Chapter 19 Wyatt
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Wyatt
My fingers tap against the boxes of screws in my hand to the beat of the song playing overhead. A couple of shelves in the storage closet at the bar are about to give out, so I stopped at the hardware store on my way there.
It’s the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week, so I’m sure I’ll be able to sneak into the back and get it done at some point. The bar is bound to be pretty slow.
The woman in front of me grabs her bag and walks away. A guy about my height with shorter, messy light-brown hair gives me a smile as I set the boxes on the counter.
“Hey… You’re one of the guys who bought the bar from Benny. Right?” he asks, scanning the boxes of screws.
“Caught me,” I say with a shrug and a smile.
He laughs, sliding the boxes into a bag. “I didn’t think he would ever give that damn bar up.”
I shake my head. “I wouldn’t say he gave it up. He might not be the owner anymore, but he’s still there all the damn time. He makes his opinions known, too.”
Benny has kind of taken all of us under his wing. He obviously had a soft spot for Kane, and Oliver, Linc, and I fit right in there with him.
“Twelve seventy-two,” he says as he looks at the total on the register. “I’m sure he does. I’m pretty sure that man is going to die in that bar.”
I sigh dramatically, putting my card back into my wallet. “Great… and since it’s my damn bar, I’m going to have to deal with it.”
We stare at each other for a beat, trying not to laugh. Then the dam breaks, and we both burst out laughing, earning a few stares.
He holds out his hand. “I’m Miles, by the way.” He gestures to a sign that says Kingston Hardware. “Miles Kingston.”
Ahh… One of the brothers. I’ve heard about the three brothers that own the hardware store. I’ve been in here a few times, but I haven’t met any of them.
I shake his hand. “Wyatt. Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“Miles,” a male voice rings out across the store.
Miles rolls his eyes. “Big brother is calling.”
“Avery’s on the phone,” his older brother adds.
Miles’s face brightens. “On that note, I have to go. The love of my life is on the phone, so…”
His energy is infectious. I might not understand the feeling of being in love, but seeing it pour out of him in waves is undeniable.
“Go,” I say, nodding my head in the direction his brother’s voice came from. I have a feeling that if I felt that way about someone, I would drop everything just at the promise of hearing their voice, too.
With a quick wave, Miles darts off to the back of the store. I grab my bag and walk out into the parking lot.
There are a few inches of fresh snow that fell yesterday, but the sun is shining today. It’s still chilly, but I will take any warmth the sun decides to grace us with this time of year.
Living this high up in the mountains is new to me, but I have lived in Colorado my whole life. Snow and winter weather are familiar territory for me.
My phone rings just as I’m climbing into my SUV. “Hey,” I say, holding the phone against my shoulder as I slide into my seat.
“What are you doing right now?” Kane asks with a hint of worry in his voice.
I toss the bag into the passenger seat. “I’m just leaving the hardware store and heading to the bar. Why?”
He lets out a heavy breath. “I was supposed to pick Oliver and Maverick up from school today and take them back to the house for a while, but I’ve been on and off the phone with insurance stuff for hours.”
I cringe because that sounds awful.
“Is there any way you could pick up the boys and entertain them at the house until Abby comes to pick Maverick up later?”
My ears perk up at the mention of her name. I know I need to stay away from her, but it doesn’t mean I can stop the reaction I get when her name is brought up in conversation.
I must be quiet for too long because he adds, “Or… you could come handle this insurance stuff, and I can get the boys.”
“No,” I say as soon as the words are out of his mouth.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to sift through the sands of insurance bullshit. I would probably end up accidentally switching our business insurance to boat insurance or something.
He laughs because he knows me. “You really are getting the better end of this deal. You’ll fit in with them. You’re practically a kid yourself.”
“Hey,” I snap, even though there’s no bite to it.
“Abby just texted me back and said she’s fine with all of this. She’ll be by to get Maverick in a few hours when she gets off her shift.”
Abby in her scrubs…
Focus.
I glance at the clock. “I should probably go, so I can get to the school in time.”
“Right… right,” Kane says. “And… Wyatt?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you for doing this.”
“Anytime, brother.”
“Hats?” I ask. Both boys nod, pointing to their beanie-covered heads. “Check,” I say, tugging my own hat down a little more. “Coats?” I ask, pointing to my own coat.
Maverick locks eyes with a smiling Oliver. “Check,” Maverick says, catching on. Oliver didn’t have to say anything for me to know he’s on the same page, too.
“Gloves?” I hold my glove-clad hands out in front of me, wiggling all ten fingers for emphasis.
They mimic the motion, Maverick shouting, “Check.” Barely contained excitement rolls off them.
“Then… I think we’re ready for the most epic snowball fight of all time,” I say, holding the back door open for them.
They run into the yard side by side. There isn’t a ton of snow, but with what we got yesterday, there’s enough for a decent snowball fight.
As soon as I get the door closed, something cold smacks against the back of my head. Seconds later, another snowball splats against the side of the house, only a foot away from my head.
“Who said it was gang-up-on-Wyatt time?” I ask, spinning around to face them.
They both point at each other, then start laughing. Now, I’m laughing. I slowly make my way down the steps and into the yard while they’re distracted.
I use the snow I gathered from the rail to make a snowball behind my back. Maverick’s eyes widen when I move my hands in front of my body.
“Run,” he says, grabbing Oliver’s coat above his shoulder.
Oliver’s head snaps toward me, eyes popping wide. They take off at a dead sprint for the small alcove of trees on the far corner of the yard.
I lob the snowball so it flies over their heads and lands on the ground just past their feet. Shrieks and laughter come from their direction as they duck behind a tree.
We chase each other around the backyard for what feels like forever. I haven’t seen Oliver have this much fun in a long time.
Seeing him smile and laugh fills me in a way I can’t explain. I love that kid so damn much, and watching him find his light after such a long, dark stretch means everything.
And it’s all thanks to Maverick. He’s an awesome kid. He oscillates between talking like a forty-year-old tech executive and a normal seven-year-old kid.
The juxtaposition is a hilarious version of whiplash.
I get them with a few snowballs, but it’s mostly them ganging up on me. I don’t mind. I’m just glad they’re having fun. I’m soaked to the bone, though.
The sun will be going down soon, so I’ll have to put an end to this sooner rather than later. I just can’t bring myself to end it yet.
When they’re distracted, I sneak around from the back of the house to the front. I’m crouched beside the steps leading to the porch, trying to catch my breath after running around for the last hour.
Kids have far more energy than should be legal.
I hear their voices growing closer, and I sigh, knowing my break is about to come to a screeching halt.
I grab two of the snowballs resting beside me on the ground. Peeking over the steps, I launch the snowballs at them.
They collide with their legs, one after another. Their heads snap up in unison as they discover where I’ve been hiding out.
“Get him,” Maverick bellows, holding two of his own snowballs.
They descend on me in the blink of an eye. I throw the remaining premade snowballs at them, but they are more prepared than I expected.
They pelt me with a kind of precision that is far beyond their years. I end up flat on my ass, resigning myself to just take it until they run out of ammunition.
The icy mush doesn’t feel great when it hits my face, but I’m still smiling when traces of female laughter hit my ears.
I’m instantly swiping the wetness from my face so I can peer around the boys.
Sure enough, Abby is standing on the sidewalk. A huge smile is spread across her face.
“Boys,” she scolds, but it’s half-assed and shining with far more amusement than concern for the current state I’m in.
“Oh… hey, Mom,” Maverick says, turning to look at her.
“Have you two just been beating up on poor Wyatt?” she asks, brow quirked. She’s trying to look serious, but it isn’t very convincing with the smile she’s unsuccessfully trying to hide.
The boys share a look and just shrug. At least they didn’t lie.
“Go get your stuff,” she tells Maverick.
He nods, glancing down at the last remaining snowball in his hands. His eyes dart between it and me a few times before he tosses it backwards in my direction. It collides with the middle of my chest.
“Maverick,” Abby hollers after him as the boys run into the house.
I flop back into the snow, laughing so hard my side hurts. My eyes are closed, but I can hear her laughing, too.
“Shit,” she breathes out. “They got you good.”
I pry my eyes open to find her extending her hand to me.
She hisses when I slide my cold hand into hers. I’m wearing gloves, but they aren’t doing much to keep me warm anymore.
She pulls me up with more strength than I would have guessed she possessed.
I slip just as I’m getting my feet under me. My arms band around her to keep my body weight from sending her careening into the ground.
“Fuck, you’re wet,” she yelps.
I know I should take a step back, so my dripping clothes aren’t pressed against her. But I don’t. My arms remain wrapped around her, keeping her body snug against mine, the cold and wetness be damned.
Her hands, which were originally fisted in my coat to try to push me away, shift to holding me in place. Despite the cold, I feel her melt against me.
I feel it in the way her muscles relax in the same breath as her eyes soften when she stares up at me.
“Hey,” I whisper.
“Hey.” Her tongue slides over her bottom lip, and I couldn’t make myself look anywhere else if I was paid a million dollars to do so.
She’s the only thing holding my attention right now. The rest of the world drifts away, blurring along the edges of my vision.
One of my hands tracks up her spine until it’s gently gripping the back of her neck. A shiver moves through her.
I don’t know if it’s because of the ice still clinging to my glove or the contact itself. I’m going to go for a little of both.
She presses up on her toes, and that’s all the invitation I need. All other thoughts fly straight out of my brain.
I know I should be worried about doing this right now, but her lips look too damn perfect.
The contact is gentle as our mouths press together. That devious tongue of hers slides along the seam of my lips, like it did with her own just moments ago.
I pull her closer to deepen the kiss. Her gentle moan vibrates against my lips, spurring me on even more.
I keep the contact soft, but the way it makes me feel is far from soft. This is all new to me. Kissing has never been like this before. Never.
We kiss for another minute before we both pull back. Our eyes stay locked on one another as we catch our breath. I open my mouth to say something, but the front door bursts open.
I have no idea what I was about to say, but the moment is splintered now. Whatever words were about to fall from my lips are just as lost to me as they are to her.
Abby and I jerk apart, stepping a healthy distance away. The boys clamber down the steps, Maverick chatting a mile a minute.
Abby’s eyes stay trained on me for three heavy beats before shifting to her son. “You ready?” she asks him.
“Yup,” Maverick says with an emphatic nod. He turns to look at me. “Can I come over and do that again?”
I look first to Oliver with his hopeful eyes. I can’t help but smile at Maverick when I say, “You bet. I would love a rematch.”
“You aren’t going to win, but we will happily kick your butt again,” Maverick says. Oliver snorts at his side, laughter dancing in his eyes.
Happiness looks good on him. I missed it.
“And… I think that’s our cue to leave,” Abby says, grabbing the collar of Maverick’s coat and guiding him to her car.
She must tell him something because he yells, “Thank you for having me over,” just before he hops in the backseat and slams the door shut.
Abby looks at me over the hood of her car. “Thanks for….” She leaves the sentence trailing off with many possibilities of how to fill the open space.
My mind flies to the kiss we just shared. Not only was it hot as fuck, but it was also passionate in a way I haven’t really experienced before.
The look in her eyes makes me think she is thinking the same thing. She shakes her head and hops behind the wheel.
Less than a minute later, they’re driving away. Oliver and I stare after the car until it disappears out of view.
“Did you have fun?” I ask, wrapping my arm around his shoulder as we walk up the steps.
I can feel his head bobbing in a nod, and I swear I hear the faintest traces of the word “yes.”
I’m probably mistaken, but I hang onto any glimmer of his voice that I may or may not have heard.