” Before I can utter a rebuttal, he’s telling me to pick up one of the two trays of drinks and walks away.
Grabbing the tray of drinks, I follow after him. I make it to the table and pass out the shots, one for each of them. “You ladies have rides home?” I ask them as they reach for their shots.
“This one.” Justine smiles at Tucker as he presses a kiss to her cheek before handing her a bottle of water.
“Grady.” Charlotte smiles, holding her shot glass up in salute before tossing it back.
“Liv?” I question. She knows what I’m asking without me having to say the words.
“Yeah, Grady and Charlotte are taking me home.” She closes her eyes and tilts her head back, taking the shot like a pro.
“Good.” I nod. “What about the two of you?” I turn my attention to the Abbott sisters.
“Laken drove,” Lenora says as she quickly grabs her shot and tilts it back, just like the others have.
“Laken?”
“Uh… we’ll walk.” She shrugs, grabs her shot, and shoots it back.
“You girls behave,” Tucker says after setting a fresh beer in front of each of them and walking away.
Looking down at my tray that holds two bottles of water, I’m ready to hand them to the girls, but I know they’re already too far gone. Even if they switch to water now, there is no way that any of them are driving home.
Over the next few hours, the guys and I shoot the shit, all while keeping an eye on their table. When the clock strikes midnight, I yawn, which makes me feel much older than my thirty years. It’s been ages since I’ve been out this late. Unless it’s one of the girls up sick or with a nightmare, I’m usually in bed exhausted by this hour.