Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Kenny
B ruce eyed me. “You sure?”
“Yes. I want this. I don’t mind working this weekend. I’m bored out of my mind since Luc’s always skiing and Dorian’s grumpy right now and Beast is hovering over Jess and holding her hair back?—”
Bruce’s look said enough.
“I know, sorry. He’s right where he should be. But I could use a chance to get out. And like I said—” I pressed a palm to my heart “—I will happily accept a bonus from Julian if he feels so inclined.”
Apparently, he was not impressed.
“Just kidding. You know I’m joking. I want to go because this is important and straightforward. I want to help these people, and I can do it without it taking me away from my partner or kids or moody teen sister.”
Bruce chuckled. His sister, for whom he served as guardian, had been particularly moody as she entered her junior year of high school. Kiley was a good kid and smarter than most of us ever had a hope to be, so it was handy she had Bruce’s beloved Nikki, an actual genius, around to help.
“That’s thoughtful of you, Barbie.” His gaze softened.
Oh, boy. I didn’t want a talk about that right now, but I felt it coming and couldn’t scramble out of my seat fast enough.
“You going to work on that for yourself?”
It was as gentle a probe as could be, but I still did my best Beast impression and grunted. “Not worrying about it right now.”
Did I want a partner of my own? Sure. In theory.
Did I also know the perils of taking a risk on someone? Yep. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt sporting “I fell in love and all I got for it was a broken heart and this T-shirt” to prove it.
So like… yes. I struggled to enjoy my single status as each of my dear friends found not just someone, but the one. I loved it for them, truly. I celebrated them and the future dynasty of Saint children who would provide Silverton and the world beyond with a second generation of badass, emotionally intelligent humans.
But I also ached. I had a tender heart and it felt more than a little battered lately, though I hated to admit it. And the thought of someone who knew me in that soul-deep way…
Eh. Whatever. Some people got a soulmate. Some people had someone they thought was a soulmate take a giant crap on their soul. We all had a story.
“Fine. Take the job this weekend and get out of here early. Go for a run or something to burn off the angst, and I’ll see you tonight? I’ll gather all the info on the trip and can give it to you then.”
I slid out of my chair and gave an obnoxiously doofy salute. “Roger, Jaws.”
Having taken Bruce’s advice and pushed myself into a punishing workout that started with a five-mile run and ended with a round at Grit with Warrick Saint doing his best impression of an executioner without actually offing me, I half-limped, half-walked into Craic a few minutes after five.
The place bustled with groups already enjoying the weekend, especially since the town was packed with tourists to take advantage of the crazy good snow Utah boasted. I’d heard people talking about how Silverton and the Silver Ridge ski area had grown so much in the last few years, but it was still far less crowded than the more established luxury resorts, so people felt like they’d found a hidden gem even still.
“There he is,” Cookie said as I leaned on the table with both elbows. His handsome face flashed with confusion. “Why are you acting like you can barely stand up?”
“Warrick was working out some of his feelings on me at Grit this afternoon.” I tilted my head one way, then the other, attempting to stretch my neck. I’d happily roll out a yoga mat and do another full twenty-minute stretch right now if it wouldn’t make Kieran and Gemma kick me out.
“Well, you made your choice, didn’t you? Don’t go to Grit if you don’t want to feel that way.” Adam shrugged a shoulder.
“Aren’t you supposed to be compassionate? Do no harm?” I whined.
He chuckled. “I’m a medic, not a saint. And I’ve done workouts with Warrick and I have fond memories of them… lesson learned.”
I laughed, but when his eyes flicked to something over my shoulder, I didn’t have to follow his line of sight to know he was looking at Jo. They’d gotten engaged, and we’d be lining up for another summer wedding come June.
I probably had steep competition for the role of ring bearer or flower girl because there were some cute kids around, but odds were good I’d get to play groomsman again. I’d stand up next to Doc and watch him covertly wipe the tears away when he saw Jo coming down the aisle any day. I might’ve longed for my own person while feeling the futility of such a desire, but I would not cease to celebrate when my friends found what they were looking for.
“Elizabeth, so glad you came.”
Bruce’s words had my gaze snapping up to see Liz walk in?—
I could swear “Dream Weaver” was playing as I took her in. She wore jeans and a puffy black jacket she was unzipping, swiping the hat off her head to reveal a shiny curtain of long chestnut hair.
She had long hair.
In my mind, red alerts sounded. Sirens blared.
She has long hair.
It was a stupid thing about me, but I loved long hair. Not that I saw it from afar and got all creepy or anything, but I just… loved it. In another life, I would be Kenneth Ca rmichael, long-haired man with a waist-length mane to rival Cher’s, just so I could braid my own hair.
Okay, that got weird .
This came from events in my past. It just did. As much as I didn’t love thinking about it—about my ex and how much I’d loved her long hair and how she’d cut it while I’d been at basic training and I probably should’ve seen that as a sign—sometimes who I was because of it made it impossible to ignore. This love of long hair was definitely one of those things I hadn’t shaken in terms of what I responded to on a gut level, shallow though it was.
Also… she was wearing jeans. And something casual on top but I tried to bounce my eyes away so I wasn’t straight out staring at her.
“Welcome, Elizabeth,” Adam said, and he managed to keep the ring of fear out of his voice.
I’d have to tell him what a good job he did. Liz being his fiancée’s very protective older sister meant Adam had a complex relationship with our new coworker. All signs pointed to her being happy for them, but Adam wasn’t about to miss an opportunity to show her he was a decent guy.
“Thanks for inviting me,” she said to Bruce, then nodded at me.
The teenage boy who lived inside my brain shrieked, “She nodded at me!” He was busy running around in circles, not knowing what to do, when she accepted a beer and took a spot between me and Luc, who slid over to talk to Bruce at the last minute.
Torn between loving the man for doing what was right and hating that he’d made it less than covert, I nudged her elbow with mine. “How does the Utah beverage selection compare to wherever you were last? I’m guessing somewhere different from where we first met?”
Our cooperative mission had been based out of Estonia and slipped into… other places near Estonia. State Department and the fancy folk Elizabeth worked for had advised. She’d been nothing short of magnificent in her management of our arrival, the in-country situation brief, and every aspect she touched. I’d been more than a little enamored of her. Mission accomplished, we’d left, but I’d been keenly aware she had an entire life there.
“Yes. I left Tallinn not too long after you guys came through. And I would say thus far, good, though I’m basing that solely on this one beer.” She took a sip.
I did not watch her because that would be weird.
“When did you get into town?” I asked, taking an oh-so-nonchalant swig of my own glass someone had shoved in front of me.
“Thursday early evening.”
I choked on my beer. “Really? I guess I thought you’d been here a minute. So it’s like eleven at night in your brain?”
Her lips, which objectively were extremely well-made based on the curvature of her cupid’s bow and the soft reddish-pink color of them—curled into a slight smile.
“Well past my bedtime, yes.” She tipped her pint glass to the side and touched the edge of hers to mine. “But here I am. Being social.”
This hit me in just the right way, and I burst out laughing.
“So proud of you.” I raised my glass, then took a drink. “I take it you’re not particularly fond of social outings?”
As a former member of a unit where at least half the personnel tested as extremely introverted, I was familiar with the desire of some to avoid social events, especially those that might condemn them to small talk.
“Depends, but generally, something like this—” she looked to her right toward a group laughing just a little too loud, then continued, “—wouldn’t be my first choice.”
“What would be your first choice?”
The question jumped out before I could stop it. The only solace came in the form of her ignorance about just how high my heart had leapt at the chance to ask it.
She sipped her beer and eyed me, not quite squinting but certainly… skewering me with her gaze.
Wait, can she see how my internal organs just reacted?
They shouldn’t be reacting at all. They should be going about their regularly scheduled programming. Beating heart. Breathing lungs. Intestines… well, whatever. They should just be doing their thing and not responding to the nearness of a woman who was simply a coworker.
“I love a good run. I’m hoping to ski while I’m here. And I like watching movies.” Her head dipped down, and if I wasn’t seeing things, her cheeks tinged with a blush.
No. No no no no. I could not be appreciating things like the color on her cheeks or the way she seemed embarrassed at the simple contents of her answer. I couldn’t like that she’s a little grumpy and a little shy, not unlike two of my three best friends.
“Would you two step outside with me for just a minute?” Bruce asked, then turned toward the exit as though he knew we’d follow without question.
And of course we did.
“Sorry to interrupt, but since you’re both here and I’m selfishly hoping not to go in this weekend, I wanted to brief you here. You’ll both have the full details in your secure email, but the most important thing is—you’re it. You guys are the team.”
My mouth dropped open, then snapped shut.
Bruce chuckled. “You’re the team that’ll be going to California.”