I gave the woman next to me a small smile when she turned to see who her new neighbor was. She returned the smile before giving her attention to the man beside her.
“There, lass.” Milly placed a menu in front of me. “Now what can I get you to drink?”
“Oi, I was next, Milly!” a male voice shouted from the other end of the bar.
She raised an eyebrow in that direction. “I say who’s next in my pub.”
“Fine, but I’m next after Legs,” he shouted back.
Presuming “Legs” was me, I scowled.
“Her name is Evie,” Milly informed him crisply.
I wanted to hide under the bar.
“I prefer Legs.”
“Oh, aye? Do you prefer going somewhere else to drink, man? Because I don’t cater to rudeness in my pub.”
“Aw, I was only joking, Milly. Get the lass a drink and put it on my tab.”
She nodded and turned back to me with a smirk.
“I’ll pay for my own drink,” I replied.
She grinned. “And what will that be?”
“A cider.”
“What kind?”
I shrugged. “Whatever you recommend.”
While Milly disappeared to get my cider, I perused the menu. After googling it, I’d discovered The Anchor, just as Milly had said, was a gastropub. Deciding to continue eating “British,” I ordered the battered haddock and chips, remembering that chips in the UK were like a plumper version of fries, and crisps were what we in the US called chips.
My fish and chips arrived on a wooden tray, the chips served in a miniature frying basket, with sides of tartar sauce and mushy peas in little ceramic pots. Everything was delicious, and although I’d had a fish and chips dish at a British bar in Chicago, the tartar sauce I’d had there didn’t even compare to Dexter’s.
“Enjoying that?” Milly asked as she passed me to serve someone a drink.
I swallowed a chip I’d layered with mushy peas and replied, “Your husband’s a genius.”
She guffawed. “For Christ’s sake, keep your voice down. His ego’s big enough.”
I chuckled at her teasing and continued to clean my plate.
Stuffed full, I wished I were in a chair with a back so I could slump down in sleepy satisfaction. Between the food and jet lag, I was almost ready for bed. Milly took hold of the tray with one hand and popped a smaller menu in front of me with the other. “Dessert.”
Oh God, I couldn’t eat another—
Sticky toffee pudding.
The British bar back home had sticky toffee pudding on the menu. I’d bet my entire shorts collection that Dexter’s was yummier.
“Well?” Milly returned to me a few minutes later.
I made a face of distress. “I want the sticky toffee pudding and ice cream so bad, but I don’t think I’ll manage it.”
“Then why don’t we split one?” Roane suddenly appeared at my side, and I jerked with surprise. He smirked, those dark eyes twinkling mischievously.
Before I could speak and reprimand him for the fright, Milly said, “Excellent idea. And a table has opened up by the fireplace so you can sit there with Shadow.”
Glancing down, I found Shadow at his side and focused on the dog. Scratching his ears, I welcomed him warmly, laughing when he licked my wrist in response.
It was so much easier to focus on Shadow because the Roane before me differed from the Roane this morning. Sure, he still had the beard and wild thick hair, but now he wore a dark red plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of dark-wash jeans that didn’t have mud stains on them, and a pair of hiking boots instead of Wellingtons. I focused in on his strong tan forearms and shivered.
He smelled amazing. At first, I was hit with something musky, woodsy, like his cologne had a strong sandalwood base note. Then this overlying ocean scent drifted over me, layered with something citrusy. It was fresh and heady at the same time, and it made a woman want to nuzzle her face in his strong throat and run her fingers through the bristles of his beard.
Well, it made this woman want to.
“Is Shadow the only one you’re going to say hello to?”
Realizing I was being rude, I straightened and gave him what I hoped was a natural smile. “Hey.”
Roane grinned that boyish, wicked smile of his. “Hi. Let’s grab that table before someone else does.” He shot Milly a look. “Can I get a pint too, Milly?”
“I’ll bring it over with the pudding. Another cider, Evie?”
I nodded. A little fortification might be just the thing. Throwing off lingering exhaustion, I slid from