Chapter 9
ZINA
I turned away from Alex and made my way back to the bar.
So I’d questioned his ability to work with birds.
It seemed only natural to wonder about his experience when he couldn’t even manage a domesticated parrot.
If he was that unsure of himself around a pet, how would he be able to handle the wild penguins Lacey was hell-bent on bringing to town?
Did he even have experience with penguins at all?
He’d given Lacey some story about how he’d been working at a remote research station in Antarctica of all places.
Could be he’d made the whole thing up so he could make a few quick bucks.
Based on how he handled the bird, he probably didn’t have much hands-on experience with penguins or any other kind of mammal.
“Well that was exciting,” I said as I settled onto my barstool. “You weren’t planning on finishing those nachos, were you?”
Zeb glanced down to where a trail of beans led from the plate to the platter sitting next to him. “Um, no.”
“You ready to go? We might want to get out of here before they blame us for the bird disturbance.”
“Sure.” Zeb drained his tea.
I slid some cash across the bar to cover our meals.
By the time I’d shrugged on my jacket and followed Zeb out to the parking lot, Alex was getting the brood of kids he’d brought with him all buckled into their seats.
I hesitated, not wanting to have to walk past his truck, but it sat right next to mine.
Finally, I let out a sigh. Since when had I ever let some guy determine my actions?
Never.
So with a little extra bounce in my step, I crossed the gravel lot. He looked up as I got closer. The resignation on his face mirrored the way I felt inside. Not nearly enough time had passed since our last interaction.
“Got everyone squared away?” I asked as I pressed the unlock button on my key fob.
“Yep. They were kind enough to box up our order for us. We’re going to fly away home now. That’s probably the last time you’ll be seeing any member of my family roosting around here.”
“That’s too bad. I hear they have all-you-can eat wings on Fridays.”
He stared at me like he wasn’t sure if I was joking or not. That’s what my weird sense of humor often got me—people who didn’t know what to make of me. “It’s a joke. A bad joke. Get it? Wings because you had trouble containing your bird?”
He scoffed but his smile told me he could appreciate my sense of humor. “I didn’t have trouble. Shiner Bock just had ideas of his own.”
“You named your bird Shiner Bock?”
“You got a problem with that?” He clamped his hands on his hips.
I might not be interested in looking at every single man as a possible mate, but even I had to admit I didn’t mind checking him out.
It was impossible not to. Tousled hair the color of the sand on the Galveston coast. His eyes hovered between blue and green, going from the color of turquoise in the bracelet my mom had left me to a much darker blue color like the fields of bluebonnets that lined the highways in the spring.
“No, no problem. Just an odd choice, that’s all.”
“I’m sure you’ve named some of your rescue mutts some odd names now and then.” He leaned his backside against the truck, and I almost let myself get sucked into the flirtatious undercurrent that seemed to pull at me.
“Nope. We don’t typically name our rescue pups after alcoholic beverages.”
“That’s too bad. You could have had a Fireball or maybe even a Cosmo.”
“Oh, we do have a Cosmo, but he’s named after a TV character.”
“Let me guess. Kramer? On Seinfeld?”
“Yeah. Are you a fan?” I had the complete series on DVD at home. It was one my brother liked to watch over and over again.
“Of course. No soup for you.”
“Right. The soup episode.”
“It’s a classic. So what other shows do you like?”
I shook off the warning that I probably should stop sharing tidbits of my personal life. Alex had a way about him that made people feel comfortable, made them let down their guard. But instead of backing away, I leaned into it.
“I’m a closet fan of Gilmore Girls.”
His lips twisted and his brow crinkled. “Can’t say I’ve seen that one.”
Common ground. Hmm. What dude shows had I seen recently? “How about reality TV? The ninja warrior show?”
“Oh, I love that one. Even thought about trying out sometime.”
“You have?”
“Yeah. Does that surprise you?”
I nodded. “Most guys with your, um”—I let my gaze travel up and down his full six-foot-plus frame—“build don’t seem to do very well.”
His eyes sparked. “What’s wrong with my build?”
Now I’d done it. That’s why I didn’t make a habit of talking to strangers. Especially good-looking, quick-witted guys who never seemed to have any trouble twisting my words around and getting me to sound like a complete and utter idiot. “There’s nothing wrong with your build. It’s just that—”
“I get it. The guys who win those competitions aren’t quite so bulky. It’s too bad I’m cursed.”
My mouth went dry. If being cursed meant he was built like a Chippendales dancer, then I wished with all my might I’d get infected by the feminine version of the same curse at some point in my life.
“Uncle Alex, Frankie’s letting Shiner Bock out of the bag.” Izzy leaned out the window.
“Coming.” Alex turned back to face me, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. “I need to get going.”
“Uncle Alex is in charge tonight, huh?”
“Yeah.” He hooked a thumb toward the truck. “Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to properly introduce you. Zina, meet Jordan, Frankie, Izzy, Dolly, and Gramps.”
The older man stuck his arm out of the passenger window and waved. “Mortimer Sanders, but you can call me Morty.”
I nodded. “Nice to meet you all.”
Alex glanced from his grandfather back to me. “Will I see you around the warehouse tomorrow? The contractor’s coming back to take some measurements and start putting together a plan for the temporary habitat.”
“Where else would I be? Thanks to Lacey I’m running point on the Munyon wedding and thanks to you, all of my dogs are living there right now.”
Alex shook his head and then let it drop. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t like me very much?”
“What?” I wasn’t used to being the recipient of such direct questions.
At least not since I’d come back to Ido.
The military was full of people who didn’t bother pussyfooting around, but since I’d moved back, I’d been subject to the passive aggressiveness of well-meaning small-town residents.
The sheer directness of his question made me do a double take. “What gives you that impression?”
“Gut instinct.”
My gaze traveled to his lean midsection.
He was probably hiding a six-pack underneath his thermal shirt.
Maybe even a twelve-pack. For a split second I wondered just how firm his abs would feel under my palms. Their brief kiss earlier hadn’t given me enough time to find out.
Suddenly, hot prickles flooded my cheeks.
“Look, it’s not that I don’t like you.” I plastered a practiced look of sheer indifference on my face. “I barely know you. I’m just looking out for Lacey, and I don’t want her to get burned.”
“You don’t think I’m legit?” He cocked a brow. Probably a look he’d used all his life. The kind of look that made women’s panties melt and bras fall off and led to hours of sweaty aerobic activity that ended with another notch in his bedpost.
I squashed down the immediate attraction and focused my thoughts on Lacey.
Trusting, naive Lacey, who believed everyone had a vested interest in seeing her plan succeed.
But I knew that most people only wanted to participate in someone else’s success as long as they benefited as well.
And that’s why I was leery of Alex Sanders.
“I need to go and you obviously have more important things to do than stand here and try to convince me of your honorable intentions.” I turned to walk the last few feet to my truck.
Alex reached for my arm. Heat radiated from his touch, even through the sleeve of my shirt. I looked at his fingers wrapping around my forearm.
He immediately released his grip. “Sorry. I just want you to know that I’m not looking to mess with Lacey.
This offer was too good to pass over. I’ll be around long enough to get through the wedding, then I’ll head out.
In fact, I just heard about a job at a resort down in Ecuador that sounds promising. ”
“Mm-hmm.” I scowled as I reached for the handle of my door.
“You’ll see.” Alex gave me another grin, a toned-down version of his last smile.
I’d see. That’s the one thing I knew for sure. I’d see because I’d be watching him like a freaking hawk.
“Uncle Alex, we still have to finish my project you ruined.” One of the girls stuck her head out of the window.
“You don’t happen to know where I can get a piece of poster board, do you?” His shoulders slumped. “I accidentally used Izzy’s project as a dustpan. Her mom’s at work until late, and if she doesn’t get her project turned in tomorrow, she gets an orange tag.”
“A red tag, Uncle Alex. There’s no such thing as an orange tag at my school.”
“See?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t even keep my colors straight.”
Against my better judgment, I let down my guard. “What does she have to do?”
“Draw the life cycle of a couple of things. A butterfly, and maybe a tree.” He shifted his keys from one hand to the other. “We’ll figure it out.”
I glanced toward the passenger seat of my truck, where Zeb sat adjusting his earbuds. “You know what? Zeb is an excellent artist. I could ask him if he’s willing to help.”
“Really?” Alex’s eyes sparkled. “You sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble?”
I should have made up an excuse. No good would come of spending more time with him. He’d just admitted he was only sticking around through the wedding. It wouldn’t make sense to put myself out there or let myself get attached. But instead of retracting the offer, I matched his smile.
“Sure, let me ask him.”