Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
E ric stared down into his bourbon, letting the noisy laughter and music of the downtown bar drown out his annoying, relentless thoughts.
It didn’t bother him that he wasn’t actually a part of the conversations going on around him. Indeed, there was a very noticeable buffer of empty space separating him from all the other patrons in the bar.
But this was to be expected.
The Spencers weren’t exactly beloved in little ol’ Paradise Springs, and him most of all. It was the price of being the face of a forward-thinking company.
That was what he told himself.
But of course he was well aware that the Kings—and Bailey, in particular—were hailed as saints in this town despite all the changes she was making at that ridiculous inn.
Nope. He gave his head a shake and took another sip of his drink. He’d come here to stop thinking about the inn. And its history.
And most decidedly not the Kings’ youngest daughter.
“Eric!” a voice called. “Hey, man, what are you doing here?”
Eric’s head snapped up in surprised recognition, and he turned to find his best friend from college striding toward him. Drew wore a big, dopey grin like he couldn’t be more pleased to see him.
Thank God for old friends.
Eric was well aware that it couldn’t be entirely easy for Drew, being stuck in the middle between the Kings and Spencers. But if anyone could make it work, it was Drew.
He was, at heart, the ultimate diplomat. But even if he called himself Switzerland every time they hung out, refusing to talk business in any way, shape, or form—that didn’t change the fact that they all knew where his loyalties lay.
He’d made that decision when he’d chosen to be in a relationship with Bailey. And Eric had chosen to be okay with coming second.
They didn’t talk about it, but they didn’t have to. He knew enough about relationships to know that if he made his friend choose…
He’d be the loser in this situation.
“What are you doing here?” He grinned, returning his friend’s half-hug and pat on the back. “I didn’t think you were allowed off the property.”
Drew knew he was joking, and he pulled away with a laugh. “It’s true, we’re crazy busy these days. But tonight…” He nodded toward the door. “I volunteered to be chauffeur for those lovely ladies.”
Eric followed his gaze to a gaggle of women, all dressed up and heading toward the back room, typically reserved for parties.
He recognized Ronnie Colbert, the local celebrity.
And then there was Bailey, of course. And a woman he thought must be Brandon’s baby mama. He’d seen flashes of her around town.
And then, bringing up the rear, was?—
His heart stopped. All the moisture in his mouth vanished.
Holy freakin’ heck. He couldn’t even blink, he was so transfixed by the sight of Willow in a dress. Not just any dress—he’d seen her in sundresses before. This was…
He tried to swallow and ended up choking on air. Drew clapped a hand on his back, but he still couldn’t drag his eyes away. Her blonde curls were up in some sort of loose, messy bun that was so Willow. A few strands framed her face.
She was wearing lip gloss, and geez…those lips.
They should be illegal.
And that dress made it clear to every man in this bar that while she might be petite—she was all woman. It was a simple bright blue that matched her eyes, but it cinched in at the waist and stopped mid-thigh, and…
Dang. He’d never seen her legs before. Not like this.
He couldn’t stop himself from staring if he tried.
And he did try.
All the while, Drew was talking to him, but he couldn’t actually hear a word over the sound of the blood rushing past his ears.
She was freakin’ gorgeous.
He’d always known she was pretty, but up until this moment, he’d been able to tell himself she was just…cute. Fine, adorable. And sweet. And really difficult not to like.
But now…
He finally dragged his gaze away as she disappeared into the other room.
Ah crap. He couldn’t even pretend she wasn’t sexy to boot. Alluring to an extent he hadn’t even known was possible.
He’d met his fair share of sexy women. Women who dressed to impress, and women who’d gone out of their way to seduce him.
And not one of them had had the same effect that Willow had while merely walking through a bar, completely oblivious to the fact that he was even there.
His head fell forward and he couldn’t help a groan as he stared at the polished bar.
“You all right, man?” Drew sounded genuinely concerned, and Eric did his best to pull himself together.
Was he all right?
“No,” he admitted.
But when Drew frowned, concern etched all over his features, Eric gave him a wry smile. “It’s been way too long since I’ve had a drinking buddy.” He nudged the seat next to him. “What do you say?”
Drew’s worry took a moment to clear, but Eric blinked at him, schooling his features into his standard look that people didn’t tend to mess with.
Eventually, a smile eased over Drew’s lips and he shrugged. “Yeah. Sure. Why not? I’ll stick to club soda since I’m the designated driver. But you’re right, it’s been too long since we’ve hung out.” Drew sank into the seat next to him. “Hey, did you hear that Roman got engaged?”
The mention of an old college buddy was exactly the sort of distraction Eric needed. “No. To Sarah? Are they still together?”
This sent the men down memory lane, and Eric kept his gaze firmly away from the door to the other room. It took maximum effort, and he was pretty sure his teeth were being ground to dust, but he refused to look away from Drew and forced himself to keep engaging.
Because the inane conversation they were having?
Yeah, that was going to save his life.