Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Angus
T hreatening my manhood if I didn’t comply, my older brother, Callen, made me promise to take the night off. I’m not allowed to step behind the bar tonight. A promise is a promise, even if all I want to do is hurdle the damn thing to put a barrier between myself and the dark-haired beauty standing across from me.
Mia’s dark hair hangs in long curls down her back. A second ago, someone yelled her name and when she turned, her hair whipped around and fell over one of her shoulders. Something about the sight has my pants suddenly feeling too small. Throw in the way her bright blue eyes sparkle with amusement, mixed with her killer smile, and you’ve got one toxic combination, even if it's not aimed at me.
I’m a goner.
Every time she smiles, she does me in.
As the owner of The House, an old fire station I purchased after leaving the military and transformed into a bar and restaurant downstairs and an apartment upstairs—though the women in my life insist I call it a loft with its open one-room floor plan—I can usually hide out behind the bar and pour drinks to distract myself when Mia’s in the building. I’ve become an expert at finding reasons to keep my distance when she’s here.
Before Sawyer was born, I ended many a night screwing some random woman whose name I would never remember to rid myself of the built-up tension from watching Mia dance with one too many cowboys for my liking. Since Sawyer, she’s only been in a handful of times, making my life a hell of a lot easier.
Thankfully, the sound of beer bottles loudly clinking together steals my attention. I gladly take the opening to stop torturing myself by watching Mia. Turning, I’m not surprised to see my brother's best friend, Owen, standing on a chair, bottles in hand.
“Ladies and gentlemen, and I use those terms loosely, can I please have your attention?”
Our group of friends and family stop talking and throwing darts to hear what the best man has to say.
“Tonight, we are here to celebrate our friends Callen and Charlotte, or as her friends call her, Charlie, as they have one of their last nights of freedom before they join themselves together for eternity. Usually, they would each have their own parties and go to their respective strip clubs, but not these two. It will come as no surprise to any of you that they just can’t get enough of each other. So here they are together as they say goodbye to the carefree life of singledom.” He rolls his eyes in fake exasperation. “We get it. You’re in looove. But you could have had one night apart.” He winks in the ridiculously happy couple’s direction as they laugh along with the rest of us.
As usual, Owen soaks up the attention of the crowd and they all laugh at him, including Mia. So much for giving myself a break. I can’t help but watch her when she’s beaming like she has been tonight. I haven’t seen her smile this much in a long time. It feels good to see her happy, and I know she isn’t into Owen, so more smiles aimed at someone other than me doesn’t bother me. As long as she’s having a good time, all is right in my world.
“Charlie, you do know the sexy is gonna wear off in a couple of months, right? He’ll be belching and rubbing his bare belly after a night of beer and sausage in no time. That sex appeal of his is gonna fade into oblivion. Mark my words.”
Owen is an idiot in the best possible way. He even has me laughing. And that’s something I don’t do often these days.
“But before things go south, let’s all lift a glass to the happy couple and their current state of blissful love.” We all raise our glasses as instructed. “In all seriousness, we love you two and we all wish you the best. Now, let’s drink and dance and drink some more! Oh, and ladies, I’ll be giving lap dances in the back booth at 9pm. Please form a line to the left and no fighting!”
My sister and Mia roll their eyes at his antics but can’t help but laugh at the nonsense that is Owen Swift.
While my brother and his fiancée accept hugs and handshakes from friends, the volume of the music goes up as the house lights go down. The first song is a line dance that has the crowd gathering in the open space, usually filled with tables and chairs, that’s converted to a dance floor after 8pm. That’s when the fun begins.
“Gus, thanks for letting us use your fine establishment for this evening's festivities. It’s been a while since you’ve been on this side of the bar. It looks good on you,” Owen yells over the music, clamping his hand on my shoulder.
“Of course. I wouldn’t want them to go anywhere else. This was where they got back together, after all. Seems full circle.”
“That was what? Five or six months ago, they sure aren’t wasting any time.”
I shrug. “I guess when you know, you know.”
“I guess so.” His tone changes, like he knows exactly what I’m talking about, except he hasn’t been as fortunate as Cal.
Interesting.
We watch the crowd dancing in sync and my eyes drift to Mia as her ass sways side to side, making it impossible not to watch her. Nobody else on the floor moves like her. She’s always been impossible not to watch when she’s dancing. She looks free and happy. It’s a nice change from the sadness and stress she had last Sunday at Sawyer’s birthday party.
As she told me and Daisy about her parents selling the house, her voice shook. I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or her nerves, but I had to do something. So I offered her my jacket and wasn’t that a colossal mistake? Not only did seeing her in it give me a semi, but I swear I can still smell her on it. I may just buy a new one, because I’m never washing this one again.
The song ends and the bride and groom’s requested playlist continues to play and everyone, who hadn’t been line dancing, including me, join in to sing along and shake our asses to the party song we all know by heart. Yes, even me. Soon Garth Brooks croons about his friends in low places, we all throw our arms around each other and sing along.
This. This right here is why I love being from a small town.
There’s nothing like the camaraderie and comfort that comes with knowing pretty much everyone in the room. I fucking love it. I can't lie, though. There are times the town feels a little too small. More times than I can count, I’ve wished everyone wasn’t in my business, or that I could have a moment of peace, but right now is not one of those times. Nights like tonight are why I came back home after my enlistment was over.
Back then, everything had fallen into place. When I was little, I dressed up as a fireman for Halloween for three years running. I had always been obsessed with fire trucks and fire houses growing up, so when the old county fire station came up for sale, the idea of buying it and turning it into The House was a no-brainer.
The loft upstairs that I use as a second home was a bonus. I could have made it a two-story business, but it was nice to have a place to stay while I built my house at the ranch. With help from Cal and some buddies, I remodeled the bar, updated the electrical and plumbing, and changed the upstairs from barracks style living to an open concept loft. Next on the to-do list is to upgrade the electrical and plumbing upstairs and maybe rent it out one day when I’m ready to move to the ranch full-time. The bar is doing well, but a little extra income never hurt anybody.
Many have asked why I didn’t become a firefighter after my enlistment, but being a part of the fire department is like being a part of another extended family. The men and women of a firehouse form bonds that can’t be explained. Just like the bonds I had in the military.
I lost a lot of that family in the Corps.
The pain of that loss is something that continues to weigh on my soul.
I can’t lose another person on my watch.
Losing my dad a year ago was almost more than I could take. Another hurt that still hasn’t gone away. I’m not sure it ever will. My immediate family, that includes Mia, her little boy and her parents, and my remaining military family are all I need. Throw in the town of Goose Hollow and that’s more than enough.
A slow two-step comes on, the crowd thins, and Rhen Mitchell taps Mia on the shoulder to ask her to dance. He’s met with a look of disgust.
Humor dances over Rhen’s face, as though her reaction comes as no surprise to him, but she doesn’t budge.
Whoa.
What is that all about?
My body moves of its own accord and before I know it, Mia’s hand is in mine and I’m pulling her to the middle of the dance floor. My eyes lock with Rhen’s. “Sorry, she promised the first two-step to me.”
“Whatever,” he says. “Maybe next time.” He chuckles as though the last twenty seconds were nothing if not entertaining for him. Seemingly unbothered, he walks away.
The moment we’re out of earshot she releases a heavy sigh. “Thanks for the save, but you don’t have to dance with me.”
She turns to walk away, but I’ll be damned if I’m letting her go now. I’m not passing up a rare opportunity like this. Not only to be this close to her, but the chance to be there for her if she needs me. Her parents are moving and she’s a single mom with all the complications that brings. If Rhen is pissing her off, I’m more than happy to intervene.
I spin her back around to face me, not missing the surprise in her eyes.
“Why not?” I ask, my other hand settling on her shoulder as I start to move us around the floor. She flawlessly falls into step with me. “You don’t want to dance with me, Goof?”
I use her nickname as a reminder to myself that she is my sister’s best friend and completely off-limits, because damn, she feels nice in my arms.
“Well, no, it’s not that.” Her cheeks pink. “I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to.”
“It’s my pleasure, besides I wanted to talk to you about Monday. Are you excited about your big interview?” It’s not the first question I want to ask, but I can tell she doesn’t want to talk about Rhen.
“Oh, uh, yeah.” She stammers a bit. It seems I’ve taken her by surprise. “I’m more nervous than I am excited. We don’t get opportunities like this around here, you know? I don’t want to mess it up.”
“You aren’t gonna mess it up. You’re gonna do great. Besides, it sounds like they already know they want you. This interview is just a formality. I have all the faith in the world in you.”
“Thanks.” She blushes, and it is stunning. “If only you were the one interviewing me.”
“What is it they say to do? Picture them naked?” I offer.
She laughs. “I think that’s for public speaking. It may make a one-on-one interview a little awkward.”
“Fair point.” I swing her out in front of me and keep us moving around the wood floor as I bring her back to me. I’m not sure we’ve ever been this close, for this long. It’s fucking exhilarating.
“Thanks again for offering to take me Monday, Angus.”
“No thanks needed. We’re family. It’s what we do.”
Her cheeks pink again, her voice shy when she says, “Right.”
Unable to hold back my curiosity any longer, I ask, “What’s with you and Rhen? You seemed pretty pissed at him.”
“I just don’t like him.” She wrinkles her nose. “I don’t get what everyone sees in him.”
He’s a good-looking guy. I imagine most women would describe him as tall, dark, and handsome. I’m not hating that she wants nothing to do with him, but it worries me all the same. We’ve known him our whole lives. “Tell me what I’m missing?”
“Listen, you wouldn’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“Gus, come on. I don’t want to talk about Rhen. He’s just an asshole.”
There’s more to this story, but I don’t push her.
“Fine. We won’t talk about Rhen, but if he bothers you, let me know. I’ll take care of him.”
“I’m a big girl. I don’t need you to come to my rescue. It’s not like that.”
The song ends, and she drops my hand. “Thanks for the dance. I’m gonna go get a drink.”
I follow her off the floor but take my time so I don’t look like a stalker, even though I kind of am, only taking my eyes off her when I see Rhen in my peripheral. He’s already distracted by a blonde out of towner.
Why does she hate him so much?
I catch myself examining his features to see if there’s any resemblance to a certain two-year-old, and I curse under my breath.
What the hell is my problem?
How am I not over this by now?
I’ve spent the last two years scanning the faces of every man in Goose Hollow, wondering if they could be Sawyer's father. It’s a real shitty pastime. One I’m not proud of. But when I think back to the night she told us she was pregnant—the desolate expression on her face and the humiliation in her eyes only visible for a brief moment—I can’t help myself.
The need to shatter the skull and rip out the heart of the man who made her feel less than. Unworthy. Well, that need still hasn’t left me. The man who isn’t here helping her emotionally or financially. The same man who isn’t giving Sawyer the father figure he needs and deserves in his life.
Whoever he is, he better hope I never find out.