Page 10 of Denim & Diamonds

“What fun would that have been?” Elvin shrugged. “Our mom had a snowman made of three round cat turds and twigs on her windowsill until the day she died. I tried to get it when we cleaned out her house, but Brock beat me to it.”

February turned in her chair. “Do you still have the shit sculpture?”

I shook my head at my brother. “I’m going to kill you, Elvin.”

My brothers all laughed while I finished stirring— not shaking —a prissy martini. I set it down in front of February and waited for her to sip.

“Good?”

“Oh my God. This might be the best martini I’ve ever had. What brand of olive juice did you use?”

“They’re homemade. This little Italian market has an olive bar with all different kinds of stuffed olives.”

Trevor raised a brow. “You went to Rizullo’s?”

“Yeah.”

“They moved last year, didn’t they?”

“Yep.”

“They’re like forty miles down south now, in Noahsville. What were you doing down that way?”

I wasn’t about to tell my brother I’d driven there just to get the olives. I cleared my throat. “Gave an estimate.”

“To who?”

“A potential customer.”

“What was their name?”

“You writing a damn book or something?”

My brother tapped a finger to his lip and grinned. He knew.

I attempted to thwart whatever was about to come out of his mouth next. “Who’s dealing?”

“I am,” Elvin said. “You want in, February?”

“Umm… Like I said, I’m not very good.”

Maddox smiled. “Those are our favorite people to play with.”

From that point on, either February or I won every single hand of cards. We cleaned out all of my brothers. I leaned back in my chair when we took a break. “I thought you didn’t know how to play?”

“I didn’t say that. I said I wasn’t very good. And I’m not, compared to my uncle who taught me. He’s a professional poker player in Vegas.”

I smiled. “So you suckered us.”

“Not us. Them . You I let win twice, but only because you got all the stuff to make those amazing martinis.”

Normally we took a stretch break and then played for another hour or two. But Elvin grabbed his jacket and crutches. “I have an early job tomorrow morning, so I’m going to call it a night.”

Maddox nodded. “Me too.”

Trevor sipped his beer. “I can stay.”

Elvin shook his head. “ Let’s go, jackass .”

“Why?”

“Because it’s time for you to go find some other woman to prey on. Pretty sure this one’s taken.”

I rolled my eyes. But I couldn’t say I was upset my brothers were clearing out.

The last thing I needed was alone time with February, yet that’s exactly what I wanted.

The two of us walked the guys to the door.

Of course, when Trevor took February’s hand to shake it, he lifted it to his mouth and kissed the top with a smirk. I’d make him pay for that.

“Walk me out, bro?” Trevor said.

My eyes narrowed, but I told February I’d be right back and followed the dumbass to his truck.

“What’s up?”

“February seems really great.”

“Okay…”

“And she’s smoking hot.”

My jaw clenched.

Trevor chuckled and pointed to my face. “You’re turning purple.”

“Is that what you made me come out here for? To bust my balls?”

“Well, yeah. But that’s not the only reason.”

“What do you want?”

Trevor put a hand on my shoulder. “I just wanted to remind you that ladies who wear sexy boots like that and carry designer handbags don’t stick around this small town for long.”

I frowned. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but he was just trying to look out for me after what had gone down with the last city woman I’d dated. So I nodded. “It’s fine. We’re just friends.”

“Oh really? So you wouldn’t mind if I went back inside and asked her out?”

I scowled.

Trevor laughed and opened the door to his truck. “That’s what I thought. But you enjoy the rest of your evening anyway.”

Back inside the bar, I found February cleaning up the poker table. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t mind.” She stacked the poker chips inside their case. “Your brothers are great. ”

“They’re pains in the asses.”

“It’s nice that you get together every month.”

“Elvin’s wife also hosts dinner every other Thursday.”

February smiled. “My only sister lives in California. It must be nice to have family around.”

“Sometimes. But don’t let them know I said that.” We finished cleaning up the table. “You want another prissy drink?”

She nibbled on her lip. “I should probably get going, too.”

She was right, yet somehow I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that. “Stay for one more.”

Our eyes met, and she was quiet for a long beat before nodding. “Okay. One more.”

I whipped up her fancy drink, poured a beer for myself, and we went and sat in a booth. I kept my eyes on her while she tasted the martini.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing.”

“You weren’t just thinking about nothing. I saw the wheels in your head spinning. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I was just wondering who you hang out with like this at home in New York.”

“No one.” She shook her head. “I work late, often until midnight, and then go home to an overpriced empty apartment.” She smiled. “You want to know a secret?”

“What?”

“I don’t even have dishes in my kitchen cabinets.”

My brows pulled tight. “Where are they?”

“Nowhere. I don’t have any.”

“Why not? ”

She shrugged. “My ex took them when he moved out, and I never bothered to replace them.”

“Your ex? How long ago was that?”

“The divorce was finalized three years ago.”

I had no idea she’d ever been married, but I didn’t find that information half as disturbing as not having dishes for three years. “How do you eat?”

“I have most of my meals at the office, but sometimes I get takeout at home.” She laughed and pointed to my face. “You look horrified. Does it help if I tell you I do have utensils? And a few coffee mugs.”

“Not really.”

Her smile widened. “I mentioned my lack of dishes to my therapist this week, and she was very bothered by it, too. I’m not sure why it doesn’t seem to faze me.”

“Why did your ex take the dishes? Were they his before you got married or something?”

She sipped her martini. “They were his grandmother’s. She gave them to us as a wedding gift. He offered to replace them for me, but I told him not to.”

“Did you work until midnight when you were married?”

She shook her head. “No, I didn’t have to back then. Maybe eight or nine, some nights. I had a business partner. Tyler did half the work, maybe even more. He and I started Amourette together right out of college.”

“What happened to him?”

“He died. About a month after my divorce was finalized.”

“Shit. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. He was in a car accident on his way out to the Hamptons for the weekend.” She picked up the toothpick with skewered olives and used it to stir her drink.

“That’s when I started working a hundred hours a week.

Last year, I sold part of my company to a big conglomerate.

I wanted the resources they were going to bring more than the cash infusion, but that’s turned out to be a nightmare.

They try to micromanage things and want to mass produce my product line overseas rather than make them locally.

” She laughed. “And I have no idea why I’m telling you all of this.

I have a therapist at Sierra who would be thrilled if I told her any of it, and yet I can’t seem to open up to her.

The dishes thing just sort of slipped out one day. ”

I shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

She lifted the toothpick to her mouth and used her teeth to pull off one of the olives.

“Anyway…a failed marriage, a dead business partner, and I also made some bad financial decisions like investing in a factory that went belly up, and yeah, I guess I probably could use this forced vacation. Though it would’ve been nice to decide to take it on my own. ”

“Would you have ever done that? Checked into Sierra, I mean.”

She smiled sadly. “Probably not.”

“Sometimes things happen that we might not have picked for ourselves, but they turn out to take us in a new direction that turns out even better.”

February’s eyes dropped to my lips. I wanted more than anything to lean in and kiss her. When her gaze rose and met mine, I got the feeling she knew it. After a few seconds, she looked away and knocked back the rest of her drink. “I guess I should be going.”

I nodded. “I’ll drive you.”

“Thanks. I won’t fight you about taking the ride tonight. These boots aren’t the most comfortable to walk a mile in. ”

We were both quiet for the drive back to Sierra. Once we passed through the gate, I turned my lights off and pulled around to the back of the building. Too bad her ladder was waiting for her. I wouldn’t have minded her having to crash at my place again.

“Thank you for letting me hang out. And for the ride back.”

“Anytime.” I dug into my jeans pocket and pulled out an old iPhone. “Here. You said your friend’s cell was confiscated. Take this one. It’s ancient, but it works. It’s the bar’s telephone, but no one ever calls it.”

“That’s sweet, but it’s okay.”

“Take it.” I extended my hand farther. “I don’t like you not having one for an emergency.”

February smiled. “An emergency? Or not having one to send the next pictures in the series?”

I winked. “Whatever you need it for.”

She laughed and took the phone. Then she grabbed the door handle and started to get out. But she stopped and turned back to me. “Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Why haven’t you kissed me?”

I blinked.

She continued before I could figure out how to answer the question. “It’s looked like you wanted to a few times, but then you never do.”

My eyes jumped back and forth between hers. “You’re right, I have wanted to kiss you.”

“But…”

“But you’re leaving in a few weeks, and it’s probably not a good idea.”

February smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheek. After, her mouth moved to my ear. “Such a shame. Some of the best times I’ve had in my life started out as bad ideas .”