Love Fast

I slide my beer onto the bar and try to focus on the three men who’ve just come through the door. I glance back at my drink. How many have I had? Is it enough to start hallucinating?

“You know those guys?” Rosey asks.

“If the mountain won’t go to Mohammed,” Worth says as he saunters toward us.

“Then the New Yorkers have to come to the mountains,” Fisher finishes.

Fisher gets to me first and pulls me into a hug. I still can’t believe what I’m seeing.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Heard this place was banging,” Fisher says, glancing around at the timber-clad walls and stone floors. “Had to come check it out for ourselves.”

Jack offers me an effusive handshake and back slap, always the most formal of our group.

“Fuck,” I say. “It’s going to be a tight squeeze in the cabin tonight.” I glance over at Rosey. She’ll probably need to stay too. I’m not sure if her place has dried out, and I’m not sure I care either way—I just want her near me. “This is Rosey, by the way.”

Each of my friends greets Rosey with a handshake.

“Known Byron for long?” Fisher asks.

“I only got to town a couple of weeks ago,” Rosey says. “Are you local?”

The four of us laugh. “These guys are from New York,” I say. “We’ve been friends a long time.”

“And we miss Byron,” Worth says, ruffling my hair like a sitcom dad. “So we thought we’d drop by. Anyway, we want to see what’s been keeping our friend in Colorado so long.” He shoots me a look that asks, Does Rosey have something to do with it? “This Club better be good.”

“It’s beautiful,” Rosey says. “Billionaire beautiful.”

The guys laugh, we order drinks, and no one asks who Rosey is to me. Instead, the guys sweep her up in conversation, asking her where she’s from and whether she’s enjoying Star Falls.noveldrama

“Valley Park is beautiful,” Jack says. “Even before we left the RVs, there were so many stars out. I swear we can see fucking Saturn from where we are.”

“Did you say RVs in Valley Park?” Rosey asks. “Like… the three million-dollar RVs that arrived today? That’s where you’re staying?”

“We couldn’t get a bloody room anywhere,” Fisher says. “Worth got us an RV each.”

Rosey dissolves into giggles. “This is perfect,” she says through her laugh. “I bet it takes all of five minutes before someone wanders over and accuses you of being from the FBI.”

“Am I missing something?” Jack asks.

“The whole town has been talking about the RVs,” I explain. “No one understood why they were there or who they belonged to. It makes sense now.”

“Donna said she knocked on your doors earlier. You didn’t hear her?”

“We only got here. Dumped our stuff in the RVs and came right over. It was the only place where there were lights. None of us could get a phone signal. I asked a guy where you were living and they told us we’d find you here.”

“Small towns, right?” Rosey says. “Ever watch Superman?”

“Conversational whiplash,” Fisher says.

Rosey shakes her head. “I know you’re not clad in black leather or anything, but I bet the three of you looked like those Zod villains walking down Main Street.”

“Day made. I always wanted to be a comic book villain,” Jack says.

“I think that’s Leo’s kink, isn’t it?” Worth says.

“He just got there before me. There’s no way I would have let Mystique out of my sight if I’d met her first.”

I raise my eyebrows. “You have a crush on Mystique, or you have a crush on Jules?”

Jack shakes it off. “Nah. Well, not now anyway, she’s my sister-in-law.”

We all exchange glances. I never picked up on Jack having a crush on Jules, Leo’s wife. Maybe I’m reading too much into what he’s saying.

“I’m lost,” Rosey says, breaking through the awkwardness of the moment.

“Me too,” I confess.

“Come on,” Fisher says. “Let’s play pool.” He nods at the table in the back.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Rosey says as everyone moves off.

I turn back to her. “Come with us.”

She shakes her head. “You should have time with your friends. It’s so nice they came all this way to surprise you. It’s the kind of thing you expect brothers to do. But not the reality of what brothers would actually do. These guys care about you.” There’s a sadness in her tone I’m not used to.

“The way brothers should act?” I ask.

She shrugs and glances away. There’s something there, but she clearly doesn’t want to talk about it.

“I want you to hang out with us.” I say it because I don’t want her to be sad, but also because I want her around. I like her. She’s fun and so are my friends. They’ll all get along.

Our gazes lock as she decides what to do. I don’t want her to stay if she doesn’t want to. But I think she does.

“Okay,” she says. “But I can’t play pool.”

I sling my arm around her shoulders before I can second-guess myself or worry about what the town grapevine will say. I just want to be myself tonight. When New York comes to Star Falls, I just want to soak it all in and enjoy.

We head over to the table where Jack and Fisher have already started to play. “Maybe I’ll teach you.”

She slides her hand into the back pocket of my jeans. “Has anyone ever told you, you have a really nice ass?”

I chuckle and catch Worth’s eye as we head towards the back.

“Just neighbors, huh?” Worth says, handing us both pool cues. We take them and separate—reluctantly.

“Tell me about New York,” I say. “Remind me what I’m missing.”

“My wife called me an asshole before I left, and she wasn’t even the first that day. That honor goes to the person behind me in the line at the coffee shop, because I accidently brushed her coat with my elbow.”

I chuckle. “God, I miss the place. How is Sophia?” I ask. “How’s married life?”

“You’re newly married?” Rosey asks. She beams like she thinks it would be wonderful to be newly married. Ironic, given how she arrived in this town.

“I am,” Worth says wearing a shit-eating grin. “Sophia and I got married in Vegas the second time we ever met.”

Rosey’s hand slaps against Worth’s arm. “Are you serious? And you’re making it work?”

“I would have asked her the first time I met her if I’d thought she’d say yes.”

“When was the first time you met her?” I ask.

“At the brunch where we were discussing Leo and Jules eloping.”

“What are you three gossiping about while I whip Jack’s arse?” Fisher asks.

“Worth was just catching Rosey up about how he fell in love with Sophia at the brunch where Jules was trying to set you up with Sophia,” I reply. “I wasn’t there but I heard about it. A lot.”

“It sounds like you’re all very… family style with your dating,” Rosey says.

“Family style?” Fisher asks.

“No,” I say, a rush of protectiveness surging in me. “We’re not. There’s absolutely no sharing.”

Fisher chokes on his beer. “We’re close, but we’re not that close.

“It’s not like that,” I say, looking Rosey straight in the eye. I’m not sure if it was just an offhand remark or whether she’s wondering if we’re just a bunch of playboys who hand women around like hors d’oeuvres. “None of us would ever. You’re safe.” I don’t want her to think I’d ever try to take advantage of her or treat her like a thing rather than the insightful, kind, sensitive woman she is.

She offers me a small smile. “I’ve never been to New York. I imagine things are very different there compared to Oregon or Star Falls.”

“People are people,” I say. “There are assholes everywhere.” The guys have moved over to the pool table, debating which shot Jack should take next.

“I haven’t met any in Star Falls yet,” Rosey says. “It seems to be filled with the best kind of people.” She shoots me a smile. “But maybe that’s because of you.”

“Me?” I ask, confused.

“Maybe you attract the best people. Maybe the assholes stay away when you’re around.”

I huff out a laugh. “Wouldn’t that be a good superpower to have? Asshole repellant.” I lift her chin between my thumb and finger. I don’t know why I don’t care if my friends see me with Rosey, or if I feel so comfortable with her because they’re here. “Is this okay?” I ask, my voice low.

She sighs. I feel any tension in me or between us ebb away. She brings her hands up over my shoulders and nods. I brush my lips against hers in a half kiss, release her, and turn back to the game.