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The hinges groaned when Aiden shoved his door open and stepped out. Busy putting the camera away, I jolted when my door swung open and he leaned against it.

“Get some good shots?” he asked with an expression that told me he was actually interested and not just making small talk.

“Yeah, I think so. I’ll know for sure once I get back to the cabin and can look them over on the laptop.” He stepped back, allowing me to exit the 4Runner. I eyed the rotting wood façade. “So, this is the place we’re meeting your friend?”

“Yep. It’s not much to look at, but it’s a favorite of us locals. The tourists and visitors stick to the trendier and newer side of town, which is just two blocks that way.” He hooked a thumb behind him as we headed for the door. “Ches is a great guy. Pours strong drinks and always has the best beer on tap.”

I eyed Aiden, then the sign that had seen better days. The white-paintedDave’swas barely legible. “So, the guy who owns it is Ches, but the bar is called Dave’s?”

Aiden tipped his head back, his long locks of hair swinging with the movement, and laughed. With a wink, he tossed a heavy arm across my shoulders. He paused, still chuckling under his breath. “Dave was Ches’s dad. He owned the place before he passed several years back and left it to his son.”

The cheerful expression shifted to one of consideration as his honey-brown gaze flicked between my face and where his arm hung on my shoulders. “Is this okay?”

Biting my lip to hide my goofy grin, I nodded.

“Great, because I’m a touchy-feely, invade-your-space kind of guy. If it ever bothers you, let me know. I try to remember that not everyone wants me hanging all over them.”

It was crazy that I truly didn’t mind. In fact, his touch was almost comforting in a way, despite him being a stranger and sexy as hell.

He reached the door first, grabbing the thick wooden handle and giving it a tug before gesturing for me to go through.

I paused just inside the bar, my eyes taking a second to adjust from the sunlight to the dark atmosphere. Scents of fried food, stale beer, and fish wafted up my nose when I inhaled. Tugging at my coat, I popped the snaps and pulled it off as Aiden stepped up beside me. Every head turned our way, and conversations died as the patrons focused on me.

I swallowed hard, not loving the curious and a few hostile stares.

“You said this was a local favorite. Are there a lot in Anchor Bay? Locals, that is, in the actual town?”

“More than you’d think.” A wide hand pressed to my lower back, guiding me forward through the scattering of high-top tables. “The fishing keeps this town going most of the year, but in the summers, we get an influx of visitors who want to explore Alaska. Some locals live in town, but a lot don’t. They move here to get away from people, and that’s what they do. Build a remote place out in the mountains and only come into town to trade what they’ve trapped or shot, stock up on supplies, or when they need a tiny dose of socialization, which is what they get here.

“Oh, good, Miles is already here.” He pointed toward a table in the corner and then huffed. “Of course he brought her too.”

I stumbled, hip bouncing off a chair, when the light shifted, pouring through one of the few windows along the back wall, highlighting a massive man whose intense gaze tracked my every move. Even sitting down, I knew he was well over six feet tall, and with broad shoulders and a thick chest, he radiated power. Short dark hair, barely long enough on top to style, and a thick, almost-black beard that covered but didn’t conceal the sharp lines of his square jaw. True hazel eyes never left my face, almost dragging me into his orbit.

Movement to his right drew my attention. I sucked down a shocked gasp, almost choking on a delighted squeal that tried to escape at the same time.

Holy fuck.

Was that really a dog, sitting in a chair like a human, smiling at me?

5

AIDEN

Iworked my jaw back and forth, hoping to ease the tension, as we approached the table where a stone-faced Miles and a happy Jubie waited. I loved that animal. She was the best cuddler in Anchor Bay, but I had asked Miles to leave her at home for tonight’s meetup. What if Aspen was afraid of dogs or allergic or?—

“Oh my goodness,” she gasped beside me, cutting off my thoughts. “Shut the front door.”

With a quick glance over my shoulder, I double-checked that the door was in fact already closed, but before I could tell her that, Aspen hurried to the table, yanked out the empty wooden chair beside Jubie, and flopped down onto the hard seat.

After haphazardly tossing her coat aside and carefully looping the strap of her satchel around the chair back, she reached out both hands, fingers wiggling, only to pause an inch from the massive Bernese mountain dog’s thick fur.

“Is it okay if I pet her?” she asked, wide dark eyes pleading with Miles.

At his clipped nod, her sharp, excited squeal filled the bar, making a few heads turn our way, and she practically launched herself at the massive animal. After shooting a mind-your-own-business glare to a few of the local guys who were staring a little too hard at Aspen, I turned back, only to find Jubie leveling me with a smug look as she panted over Aspen’s shoulder, drool swinging from her loose jowls.

Unfortunately, Jubie seemed to be the more accepting of the two. My best friend, whose expression made me think he was constipated or had accidentally been poured gin instead of vodka, hadn’t shifted except for his all-seeing gaze that tracked each of Aspen’s movements. When his attention finally swung my way, I smirked, knowing Aspen had caught his eye the moment we walked into the bar. After ensuring she couldn’t see the gesture from where she was still wrapped around Jubie, he flipped me the bird and leaned back in his chair, crossing both arms over his wide chest.

I huffed and rolled my eyes. Of course the asshole would pout at getting caught checking her out. Not sure what he was trying to prove with the blank expression and hard looks, but he couldn’t fool me. Miles was intrigued whether he liked it or not.