After the Climb (River Rain #1) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,21

table.

“God. Jesus. Will you look at this,” the big man with Duncan said, staring down at me.

Then he moved, and with an ugly metallic scraping sound, my chair was back, and I was hauled out of it and into two arms that had closed around me in a tight hug.

What was happening?

He jostled me rather mightily before he loosened his hold enough to pull back and look down at me.

“Whaddaya know, you’re Genny, Bowie’s girl,” he decreed.

I didn’t know what to make of any of this, but the crazy thing about it was, I mostly didn’t know what to make of that.

I’d been Imogen Swan for so long, I forgot what it felt like to be just Genny at all.

Bowie’s girl or not.

“I—”

He let me go, but only partially. He took my hand and pumped it, vigorously.

“Harvey. Harvey Evans. Friends call me Harv. Bowie’s my boy,” he introduced himself.

“Harv, man, you think you might wanna not tear her arm off?” Duncan suggested.

He let me go. “Right. Sorry.” He turned to Heddy. “Yo. I’m Harv.”

She stuck an enthusiastic hand his way. “Heddy. Long suffering friend to this tall gorgeous drink of water.” She jerked her head my way.

“Heddy—” I tried.

“Sit down, sit, sit, sit.” Done shaking Harv’s hand, Heddy was gesturing magnanimously to the table.

Harv did not hesitate to make motions to take a chair.

Duncan did.

“Hi, you’re Duncan, right?” Heddy called. “I’m Heddy. And I’m so glad to meet you. Sit!”

She practically shouted the last word.

I was acutely aware all eyes were on us.

I sat and stated somewhat urgently, “Yes, please. Sit. Just sit.”

I felt Duncan’s attention as he shifted his body to do as I asked, but then I heard, “No. You. There by Gen. You by me, Harv.”

Oh God.

Since Heddy and I were sitting kitty-corner, her words meant, at the small square table it was going to be boy, boy, girl, girl, with Duncan at my side.

And his knee far too close to mine.

His explosive temper didn’t terrify me.

But that did.

“Is this okay, Genny?” I heard him ask softly.

I was busy rescuing my napkin that had fallen out of my lap and onto the stone floor amidst my enforced bear hug.

I smoothed it in place and muttered, “Yes, yes. Please just sit,” without looking at him.

“Sit, bud,” he ordered low to his friend.

“Right,” Harvey mumbled.

Heddy leaned deep into the table and whispered conspiratorially, “She gets attention. It’s not like she isn’t used to it, it just, you know, can be oppressive if there’s too much of it. Dig?”

I aimed my gaze at her. “I can speak for myself, Heddy.”

She leaned back and shot big eyes at me. “All right. Chill out, mama.”

Someonekillmesomeonekillmesomeonekillme.

Duncan’s knee brushed mine as he scooted in.

Frissons of electricity shot from there, up my thigh, straight between my legs.

SOMEONEKILLMESOMEONEKILLMESOMEONEKILLME.

“Right. Yeah. Cool. The ladies got their wine. Nut Brown, on tap. And while we’re perusin’ our menus, bring us some of those beef pinchos,” Harv ordered.

I looked up to see the waitress standing by our table.

“And the fig with goat cheese,” Heddy added.

“Is that good?” Harv asked her.

“Oh my gawd,” she said as answer.

“Should we get two ’a those?” Harv inquired. “’Cause even though Bowie’s mostly veggie, I think we should get two ’a the beef pinchos. Breakfast wore off at least an hour ago.”

Heddy was about to answer, but I was so stunned at what Harvey said, I turned my head Duncan’s way and asked, “You’re a vegetarian?”

He opened his mouth.

But Harv answered.

“Mostly. Something about methane. I can coax him into a burger every once in a while. And chicken, if he’s assured they’re free range.”

“I can speak for myself too, Harvey, and it’s not just methane,” Duncan said to Harv and turned to me. “It’s the rain forest.”

“Of course,” I murmured.

“Since we got a veggie amongst us, we’ll do the brie nachos and falafel too,” Heddy decreed, then queried of Harv. “You down with that, big man?”

“For starters,” he allowed.

“Liquid Amber,” Duncan stated his drink preference when the waitress cast her gaze his way.

“I’ll get those drinks in and your tapas out when they’re up,” she promised and took off.

Heddy instantly turned to me. “Speaking of the rain forest. Do you remember that dress you wore to that fundraiser to save it?” She didn’t let me answer. She turned her attention to the gents. “She looked beautiful.” She then homed in on Duncan. “And she gave, like, I don’t know…a bazillion dollars to that charity.”

“Heddy,” I hissed.

When I received her gaze, it was all innocence. “What?