Inked Persuasion (Montgomery Ink Fort Collins #1) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,24

Paige sighed happily.

I glared at my little sister. “Shove it, Paige.”

She wiggled her fingers at me and leaned into her boyfriend. “Oh, I don’t believe I will. And look, Jacob’s not headed this way. He did that head-tilt thing, though. Mr. Queen acknowledged your presence, but he isn’t coming over here to talk to the big, bad Montgomerys.”

“Probably because he knows that while the brothers haven’t seen him yet, they will likely kill him because they are big, mean, and love to act like linebackers protecting their quarterback.”

I whispered the last part, and both Eliza and Brenna started laughing into their hands, doing their best not to make too much noise.

Jacob sat at the bar, Riggs grinning down at him as the two of them laughed over something. Riggs set a beer and a water in front of Jacob, as well as a menu.

“He shouldn’t sit and eat all alone,” Eliza said. “It’s not nice.”

“You shouldn’t be so mischievous. You are a lovely, pleasant, married woman. Aren’t married ladies supposed to be calm and happy and not annoying?” I asked.

“I have no idea where you heard or read that,” Eliza said. “And my husband is deployed, so I need some entertainment in my life. If that means joking around about a certain dark-haired, chiseled-jawed stranger at a bar for you? Well, I’m going to have fun.”

“Oh, yes, that sounds like a plan.” Brenna clapped her hands as she grinned.

“I don’t like you guys.” I pouted.

“Don’t pout. You’re an adult,” Paige said, her eyes dancing with laughter.

Her boyfriend, Colton, cleared his throat. “If it’s all right with you, I’m going to go get grilled by Paige’s brothers rather than sit here listening to this. I feel like I don’t have enough estrogen, and I’m eavesdropping on the secret meeting of an organization I shouldn’t know about.”

He grinned, and I rolled my eyes before Paige went up on her tiptoes to kiss him soundly. I averted my gaze because some things having to do with my little sister I did not need to see.

“He seems nice,” Brenna said, watching Colton walk away.

My sister smiled. “He’s great. He makes me laugh, he’s kind, he has a good job, and he isn’t riddled with debt.”

Eliza laughed. “And that’s what you’re worried about?” she asked.

Paige shook her head. “No, that’s what my dad would worry about, so I’m learning to tack it on for when I’m around him. Sorry. I’m just trying to get used to the idea that I have a committed boyfriend. Not some guy I date for a couple of days and never see again. And it’s not like a high school boyfriend where it’s all about weird anxiety and wanting to throw up.”

I looked at Brenna and analyzed that comment, then we all snorted, holding back our laughter. “I’m sorry, but high school boyfriends make you want to throw up?” I asked, pressing my lips together after I’d said the words.

“You know what I mean. When we were younger, it was always stressful and anxiety-riddled because of social constructs inherent within school walls. This feels nice.”

“So, it’s serious?” Eliza asked.

“Maybe.”

I listened with half an ear as my friends and Paige began discussing Colton and all his qualities. I liked the guy, but I didn’t know him well enough to judge. He’d have to run the Montgomery gauntlet if he wanted to go the distance with Paige. And not because we were overprotective. Okay, not only because we were overprotective. Mainly because Paige wouldn’t date anybody seriously without us loving him. We were family, and that’s how we worked.

It had been different with Jonah because it hadn’t been real. And Paige hadn’t even been old enough to drive, so I knew she didn’t have as many memories of him as I did. There hadn’t been love there. Not the kind shared between a husband and his wife. But there had been love between two best friends who didn’t want to leave each other alone in the dark.

I shook away those melancholic thoughts as Eliza looked at me, her gaze troubled.

“What’s wrong?” my best friend asked. She’d pulled her dark hair away from her face tonight, all twisted together on the top of her head. It would tumble around her shoulders later when we danced, and she would look like a beautiful princess in the woods, carefree and happy. I knew she missed her husband with each passing day. And Marshall would be coming home soon, God willing. I didn’t know how she

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