Shifting in his chair, he absentmindedly watched a leggy blonde walking by his table for the third time. She gave him a thorough once over and flashed a smile his way. Automatically, he grinned back and winked, even though he had no real interest in her. After all the years he’d spent carousing, such a reaction was ingrained into him.
Hmm... Maybe, the problem was that he needed to find a permanent companion. It was spring after all; time for all healthy males to look for a mate. The only difficulty was that no one appealed to him as much as his sister-in-law did. She was a sweet thing, usually quiet and trying to please everyone, but with a strong, feisty side to her as well; it just didn’t appear that often. He quirked his lips as he thought about how much he enjoyed provoking her, seeing her temper flare and her cheeks start to flush. Elise was lovely, with big green eyes and dark brown hair that fell about her shoulders in a glossy sheet. Her voice was soothing and her smile could brighten even the darkest of days. Too bad she was madly in love with his half-brother, Kane.
They made a great couple and Ryne knew he’d never have a chance with her, but still some part of him longed for a partner like Elise. He snorted ruefully and took another swig of beer, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. It was all a pipe dream; someone like Elise would never put up with him. There were too many rough edges to his personality for a girl like that. His sense of humour was too off-beat, he was too impulsive and too quick to anger. Mind you, once he made a mistake, he owned up to it and faced the consequences, but then again, that was what any real man would do.
This made him think of last fall’s debacle. His then girlfriend, Marla, had turned out to be a scheming bitch, intent on forcing Kane into selling his land to an oil company just so she could get her hands on the proceeds through computerized bank fraud. The woman had even stooped to murder to get her own way, killing the man that had been like a father to both himself and Kane. She then pitted brother against brother, for a while totally alienating them from each other. Ryne had found himself an unknowing participant in the whole affair and still mentally kicked himself for how he’d allowed her to manipulate him. A nasty piece of work, the woman had even planted evidence so he’d have to take the blame for her misdeeds. Luckily, Elise had put two and two together and foiled Marla’s plans.
Once things settled down after the whole affair, Ryne left the area. While there were no hard feelings between himself and Kane, he felt the need to make a fresh start. When he’d noticed the ad for a large parcel of land in Stump River, he’d jumped on the chance, basically purchasing the place sight unseen.
He had no regrets, beyond missing his former pack. The place needed lots of work, but it was his and there was plenty of room for growth with the possibility of purchasing even more land in the future, as the aging population moved to larger centres that supplied more services for seniors. Yes, it had been a good move.
Ryne glanced toward the bar to see how Bryan and Daniel were fairing. The two tended get a bit rowdy at times, and for all that Ryne hated playing the heavy, he felt a certain responsibility towards them. More than once since coming to Stump River, he’d had to step in and remind them to toe the line. After all, he was in charge of this grand undertaking and he wouldn’t tolerate their stupidity messing up his plans.
The younger men had asked to come with him when he announced he was moving here. Both had been eager to make a fresh start after circumstances in their own lives had turned sour. Ryne was grateful for their help and companionship, even if they did irritate him at times. He watched them, indulgently. Right now, they seemed to be behaving. Each had an arm around the waist of some local beauty and he was sure he knew how their evenings would end. At lot of wild oats were sown around Stump River lately, and as long as the ‘oats’ didn’t start to grow and cause a population explosion, it was fine with him. As a preventative measure, he stared intently at the two men, and as one they sensed his attention, swivelling their heads to look his way. Meaningfully, he raised his eyebrows and nodded towards the girls. Daniel immediately dropped his gaze and nodded, indicating he’d follow the rules. Bryan smirked and raised his beer in a mock toast before tilting his head in acquiescence.
Ryne couldn’t help but grin at the fellow’s mock impudence. He and Bryan hadn’t known each other long, but the two had forged a good relationship. Bryan liked to push his buttons, but knew when to back off. He was also Ryne’s right-hand man and could be depended on to watch his back if the going got rough.
Armand looked up at that moment and caught Ryne’s eye. He nodded in response to the implicit question. Soon another beer would be in front of him. He’d already had several and was planning on having several more, drowning his sorrows in the golden liquid. Tomorrow, he’d regret the action, but for tonight, it seemed to be a good idea.