Cole reached for his cup and gave Jacob a mock toast. “They ran out of beer mugs.” He took a drink.
To say that Cole and Jacob were complete opposites would be an understatement. Jacob lived bold and wild, while Cole was reserved and controlled. Even Jacob’s light brown hair was a little too long, his actions, a bit too spontaneous. Cole preferred a balance between work and play, which required more thoughtful actions. The same way he’d thought out every little place he wanted to kiss Holly.
That was exactly why he had to get rid of Jacob. “Leaving soon?”
“Why?” Jacob perked up. “Got a hot date I can steal from you?”
“Seriously,” Cole said. “When are you leaving?” On another occasion, with a different woman, sharing a beer with his brother, he might just jump on the familiar challenge. But not now, not with Holly—not a chance. She was his.
“Ryder’s home on leave,” Jacob stated of his old school bud, a Navy SEAL who showed up from time to time, always unannounced. Ryder was an expert at punching Jacob’s buttons.
“How much you down?” Cole asked, making it clear to Jacob that he knew he was getting his butt kicked.
“Two hundred,” Jacob admitted grimly. “But it’s still early.”
“Plenty of time to lose more,” Cole added sarcastically. For the most part, he respected his brother’s unwillingness to back away from a challenge. But he also believed there were calculated times of retreat, and this would be one of them. “I’d tell you to stop before you bleed any more, but I know it would be wasted breath.”
A cold blast of air rushed through the room as The Tavern door swung open, followed immediately by a blast of hot fire in his blood as he spotted Holly. So did every other man in the room—heads turned. His brother’s head turned.
Possessiveness purred within him, precluding a downright growl. She had that sexy schoolteacher vibe that made a man want to crawl under her desk and make her scream—to prove he was the only man who could.
Yanking off her hat, she surveyed the bar, shaking free her long, silky blond hair a moment before her gaze caught on Cole. Instant awareness coiled low in his stomach. Jacob let out a low whistle. “I think I just found my Christmas present.”
As if she could hear his words across the distance, over the sound of Elvis’s “White Christmas” on the jukebox, her gaze snapped to the left, to Jacob. She remained still, perfectly still, and Cole sensed her unease.
“Oh yeah,” Jacob said, studying her too intently for Cole. “I am definitely going to need an introduction.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Cole ground out between clenched teeth. “This one is off-limits, so back off.”
He would have said more, but, without warning, Holly launched herself into motion as she darted in the direction of the ladies’ room. Clearly, she was not happy he wasn’t alone.
“Damn,” Cole muttered under his breath, fearful she would change her mind about seeing him again. And he was aware there was a back door by the restrooms. If she bolted, he might not find her again. For reasons he didn’t try to understand, that didn’t sit well.
Cole pushed off the bar, ready for the pursuit, but paused to cast his brother a warning. “Ryder can only beat you and take your money if you keep playing.”
He didn’t wait for an answer, though Jacob replied with some sort of defensive mumbling that Cole decisively tuned out. He was already walking toward the restrooms, ready to move to Plan B. Jacob wasn’t going anywhere soon, and he wanted Holly all to himself. Now, he just had to convince her that was a good idea.
His pulse kicked up a beat as he entered the narrow hallway leading to the restrooms and scrubbed his jaw, contemplating how Holly might react to finding him standing outside the door. And contemplated some more. Minutes passed and Holly didn’t appear. Had she left? Damn it to hell. This was not how he had this night planned.
Voices sounded in the hallway—one of which was Jacob’s, and—holy hell—Abe! Great. Jacob loved fucking with his head. Add his other brother to the mix, and it became ball-busting brotherly love. The kind he could do without tonight.
Suddenly, the doorknob to the restroom jiggled and Holly appeared in the doorway, her long silky hair cascading down her shoulders, a single stall and sink as her backdrop. Desire twisted in his gut, just as it had the night before.
“Cole?” Shock registered on her face at the sight of him there, waiting for her.
If she was shocked now, she’d be ten times more so when his two brothers invaded the tiny hallway. Cole’s mind raced; the voices were growing louder. He stepped forward, his hands sliding under her coat, the warmth of her body seeping through the long sweater dress she wore.