Page 41

“Yes?”
“Ellie?”
“What about her?”
“Oh, come on. I saw the way she was looking at you when we left.”
“How was she…” I ask nonchalantly because I have been trying my best to keep my eyes off of her in mixed company.
“With stars in her eyes, dude. I think she likes you.”
“No, I don’t think so,” I tell him. “She’s just comfortable around me, that’s all.”
“If you say so.” He shrugs. “I swear she gets more gorgeous every time I see her, I respect the restraint you have because I wouldn’t have lasted a day.”
“Believe me, I know,” I say sarcastically, just as I feel something pressed up against my other side and a hand on my bicep.
“Shit!” the voice murmurs and when I turn toward whoever is touching me, I see a woman I’ve never met before. “I’m sorry! I dropped my purse.” It seems like she was just walking by but once our eyes meet, I see hers widen and she hesitates for a moment before she takes a seat on the barstool next to me.
“You’re fine, no problem,” I tell her, and her eyes immediately drop to my hands. I can guess she’s looking to see if I’m wearing a wedding ring.
“I come here all the time and I’ve never seen you here.” She nods at River. “I see him often.” She adjusts the glasses that sit in front of her charcoal eyes and bats them a few times at me.
“Because I have a life unlike my big bro here,” he says before slinging an arm around me and using his other hand to squeeze my cheeks obnoxiously.
“I have a life, thank you.” I shoot him a fake smile. “I’m just very busy,” I tell her.
“He’s allergic to fun,” he says through a bite of his burger.
She giggles and leans her elbow on the bar so she’s completely facing me. “What’s your name?” she asks.
“Rowan.”
“Well, Rowan, I’m Lydia, and…it was really nice to meet you,” she says with a smile and then she’s off the stool and gone without another word.
River slowly blinks at me in shock and shakes his head in disappointment. “Have you just completely forgotten how to talk to women? She was cute and into you! Did you join the priesthood without telling me?”
I glare at him. “I don’t have time for—”
“Make time,” he interrupts. “You can still date, you know. Single fathers do it all the time. Don’t tell me you want to wait until Isla’s eighteen because you’ll be…shit,” he whistles, “I don’t even want to think about it because that’ll force me to think about how oldI’llbe in twelve years.” He groans and presses a hand over his heart dramatically. “All I’m saying is don’t shut yourself off from the possibility of having some fun, going on dates, and getting to know someone. I’m not suggesting marriage or even trying to get laid—which youshouldbe thinking about by the way—but some companionship wouldn’t hurt.”
“I know,” I say, thinking about the woman at home that I started to get to know and it hits me that she’s the only woman I want to go on a date with.
I stayed out longer than I planned, getting home a little after eleven to find Elianna on the couch just like always. River actually left with me, much to my surprise, and dropped next to Ellie on the couch as soon as we got in.
“Are you staying?” I ask him, wondering if he doesn’t feel like taking an Uber home and is planning to crash in my other guestroom.
“I’m leaving. I didn’t really get a chance to talk to Ellie when I was here earlier.” He turns his gaze to Elianna. “Ellie, we have to work on my brother.”
Her eyes snap to mine in question, and I frown wondering where he’s going with this.
“Oh?” she asks.
“Yes, oh?” I sit on the adjacent loveseat and shoot him a warning glare that I hope he heeds.
“He never gets out and then when he does, he’s practically repelling women,” he explains. “This very attractive woman tried to talk to him tonight and he was having none of it.”
She looks over at me before turning back to River. “Well, maybe he wasn’t attracted to her?”