Chapter 2 #2
“Trust me. I do. You’re both good guys. You’re friends with some of the same people. People we know and love. People who have great taste, like myself.” He wiggles his brows and touches a hand to his chest.
Laughing, I nod. “Okay. I’ll do it. I need to stop home first to change and check on Merlin.”
“How is your furry little sorcerer?”
I tug my phone from my coat pocket and thumb open my photo gallery. “He was left to his own devices for too long yesterday and tunneled a hole through a pillow. I came home to feathers all over the living room and Merlin standing in the middle of the mess with the happiest doggy smile.”
I show Conall the photo of my brown toy poodle with his little white beard, surrounded by a sea of feathers, wagging his tail.
We both crack up, and I lean against my friend, my shoulders shaking so hard I fear I’ll fall off the bleacher.
Conall wipes tears of laughter from his eyes. “You can’t get angry at that face.”
“He usually doesn’t do things like that, but he didn’t get a walk yesterday, since I got home so late. This morning, I took him for a longer one to make up for it, and tire him out.”
“That probably didn’t help your knee.”
I shrug and look at the dogs racing over the field. In the three years since I adopted Merlin from Hawk’s shelter, my dog has given me so much happiness and love. Hopefully, these dogs will find the same.
His gaze on the field, Conall sips his coffee. “He’s single, by the way.”
“Who?”
“Jaggar. And so are you.”
I shake my head. “Don’t start. A few successful attempts at matchmaking don’t make you Cupid.”
He raises his brows at me, and his smile is impish. “Doesn’t it?”
I bite my lip to hide the smile that threatens to bloom. The last thing Conall needs is encouragement. “I doubt Jaggar’s thinking any romantic thoughts about me.” Though I can’t deny my sparking attraction to him.
“And what thoughts are you thinking about him?” He leans into me, his green gaze intent on my face, like he’s searching for any sign or tell.
With a laugh that’s far too fast and nervous, I push him away and stand. “Goodbye, Conall. See you later.”
I need to shower, change clothes, take some pain meds, and think of what to say to Jaggar. I’m sorry doesn’t seem like enough. But it’ll be a start. An apology, a drink, and I’ll get out of his way so I don’t ruin the rest of his day.
Music hits me as I open the door to Island Vibes. The bar’s tropical theme is muted behind the explosion of hearts, balloons, and streamers for Valentine’s Day and the sign for Mutts About You doggy dating.
Dogs and people fill the room. I wave at Ever and Dmitri, and Alaric and his boyfriend, Jake. Hawk and Colt are busy at a table, chatting with folks filling out the form Hawk designed for people to take prospective adoptive pups on outings to get to know each other better.
Conall is at the bar, hanging out with his brother Rory and Rory’s husbands, Adrian and Zach.
He’s flirting with the bartender and tossing out compliments to everyone who passes him.
At the pub Rory and his husbands own, Conall is the bartender who makes everyone feel seen and welcomed.
Apparently, being on the other side of the bar here at Island Vibes is no different.
I run a hand through my hair and glance down at my sweater, jeans, and boots.
The thick gray cable knit is warm, layered over my plaid shirt, and my jeans are worn in the right places, as Conall would say, and are the ones I wear when I’m hoping to impress a potential date or hookup.
Not that I’m trying to impress Jaggar. I still doubt he’ll even want to talk to me at all.
Scanning the room for Jaggar, I wave at more friends and people I know from town.
Zach comes over to me, holding a beer. His mohawk gets him plenty of attention, and his stocky frame is an asset for our rec league rugby team. “Ian, you look a little lost. You okay?”
We exchange a quick hug, and I nod. “I’m looking for someone.”
A smile tips his lips. “Jaggar, right?”
“How did you know… Never mind. You were at the field today.” Of course, he caught our interaction. Everyone did.
He shrugs. “That, and Conall told us. Jaggar’s here somewhere. I saw him talking to Alaric a little while ago. Get a drink, visit with the pups. I’m sure you’ll run into him. Rory, Adrian, and I just grabbed a table. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Thanks.” I clasp his shoulder before he heads back to his loves, then wander toward an opening at the bar.
Though I’ve played rugby with Zach and Rory for a few years now, we haven’t hung out much outside the rugby pitch.
I’d like that to change. I’m friends with Zach’s brother, Jake, and both the Reed brothers and the Kelly brothers have a way of making everyone feel like family.
The bartender turns to me. “What can I get you?”
“Whatever he wants is on me.” Jaggar steps beside me, his dark eyes glittering with intensity. The slump of his shoulders and turn of his mouth, along with his raised brows, are stamped with contrition. “Buy you a beer? Something else?”
“Beer’s fine. Anything else is fine.” My voice rasps, and my tongue feels too big for my mouth. I can’t stop looking at Jaggar. His pale skin, those dark eyes, that inky black hair. The shape of his nose and lips. Stunning. “Whatever you want. Is on me. Too.”
The bartender’s laughter draws our attention to him. Grinning, he leans on the bar. “Okay, so you’re buying each other a drink. What can I get you?”
Jaggar blinks at him, and the dip of his lashes against his skin catches my breath. I need to get a hold of myself. His arm brushes against mine. I bite my lip at the flash of warmth seeping through our sweaters. “Pomegranate martini, please.”
“I’ll have a Negroni.” I fumble for my wallet.
We take out our credit cards, and Jaggar nudges my hand. “You don’t need to buy me a drink.”
“That’s the least I can do. My behavior today…” I shake my head. “I swear I’m not usually like the guy you met earlier. My day sucked and kept getting worse. Let me apologize.”
“My day sucked too. Because of it, I got too competitive, took the game too seriously. Nitpicked every call.” He turns so we’re facing each other and extends his hand. “I’m sorry.”
With my heart beating harder, I slide my palm against his, and my nerve endings singe at his touch, crackling up my arm and through my body like an electric shock. I suck in a breath at the same time he sucks in his. His lips part as our gazes collide and hold.
If my world tilted on its axis, I’d be less undone. There was before, and after. And I don’t think things will ever be the same.
The clink of glasses on the bar top startles me. Our bartender grins as he slides them forward. “Here you go.”
I thrust my card at him. “I’ve got this round.”
Jaggar nods, gaze still locked on me, as the bartender moves away. “Next one’s on me.”
There’s no doubt that we’ll be here together long enough to drink another drink. Hell, we’re still holding hands. The realization strikes me, and I glance down, wondering at the way our hands fit so well together.
“Your card, sir.” The bartender lays it beside my drink. His smile shakes with contained laughter, but it’s kind, not mean.
I release my hold of Jaggar’s hand so I can slip my card into my wallet, then pick up my drink. “So, bad day?”
Nearby is a table laden with treats for humans, and beside it is one labeled with treats for dogs. After a stop to snag cups of chocolate mousse, strawberries dipped in shades of chocolate, and tiny pink cakes shaped like hearts, we move to a table for two beneath a giant shiny pink heart.
Jaggar folds his slim body onto his chair. His thin black sweater and jeans hint at the sleek muscles I saw in action earlier today on the field. “I woke up to no heat and a blast of water in the face thanks to a burst water pipe under my kitchen sink. So, yeah, not great.”
“Ugh. That’s awful.”
His smile is quick, and the power of it punches me in the gut. “That’s not the worst of it. While I was dealing with the cleanup, I had a delivery. It was supposed to be a desk chair. And it was as far from that as you can get.”
“Okay…” Curious and leaning in for more of the story, I take a sip of my drink.
“You know that phrase, the elephant in the room? Well, that happened to me today. Literally. Instead of an office chair, I received a six-foot tall, pink ceramic elephant.”
With a strawberry halfway to my lips, I gape at him. “Seriously?”
His lips pull into a half-smile. “It’s huge. Dominates my living room and takes up so much space I have to turn sideways to squeeze by it. To top off the mixup, the furniture store can’t pick it up until Tuesday.”
“Makes you wonder what the person who ordered a pink elephant is like.” I offer him one of the pink cakes. “At least it’ll be a funny story one day.”
“Yeah.” He takes the cake and huffs a laugh. “I guess it is already. Didn’t think I’d laugh about much today.”
“Tell me about it.” I eat the strawberry, and hold in a moan at how decadent the rich chocolate tastes, enhanced by the berry’s sweetness. “As you saw earlier, I was not in a laughing mood.”
Beneath the table, his foot taps mine. Twice, then after a third time, it stays in contact. His dark eyes drop from my eyes to my mouth, then lift again, and they spark with humor, understanding, and mutual commiseration. “I want to hear about this bad day.”
“It started yesterday, when I made a diving catch off a moving truck that I doubt would make anyone’s highlight reel. Messed up my knee. Then came home to my dog, who fought a pillow and won. Feathers everywhere.”
Leaning back in his chair, Jaggar grins. “I’m sorry about your knee, but I’m loving the dog feathers.”
“Merlin’s a good dog. He just has a lot of energy, and I was swamped at work yesterday, so he didn’t get his usual walk.” I sip more of my drink, and thanks to the alcohol or Jaggar’s presence, I’m warming up nicely.
“What do you do for work?”