Tessa
Chapter thirty-six
The Stampede is busier than ever tonight.
It seems like every adult in town is here.
Cain appears to have been dragged into dancing by his fiancée, his eyes full of warmth as he laughs and stumbles through the steps with Alyssa at his side.
Liv is behind the bar helping Owen tend to drink orders while Gray scowls at her from across the room.
He hasn’t shown an interest in Liv in years, yet the way he’s glaring in her direction says he’s about ready to pluck out the eyes of the next person who looks at her for a second too long.
Luke is standing at one of the tall bar tables with Aaron, a volunteer from the station.
He has a familiar look about him, the same black hair and cut jawline as his older brother, Zack.
But Aaron’s is cut short on the sides, almost buzzed, with longer length on top.
Dark swirls of ink crawl up one arm and disappear beneath the sleeve of his shirt, only to reappear at his neckline.
His hands move as he talks, a bright smile across his face, while Luke stands there listening, his body stiff and uncomfortable.
I’m surprised to see him here with how crowded it is tonight.
From everything Logan has told me and what I could tell at the firehouse family dinner, Luke doesn’t care much for people.
He’s comfortable when discussing books and fictional worlds, but he doesn’t seem like the go-out-and-party-with-the-guys type.
“Oh, good, Mercer’s here,” Logan says, and my head turns to scan the room, looking for Zack until I realize he’s gesturing toward Luke and Aaron.
Aaron Mercer.
I knew that, but I’m not used to hearing somebody else being called by the Mercer last name.
Even Tom Mercer, their father and one of my regular customers at the diner, insists on being called by his first name despite being known around town as a retired officer.
Zack was Ryan’s partner at the Hartridge P.D.
, and they were friends before that. When Ryan was still around, I almost always heard him refer to Zack by his last name or some iteration of it.
There’s a hint of what seems like interest in Luke’s eyes as he watches Aaron speak animatedly.
A smile spreads across my face as I watch the two of them.
They’re complete opposites, but something about that makes me think they could be good friends if Luke were open to it.
Aaron is the type of person who makes friends with everyone he meets.
He’s great at striking up a conversation and doesn’t hold back his thoughts.
I remember Zack saying he could be impulsive and a bit chaotic at times, but he means well.
Luke’s eyes lift in our direction as we approach, and Aaron follows his line of sight.
They each smile and step to the side, making room for us at their high-top table.
“You’re late,” Luke says, his eyes flicking between us.
His tone feels cold, like he’s disappointed with our untimely arrival, but I don’t think he means anything by it.
“Sorry, man.” Logan claps his hand on his brother’s shoulder with a smile. “We got a little distracted, if you know what I mean.”
Luke’s cheeks flush a deep shade of red, which he tries to hide by taking a sip from his drink.
Aaron laughs and says, “Solid reason for being late.” He raises his drink to his lips and takes a sip before tipping the bottle toward the bar.
“You might want to go check in with Liv,” Aaron says.
“She’s been busting her ass behind the bar, and Gray over there’s trying to burn a hole through her head. ”
I look over at Liv, watching her pour a round of shots for a group of guys at the bar.
Her eyes flick in Gray’s direction, checking whether he’s still watching her.
He is. She smiles and quickly diverts her attention back to the three men in front of her, pointedly ignoring the fierce scowl on Gray’s face.
She seems to be holding her own, but I’m surprised to see her behind the bar, given how much she hates it.
Liv prefers handling social media, planning the events, and most recently, looking for local talent to play live on special nights.
On nights like this, when the place is crawling with people, she would much rather be making the rounds and talking to as many people as she can.
Tilly, on the other hand, prefers to keep everyone at a distance.
Behind the bar, with two feet between her and the rest of the world, is her safe space.
I laugh. “I don’t think she needs to be rescued.
I’m sure she’s well aware of how hard he’s staring at her.
” If anything, she’s probably trying to get his attention on purpose.
The term “friends” is sort of a loose one where they’re concerned.
All I ever got out of Liv was that “Gray’s an asshole,” and we’ve steered clear of the topic since.
But when you live in a small town where everyone knows each other and makes it a point to be in one another’s business, it can be almost impossible to avoid someone.
Eventually, you have to find a way to coexist without starting fires everywhere you go.
Looking at Luke, I smile as I tip my chin in an up-nod before saying, “So, I started that book you recommended.”
His eyes brighten behind his glasses as he smiles. “What do you think so far? It’s good, right?”
Logan’s hand rests on my lower back, his thumb stroking in a soothing motion as he falls into conversation with Aaron. He doesn’t share my interest in reading, but he’s still supportive. His touch is silently encouraging me to talk about books with his brother without making me feel silly.
Excitement bubbles up inside of me. “Good doesn’t do it justice. I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m obsessed. The friends-to-lovers dynamic gets me every single time. I’m already rooting for them, and they don’t even realize what’s happening yet.”
He chuckles and rubs a hand over the back of his neck as a red tint coats his cheeks. His green eyes dart briefly to Aaron before settling back on me. “It’s one of my favorites too. I like seeing how comfortable they are with each other before things get heated.”
“Have you ever thought about starting up a book club? I can think of several people who would be interested in joining one, especially if meetings were hosted at the bookstore.”
His shoulders tense. “I… don’t know. I wouldn’t know where to start.”
I don’t want to push him if he truly doesn’t like the idea, but I know he’s most comfortable around people when discussing books.
At the fire family dinner, he gave me a whole list of romance books to check out, most by authors I’d never heard of.
If the first one I’m trying is already this good, I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the list. “I can help. We could put up a flyer at the bookery, and there are apps now specifically made for book clubs. No pressure or anything, but I think it would be a lot of fun.”
Luke chuckles nervously as he nods. “Yeah, okay. I’ll think about it.”
“You guys have to see this,” Aaron says, and we all turn to follow where he’s pointing.
Liv is sitting on the bar with a filled shot glass in her hand, a man standing between her legs.
There’s a small crowd gathered around them, including Grayson.
He seems to be slowly inching his way toward the man between Liv’s legs.
If she notices, she doesn’t let on. “Looks like that guy asked for a hurricane shot.”
“What the fuck is a hurricane shot?” Logan asks, tucking me in at his side.
Aaron laughs, shaking his head as he takes a swig of his drink. “That guy’s gonna take the shot, and then Liv’s gonna throw water in his face and smack the shit out of him.”
My eyes widen. “Wait, why? Who would want that?” Sure enough, Liv sits up tall as she hands the shot glass to the man between her legs, a brilliant smile painted on her face as she watches him. The surrounding crowd hoots and hollers, chanting their encouragement.
A glance in Gray’s direction tells me he’s not even remotely amused by the situation.
He’s working his way through the crowd with his jaw clenched and his eyes locked on Liv.
I have no clue what’s running through his mind, but whatever it is, I don’t think it’s going to end well for the man who ordered the shot.
Aaron follows my line of sight, and his shoulders tense when he spots Gray.
“Fucking idiot,” he mutters under his breath.
“I got this.” He takes another quick sip of his drink before setting it on the table and pushing his way through the crowd toward Gray.
They’re too far away for us to hear the words exchanged, but Gray doesn’t seem happy about Aaron’s interference.
Aaron plants his hands on Gray’s shoulders and shoves him in the opposite direction, dragging him away from the bar and the crowd surrounding it.
Luke mutters something about having had enough of the crowd for one night and says his goodbyes, giving each of us a quick hug before he leaves.
With both of them gone and the table all to ourselves, Logan reaches across it to tuck my hair behind my ear with a smile.
“What do you say, darlin’. Want to dance? ”
My lips press into a thin smile as heat rises to my cheeks. “I don’t know. You weren’t so great at it last time,” I tease.
He chuckles. “Must not have been too bad if I still caught your eye.”
“You were staring at me so hard, I figured the least I could do was put you out of your misery.”
“Ah. Is that what you were doing when you threw your drinks at me? Putting me out of my misery?”
“I did not—”
His lips curve into a bright smile as he tilts his head slightly to the side, watching me.
“What?” I ask softly. Something about the way he’s looking at me, his pine-green eyes filled with so much light and love, has my heart hammering in my chest and fire blazing through my veins.
Those three little words don’t feel so little as they dance on the tip of my tongue.
They feel huge. Monumental. Like the moment they’re spoken, everything will change.
But instead of being afraid of the change, I want to welcome it with open arms. I don’t want to have to make plans to see him; I want him next to me in bed every night and every morning he’s not at work.
He’s already proven himself to be not just an amazing partner but also an incredible father figure to Jake.
He’s brought a comfort and stability into my life that I haven’t felt in years.
“Dance with me.” His words are gentle, but they aren’t a request this time.
“Please, darlin’. I promise not to step on your toes.
” He winks and steps to my side, offering me his hand.
Sliding my hand into his, he leads us to the dance floor where the same instructor from months ago is calling out the steps to the couple’s dance about to begin.
I won’t admit it to his face, but he’s a much better dancer than I’ve given him credit for.
It’s distracting.
The way his dark jeans hug his muscular thighs and toned ass as he follows the steps, keeping his hands on me as much as the dance allows.
Being back here with him feels like the final piece of the puzzle slipping into place.
My pulse thrums as he confidently guides me through a spin, his eyes never once straying.
My hand collides with his chest as he pulls me in, one hand wrapped around mine while his other lands on my waist. Green irises deeper than the tall trees surrounding our little town scan my face before dropping to my mouth.
My tongue swipes across my lower lip as I tug it between my teeth, our gazes colliding.
Everything around us fades—the music, the chatter, the sound of chairs scraping against the wooden floor—until we are all that remains. All that matters. Pulling in a deep breath, I steady myself for the words I’m about to say. “I—”
“I love you, Tessa.”
A buzzing warmth fills my chest and spreads through me until not an inch of my body and soul is left untouched by the flames.
He loves me.
A smile cracks across my face as I say, “You beat me to it.”
“Not exactly the response I was hoping for, baby.”
Months ago, there was a dark hole in my heart that had been rooted in place for six years, where my love for another used to live until it was ripped away.
There’s still a piece of it remaining, but the area surrounding the darkness has been filled with something new, something bright and colorful.
Like a stained-glass window, you can see where each pane of colored glass has been fused.
Even when it’s messy, the ending result is a work of art.
Because life is messy. We don’t always get the happily ever after we spent our lives dreaming about, and sometimes, the path we’re forced to take isn’t the one we would have chosen.
But that doesn’t make the destination less worthwhile or less beautiful.
The love I feel for Logan Bennett isn’t diminished by the love I felt for my late husband. If anything, I feel blessed beyond measure that I’ve been granted the chance to love and be loved by two incredible men.