Chapter 7 #2
I shouldn’t have worried. There were other people from the campground, several groups of locals, and a few people on motorcycles just passing through.
The small crowd made me happy I’d stuck around earlier in the day and showed Shay a few things on the guitar.
She’d practiced several of her favorites, including “Dance With Me,” which was one of the songs Papa had written for Dad when they got together years ago.
Without mentioning my connection to the music, I’d shown her a picking style to use before the bridge that had made her eyes light up with excitement.
Tonight, she looked great, dressed in a silvery-spangled tank top and well-worn jeans with her long hair curling down her shoulders.
It was clear many of the locals knew her because older couples shouted out good luck with affectionate nicknames.
It reminded me of how supportive the rest of the Marians would be if I ever got up onstage like this. Not that I had any plans to do that.
“She’s a cutie,” Brennan said, leaning in to speak close so I could hear over the sound of the crowd and Shay’s warm-up. “Is that your guitar? I didn’t notice earlier.”
I nodded. “Hers broke, so I loaned her mine.”
He turned to meet my eye. He was a total sweetheart and the kind of guy I might have been into if he hadn’t had an obvious crush on someone else. Brennan and I had spent more than one evening in the past few weeks drinking beer and commiserating about unrequited love.
“That was nice of you, babe,” he said, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “You’re very generous.”
Val’s forehead crinkled as he handed Brennan a beer. “What are the two of you talking about?”
Brennan grinned at him. “Will loaned that girl his guitar. Hers broke.”
Val up-nodded at me. “Good of you.”
Brennan bumped shoulders with me. “But I was sorry to miss you playing at dinner tonight.”
Val moved closer to him. “I like this place. Reminds me of that bar in Kingman, yeah?”
Brennan shrugged. “I mean, kinda. But that place was full of bikers. I was a little nervous in there, to be honest.”
Val put his arm around Brennan. “I would have protected you, bro. Always.”
Brennan smiled and put his head on Val’s shoulder, giving the jealous guy exactly what he wanted. I wondered how long it would take for Val to realize he was just as into his bestie as Brennan was.
These two—one gay and one straight—had a better chance at love than me ever ending up with my own crush, who was already fucking gay.
I quickly looked away and caught Jake’s lifted eyebrows. You okay? he mouthed. I shot him a bright smile and nodded.
Right. My crush was no longer Trace Bishop. I’d forgotten for a minute, but Jake was there to remind me there were better fish in the sea.
Cute fish. Fish who cared.
A little while later, after Shay had finished the third song of her set, Jake leaned across the bar to ask if I wanted another drink.
I’d ridden over in Thierry and Armand’s big pickup, so I didn’t need to worry about how much I consumed.
Still, I decided to avoid another liquor drink and switched to beer.
“Yes, please. Any lager you recommend.”
When he finished pouring it and handed it across, he clamped his hand over mine in a way that made my stomach tighten with nerves. “Will you stick around? After?”
I felt my cheeks heat. “Uh, yeah? If you want.”
He winked but was quickly called away by the woman who’d come in to help serve at the tables.
Within seconds, he was down the bar helping others.
As I watched him and thought about what I would say to Thierry and Armand about not needing a ride back to the campground, I wondered why I suddenly felt strange about the whole thing.
“You look constipated,” Thierry said when I moved over to the table where he and Armand were sitting.
“I’m… not,” I said with a huff of laughter. “I don’t think.”
Armand reached out and pulled over an empty chair from the table next to them. “Sit. What’s on your mind?”
I shook my head. “I think… I think I’m going to stay for the whole thing. Um… Jake? You know, Jake’s Place, Jake? I might…”
The two of them shared one of those married glances, the kind that said things without saying them. Then they looked back at me.
“That’s good, right?” Thierry asked. “He’s a good-looking guy.”
I nodded, still feeling strange about it for some reason. “Yeah, it’s just…” I glanced over to see Jake busy pouring drinks and talking to the woman who was helping serve food and drink at the tables. “I don’t know. What’s my hesitation?”
I was thinking out loud, really. I didn’t expect them to have any more answers about my sex life than I did. And they didn’t know my history. That I was trying to get over someone and also terrified of rejection again.
Thierry glanced over at the bar again. “He looks at you…” He glanced at his husband again.
Armand leaned in and lowered his voice. “He looks at you when you’re not looking. A lot.”
It took me a minute to process that. And then I felt a swell of relief. “Oh.” I forced myself not to look Jake’s way again, as if searching for clues. “Well, that’s good, right?”
Thierry reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Yes, but we like Brennan for you.”
“But Brennan’s in love with Val,” I said absently. Also, he was too… something. Sweet, maybe? Hopeful? Young.
Thierry did a very French pfft sound before grabbing his wineglass and sitting back. “That will never happen. Val is a hundred percent into the ladies. When we were in Moab, he took two different women back to his van at the same time.”
Armand ignored him. “Listen. See how it goes with this Jake, and if you want to stay, stay. You can always call us to come back and get you if you need to.”
I was touched by his offer. “I don’t think I’m ready to stay the night,” I admitted. “If that’s what you mean.”
Armand shrugged. “See how it goes. Who knows?”
Thierry pursed his lips. “Try the sexy bartender for a good time, and if it’s no good, we can get out of here tomorrow and find somewhere else to camp.”