As she bounced away Alex not-so-subtly checked out her rear before turning his attention back to Riley, “You didn't have to be so mean to poor Nina.”
Riley replied, un-phased, “Poor Nina didn't have to be so nosy.”
Alex smiled, obviously enjoying the banter for its own sake and not because he felt any compulsion to truly protect 'poor Nina's' honor.
“I think the phrase you're searching for is 'polite interest' dear brother,” Alex grinned.
“Drop it, Alex.” Riley took a swig of beer.
Bobby put his phone down and decided to join the conversation. “So, Jason mentioned that you were going to head down to New Orleans.”
“Yeah, I invested in a bar that a couple of my buddies opened,” Riley replied.
“Well, Sophie wants to know if you'll still be here on Sunday. She wants to throw a welcome home party for you.”
The thought of a bunch of people gathering together for the specific purpose of talking to him and prying into his private business did not sound very 'welcoming’ to Riley. In fact, if they truly wanted to give him a 'welcome home'' gift he would appreciate, it would be to forgo making a big deal about him being back in town, and for God’s sake, stop bringing up his damn past!
Yeah. That wasn't likely to happen.
So, not wanting to be rude to his new sister-in-law, he simply nodded. He knew her intentions were good, and he’d always thought she was a sweet kid. He could grin and bear it through one uncomfortable afternoon if it made her happy.
Alex must have sensed his hesitation because he chimed in, “Jason and Katie get back on Saturday. Why don’t we make it a joint party, for the newlyweds and the returning hero?”
“Sounds good to me,” Bobby shrugged, “I’ll tell Soph.”
He picked up his phone again and started texting.
“So, you staying at Dad’s or did you want to crash with me?” Alex asked as he took a swig of beer.
“I’ll stay with the old man. I wouldn’t want to cramp your style.”
“See, that’s why you make a good wingman,” Alex grinned, “But, I think you might be cramping Dad’s style more than mine. The ladies love them some Bob Sloan.”
“Dad’s dating?” Riley asked, stunned in disbelief.
“More than me, and that’s sayin' something. A lot can change in twelve years, bro.”
Riley tried to wrap his mind around the concept of his dad being a ‘ladies man.’ It didn't seem real. He shook his head. “I guess so. Alright, guess I’ll bunk with you then.”
A new server delivered the wings and Bobby quickly ate a couple before announcing he was headed home to see his wife. Of course, Riley and Alex gave him a hard time about going home to The Little Missus, but Bobby couldn't have cared less. He dropped a couple of twenties on the table and left wearing a smile that reached from ear to ear.
Riley thought that his non-reaction to the ribbing could have been because, growing up with four older brothers, you would have to develop thick skin in order to hang onto your sanity. But, more likely it was that he didn’t care about his brother's teasing because he knew what he had waiting for him when he got home. A woman he loved with all his heart, and who loved him right back.
The image of Chelle, sitting on the couch when he had gone out to rent them a movie popped into his head. His chest ached. He felt empty.
He had only dropped her off a couple of hours earlier but he missed her more than he ever knew was possible.
There was a part of him that wanted to call her. Go to her house. Hold her. Kiss her. Touch her. Feel her. Drive himself into her until the dark, heavy, empty feeling went away.
But an even bigger part of him just wanted to be near her. To hear her voice. To look in her eyes. To see her smile.
He sighed. Which was exactly why he knew he needed to stay away. If he didn’t make a clean break now, he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to walk away from her.
His phone buzzed and he pulled it quickly out of his pocket.
His first thought was…Chelle. He felt a rush of adrenaline, kind of like he would feel right before a mission. Until he saw who had sent the text, then his heart sank once again. Megan.
Shit. He had forgotten all about her. Literally. The thought of her hadn’t entered his mind in even the most fleeting instant since the first day he was in San Francisco. And the only reason he had even thought of her then was that he had been trying to convince himself that all he needed in order to get Chelle out of his system was to get laid.
Well, that hadn’t exactly gone as planned.
For the last three months, he and Megan had been exchanging texts and Facebook messages. They'd been pretty suggestive, he had to admit. He had fully intended to hook up with her while he was in town. Hell, he had actually been looking forward to it.