Page 41 of You Shouldn't Have Come Here

“Thanks.” I tilted the glass back, drinking nearly half of it in one big swig. Nothing better than a freshly poured beer.

Joe stood between us—always in the way. “You two down for a game of 301?”

“What’s 301?” Grace asked.

“Darts. It’s easy. Let me show you.” Joe took her hand and led her toward the dartboard in the back. I didn’t like that. He was being overly friendly with her.Typical.

I followed closely behind and picked up a set of darts from Maxie, the thin woman in her fifties who had been tending the bar since she was old enough to drink. “Glad to see you and Joe here,” she whispered. I nodded but didn’t say anything and made my way to Grace.

“You throw a dart before?” Joe asked.

Grace glanced over at me and smiled before answering his question. “Kinda. It led me here.”

He gave a quizzical look. “Well, all right. Let’s see whatcha got.”

Grace took her spot and concentrated on the dartboard, holding her dart up and squinting her eyes. When she was ready, she fired it off. Bull’s-eye.

“Holy shit,” Joe said. “We got a shark on our hands.”

Grace jumped up and down and threw her arms around my neck for a hug. I held her for a moment, breathing in her sweet scent. Maybe it wasn’t fate that brought her here. Maybe it was skill. When she pulled away, my eyes lingered on her lips for a moment too long.

Joe held out another dart for her. “Let’s see if you can do it again.”

“All right.”

She went back to her spot. Her fingers pinched the barrel. She brought the dart in front of her eyes, concentrating for a moment before throwing. Bull’s-eye. Grace turned around with eyes wide open.

Joe shook his head in disbelief. “Well, damn. Shots are in order after that.” He clapped his hands and walked toward the bar.

“Am I gonna hurt your brother’s ego?” Grace teased.

“He’ll be fine.” I chuckled. “He is competitive though, so get your game face on.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s on.”

Grace drank the rest of her beer in one swig and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The girl I met five days ago wasn’t the girl I was seeing right now. She was like a chameleon, fitting in with whatever backdrop she happened to be a part of. I liked it but it left me wondering who the real Grace was.

“Here you are.” Joe handed us each a shot.

“What is it?” She eyed theamber-coloredliquid filled to the rim.

“My friend, Jack.” Joe winked. He clinked his glass against mine and hers, tapped it against the table, and then threw it back. “Cheers,” he said, placing the shot glass upside down. Joe drank Jack Daniel’s like it was water, evident by the lack of reaction he had after slamming it.

Grace looked to me. Together, we tipped back the shots. She shook her head and swallowed hard after the liquid hit her tongue. Whiskey, like most people, wasn’t something you enjoyed right away.

“Not your cup of tea, City Girl?” Joe teased.

“I’m more of a vodka girl, Country Boy,” Grace hit back with a small smirk.

“You’re up, bro,” I said, patting him on the back. Joe smiled, gave a quick nod, and took his place in front of the dartboard.

“Having fun?” I asked.

“Always.” Grace batted her eyelashes.

“I figured that much, since reading and running are fun for you.” I let on a smile.

“Oh, stop.” She playfully patted my shoulder.