don’t want to be nosey.”
For the next thirty minutes, Nicole flirted with the bartender while Ashley snuck peeks over at the corner table. When she saw Brady stand up, she slid off the stool and strolled toward the front door.
Walking with his hands in his pockets and his head bent down, she cut him off.
With a smile, she said, “Hi.”
Looking up, his glazed eyes stared at her blankly for a second, and then a spark of recognition flickered. But instead of smiling back, he frowned at her.
“Ashley. It’s nice to see you.”
“Same here.” She glanced over at Gage who sat perched on his chair, giving them a menacing look.
“I’m surprised to see you here. Are you following me?” Shifting from one foot to the other, he then asked, “How do like working at the shelter?” He seemed restless, as though he’d rather be anywhere but there.
“I love it. But why did you think I was following you?”
“I saw you at Bud’s …” His eyes widened as his voice trailed off.
“You were at the restaurant? Why didn’t you come over?”
“I was just driving by.” Brady looked over her shoulder, and his frown deepened. “I have
to go.” Without another word, he yanked on the door handle and stepped outside.
Ashley watched the door swing shut and she shook her head, as if that would unscramble the jumbled thoughts running through her mind. The encounter with Brady was odd. And he slipped and told me he saw me at Bud’s. Was he the one who egged her car? I’m losing it. Why in the hell would Brady do something so childish? She was grasping at straws in a feeble attempt to rid herself of the niggling suspicion that Jeffrey Elion was the one playing cat and mouse with her.
Suddenly, Gage brushed past her, threw open the door, and stepped outside. She shaded her eyes from the bright sun as she watched him storm down the sidewalk before disappearing around the corner. What the hell was that all about?
“Do you want another drink?” Nicole’s loud voice broke through Ashley’s thoughts.
“No, thanks,” she hollered as she walked back to her friend who was leaning against the bar, waving at her with a wide smile plastered on her face.
“Are you sure? Jared makes real good drinks.” Giggling, she placed a hand over her mouth.
“It looks like you’ve had one too many. Remember, you have to drive to Steamboat Springs in the morning.”
“Why the fuck is Mariah getting married so far away? This whole wedding thing is a pain in the ass,” Nicole replied loudly.
“I think it’s time to go.” Smiling, Ashley signaled for the bartender.
“You ready to pay up?” The barkeep put his hands on the counter and leaned forward.
“Yes.”
“Is it separate or together?”
His penetrating gaze unnerved her, but she resisted the urge to look away. “Together,” she replied with a lift of her chin.
“Are we leaving?” Nicole asked him.
“It looks like that’s what your friend wants to do,” the bartender replied, his eyes still fixed on Ashley.
“We’ve both had enough,” Ashley said to her friend.
“I wish you”—Nicole pointed a slender finger at the barkeep—“lived in Denver. We could hang out sometime.”
He grinned. “That would be fun.”
“Isn’t Jared the best?” Nicole cooed.
Ashley scowled. “He’d be better if he figured out our tab.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a bit of a smartass, aren’t you?”
“And you’re kind of rude, so I guess we both have our flaws.” Looking down, she opened her purse.
Nicole hiccupped. “Are you guys fighting?”
Jared pushed away from the bar, and with a bit of swagger in his step, he strode over to the cash register.
“Isn’t he a hunk?”
“Hardly,” Ashley muttered under her breath.
It took another twenty minutes to pry Nicole away from the bartender, who seemed amused by her flirtatious advances.
Once Ashley finally got her best friend inside the car, she slipped into the driver’s seat, switched on the ignition, and backed out of the parking space. Nicole chatted incessantly the whole ride home, and when she went into the family room, she headed straight for the couch.
“I could use a cold Coke.” She kicked off her pumps and stretched out on the couch. “I’m not feeling so good.”
Ashley smiled. “I’ll get you a Coke. Do you need a cool towel for your head?”
“That would be awesome. Why the hell did I drink so much?” she groaned.
“To be fair, your bartender was making the drinks really strong.” Ashley pulled out a glass from one of the cupboards, then poured the soda into it.
“He sure was cute.”
“If