by Drea Stein
Jax nodded and stepped over to the drafting table, looking at Jake’s plans. “These for the Showhouse?”
Jake nodded. “Mrs. Sampson likes the idea in theory. She warned me that there’s a long road ahead, but I could see her mind working. She told me that the more pictures the better, and that I’d better be ready to present to the council next month for some preliminary approval. In the meantime, she did give me permission to go in and do a full inspection to get a sense of the place.”
“Good, no more breaking and entering.”
Jax pulled one of the sketches toward him. Jake almost stopped him but Jax was too quick.
“Showhouse or Colleen McShane?” Jax said, chuckling. “Man, you’ve got it bad.”
“Shut up,” Jake said darkly. He didn’t need the obvious pointed out.
“Have you had this obsession since she dumped you or just since she came back into town?”
Jake walked over to the window, ran a hand through his hair. Jax was his best friend. There was no bullshitting him.
“Both, I guess. Let’s just say she’s a hard girl to forget.”
“That’s an understatement, judging by the number of pictures you’ve drawn of her. It’s a little creepy, if you ask me.”
“What?” he turned to Jax.
“It’s like some sort of weird stalking thing.”
“I am not stalking her. We talk.”
Jax raised a blonde eyebrow.
“Sometimes I think she likes me, but every time I get close, she pushes me away. I don’t know,” Jake confessed.
“Maybe there’s someone else.”
Jake shook his head. “No, she said there isn’t, but she said that it’s complicated.”
“Always is. You know, it’s softball night. We’re playing North Coast. They beat us last time, so in order to keep the family honor I thought we’d bring the big guns to bear.”
“Softball?”
“I can’t let Chase win again,” Jax was begging.
Chase was Jackson’s brother and the owner of North Coast Outfitters. The softball rivalry between the two and their companies was legendary.
“So?”
“Lynn’s umpiring.”
Lynn was Jackson’s pregnant wife. She wanted to play, but despite her protests that she was fine, he insisted that she only play umpire.
“And I heard Tory tell Lynn that afterward everyone is heading to Quent’s for a few beers. Pretty certain Colleen will be there. Maybe you just need to keep showing up.”
“Isn’t that stalker-ish?”
“Well, my sources say that the chemistry between you two could light up the streetlights in town.”
“Sources?”
“Ellie mentioned something to Tory, Tory said something to Lynn, and Lynn told me. Something about Ellie almost walking in on you guys the other day.”
“More of those mixed signals,” Jake said.
“Well, maybe give her one more chance. Then after she shoots you down one more time, you can get back to work and stay focused there,” Jax said, tossing the sketches back down.
Chapter 21
The pub seemed unusually quiet tonight, just one middle-aged couple at the bar, and only a few of the tables filled. Lydia and Ellie were here of course, but she thought of them as friends, rather than customers. Colleen wasn’t too worried about the size of her tip jar. It was softball team night, and, win or lose, they usually came to Quent’s to relive the game.
The place would soon be hopping, the energy amped up. Spring was definitely in the air, summer not far behind. The time had come to remind people of that, to have them thinking about fireflies, warm summer nights, and the sun blazing on the sand. She’d created a special cocktail just for it, using her favorite lavender lemonade as the base.
She had control of the playlist and had selected a round-up of summer hits of the past, just to put everyone in a good mood. The door opened, bringing in a gust of evening air and more customers.
“Here’s my working girl.”
She looked up, and tried to hide her annoyance. Chino Charlie came swaggering in, and he had a friend with him who was also giving her a long, slow once over. Everything in her screamed to tell him to get out, but this wasn’t her bar, and he was a customer, a paying one, who so far hadn’t done anything wrong. Still, she knew that if he gave her trouble, Quent would back her up. Quent was talking to Ellie and a little bit oblivious to what was going on, which was a good thing. He wasn’t always the best at customer relations. Then again, he didn’t have to be, since booze usually sold itself.
Charlie and his buddy sat down at the far end of the bar, and she could tell that they had already been drinking. Their faces were flushed, and the slight staggers and disjointed gazes reinforced Colleen’s deduction. It was a public place, she reminded herself, and she had plenty of support. Nothing would happen. Still, she had to fight to keep her expression calm and friendly as she felt their stares undo her confidence.
Charlie slapped his friend on the back, tipped his head toward Colleen and said, loudly enough for the whole bar to hear, “Told you she was worth the walk.”
“Hiya, hot thing,” he said directly to her.
Colleen ignored him and kept wiping down the counter. Her creep-o-meter was definitely going up. They hadn’t done anything. Yet.
“We’ll have two bourbons, neat,” Charlie said, his tone already a little less friendly, more suggestive as he realized that he was being ignored.
“Whoa, hitting it a little hard, Charlie, aren’t you?” his friend said, but Charlie shrugged.
“Hell of a day at work. Good thing the sexy bartender is here to listen to our tales of woe, right?”
“Hey, Colleen, can I get another?” Ellie called her over politely, and Colleen was grateful for the diversion. Quent had disappeared into the back, and Ellie was warily watching the two guys. Colleen was pretty sure Ellie had heard everything they’d said.
“Take your time, getting my refill. Hasn’t he been here before?”
Before Colleen could say anything, Lydia chimed in, “He was at the shop earlier today too.”
“That’s more than a little upsetting. You should let Quent know.” Ellie’s voice had an edge of concern in it.
Colleen shook her head. “He’ll get angry. Besides, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with overeager customers. They get the picture. Eventually.”
Ellie looked unsure, but didn’t say anything. The bar was starting to fill up, people coming in to watch the baseball game, and now she saw the first of the softball teams were filing in.
There was safety in crowds, and she’d be too busy to have to pay too much attention to Charlie and his friend. She glanced at the uniforms. Queensbay Construction and North Coast Outfitters. She sighed and it figured that it had to be Jake’s team. He wasn’t here yet, so maybe that meant he hadn’t played, and she would be spared the double complication of Charlie and Jake together in one place. She recognized a few faces. Tory Somers for one, who gave her a nod and held up two fingers for the number of pitchers she needed as she walked over to Ellie and gave her a hug.
“Who won?” Ellie asked.
“We didn’t,” Tory said in disgust. “Jackson decided to play, and it was all over.”
Colleen listened to them chat about the game as she filled the two pitchers all the while aware that Charlie’s eyes were boring into her, watching her every move. Intense had just been upped a notch. She knew she would have to deal with Charlie soon, but she still wasn’t quite sure how to do it.
“Hey Mama,” said a tall man wearing cowboy boots, dark jeans, and a button-down shirt. He came over, pecked Ellie on the cheek, and pulled Tory to him. Colleen noticed the way both of them lit up in his presence and pushed down the wave of sadness that suddenly welled up. It had been a long time since a man had lit up when she was around.
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll put it on the company account. We lost fair and square,” Tory said with a sigh
as Colby tried to lay some money down on the bar.
Colleen filled more pitchers and made a note that she would have to ask Quent how to handle company accounts when he returned from dealing with the walk-in freezer. That and a hundred other little things kept her occupied as the night wore on and more people came in. Colleen felt good. There was an energy in here that not even Charlie’s stares could dispel. But Colleen was grateful that Ellie stayed at the bar, nursing a white wine while she chatted easily with Colleen and Lydia, Tory and her son Colby, keeping her for the most part out of Charlie’s orbit.
She was pouring a club soda for Eleanor and closing out the softball team’s tab when she felt it. It wasn’t so much the gust of fresh that came in as a shift of attention. People called his name, and eyes went toward him, including her own. Jake caught Colleen’s attention, and he gave her a long, slow, meaningful look that reminded her that the last time they had been together, they had almost kissed. She had wanted it, wanted him.
Looking away quickly, she drew her attention back to the bar, surveying her customers. Ellie was fine, chatting with Colby and Tory, sipping her club soda and nibbling on a potato wedge. Lydia was talking to a couple of guys from the softball team, who looked like they were doing their best to impress her.
The rest of the softball teams, what was left of them, were rowdy and buoyant, but judging by the number of sodas at the tables, they had already sorted out who the designated drivers were. Then there was the middle-aged couple at the bar, she two drinks in, him one, and sharing a plate of calamari. The guy seemed like a good tipper, so Colleen asked if they wanted a refill, but he shook his head and his wife beamed at him. Happy and temperate, she thought, and didn’t worry about them.
A few other tables were scattered around but no one had ordered too much. A nice, respectable evening had shaped up, except for Chino Charlie and his pal. They were both watching her. She had replaced their beers with bourbons because they were customers, and so far they had done nothing to cause her to cut them off. But Quent’s Pub was not an all-night kind of place.
“Last call soon,” she said as she pulled a few empties off the bar. She set out two glasses of water and filled them up to make her point, slid them over to Chino Charlie and his friend.
“Doesn’t seem to be quieting down,” Charlie said, his eyes more than a little glassy.
“Still, it’s almost closing time,” she said, sweeping some empties off of the bar and into the sink. Other patrons were getting the hint, reaching for their checks or their wallet. She went out onto the floor, passing right by Charlie and his friend.
“You know, you remind me of a girl I used to know. Works up at a place on the highway. That isn’t your other job, is it?” Charlie’s voice carried across during a sudden lull in the music.
His friend laughed. Colleen paused. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew exactly which kind of place they were referring to.
“Sorry, you must be thinking about someone else,” she answered without turning around.
“I don’t know,” Charlie said. “I can almost see you there, dancing, or maybe you’d just do a private show for me? I am sure I could make it worth your while? Better than working for shitty tips in dives like this.”
Before she knew it, Charlie had her arm and was pulling her closer. His eyes were glassy, his breath fumy, and his lips wet, his tongue running over them in anticipation.
She looked down at his hand on her arm and then up at him, trying to stay steady. She couldn’t let him see her rattled. It would only make it worse, goad him on.
“Hey Charlie, leave the lady alone,” his friend, who was a fraction less drunk, said, his good sense starting to take over.
“I don’t think she’s much of a lady, not if she’s working here.”
“Do you kiss your wife with a mouth like that?” was all Colleen could think of to say.
“My wife’s a frigid bitch, that’s why I need to find hot stuff like you.”
She was dimly aware that Ellie was calling her from the other end of the bar.
“Sorry, I’ve got to take care of another customer,” she said, pulling her arm away.
She walked over to Ellie, trying to smile but she saw that the older woman had seen everything, knew pretty much exactly what was going on.
“Thanks,” she said as she cleared some glasses.
“Anytime. Some guys can be such jerks.”
“Is there a problem here?” Quent was there, his arms folded across his chest.
Colleen shot Ellie a look. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Colleen didn’t want Quent to know what was going on. She didn’t want the boss to think she couldn’t handle herself.
“Take a break, luv,” Quent said. “Get some fresh air or get off your feet.”
Colleen almost nodded, but just shook her head instead. “I’m fine. Let’s get this place cleaned up so we can all go home.”
She turned, intent on a couple of empty pitchers at a table across the floor, but all of sudden he was there.
“I’ve been waiting all night for you, dear,” Jake said, a huge grin on his face as he swept her up in a bear hug. She froze stiff, not sure what had happened, as he set her down, leaned in, and kissed her.
She was on the spot, frozen, not half an arm’s length away from Charlie, kissing Jake Owen in front of a bar full of people. Everyone was watching, and she was fighting the urge to not slip into his arms, let him take her away from all of this.
He whispered in her ear, barely heard above the din of the bar and the pounding of her heart. “Kiss me back. Otherwise he won’t get the point.”
His lips came down on hers again and her brain got it. Her lips parted and they kissed, his touch insistent, possessive, and full of show. His arm was around her, pulling her close and she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach him. The other hand held her cheek; it was rough and warm, and the touch as he brushed her hair back was just enough to make her body shudder.
She pulled away finally, feeling her heart thudding, wondering just what the hell had happened. They had garnered more than a few stares, including Ellie, who was looking at her approvingly. She could feel the anger from behind her, but Jake spun her around, his arm draped over her shoulders. “I’ll take you home when you get off,” he said loudly enough, just an edge of possessiveness directed toward Charlie and his friend.
Charlie was glaring at them, his eyes narrowed. He got up, drew himself up to his full height, and took a step toward Jake. Then he reconsidered, taking in all six foot three of Jake’s solidly muscled, ex-quarterback body, which Colleen felt herself nestled against. The arms of steel, the muscled chest—she could even feel them through the shirt he wore. She’d always been into guys who were slimmer, slighter, more elegant, but there was something to say about being enveloped by strength. Then she shook her head and made to move away. But Jake held her firmly there and whispered again, “Stay still, he’s about to get the point.”
She wanted to scream that she didn’t need his protection, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Quent moving down the bar, his own thickly muscled arms bulging, a look of disgust on his face. Behind her, she was aware that the bar had quieted down as if everyone was sensing a fight. Colby had slipped up behind Jake and the other members of the softball team had arrayed themselves in a loose circle behind them. It was shaping up to be a classic townie versus tourist showdown.
Charlie considered his odds, looked at his friend who was pulling out his wallet. He slammed some cash down on the counter top and grabbed Charlie by the arm.
“Hope you didn’t leave a tip. The service sucks here,” Charlie said into the general quiet of the bar.
They hustled out. Jake turned toward them slowly, his arm still around her. He gave a nod to two of the guys from the softball team.
“Make sure they get back to the rock they crawled out from.”
“No problem, boss,” they said, and they disappeare
d. They weren’t quite as tall or muscular as Jake, but Colleen was pretty sure that Charlie and his buddy would think twice before hanging around.
Finally, he loosened his hold on her, and she pushed him away, both hands flat on his chest. He barely moved. The bar returned back to the usual noise level.
Quent looked at Jake, and said, “Thanks, mate. Colleen, I can close up here. Why don’t you head home.”
“I can finish my shift, just like I could have taken care of those guys,” she told both Quent and Jake. Jake stood there nonplussed, arms folded over his chest.
Lydia came over. “That guy, he was at the shop earlier today. He’s stalking you.”
“He was what?” Jake turned to her.
Colleen didn’t answer.
“You need to call the police and file a report.”
“Has he hassled you before?” Quent asked. His voice was sharp.
This was just what she wanted to avoid. She didn’t need a bunch of guys handling her problems for her.
“It’s nothing,” she said, but Jake cut her off.
“It wasn’t nothing,” he muttered.
She turned on him, suddenly furious, not quite sure why, except she felt that somehow Jake had all of a sudden made a big deal out of nothing. She needed this to be a little deal. She did not need this to be any deal. She was going to get security in the shop, and she’d have Lydia give her a ride home. She did not need Jake. She did not need his protection, and she did not need him kissing her in front of everyone just to make a point.
“Oh, don’t worry, thanks to your goons, I don’t think he will be coming back here.”
“My goons,” Jake laughed, “are an electrician and a plumber and they’ll do nothing. I hope.” He thought for a second, whipped out a phone, and texted something.
“Just making sure,” he said without being quite able to meet Colleen’s eyes with his own.
She shook her head and walked back behind the bar, clearing the empties away. Quent was standing next to Ellie, who had her hand on his arm and was talking intently to him. Ellie noticed her look, sent her a small smile, and Colleen breathed a little easier. She had a feeling Ellie was on her side, whatever that was, and that maybe, just maybe she’d keep this job for another day.