Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

GABE

I watch miss smoky blue eyes with the hot ass walk away, and don’t divert my attention until she’s walked through the swinging door between the bar and the kitchen. Damn I’m going to need a cold beer, or a shower to put her out of my mind.

The guys are sitting at a small table not too far from the bar, too engrossed in whatever they’re talking about and the beer in front of them to notice me. I walk up behind my oldest and dearest friend and lean over and take his beer. “Nothing like a good domestic to welcome a man back home.”

Blake turns and extends a hand with a big smile. “Hey, good to see you, man. I knew you’d be back when the fish started biting.” He gestures toward the table next to ours. “Pull up a seat and make yourself at home.” He takes his beer back. “That doesn’t extend to my beer though.”

I move the chair and slide in beside Dawson. He gives me a grin. “Glad you could make it.” He gestures to another guy I haven’t met. “This is Bill. A friend of ours. He and his wife are staying with his sister-in-law, Callie until they find a place of their own. They haven’t been in town long.”

I extend a hand to the guy across the table. “Nice to meet you, Bill.”

Grady gives me a nod. “Glad you changed your mind about coming. The contest wouldn’t be the same without you. Just like the old days, right?”

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get out of work, so I didn’t register, but it’ll be nice just to be in the open space and fresh air.”

Grady walks to the bar and comes back with a pitcher, tops everyone off, and fills my glass.

My eyes track the moves of the waitress, who’s handing out platters of food to a table in the back, trying without success to keep my eyes off her ass as she bends over to better hear a customer placing an order. “Who’s the smoky-eyed blonde?”

Blake gives me a grin. “That would be Callie, and Bill’s sister-in-law. She moved to town about a year ago. We didn’t come down from the cabin the last time you were here, otherwise you would have seen her then. She’s Glenn’s right hand here at the bar.”

Yeah, I wouldn’t have missed her, that’s for damn sure. I turn to Bill, who’s watching me as though sizing me up, unsure of what he thinks of me, since I’ve shown an interest in his sister-in-law. At least I didn’t say anything about that hot ass of hers. I give him a genuine smile, knowing I’d feel the same way.

Dawson leans in over the table. “I just spotted all four of your security team. They’re getting pretty good at blending in with the crowd.”

I grin, spotting all four, one at the bar, one leaning against an old-time juke box that’s seen better days, but that people still love to play, one sitting at the table by the back door and one not far from us. “Yeah, lose the black suits and sunglasses and they do alright.”

He laughs. “Your brother’s still protective as ever. I swear having Chet and those boys follow me around would drive me up the wall.”

I grin. “Every once in a while, I give them the slip. I’ll be staying up at the cabin for a week.”

Bill’s eyes get wide. “You’re that Gabe. The guys talk about you all the time, but I didn’t put two and two together. You’ve got a great cabin up in the mountains. I appreciate you letting me stay up there with the guys when they go fishing.”

“No problem at all,” I tell him although I’m only half listening, far too focused on the sexy blonde, who keeps finding me through the crowd.

She turns sharply as a guy at the table next to her says something. I strain to make it out, but it immediately causes her to scowl. The minute his hand moves through the air, I’m up and on my feet. “Excuse me gentlemen,” I say, my jaw tightening and my feet moving faster as his hand raises in the air and comes down, connecting with the tight blue denim around that heart- shaped ass.

The security team begins to close in from around the room. A quick shake of my head lets them know I’m dealing with this myself. This has nothing to do with the reason they’re here. There’s no reason to blow their cover with people who don’t know them or why they’re here. This bastard is mine and mine alone.

The smoky-eyed hellcat doesn’t see it like that though. She hauls off and backhands the asshole right across the face, catching the attention of everyone sitting around the tables. His leer turns into an evil scowl as he wipes the blood from his lip.

I shove the people and chairs in front of me out of my way in an attempt to get to her quicker as he pulls out a knife. “You’re not laughing any more, are you sweetheart?” he slurs, wielding the gleaming steel in front of her in his drunken state.