Page 12 of Slapshot Summer
Short of leaving the table, which he wasn’t willing to do for these burgeoning protector instincts—and maybe a weird pull to let her in, even if only a little—Josh had tried to stay out of Lexi and Neil’s way, figuring nature would take over and romance could bloom, but romance hadn’t even sprouted yet—and probably shouldn’t, for her sake.He hated to jump into someone’s else’s business, but Neil was drunk, possibly dangerous, and Josh was growing more alarmed at his behavior with each passing minute.Watching her unwittingly put herself in harm’s way was a no-go.He needed to head this off.
“So what do you think?Is Neil still your guy?”he posed.
Her answer lingered on her lips, as if she were debating, but their meals arrived, and the moment was lost.
Josh picked up his utensils and gave her an encouraging chin lift.“Let’s eat while the food’s hot.No need to wait on Neil.He can catch up when he comes back.”Josh’s wish that Neil would get lost and not make it back surfaced once more.
“Right.”Lexi stared down at her meal as if flummoxed by what to do next.She looked over at Josh, the corners of her mouth drooping.“I don’t think he’s interested in me.”
Josh pointed his knife toward the path Neil had taken.“Do you really want a guy like him interested in you?”
Her eyes narrowed.“What do you mean by a ‘guy like him’?”
“He’s checking out every woman who walks by!”
She seemed to shrink back and gather her defenses.“Maybe it’s the cocktails.”
“Yeah, maybe.And that’s another strike against him.He’s guzzled half the tequila in the bar.”
Her brows formed angry slashes above her green-fire eyes.“Aren’t you being a little judgy?”
Aren’t you being a little naive?He stuffed a shrimp into his mouth.
She laid down her fork and sighed.“I can’t get enough of a read on him to know for surewhatkind of person he is.”
“Seriously?”
“You don’t like him, do you?”
“That would be a solid ‘no.’Actually, it would be a solid ‘fuck no.’”
She gaped at him.
Shit.He’d gone too far.She might just go running off to Neil to spite him, and that was the last thing Josh wanted.How had he become entangled anyway?
He softened his tone.“Hey, why don’t we forget about him for now and start our own conversation?”
She raised her eyes to his, and relief washed through him when he detected a little spark kindling there.“About what?”
“Anything you want.Ask me something.”He paused a beat.“Ask me the same questions you asked Neil.”
“Which ones?I played twenty questions.”One corner of her mouth quirked.
Josh leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, and looked up at the indigo sky.Stars were just beginning to prick its vast expanse.“Let’s see.Yes, I like to bike.”He pointed his finger toward her wineglass.“I do enjoy wine tasting as well as the occasional movie.How wouldyouanswer your questions?”
He was rewarded when she chortled, “Turning the tables on me?”
“Absolutely.”
Tapping her chin, she struck a contemplative pose.“I’m not much of an athlete, but I like pickleball, swimming, and biking—as long as it’s on easy, flat trails and I can ride my own bike.”
“Those sound athletic to me.And what’s special about your bike?”
Her smile returned, brightening a face that was growing lovelier by the second.“It’s an aqua cruiser.It has a little white basket on the front—for a loaf of French bread or a toy poodle, if I had one—”
“Poodle or loaf of bread?”
“Ha!Either one.But the best part is this little bell on the handlebar that looks like a donut with sprinkles.”She retrieved her phone, scrolled, and proudly showed off a selfie of her beaming beside the bike in front of a park bursting with greenery.
