Page 5 of Take My Kiss
“Whaddya think you’re doin’?” Bellamy rushes to my side when I’m at the bar waiting to order.
“Gettin’ a drink. That a’ight with you, boss?”
“Not that, smart-ass.” She leans back and nods toward someone behind me. “She’s your cousin’s friend. You think hookin’ up with her is a smart idea?”
“Poseymarriedour brother’s best friend, so I don’t think havin’ a drink with a family member’s friend is the end of the world.”
She glares, unable to argue with me. “But you’re not a hookup kinda guy. You’ll get attached and then all broody ’cause she lives two hours away.”
“How do you know? I could have a one-night stand if I wanted to.”
She snorts. “Mm-hmm, sure. When’s the last time you got laid?”
“Jesus Christ.” I close my eyes, hoping no one overheard her, but also not wanting to give her my answer. “Why’re you here? Are you even legal to drink?”
She punches my arm. “For three years now, asshole.”
I snicker at how easy it is to rile her up. And change the subject.
“Just ’cause you’re anti-marriage doesn’t mean the rest of us are. Some of us would like to settle down and have a family.”
She scrunches her nose like she smells a rotten egg. “And you think Amelia wants that too?”
“Fuck if I know, but that’s the whole point of talkin’ and seein’ if we align.”
“Alright, well…” She sucks in a long breath through her nose. “I still think it’s a bad idea, so you can deal with the aftermath by yourself.”
“Since I’m a grown-ass man, I will do just that.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
When the bartender’s free, I order a glass of white wine for Amelia and a beer for me.
Posey walks up and nudges me. “Did you get me anythin’?”
“No. Ain’t that your husband’s job?”
She rolls her eyes. “He’s being a social butterfly. Aunt Jo’s showin’ him off to the rest of the family since they wanna meet thecowboy goat yogi.”
I snort at the memory of Silas going viral on social media when he helped demonstrate how to do goat yoga. Posey thought she was getting back at him with some humiliation ritual, but some girls recorded him with his shirt off, and the yoga classes have been booked solid since then.
When I get my beer and tip the bottle back, the cool liquid slides down my throat, giving me some relief from the heat. Although the weather is decent for April in East Tennessee, I’m suffocating in my suit and tie.
“You don’t look so good.” Posey’s face is paler than usual, and I worry she’s gonna pass out. “Feelin’ okay?”
“Didn’t sleep well last night. Never do in hotel beds.”
I nod, because I’m the same way. Without my fan blasting on me, I tossed and turned until I passed out from pure exhaustion.
“Colt’s tryin’ to getluckytonight,” Bellamy blurts to Posey, making a few of the guests’ heads turn.
“Nice.” Posey smirks. “I got lucky this mornin’.”
“I didn’t need to know that,” I deadpan.
Posey shrugs, waving the bartender down to place her order.
