Just like Kellan’s were on me a few seconds ago.
Classy.
I turn away, angry with myself for not leaving at once, as the conversation continues without me.
“We grew up together. Always got ourselves into trouble over this and that,” Josh says to Mandy. “It was usually his fault though. The guy always knew how to attract it.”
“Like you were a saint,” Kellan says.
“The way I remember it, I actually was…until you came along.” Josh’s tone is light, jokey. “You compromised me. You compromised all of us.”
Kellan laughs, the sound sending jolts of pleasure through me. His voice is so deep and raw, so sexy, I can’t help but steal another glance at him. As though he can feel it, his sinning eyes turn to me, and our gazes meet. My heart jumps into my throat, and a soft tingle erupts between my legs.
“I’m two years older,” Josh goes on to explain to Mandy. “I remember a time when my days didn’t consist of Mom or Aunt Becky yelling at me because of something Kellan did. From the moment he was born, I swear the guy didn’t understand the meaning of no. And because I was the oldest, I was always to blame.”
“No one forced you to trudge along.” Kellan shrugs, his tone still light-hearted. But there’s affection in his eyes.
He cares about his family, I realize. He probably cares about them more than he wants to let on.
“Dude, you stole your dad’s rifle to track down a cougar by candlelight in the middle of the night.”
“He attacked two foals,” Kellan says. “It was my job to protect the horses.”
“If I wasn’t there with you, you could have burned down the barn with all the horses in it.”
“Oh, my God.” Mandy giggles. “How old were you?”
“He was ten,” Josh says.
“Nine,” Kellan clarifies. “And in my defense, that cougar had been bothering my dad for weeks. I was just trying to help. Being a good son and all. The cougar cost us seven good horses, and that’s not counting the foals.”
“Yeah, you were helping all right,” Josh says, laughing.
The picture of a nine-year-old boy with dark hair and beautiful green eyes pops into my head. I can picture him so well. His hair brushing the collar of his shirt. His pants covered in mud and dust and hay. His dad’s rifle slung across his back as he tries to find the animal that’s been giving his dad trouble. His mom almost having a heart attack as she finds her little boy carrying a firearm and going for an animal that could attack him.
In spite of myself, I smile at the picture. It makes the grown-up Kellan so much more likeable. I don’t want to like him, but somehow I can’t help the tightness spreading across my chest.
It’s clear Kellan loves his dad. It’s also clear he likes being around horses and that he takes great care of them.
“I’m a cowboy at heart. It runs in my blood,” he says.
“That’s true,” Josh agrees, then leans forward. “You should see him riding a bull. If he weren’t already famous, he…fuck.” He glares at Kellan. “Dude, don’t kick my leg.”
“I’ll do more if you don’t keep your trap shut.”
The waitress arrives, placing a tray down. “If you gals are stupid enough to marry one of them Boyd boys, be warned. That story doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of truth about their blood. I should know, for I married one back then, when I didn’t know any better.”
I peer up at her, past her incredibly full cleavage on display, to the twinkling eyes encircled by deep laughter lines.
She smiles, the skin around her eyes crinkling even more as she winks at me.
“I’m Ava. This is Mandy.” I reach out my hand.
“Sharon.” Ignoring it, she gives my shoulder a brief squeeze, then pulls up a chair and plops down in spite of Kellan’s murderous look.
“I know Mandy. We met this morning.”
“I asked her for directions,” Mandy explains. “Sharon was kind enough to show me the way to the police station.”
“Which was empty, by the way,” Sharon says, raising a bottle in the air. “That deputy of ours is never here when we need him. Cheers to that.”
“Amen.”
Josh snorts and raises his bottle, waiting until we all follow suit. I don’t want to drink with them, but I don’t know how to politely decline, so I obey everyone’s silent urgency. The beer burns my throat so bad, for a moment I’m rendered blind.
“It’s tequila beer. You need to follow it up with the lemon,” Kellan whispers in my ear.
He’s so close, his leg brushes against mine under the table. His hot breath on my earlobe is all I can think about.