Mistletoe and Mr. Right (Moose Springs, Alaska #2) - Sarah Morgenthaler Page 0,17
time lining up her next shot. “Killian didn’t deserve it. Speaking of which, I’m about to run the table, which you don’t deserve either. Sorry, dearest.”
Sure enough, Lana ran the table on him, earning herself the first win of three.
Since she’d won, it was Rick’s turn to break. No one had come in, and he doubted that would change much in the next hour. Still, the night wasn’t a bust at all. This was the most alone time he’d had with a woman in ages, and he had to admit he was enjoying himself. Maybe a little too much.
Lana watched him break, her hip distracting him as she leaned against the table. “If I did an internet search, what would I find about you?”
“Probably far less than you’d find about most people.” Don’t bring up the divorce. It was weird to bring up the divorce. Don’t say the d-word. “I’m divorced.”
Yep. Because why not ruin the last pleasant fifteen minutes with something awkward and uncomfortable?
“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”
Hard. Humiliating. Hurtful. Hell. Something that started with an h.
“It was a while ago,” Rick grunted, taking his first shot.
He didn’t even know why he’d brought it up, except the divorce felt like the defining moment of his adult life. A massive, soul-crushing defining moment that the thousands of strangers passing through Moose Springs never knew or cared about.
“I think I saw you with her once when I first came to town. I’m sorry I never got to meet her.”
It was a simple observation, probably thoughtlessly—if politely—spoken. But it meant something to Rick that she had noticed.
“It’s fine. We run in different crowds.” Rick glanced at her, finding those glorious eyes watching him.
“You’d think that wouldn’t be the case when I’ve been running away to Moose Springs every chance I got for years now.” Lana brushed her hair out of her eyes as she waited for him to take his next shot. “Anything else? No runs as a bull rider down in the lower forty-eight? A sordid past as a grifter? Secret card shark?”
“I was semipro at pool.” Rick almost felt guilty as he sunk his next ball. “I won some money touring around, but it never panned out into anything bigger.”
“So I’m playing a professional.”
“Semiprofessional.” When he promptly missed his third shot, Rick added ruefully, “That was a while ago.”
Frankly, he’d be lucky if he made any shots, as distracted as he was by Lana’s presence.
“You don’t have to undersell your skills, Rick.” She leaned over the table, solidly sinking her first ball. “I don’t make a habit of being intimidated by the well-earned prowess of my companions. Don’t take it too hard when I really do beat you.”
“If you do, you’ll earn it fair and square.”
They shared a grin over the table. He had watched her play long enough to intuitively know he was better than her. But Rick liked how there was a small part of him that wondered how much better. Pool had always been his thing, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t good enough to take advantage of a misstep on his part.
And man, did she have him off his game.
“By the way, I’m not your landlady,” Lana informed him as she circled the table, choosing her next shot. “I work for a conglomerate that owns this building. You don’t answer to me. We both answer to them.”
Maybe. Or maybe she was trying to reassure him of their equal footing when he knew damn well the footing wasn’t equal at all. At least she was smiling at him for real. How had he never known the difference until tonight?
Lana barely missed her shot, leaving the cue ball in a near impossible place for him to play. She’d snookered him.
“Sorry,” she said impishly.
“Sorry for what?” Rick replied, unable to help himself from showing off a little. Most players couldn’t pull off a kick shot from that angle, but he’d grown up on the game. There were very few shots he couldn’t make. At her low whistle of appreciation, Rick decided that it wouldn’t be too terrible to show off a little more.
He ran the table in under a minute, then sank the eight ball with a satisfying thump.
“Your break,” Rick said.
“I’m surprised you only went semipro.” Lana set the billiards for the last game.
“Wasn’t the right scene for me.” Rick tried to cover how much he enjoyed impressing her by taking a sip of his bourbon. “Living in hotel rooms leaves a lot to be desired.”