Wild About Her Wingman

by Robin Bielman

  “No problem.”

  “And on—”

  “I’ll read it all in the very detailed note you always leave. Don’t worry, sis, everything will get covered.” He’d always make sure of that. “I’ve got to go.” He kissed his sister, then his mom, on the cheek.

  “Have fun tonight,” Bree said, a twinkle in her eye. She knew. Somehow she knew. He racked his brain trying to think if there was a time when she might have met Erin, but came up empty. More likely, someone had mentioned seeing him and Erin at the Crown & Anchor the other night.

  With a wave over his shoulder, he left through the kitchen door. He sat inside his truck and stared out the windshield before putting his key in the ignition. He’d offered to pick Erin up and drive them to the restaurant together. But if she hit it off with Bryce, he’d have no reason to stick around. Bryce would volunteer to drive her home. Or they’d go back to his place.

  He shook his head to rid it of thoughts of them together and got to her condo ten minutes later. He’d been there one other time, after she’d cut her hand and he’d stopped by to change the bandages, since she was worried about seeing her own blood. He smiled. She’d just moved in after saving enough money to move out of her parents’ house and the place looked like a hurricane had blown through it. Sitting on her kitchen counter in tiny shorts and a tank top, she’d given him her hand and turned her face away. Cute. Sexy. Vulnerable. That last one he suspected no one got to see very often.

  As he was about to knock, the front door swung open before his fist connected. Erin jumped in surprise.

  “You startled me,” she said, then walked around him to take a few steps toward the street. “I was just checking on Rover. I haven’t seen him in a while.”

  “Rover?”

  “My cat.”

  “You have a cat named Rover?” He tried to look over her shoulder but got distracted by the way her jeans hugged her very fine backside.

  She tossed him a quick look. He flicked his attention back to her. “No, I just made that up.”

  “You—” He stopped as she gave him a teasing smile.

  “I’m sure he’s fine.” She turned back around. “I was just hoping to get him inside before we left.”

  “Do you want to wait?” He didn’t know anything about cats. He’d grown up with a German shepherd when really young and a Lab after that.

  Twisting, she bumped right into his chest. His arms instinctively went around her waist. She smelled unbelievable—floral, but with a soft wood scent that was natural. Fresh in a sexy way that made him want to jump into bed and mess up the sheets. And she felt… Christ, she felt soft and delicate pressed against him.

  For a split second she relaxed, her body melted into his. The cool night air wrapped them in a cloak of invisibility, shutting out their surroundings.

  They both stumbled back.

  “Uh, sorry about that. I’ll just run in and grab my bag. Be right back.” She stepped around him and rushed inside.

  Troy wasn’t sorry. Not even a little. He ran a hand through his hair and reminded himself tonight was about Erin and Bryce and two months off grocery duty…

  “All set.” She closed and locked her door. “You okay?” she asked when she reached his side.

  “Yeah. Let’s go.” He opened the passenger door to his truck and watched as she climbed in. Her white shirt rode up her back and showed off tan, smooth skin.

  On the way to the Water Grill, a casual restaurant halfway between Portland and Cascade, her cell rang several times. She apologized, but he shook his head to indicate no worries, and told her he didn’t mind. First had been her pregnant sister, Vanessa. From what he could tell from Erin’s responses, they discussed the details of her latest ultrasound. Next had been her brand-new sister-in-law, Sela, with something about plans for a wedding party early next year, since she and Luke had eloped. But it was the third call that had him sitting at attention.

  “Really? The scale says you’ve lost five pounds, but your pants are getting tighter?” She covered her mouth with her hand like she was trying to stop from laughing.

  “Oh.” She dropped her arm and bit into her bottom lip. “And you ran into Alice today at the dry cleaner’s?”

  Quiet filled the truck cab.

  “She told you what?” Erin pressed the phone into her lap. “I’m going to strangle Alice.” Lifting the phone back to her ear, she listened before saying, “Gotcha!”

  A grin spread across her face while the person on the other end spoke. “Bring it.”

  Then a few seconds later, “Yeah, whatever. Okay, thanks, Will. You have a good night, too.”

  “Why are you going to strangle Alice?” he asked as he exited the freeway.

  Erin rolled her head across the headrest and looked at him. “She told Will about my prank before I was done with him. His wife put him on this really strict diet, but I’ve caught him several times with a candy bar in his mouth so I thought I’d play a trick on him.”

  “Who’s Will?”

  “He’s my boss at COA. Since we’re outside every day and get dirty and whatnot, he always leaves a few change of clothes at work. Well, I’ve been sneaking his pants to Alice—she’s a seamstress and one of my mom’s closest friends—so she can bring in the waist half an inch every time I pass them off to her.”

  “That is brilliant.”

  Her eyes widened. Amazing blue caverns he could easily disappear in. He looked back to the road. “You think so?” she asked.

  “Why do you sound so surprised?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because with your good-boy reputation I’m shocked that you’d condone my devilry.”

  He shrugged. Since Jamie had died and then Jack shortly after, he’d been the perfect grieving boyfriend, the perfect brother, the perfect uncle, the perfect son. It was pretty damn tiring being that guy, who never let anyone down.

  “You ready to do this?” he said, putting the truck in park and turning off the engine.

  She peered at him with quiet intensity he didn’t like one bit before turning and grabbing the door handle. “I am.”

  Normally, he would’ve hurried around the hood of the truck to help her out. But straight off her “good boy” remark, he was feeling a little ornery, and she wasn’t his date tonight, so he didn’t.

  They walked into the Water Grill and the great energy and vibe in the restaurant greeted him.

  “Hey man,” Troy said to James, the manager and a good friend.

  James came out from behind the check-in desk with his arm outstretched. “Dude, it’s great to see you.” They shook hands. “I’ve got a table ready. Bryce is already here. Follow me.”

  Erin shot him an amused look with her eyebrows raised.

  “Helps to have friends in high places,” he said above the din.

  More than one head turned in Erin’s direction, and when Bryce stood upon seeing them, Troy recognized the look of appreciation on his friend’s face.

  Troy introduced them. Bryce held on to Erin’s hand a few extra seconds before pulling out the chair next to him. She smiled and sat, her eyes trained on his blond friend.

  “Troy, man. Your description did not do this gorgeous woman justice.”

  She shot Troy a glare. He took it. He’d told Bryce she was pretty, knowing the second his friend laid eyes on her he’d think her the hottest woman in the room. Why tip him off so he could prepare to lay on the charm more than usual?

  “Thank you,” she said, returning her attention to her date. “I’m equally impressed.”

  At this rate, Troy would be out of here in five minutes.

  He should he happy.

  He was happy.

  A waitress stopped by and asked what they’d like to drink. Bryce ordered a bottle of wine for the table. Troy asked for water.

  “So, Troy tells me you’re a bike lane engineer.”

  Bryce nodded. “Those lanes zigzagging through Portland are my design. It’s the best gig ever and I love getting up and go
ing to work every morning. Next week I leave for Chicago to help a design team there. I’m hoping to head to Paris after that. There’s an opportunity…”

  Troy had no idea Bryce had travel plans, but as his friend continued to talk, it sounded like the trips were short term. Troy pushed up the sleeves of his shirt, relaxed against his chair. This could work.

  Erin had her elbow on the table, her chin cupped in her hand. And by the look on her face, she found Bryce’s work fascinating.

  Score!

  …

  Erin took in Bryce’s attractive face. Dark eyes that really stood out in contrast to his blond hair. High cheekbones, a nice chin. Pleasant smile. When he’d stood to greet her, she’d noted his athletic frame, his confidence. His handshake had been strong. Not that delicate, soft kind men often gave that creeped her out a little bit.

  But ever since they’d sat down, he hadn’t stopped talking about himself. He talked through sips of his wine. He talked through the singing of “Happy Birthday” at the table next to them.

  While he had a pleasant voice, Erin found herself zoning out and her thoughts straying to Troy and his arms around her waist when she’d bumped into him outside her condo. He’d felt so good, she’d half melted against him before her common sense returned. She didn’t like him like that. She’d just been temporarily blindsided by his good looks. Any girl would’ve had the same reaction.

  “…as well as mixed-mode environments.”

  Quiet settled over the table. She refocused on Bryce. He’d stopped talking.

  Because the waitress had stopped to tell them the dinner specials. He must be hungry. He shot Troy a look that she couldn’t decipher.

  “I should probably let you two have dinner alone,” Troy said. He started to stand.

  Without thinking, Erin pressed her hand to his thigh to keep him right where he was. “Don’t be silly. You drove all this way, you should stay and eat, too.”

  “I should?” Surprise and indecision were etched around his eyes.

  “Please,” she said, not lifting her hand. Bryce seemed nice enough, but there were no sparks. No flutters. She’d give him a chance, but would rather have Troy at her side when she did it.

  “Uh, well, they do serve a mean fettucine Bolognese.”

  “I love fettucine Bolognese.” She glanced up at the waitress. “I’ll have that, too, please. Bryce?”

  Bryce looked a little flummoxed. “The eggplant Parmesan.”

  Troy leaned over so his breath tickled the side of her neck. “He’s a vegetarian,” he whispered.

  Erin lifted her shoulder to her ear.

  “And while my leg is quite happy to hold your hand, I got the message.”

  She discreetly pulled her arm back and hoped her cheeks weren’t turning red. Troy made her forget herself. He scattered her brain cells in a most uninvited way.

  It was time to focus her attention on her date, Bryan. Bryce. She meant Bryce. “So, Bryce. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?”

  One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Troy told me you were adventurous. I like that. Let’s see, over the summer I biked down Haleakala. It was fantastic. Last spring I biked the Porcupine Rim mountain trail in Moab. The view and scenery were unbelievable. Two years ago I biked Baseline Mountain in Canada. Steep and rocky as hell. But a real rush.”

  Erin waited for him to ask what the scariest thing was she’d ever done, but he didn’t.

  “Biking’s my passion.” He swirled the wine in his glass. “You like to ride? I’d love to take you on one of my favorite trails sometime.”

  “Sure,” Erin said, but in her head she was thinking, Probably not.

  The smell of garlic wafted to her nose as a waiter passed with a tray. She wished their food would hurry so they could eat and then Troy could take her home. She had a ton of homework to catch up on this weekend and needed a full eight hours’ sleep so she wasn’t tired tomorrow. Ah, the glamorous life of a grad student.

  And part of the reason she wasn’t too disappointed that Bryce stirred zero interest from her.

  “Actually, Portland Parks and Recreation has asked me to…” Bryce talked more about himself and his work. He did laugh at himself a time or two, and she found that nice, but not nice enough. He’d make some girl really happy. It just wasn’t her.

  During dinner, Troy steered the conversation to sports and she found herself relaxing. Plus, Troy had been right. The fettucine Bolognese was delicious and with each bite a burst of rich meaty flavor slid down her throat.

  When they were through, she declined dessert. The check came and she insisted on paying her share. Both men refused her money and split the bill.

  They walked out of the restaurant. She thanked Bryce, wished him luck with his job and his travels, and strode to Troy’s truck without a glance back.

  Troy caught up to her a minute later and opened the passenger door. “Thank you,” she said.

  “Bryce said he’d like to go out with you again. Just the two of you.”

  Erin clicked her seat belt and turned to find Troy standing a little too close to her seat. “He was nice, but I don’t think so.”

  “I never realized how much he likes to talk about himself. Sorry about that.”

  She laughed. “Maybe he saves it for the ladies, which is why he doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

  “Could be.” He stayed rooted to his spot.

  “Troy?”

  He blinked. “You busy tomorrow night? I feel like I owe you for this mistake. We can just wing it at a bar? There’s a cool place in Beaver Creek I can take you to.”

  “You want to be my wingman tomorrow night?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. You’re on.”

  …

  “We need a word,” Erin said from the passenger seat of Troy’s truck the next night.

  “A word?”

  “Yeah, you know, something to signal if I want out of a conversation with a guy or if the guy is a total douche bag. Not that I can’t handle things myself, but since I’ve got you, I may as well use you.” She gave him a tight-lipped smile and batted her eyelashes.

  “How about booty?” Okay, so he couldn’t get rid of the picture of her butt in her jeans for a second night in a row out of his head. He exited the highway and made a right, the bar a couple of miles down the road.

  She shifted so her side leaned against the seat. “That won’t be noticeable or anything.”

  “Oh, you mean a covert word.” He grinned and placed his arm along the backrest of the seat, his fingers close enough to touch her shoulder if this were a real date between them.

  “Let’s go for something typical. How about beer?”

  “Too common for a bar. How about earthquake?”

  Erin wiggled her nose, trying to suppress a smile, he guessed. “That might work. What about rock climbing? I could say ‘I like to go rock climbing’ and that would be your cue.”

  He hesitated, Erin’s word choice making his throat tight. “Okay. Here’s to rock climbing.” Pulling his arm back, he turned into the parking lot. “Or rather, here’s to not rock climbing.”

  She looked out the windshield. “Here’s to finding the right guy.”

  They pushed through the large wood door of the sports bar and Troy led Erin to an empty table near the back of the room. People danced even though there wasn’t a dance floor. Voices were loud. Music sultry. The bar packed. He pulled out her chair. The smell of beer and fried food filled the place and he looked around before he sat across from her. Definitely a few prospects here.

  Erin put her elbows on the table and bent forward. The move gave him a great view down the V-neck of her shirt where he caught a glimpse of white lace. “This place is great,” she said.

  He’d been trying not to look there, dammit.

  “I’m glad you like it. Most of the people are twentysomethings with good jobs and on the hunt for more than just a hookup. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

  “I t
hought you’d been here before.”

  “No. Friends have, though.”

  A waitress stopped and took their drink order. Troy searched around again and found a few guys checking Erin out. Figuring that if he left her alone for a few minutes, someone might make a move, he stood. “I’m going to go to the bar and grab us a couple of ice waters.” And why not work it from his end too? “See anyone I should talk to?”

  Her gaze moved to the bar. Already she had someone’s full-on attention and she smiled in return. “Sure do.”

  The instant attraction shouldn’t surprise him. Erin was gorgeous. And she had that something, that aura of friendliness and a lack of inhibition. Her aura said fun and free, so what had he expected? Not the unwelcome jealousy simmering in his gut.

  He nodded his comprehension and scanned the room for his own distraction as he walked away.

  Before he had a chance to say anything to the interested man, the guy slid off his barstool, said, “Mind?” as they scraped shoulders in passing, and at Troy’s “nope” continued until he landed in the chair next to Erin.

  Troy’s body bumped the side of the bar without restraint. “Can I get two waters?”

  He’d give Erin a minute before he headed back. His sister had once told him that a girl knew in the first thirty seconds if a guy was worth her time.

  “Hi, Troy!”

  He turned to find Candace Brewer sidling up next to him. Candace, or Candy as she liked to be called, was Judge Brewer’s granddaughter and seemed nice enough the few times he’d run into her around town.

  “Hey, Candy.”

  “Off duty tonight I see. You look good. I don’t see you often enough without your uniform on.” She wedged herself between him and the dude sitting on a stool nursing a mixed drink.

  Was that a line? “Yeah. I don’t get out much.”

  “Really? Then I insist you let me show you a good time tonight.” She played with the neckline of her dress and definitely flirted with her eyes, but Troy wasn’t the least bit interested.

  “Actually I’m here with someone.”

  “Oh, gosh. I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.”