Page 66 of The Aster Valley Collection, Vol. 2

PARKER

I loved the way I felt after a long, physical day outside.

My muscles were comfortably tired, and my brain was no longer on overdrive.

The bar Julian had brought us to looked like any old catchall tavern in small-town Colorado, all still decked out with pink hearts and cherubs for Valentine’s Day.

It seemed to function as a local hangout, bar and grill, and also made the best local brew, according to the table full of Aster Valley guys Tiller and Mikey had brought with them.

Tiller kept staring at me as if trying to assess how fragile I was, like I might be one Cupid decoration away from losing my shit and blubbering all over him about being left at the altar.

“Stop,” I said before stealing a mozzarella stick from one of the platters in the center of the table and leaning back to put my arm on the back of Julian’s chair. “I told you, I’m fine.”

“No, I know. I just think… maybe you actually do need to take Erin’s advice about trying something new. Having an adventure.”

The first thing Tiller and Mikey had asked about when we’d sat down was what had really happened to call off the wedding.

I’d explained Erin’s note. By the time Sam and Truman had shown up and asked the same question, I’d been ready to scream.

Thankfully, Julian had repeated the basics for them so I hadn’t needed to.

“How so?” I asked. “I live a pretty adventurous life as it is. Besides, I don’t particularly love adventure if they involve travel and shit. You know that about me.”

Tiller nodded. “For one, you could take us up on the offer to move here and take over the ski school. It’s one of the elements we didn’t have in place in time for a full opening this winter.

I’m not all that thrilled hiring just anyone to run it when one of my best friends is the best ski instructor in the state. ”

Their offer had been tempting. Hell, I could just imagine how fun it would be to live and work among my closest friends here in Aster Valley.

But I couldn’t imagine leaving Rod high and dry.

When he’d offered me the management of the Vail store, complete with the ski-school contract, it had been a dream come true.

I’d been able to quit competitive skiing but still spend most of my days doing what I loved.

“I don’t know how I could ever leave Rod,” I admitted. “But now, with everything that’s happened…”

Julian’s foot nudged my leg under the table. “He loves you, Parks. He’d understand.”

Sam met my eye. “Just think about it. It’s your future, not Rod’s.”

Thankfully, Julian knew I didn’t have the mental energy to tackle more of this discussion tonight, so he changed the subject to an important finance meeting he, Tiller, and Sam had scheduled for Friday. As they talked about the logistics, I let my eyes wander around the crowded space.

I noticed a group of women at the bar giving our table the once-over with interest. I turned to Finn Heller, who was a friend of Tiller and Mikey’s and also a famous actor. “Beware the fangirls,” I teased with a tilt of my head toward his admirers.

He waved me off with a hand, but his partner, the slightly older sheriff, sighed. “This is my life now.”

Before looking away from the ladies at the bar, I noticed a man near them. He was tall and good-looking in a rugged, fit kind of way, like someone from one of the outdoor fitness accounts Julian followed on social media. He wasn’t looking at Finn. He was looking at Julian. With noticeable interest.

I forced myself to turn back to the conversation at hand. Which was a mistake.

Tiller tilted his head as he studied me. “Why don’t I have any memories of you hooking up with girls when you visited me in Houston? I don’t think you were with Erin most of those times, yet you never took any of the jersey chasers back to your room as far as I knew.”

I shrugged. “I’m not really into hookups. I always worried about getting someone pregnant or hurting the woman’s feelings somehow. Seemed easier just to… not.”

I felt Julian’s eyes on me, but I was determined to ignore him. He, too, assumed I was heartbroken over my breakup, and he’d misconstrue this little bit of information if given half a chance.

Tiller beat him to it. He leaned forward with a frown. “I always assumed it was because you were still in love with Erin, even when you were broken up.”

“No,” I said with a laugh. “Not at all. Believe me, it wasn’t some kind of old-fashioned chivalry.

And I did date other people during our breakups.

Sometimes. But I’m just not wired for casual hookups.

” I shrugged. “Maybe that’s Erin’s point, though.

Maybe I should try a random hookup and see if that’s what I’ve been missing all this time. ”

It was a joke. The same one I’d used with Julian earlier.

I had no interest in picking some woman up in this bar tonight, or ever.

But unlike Julian, who knew not to take my nervous joking seriously and also knew hookups weren’t my speed, these guys ran with it.

Within moments, they were pushing me away from the table to go to the bar for another pitcher of beer.

As soon as I saw the three attractive women sitting at the bar, I knew what my friends’ motivation was.

“You’re that guy,” one of the women said as I approached the bar.

I looked behind myself to see if Finn had followed me, but he was still at the table.

“I mean, technically, I am a guy…” I said with a grin. “But I think you mean?—”

“No, dude. You’re a famous skier,” she insisted, emphasizing her point with her index finger. Her nails were coated in Kelly green fingernail polish. “I remember you.”

Her two friends leaned over to check me out now that their friend had claimed me someone worth recognizing.

“I’m a skier but not famous,” I corrected. “I run the ski school in Vail.”

“No, but… you race. Or you did at one time. I remember. You did this killer move the crowd went nuts over. A wicked twist hop thing on the moguls.”

She was right. That was me. It had started out as me clowning around but had quickly become a signature move I did on runs where I could afford to lose time or points. “Did you by chance go to Colorado State?” I asked.

She snapped her fingers and pointed at me again. “That’s it. Yes. But you went on to ski professionally, right?”

I nodded and set the empty pitcher on the bar, raising my hand to get the bartender’s attention. “I did for a short time, but now I’m an instructor.”

She smiled at me, flashing straight, white teeth in a pretty face. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a long ponytail with loose wisps framing her face. She and her friends were definitely attractive, but it didn’t do anything for me at all.

Maybe there was something wrong with me. Or maybe it was normal not to be attracted to anyone after being jilted so recently.

I made friendly conversation with the three of them while waiting for the beer refill, but when the bartender handed me the full pitcher, I gave my polite goodbyes and turned to go back to my friends. The man who’d been eying Julian stopped me.

He was a good-looking guy, maybe my height or a little taller, and his smile was friendly and a little hesitant. I hadn’t realized before now that he seemed to have no interest in the three beautiful women sitting close to him at the bar.

“Hey. Look, I’m sorry to bother you, but do you mind if I ask about your friend? He’s kind of gorgeous, and I’d like to buy him a drink.”

“Finn?” I asked, deliberately being obtuse.

“Is that his name? The one in the Tom Ford sweater.”

Normally, I wouldn’t have known a Tom Ford anything from a hole in the wall, but in this case, Julian had lectured me about not getting near his Tom Ford with my “nasty lotion hands” after I’d helped myself to his fancy hand cream earlier.

I’d made a joke about cream on my hands that he hadn’t found remotely funny.

“Oh, no. That’s Julian,” I said, feeling my jaw tighten.

“Would you mind giving me an introduction?”

I felt a flapping panic in my chest. “Um… well…”

What the hell was wrong with me? Why shouldn’t Julian enjoy a hookup the same way everyone was encouraging me to? Just because I didn’t want to pick someone up didn’t mean he couldn’t. I needed to get over my selfish hang-up about Julian hooking up with other men?—

Whoa, wait. Other men? Where had that come from? I meant with men, period .

Any men.

Because obviously he wasn’t hooking up with me .

I swallowed hard.

The man sensed my hesitation. “Is he into guys?”

“Oh, yeah, totally. He’s gay.”

His face lit up. “And is he open to?—”

“He’s mine,” I blurted, not knowing where the fuck that came from. “ Mine , um… like… my man? So, no. No, he’s not open to…”

The guilt clawed at me. This was wrong, unfair. And completely unacceptable. Tell him you lied. Tell him Jules is available.

I cleared my throat. “I mean… yes, he’s available, but…”

The man held up both hands and took a step back. His face still held a friendly smile. “Hey, man. No worries. Sounds complicated. I didn’t mean to?—”

“No, it’s fine,” I said, scrambling. “I was kidding. I meant he was my best man. You see, I was supposed to get married last night. To a woman. But that’s not important. Come on, I’ll introduce you. He’s really great. Truly.”

He shook his head good-naturedly. “Nah, it’s fine. Clearly I touched a nerve. I don’t want to mess with that. Besides, I have an early day tomorrow. I’m just going to head out.”

I wanted to slap myself. “He’s sexy as fuck!

” I said in desperation. If Jules found out I’d lost him a potential hookup, he’d be pissed.

“He’s got a great body. You would not believe the tattoos.

Hngh . And look at his hair. It feels even better than it looks.

He’s also smart. An attorney! Top of his class in law school. And a great skier!”