Page 18 of Starting Over with You (Beer League Belles #2)

CHAPTER

FIFTEEN

Dean

I scored a goal, I checked Matt into the boards twice, and I shot the puck at my sister when she was leaning on the glass, talking to the Belles. Her beer went flying, and boy, did she cuss me out, but I just flashed her a grin.

All in all, it was a good night of hockey.

Whiskey and Whirl night is in full swing as I step into the Thirsty Pine.

The scent of beer and bad choices hits me square in the face as I take in the packed bar and pulsing dance floor.

There are more tourists than locals, which is what Jasper, the owner, banked on with his theme nights.

This would be good if I were in the mood to take someone home, but lately, that just hasn’t been enticing me.

I don’t know when it happened, but I’m tired of meaningless hookups.

I feel like my whole life has been nothing but hookups.

Exhibit number one: Skyye Leigh Moore.

I tip my refreshed hat to a group of ladies from the police station, and I’m rewarded with saucy grins and little winks before I head toward the bar.

I like to get two shots in me before I hit the floor.

That way, if I fall, I can tell my bruised ego it was because I was drunk.

My boots crunch on the peanuts and whatever else is on the floor as I make my way to my spot at the bar.

The space above the bar is crowded with taxidermy animals that have been shot and posted up by the locals, along with hockey sticks and old photos of people playing hockey and hunting.

It’s a kitchen sink of shit that somehow goes together.

People are shouting and laughing as “Watermelon Crawl” by Tracy Byrd plays through the speakers.

The crowd on the floor is killing the dance, and I almost hope they play this song again since it’s one of my favorites.

It isn’t until I’m most of the way to the bar that I notice someone is sitting in my seat.

Not just someone. Kenni.

She doesn’t have to turn for me to know it’s her.

I can tell by the slope of her neck, the fullness of her cheeks, as she laughs at whatever Jasper just said.

Her jet-black hair is in two braids down her back, and her pink shirt is riding up, giving me one hell of a view of the small of her back, which has two delectable rolls on either side.

Her full ass hangs over the sides of the stool she sits on, her dark jeans painted on her thighs, and the heels of her boots are hooked into the rung of her stool.

Jasper fills her glass and pushes it to her just as I step up.

“Put her tab on mine,” I say when I pull out the stool beside her and sit down. “I’d like the same.”

I don’t catch Jasper’s look or even his response as my eyes meet her surprised ones.

Her eyes are shining under neon bar signs as she slowly curves her lips up at me.

Delight swirls in her blue depths, and the look goes straight to my cock.

She licks her lips, completely oblivious to the torture she’s putting me through, before she says, “Fancy seeing you here.”

I settle beside her, squirming a bit to alleviate some of the pressure of my cock against my zipper. I put my elbows on the bar as I lean forward. “Me? Where is the rest of your trio?”

Her eyes dance as she brings her glass to her lips. “Well, Sadie had date night with Matt, and I had to get out of the house. I forgot how awful it is living with my sister.”

I chuckle loudly, and I pick up the drink that Jasper sets down for me. “That she’s a slob and blames everyone for her messes?”

She tips her drink to me. “Oh yes, and that it’s basically newlywed central in there. I walked in on them, Dean. I was just trying to do my laundry, and he’s got her over the damn washer!”

I choke on my drink, the liquor burning as I laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, I heard they’re a little wild. Skyye hates it.”

She grimaces. “My poor niece. I need my place to be ready so she and I can go hide.”

“She has my house,” I say defensively, and I don’t know why. I love that Skyye loves Kenni; they’re truly best friends.

“I know, but she doesn’t like to bother you when it’s not your week.”

I bring in my brows. “She isn’t a bother. She could move in tomorrow.”

Kenni gives me a look, one that tells me she means no harm or offense, before she says, “Then she’ll be walking in on you.”

I scoff, shaking my head. “Women don’t come into my house.”

Her eyes widen as amusement plays out in them. “Because you can get away from them quicker at theirs?”

“Damn right,” I say, tipping my drink to her.

Her laughter is lyrical as she throws her head back.

I love the column of her neck and how the sound of her laughter brings such a wide smile to my lips.

Kenni has the best laugh. It’s loud, obnoxious, and all her.

Her laughter subsides as she leans in, taking a long pull of her whiskey.

I follow her lead, but when I go to ask her a question, she’s doing the same.

“When do you?—”

“I see your hat?—”

Our eyes meet, and once more, our laughter fills the space between us. I nod toward her. “Go ahead.”

She smiles in thanks before she says, “I see the hat is wearable.”

I flick it with my finger. “Good as new. Thanks for that. ”

“Man,” she groans. “I felt so bad.”

I wave her off. “It was all me. I could have let you puke on the floor, but I figured this way, no one would know.”

Her cheeks fill with color as she hides behind her glass. “Still, I’m glad I was able to get it clean.”

“Me too,” I say honestly as I take a sip of my whiskey. Licking my lips free of the bitter liquid, I ask, “So, you’re moving in to Hazel’s old place once the termites are taken care of?”

“Yeah,” she answers, crossing her legs. Her legs are so plump, thick, and I bet it’d be too much fun to suffocate between them. “August is the estimated completion date. Can’t come quick enough.”

I arch a brow. “It can’t be that bad.”

“I don’t think Nyle likes me,” she admits in a shy way that has me wanting to kiss her.

“Why do you say that?” I ask, trying to stuff down my instinct to get pissed and want to kick his ass if he makes Kenni feel unwelcome.

“I don’t know. I get the vibe. He’s super obsessed with Missy and wants her all to himself. We were on the couch, and he sat between us. It’s odd.”

“It is. You haven’t seen him be?—”

“I’ve watched,” she reassures me. “He’s good to Skyye, I promise.”

My stomach settles, but I still feel keyed up. “You could move in with your dad.”

She makes a face. “No way. He’s too damn judgy.” Kenni’s lips curve as she shrugs. “I’ll just wait it out in the house of slob and sex.”

Once more, I choke on the swig I just took, and her laughter is loud as she grins that megawatt smile at me. “You’re trying to kill me!”

“Never,” she says, patting my thigh. She acts like the simple touch doesn’t have me fighting for my next breath. I grip the bar as she flutters those thick lashes at me. “I might need to puke in your hat again one day.”

Hell, she could puke in my hands and I’d be thankful.

She’s goddamn beautiful. There is a rosy color to the tip of her nose and her cheeks.

The little dip in her chin seems deeper when she smiles with no-holds-barred like she is now.

Just damn gorgeous. My eyes bore into hers, and I love how she looks right on back, no shame in her gaze.

She giggles, shaking her head as she turns on the stool to look out at the crowd.

“Tell me all the tea. Who’s with who now? ”

I turn with her, one of my elbows back on the bar while my other hand holds my glass.

With how I’m leaning, my shoulder touches Kenni’s, as do our thighs.

I try to ignore the heat that touching her causes me before I shake my head.

“They are all tourists,” I tell her, but then I see some old classmates, Randy Hill and Maura Mackey, toward the back hall.

I point to them. “Randy and Maura have gotten married, divorced, remarried to other people, only to cheat on them with each other.”

Kenni’s eyes widen. “No way!”

“Yup. And then there is the rumor that Maggie Cook is dating someone on the police force.”

“Oh God,” she whimpers. “Please don’t say my daddy.”

“Your daddy,” I confirm with a laugh. She lets her head fall back, groaning loudly, and all I can do is grin. We spend the next hour with me filling her in on all the town gossip, and she eats it up.

“So, you mean to tell me that grumpy jackass Jett Cook did a whole-ass skating program?”

“It was Olympic-worthy, if Olympic athletes were close to forty and did the bare minimum skills from Skyye’s tiny tots class.”

That has Kenni cackling. She leans into me, her laughter vibrating through her body as she shakes her head. “But he got the girl.”

“Oh yeah,” I agree, meeting her gaze. “He married her like a month later. ”

A dreamy look comes over her face. “I love that for them. I met up with them on Tuesday. I’m going to start working for them.”

“Working?”

She gives me a look. “Missy didn’t tell you I’m a market analyst for small businesses?”

I’m impressed. “No, I thought you were raising the boys.”

Her eyes flash with love. “I did, but when I found out about Stratford, I knew I needed my own money.”

I blink. “Did he know?”

She shakes her head. “Not a clue. The boys didn’t even know.”

I look down at my glass, hating what she went through. I hope she’ll tell me more, but then she stares into her drink like it holds all the answers to her sham of a marriage. My throat is tight when I mutter, “I’m sorry, Kenni. Really. No one deserves that.”

She shrugs. “It is what it is. I’m better off now, and my boys will always be good.”

“With you as their momma, hell yeah.”

She bites her bottom lip as her blue gaze meets mine.

She has such breathtaking pride in her eyes, and I wish she could see herself the way I do.

See that I think she is the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.

That even if I wasn’t there cheering for her in person, I’ve always been her biggest cheerleader.

I wish I had been able to get all the details from her mouth, but secondhand was the only way.

She looks away, heat staining her cheeks and gathering at the pit of my gut. God, I want her.

When “Why Don’t We Just Dance” by Josh Turner starts to play, Kenni squeals and wiggles a bit. “I love this song!”

“Wanna dance?” I ask almost instantly. Kenni looks back at me, her eyes widening, but then her grin is taking up her whole face. The freckles along her nose and cheeks seem darker in the glow of the lights, and her dimples are deep as excitement fills her expression.

“Really?”

I laugh as I stand, grabbing her glass and putting it on the bar. “Really. You’re my favorite dance partner. Or did you forget? ”

Heat moves into her gaze, and it stuns me for a moment.

I swallow hard before I hold out my hand to her.

She takes it eagerly, and the feel of her soft skin in my rough hands has my heart racing.

I thread our fingers together as we make our way through the crowd to get a spot on the dance floor.

I turn to face her, grabbing her hip with my free hand as she brings her hand up to hold my bicep.

Our eyes meet and she beams up at me, while I’m fighting just to breathe.

Then we’re moving.

Her eyes never leave mine, and I get lost in them. I’ve always been drawn to Kenleigh. Always. But this right here is torture. I feel as if she’s reached right between my ribs and wrapped her hands around my lungs, digging her nails in as she steals every single one of the breaths I try to take.

Crazy thing is, I don’t want her to stop.