Joyfully His(Sterling Canyon Book 4)(10)

“We’ve missed you, Andy.” She swiveled her hips and stepped a little closer. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Thanks, Jo.” Naturally, he smiled. Didn’t even take any effort, because those words were music to his ears after being exiled for nearly two seasons. “Good to be back.”

Then she performed some kind of slithery dance move that brushed up against his body. Objectively, Jo was a hottie in that all-American, Ralph Lauren–model kind of way. At another time and place, he might’ve followed her lead and enjoyed a fling without giving it much thought.

Not tonight.

Across the room, he caught Nikki’s eye. She turned to Cindy, said something, and then the two women went to the bar.

The stiffness in her demeanor telegraphed invaluable information. The good news: Nikki still liked him. He knew jealousy when he saw it, and Nik didn’t like watching him dance with Jo.

The bad news: Nik was his boss, and he was still on work probation. She might as well be married for how off-limits she was right now. Well, how off-limits she should be. If he were smart, she’d be totally, 100 percent, off-limits. If—a word that had never been his friend.

When the song ended, a fellow instructor, Greg, whistled and beckoned Andy to a table of guys who’d ordered a round of shots. So far this evening, Andy had only downed one beer. He’d also eaten at least a dozen wings and two pulled-pork sandwiches, which meant he must have been the soberest person in the room.

He knew he shouldn’t risk drinking that shot here, while on probation, but he also didn’t want to ostracize himself just when he’d finally been welcomed back into the group. Resigned, he slouched onto a chair while Greg pushed a shot glass in front of him.

“To your triumphant return!” Greg raised his glass, and the others, including Billy B, did, too.

He couldn’t very well sit out a toast in his honor, so he saluted them with his glass and tossed back the tequila. He’d barely enjoyed it when he noticed Don watching him with a grim expression.

One shot and he was getting the stink-eye; meanwhile, Billy B sat there slurring his words and slouching in his seat.

Andy pretended to be chuckling along with the guy talk, but inside, he counted to one hundred in a concentrated effort not to lose his shit. How many more years would it be before he could enjoy a few social drinks without calling attention to himself? How many times and ways would he be forced to prove himself before people would stop reminding him of his mistake? Funny how there was a statute of limitations on most crimes but not on judgment.

Greg’s large hand landed on his shoulder, breaking his train of thought. “Another round?”

“Nah.” He wasn’t exactly in the mood for tits-and-ass conversation or fish tales about out-of-bounds cliff jumps and couloir runs nobody else witnessed. Abruptly, Andy stood. “Excuse me.”

He went to the bar and ordered a soda, then tossed back two fistfuls of nuts and willed himself to shake off the bitterness and get back to enjoying the party.

“What’s wrong?” Nik asked, having sneaked up alongside him.

“Nothing.” He snatched another handful of nuts, hoping she wouldn’t make a crack about his drinking. It’d kill him to learn that she didn’t trust him as much as he thought she did.

“You look pissed.” She glanced back at the seat he’d vacated, then right back at him, brows lowered with concern. “Did Billy say something to tick you off?”

Phew. Emotional crisis averted.

“Nope.” Some kind of spicy perfume filled his nose. Her height gave him a good view of her square jaw and the sparkling red-hoop earring in her ear that played peekaboo through her shiny blond hair.

“Did Joanna?” Now her gaze veered away, as if she didn’t want to see him respond.

“No, Nik. I said I’m fine.” He turned to face her fully, which put Don in his direct line of sight and reminded him to tread with caution. “Let it go. I don’t need another sister.”

Not that he thought of Nik like a sister. Nope. Not at all.

“Well, you need something, that’s for sure,” she muttered before tossing back the rest of her bottle.

Yeah, he did. To hell with Don and everyone else’s opinions.

He leaned close so that his mouth was an inch from that cute little ear. “Actually, maybe I do. Are you offering to give it to me?”

She went deadly still. He could practically hear her heart beating its way up into her throat, where her pulse throbbed so hard her skin pulsed.

In the ensuing moments, the surrounding conversation, laughter, and blaring music faded, thanks to the heavy sound of his own breathing. Everything blurred like an out-of-focus picture as his eyes dipped to her mouth when she licked her lips.

When she finally met his gaze, her turquoise irises made him a little dizzy.

“The DJ’s taking another break, so it’s time for you to make good on your bet.” She put her hands on his shoulders and twisted him toward the stage. “Go do Willie Nelson proud.”

He nodded, slowly returning to the present, the tingling sensations that had arrested him now dissipating. Before he left to take the stage, he leaned close again and whispered, “Chicken.”

At least she didn’t deny it, he thought as he stalked off and picked up the mic. There was definitely something brewing between them here. Now he just had to decide if pursuing it would be brave or stupid.

Nikki ordered an ice water to cool down before she returned to her friends at the table near the little stage. She didn’t have much experience with flirtation, but her exchange with Andy sure seemed like more than two friends joking around.

Then again, there’d been other nights, before that accident, where she’d thought the same thing, which was why she’d made that pass at him. But even if he had been flirting tonight, this was neither the time nor the place to test him. Not with Don in the corner and a drunken Billy B looking for dirt.

As the familiar piano notes of Willie Nelson’s “Always on my Mind” rang out, Billy B shouted, “Sucker!”

A round of snickers preceded Andy’s vocals, but he sang, undaunted. He didn’t stare at her the whole time, but throughout the song there’d been moments where it’d seemed he was singing to her.

Nikki almost wished Amy were at the party because her sister was the Sherlock Holmes of detecting the difference between friendly banter and flirting. Of course, then Nikki would’ve had to admit her crush, which she couldn’t bring herself to do.

Why, she couldn’t quite say. She loved Amy, and even if Amy also had a little crush on Andy, her sister would only try to be helpful if she knew of Nikki’s long-standing feelings. But as Mama always said, if you want something to be a secret, don’t tell a soul. That’s what Nikki had to do with her secret feelings for Andy—never tell a soul—because she didn’t want to ruin their friendship or be the object of everyone else’s pity.

The mellow Willie Nelson song somehow settled the crowd, and Andy’s voice did justice to the lyrics, too. How completely unfair that a person should be born with those looks, that easygoing nature, and a decent voice.

He finished to another round of enthusiastic cheering, which caused one of his signature grins to appear. The kind that always made her belly flip.

Don used the pause in action to let out one of his short, sharp whistles, which gained everyone’s attention. He’d donned his floppy Santa cap and made his way to the gift table. “Before it gets too late, why don’t we pass out the Secret Santa gifts?”

Another round of clapping made its way around the room as people found their seats. Tradition meant Don would call up people one by one and make them open the gift in front of others, then he’d call for the Secret Santa to take credit. With few exceptions, most folks revealed themselves.

They had a twenty-five-dollar limit on the items. Some gifts were gag gifts, especially when the guys exchanged with each other. Other times they were practical, like ski wax, a ski-shop gift card, or lip balm and sunscreen. One of her favorite gifts had been a T-shirt that read “Black diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”

When Don called Nikki to the front, she opened a soft package that contained a handmade red-wool cap with a faux-fur puffball on top. She pulled it over her head—a perfect fit.

“I love it!” She smiled, looking at her female colleagues. “Who made this?”

Cindy stood to take credit and met another round of applause. Several more gifts were distributed, each with a little show-and-tell. Nikki tried not to feel bad that Andy wouldn’t be participating in the event. Chances were he didn’t really care.

She’d thought about throwing something on the pile for him, but with Billy B raising suspicions, she hadn’t wanted to call any more attention to her friendship with Andy.

Cindy nudged her. “Earth to Nikki.”

“What?” Nikki asked.

Cindy pointed toward Don, who was holding up an oblong box. “Looks like you’ve got an extra package.”

Nikki looked at Cindy. “Did you make me something else?”

“Nope.” Cindy shrugged. “Maybe you have a secret admirer.”

That comment set off a round of whistles and catcalls that made Nikki’s whole body hot. Don handed her the box and crossed his arms, waiting for her to unveil this mystery.