Eight.
Duke
I stare at my phone for probably the hundredth time since I’ve sat down at this damn high-top bar table. I thought she’d want to come out.
Was I reading her wrong all day?
I’ve been out of the game for so long…I probably did. It took me a year after Rachel died to take a woman out. I’ve had a few scattered hook-ups over the last few years, but nothing ever gets past that. I’ve never wanted it to. I’ve been holding myself back from more, I know it.
But now… Fuck. It’s 8:37 PM and she’s all I can think about. What is she doing? Did she like her chicken wrap? Did it make her sick? Is she already asleep? Maybe if I text her—
“Duke,” Butch bites out, catching my attention. I look up to him glaring at me. “I asked you a question.”
“What do you need?” I grunt.
He doesn’t answer, choosing to scowl at me instead. Asshole.
“He asked who the hell some Maci chick is,” Stan says on a burp, sitting beside me.
Goddammit, Levi. My gaze scans the two tables we have pushed together to seat all eight of us at the rear of the bar, and a packed dance floor at my back. Yet everyone seems to have their attention on me. Something I’d rather not have.
From where I’m sitting on the end, to my right is Butch and his fiancée, Cassidy. Next to her is her best friend, Alison, then her boyfriend Tanner on the other end—who works for Butch. To my left is Stan, Butch’s best friend and head foreman for his logging company. Beside him is Levi and Rhett.
A few of Cassidy’s friends she invited are scattered around the bar, coming to and from the table. One of them perched on Levi’s lap. And I know she invited them for me.
I fucking know it. The second we got here, she gave me a look. Her words from earlier at the coffee shop coming back to me. I didn’t know you were dating. She thinks she’s slick, but I see right through her and my family.
They’re worried about me. And I hate that more than anything.
Saturday band nights are a regular thing for us, and I’m sure Cassidy is trying to get in as much time here with Butch before they’re spending Saturday nights at home—planning a wedding, a baby, a future. The same three topics of conversation I’ve been forced to sit through all evening.
“She’s a customer,” I force out, hating the sound of it even as I say it.
“You told me she was a friend,” Levi chimes in with a smirk.
“Was that whose motel room you had me at this morning?” Rhett asks, and I glare at him.
“Why were you at the motel?” Butch asks Rhett.
Rhett jerks his chin at me. “Duke had a job for me. One of the rooms had a faulty heater. I went out and fixed it. He said it was for a friend.”
These idiots are unreal. I might as well not even be here.
Butch turns his stern expression to me. “What the fuck is the deal, Duke? I don’t hear from you all week. You blow me off for some dead car on the side of the road. Now you’re callin’ Rhett for help instead of me?”
Here we go again…
Cassidy leans into Butch’s side, and he drops his arm from the back of her chair to around her waist. “Babe, relax,” she whispers as my brother’s jaw ticks.
He shakes his head, taking an angry swig of his beer.
“It’s not personal,” I say. “I’ve been busy. Shop’s been busy. Shit is coming together with the house. That’s it.” I chug a third of my beer so I don’t have to say anything else on the subject.
“So how is the house coming?” Cassidy asks with a faint smile, attempting to redirect the subject—and her fiancé. “I’d love to see the progress you’ve made.”
“You should’ve gone earlier, Cass,” Levi announces, his eyes alight with mischief. The damn troublemaker he is. Ever since we were kids, he can’t help ratting on one of us to watch the shit unfold. “Duke was giving tours.”
Cassidy’s brow furrows, but Butch beats her to the punch. “Who the fuck to?”
I open my mouth to respond when a light tap hits me on the shoulder and has me turning.
Maci’s stunning smile fills my vision and it’s like a whole room disappears until all I can see is her. She came.
Her deep red hair flows evenly down either side of her busty chest. She’s done up to the nines—and I swear she’s glowing—wearing high-waisted black leggings, a low-cut maroon long-sleeve that hugs tight to her mouthwatering hourglass curves, and battered brown cowgirl boots that look like they’ve seen mud.
“Hey.” She smiles, lifting her hand in an awkward wave while holding her purse and flimsy coat in the other.
I push back on my stool to stand. “Hey, when did you get here?”
“Like five minutes ago,” she says. “I’ve been looking for you. I thought finding your tall ass would’ve been a lot easier.”
I grin. “You should’ve texted me. I would’ve stood up for you.”
She giggles.
“You didn’t walk here, did you?” I ask, my jaw tight at the thought. She scrunches her nose in the same cute as fuck way she did earlier over craving a jar of peanut butter. I’m a goner for that look.
Stan coughs loudly enough to catch my attention. I turn and all eyes are on us.
“Hey, Maci,” Levi shouts. “Nice to see you again.”
Maci smiles kindly. “You too, Levi.”
I gesture to her at my side. “Everyone, this is Maci,” I announce, quickly going through the motions to introduce her to everyone. The entire time, I keep an eye on Butch. He hasn’t taken his eyes off her and how close she’s drifted to me. And while I can’t get enough, my brother has a look etched into his gaze that could kill.
I take Maci’s coat and drape it over mine on the back of the chair then pull it out for her to sit. I lean down to whisper in her ear, “Did you want something to drink?”
She places a hand on my forearm, squeezing it as she whispers, “Yes, but don’t leave me here alone. I think there’s something wrong with your brother…”
I throw my head back with a laugh and take her hand in mine. I ignore everyone and walk her hand-in-hand over to the bar, ordering myself another beer and a virgin raspberry mojito for her.
“I would’ve picked you up,” I tell her, paying for the drinks.
She rolls her eyes. “I knew you were going to say that. I decided last minute. It was after eight by the time I started to get ready.”
“Still,” I grunt. “You said you’d call.”
Her smile drops into a yelp as she’s roughly bumped from behind by a couple of rowdy assholes. She’s pushed forward and nearly straight into the bar top. I wrap an arm around her and draw her into me, shoving back the guy who bumped her.
“Watch it,” I growl. He puts his hands up, giving a weak apology to Maci before he retreats. Maci sags against me for a moment and my chest tightens. “You all right?”
She nods, righting herself. “Yeah.”
We take our drinks and weave our way through the growing crowd. I keep a firm hold on Maci’s hand as we do. The need to keep her close is uncontrollable. I have to. It’s like there’s an outside force demanding it of me. And I listen.
When we return to the table, Levi is yanked onto the dance floor by one of Cassidy’s friends, whom I never caught the name of. The timing is perfect, however. “Move down, Stan,” I say.
Maci takes his spot and I return to mine beside her. Butch’s over assessing expression hasn’t faltered and it resumes the moment we’re comfortable. I kick his shin under the table, and his head snaps to me. “Knock it off,” I growl lowly.
Stan stands with a clap of his hands. “All right, fuckers, are we doing birthday shots or what?” He points around the table before landing on Maci, he asks, “What’s your poison, pretty lady?”
I clench my jaw with a tick at his choice of words.
Butch snorts, eyeing me as he toys with the neck of his beer bottle between his fingers. Watching me, her—us. And I don’t like what he thinks he sees.
“I’m all set, thank you,” Maci says, sipping her drink.
Stan groans dramatically. “Aw, come on. We’re already down one here tonight cause she’s pregnant. Don’t tell me you are, too.”
Maci covers her mouth, nearly spitting out her drink. I quickly hand her a napkin from the dispenser on the table. She takes it with a cough. “Thank you.”
Cassidy laughs, waving Stan away. “Don’t mind him, he’s an ass,” she says to her. “You’re welcome to take my birthday shots, though. They’re free all night.”
“You’re pregnant?” Maci asks in surprise.
Cassidy nods with a bright smile. “Yeah, seven weeks tomorrow.”
Maci looks at me with wide eyes, and I wish more than ever I could read her mind at this very moment. “Oh,” she breathes. “Congratulations.”
Stan huffs. “Sooo, is that a yes or no to the shots? You know what, fuck it, I’ll get ‘em anyway. Someone will drink that shit.” He leaves for the bar.
Cassidy leans over the table, pointing to Maci’s drink. “I am curious. What are you drinking? It looks amazing.”
“Oh, it’s a raspberry mojito. Did you want to try it?”
Cassidy shakes her head. “I can’t, but thank you.”
“No, no. It’s, um, a virgin. No alcohol,” she tells her.
“You got a drinkin’ problem?” Butch questions out of fucking nowhere. Of course, that’d be his first question on top of making her uncomfortable with his damn leering.
“Really, man?” I bite out. “Does she look like she’s got a drinkin’ problem?”
Maci bites her lip nervously. Her gaze darts around the table as a flush comes over her chest and neck.
“You don’t need to answer that,” I tell her, glaring at my brother.
“No, I—well, I wasn’t going to say anything.” She sighs. “But, yeah, I’m…pregnant. That’s why I’m not drinking.”
Every head at the table snaps to me with eyes as wide as saucers.
Idiots. The whole lot of them. It was a mistake coming out tonight. I should’ve faked stomach pain and left an hour ago. I’m too irritated as it is for this shit.
“No, it’s not—” Maci waves her hands frantically. “I’m not from here. My car broke down on the side of the road last night, and Duke stopped to help me. I’m staying at Whitetail Motel while I’m stuck here,” she rapid fires, feigning a pained smile. “Happy Birthday, by the way.”
“Wait. You’re stuck here?” Alison chimes in. “Where are you from?”
“Oklahoma. And yeah, sort of. At least until I decide what I want to do.”
“Where’s the father?” Butch asks bluntly. My hands fist in plain sight on the table. If he wasn’t about to be a father himself, I’d kill him.
Cassidy swats him on the arm. “Will you stop,” she scolds, turning her attention to a flustered Maci. “How far along are you?”
“Ten weeks, four days,” she replies.
“Where were you going before you got here?” Alison asks curiously with a giddy-for-the-gossip expression I’ve seen far too many times. I hate it.
I hate it so much I jerk my chair back to stand and get Maci the hell out of here when Stan returns with a tray full of shots. “Shots, motherfuckers. Drink up.”
The tension strung tight in my chest doesn’t ebb until Maci reaches for me. She gives me a faint smile, her hand resting on my thigh once I retake my seat beside her. I lean in to whisper in her ear, “Say the word, and we’ll go.”
Everyone takes a shot—except for Cassidy and Maci, of course. We raise the shots and shout a booming Happy Birthday to Cass. The night takes off from there, and I fight hard to ignore my brother and his talent of getting under my skin these last few weeks. Cassidy’s sole attention seems to be on Maci, though, and Butch clearly has nothing better to do but eavesdrop on their conversation.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a man spinning some girl around and around and around until she’s far too close to where Maci’s sitting. I grab her, but I’m not fast enough. Maci gasps when the woman collides with her back and jolts her forward. I pull her to me—yet again—before she can hit the table. The chick apologizes up and down to Maci, then goes right back to dancing.
“Jesus.” Maci blows out an exaggerated breath, looking up at me with my arms wrapped around her. “I thought you said it was country night, not bumper cars.”
I should’ve known a packed bar wasn’t the safest place for her. But hell if all I wanted was an excuse to see her. Keeping her here feels selfish now… Yet I can’t seem to find it in me to force her to leave with me until she’s ready.
“Butch,” I grunt. “Switch seats with Maci.”
For once, my brother doesn’t give me shit. He stands, swapping spots so the precious cargo is tucked away from the rowdy crowd against the far wall.
We settle back in and watch the band for a while. Well, everyone else does, because all I’m watching is her. Cass finally decides to taste Maci’s non-alcoholic drink, and the face she makes when she does has Butch standing right away. “What the hell is it called?”
Maci smiles. “Virgin raspberry mojito.”
“Get two,” his fiancée beams, blowing him a kiss.
Butch glances at me. “Watch them.”
I nod. He doesn’t even need to tell me, I haven’t stopped.
“How long have you two been together?” Maci asks Cassidy.
“Together for seven months, engaged for almost two,” Cassidy says. “Sorry, he was asking you all those questions. He tends to get a little…protective of his family.”
I scoff loudly, taking a swig of my beer. That’s a damn understatement.
“I don’t blame him. I mean, I am an outsider crashing your birthday.”
“My birthday isn’t until Wednesday. We’re just celebrating early,” Cassidy adds. “Besides, I’m happy for the fellow pregnant sober buddy in this sea of drunk people.”
Maci laughs. “I was worried about the same thing. But I figured I better go while I still feel like it. I was already in my pjs about to pick a movie when I talked myself into it.”
“Oh, that sounds so good right now,” Cassidy whines. “I swear, I’ve never been more tired in my life than these last few weeks. If you don’t mind me asking, how’s your pregnancy been so far? I need someone else to compare mine to. None of my friends are pregnant or have kids.”
Despite myself, I strain my ears to listen over the loud surroundings. No better than my brother, it seems. I snort.
“Pretty good. I get some regular morning sickness and late afternoon nausea, but nothing crazy. The exhaustion is a given, though. I heard it gets better in the second trimester.”
Cassidy leans in. “Sorry to be so blunt, but I have to ask… Are you like insanely horny all the time?”
I choke on my beer. My throat burning as I cough profusely.
A gentle hand pats my back. “Are you okay?” Maci asks. Her voice. Her touch. That damn question. My cock throbs in my jeans at the very thought of her…cravings needing to be satisfied.
I cough, nodding. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Butch returns with two virgin mojitos and a couple of beers for us. “You good, man?”
I chug down the remainder of my beer and take the new one with a rushed swig. The chilled liquid soothes my throat. Fuck. I feel like I might need a dozen more if I’m going to sit here and listen to Maci’s sex life.
Cassidy stares at me, a smile playing on her lips that’s giving me cause for concern. “Sorry, Maci, I didn’t even ask. Are you single or taken?”
And there it is. It was only a matter of time.
Maci keeps her attention on me even as I glare at my soon-to-be sister-in-law. “Single,” she replies blindly to Whitetail’s new #1 shit stirrer. Levi better step up his game after tonight. “You sure you’re okay?”
I grin, wiping my hand over my mouth with a chuckle. “Yeah, just went down the wrong pipe is all.”
The conversation lightens up—thankfully. Although, my thickening cock doesn’t miss the fact Maci never responds to Cass’ previous question. And I would know, I was listening diligently.
“So, Maci, what do you do?” Stan burps out after another shot.
“I’m a yoga instructor and, funny enough, I taught line dancing on the weekends,” she replies.
Yoga instructor? “No shit,” I say as heat bubbles in my core.
“Well, shit.” Stan pouts. “Where did you say you found her, Duke?”
I scoff, giving her thigh a squeeze under the table. “Sorry, man. There was only one on the shelf.”
Maci laughs, laying a hand over mine.
“I need to see all my ladies out on the dance floor,” the lead singer of the band booms through the microphone. “It’s time to show these men how to make the earth quake.”
Alison leaps from her seat, grabbing Cassidy by the arm. “Oh my god, yes. I love this song. Let’s go.”
Cassidy laughs, standing and turning to Maci. “Come on, Maci. Let’s see what the yoga instructor from Oklahoma can do.”
“I don’t—”
“Preggos stick together,” Cassidy snaps back. “And it’s my birthday.”
Maci sets her purse on the table. “Okay, fine.”
Cassidy and Alison scurry to the dance floor. I chuckle as Maci huffs. “Laugh it up, bossy mechanic,” she says. “You’re next.” She winks, sauntering around me to the dance floor with a slide of her hand over my shoulders. It sends a thrill of desire through me—the kind you get when you want someone…more than you should.
Butch shifts his chair beside me to watch them get in line with a dozen other women as the song picks up tempo. “You got a thing for her?” It’s a clear question. One he already knows the answer to.
And one I’m not sure I’m ready to admit to myself yet.
She’ll be back on the road toward Alaska before I know it.
I swig my beer and ignore him—and myself. Choosing to enjoy the night while it’s dancing right in front of me.
It isn’t long before everyone on the dance floor is following Maci’s lead. Cassidy and Alison watch her every move, copying her the best they can. I don’t know how they do things down in Oklahoma, but…damn.
She’s clapping, stomping her feet, kicking, shimmying, jumping in her sexy-as-fuck boots. She spins around and her shirt rides up, exposing the flawless skin of her waist. A wide-spread smile crosses her face as she mouths the words to the song. I’m grinning from ear to ear, loving how happy she looks right now. When she does a turn, her beautiful hair flips as she catches my eye. She sends me a slick wink, pops her hip, and smacks her ass my way, sending a jolt straight to my cock.
Fuckin’ hell.
Stan whistles lowly. “Butch, I quit. I’ll be scoping the streets for chicks stranded on the side of the road. Duke, man, you hiring?”
They share a hearty laugh, but all I can do is grin, never taking my eyes off her.