“Stop!” I flinched, stumbling back a step as he shifted to the side, skidding to a dramatic halt mere inches from me. “Really?” I punched his arm. “You never mentioned you can do tricks on jibs.”
He shrugged, removing his skis. “Now you know.”
“I’m taking my loser ass home.” I stomped toward my skis.
“I’ve got your shit, grumpy. Just head toward your Jeep.”
When we reached my Jeep, I sat sideways on the driver’s seat while Ronin secured my skis to the rack.
“I think it’s your attitude. If you start believing you can ski, I think you’ll find your body will cooperate.” He removed my ski boots and tossed them in back while I slid on my snow boots.
“Yes. I think it’s all in my head.” I grunted a laugh, starting my Jeep.
“Want me to pick you up for drinks?”
“No.” I tried to keep my bottom lip from swelling into a full-on pout. “I’ll grab a ride since I don’t intend to be under the legal limit when I leave the bar. And I don’t want you to have to be the DD either since tomorrow is your day off.”
“Cool. That means we get a little drunk together, then I fuck some sense into you for your pouty attitude. Good plan.” He smothered me with a hard kiss to make his point.
“I’m not pouting.” Okay, I couldn’t even say it without sounding pissy. Clearly, I needed a drink or five.
CHAPTER SIX
After a shower, a little makeup, and drying my hair straight, I slid on white leggings, gray ankle boots, and a long-sleeved floral boho blouse. The cab arrived a few minutes early, but I was ready.
Ready to pretend I didn’t go skiing.
Ready to forget my best friend thought of my boyfriend naked on a need-to basis.
Ready to drink myself into a better mood.
The bar was a quick ten-minute ride. When I walked inside, live country music greeted me just before Tami pulled me in for a hug outside of the bathroom. “Glad you made it. I’m grabbing another drink. Can I get you one?”
“Yes.” I shrugged off my jacket.
“Wine?”
“Something stronger. It’s been one of those days.”
“Well, shit. Sorry to hear that. I’ll get you fixed right up. Everyone’s over at that corner table. Karaoke starts in thirty minutes.”
“Karaoke?”
“Yes. The bar just acquired a karaoke machine.”
I liked karaoke. Maybe the day would end better than it started.
When I glanced to the table, Ronin’s eyes were already on me. His lips curled into a tiny smile as his gaze slid along the length of my body. When I approached the table, he stood because he was a true gentleman. “Take my seat. I’ll find another chair.”
“Stay. I’ll pull this one up.” Noah slid a chair over next to the empty one beside him. “Tami will want to sit by her and talk her ear off anyway.”
Ronin gave me a look, the silent “is that okay” look.
“Thank you.” I sat in the chair Noah pulled up. It put me at the opposite end of the table from Ronin … and Vanessa. Yes, she was perched next to him, right next to him because we were all pretty crammed in there.
I’d met everyone there, so no introductions were needed, and I didn’t get much more than a few nods and smiles because Vanessa was in the middle of a story.
“So it was a crazy day …” She sighed.
I must have missed her telling the crazy part.
“But the day ended well. I got a little chuckle when Evelyn lost her ski and Ronin, being the true hero he is…” Vanessa looped her arms around his arm, giving him an endearing side hug “…had me bring him a sled to pull her down the hill.”
Everyone chuckled, eyes on me and Ronin.
He winked at me. I returned my best fake smile before grabbing a menu to decide what food I should order to help absorb all the alcohol I needed.
“Here you go.” Tami set two shots of something—I didn’t even know or care what—down in front of me before wedging between the chairs to sit down.
“Thank you.” I downed the first shot.
Tequila. Good choice.
When I glanced at Ronin, he gave my drink a single peaked brow.
Yes, buddy. I’m drinking, probably more than originally planned because I don’t like Vanessa sitting by you. And my grown-ass, thirty-four-year-old self shouldn’t have an issue with it. But I do because it’s been a shitty day. I’m human. And insecurity is a bitch I’m not immune to.
“Song choices. Sign up at the bar if you’re interested.” The waitress set a piece of paper in the middle of the table with a list of songs.
Vanessa plucked it from the table before anyone else had a chance to grab it. “Oh! I love this one.” She pointed to a song, showing Ronin. “You have to sing it with me! Please!”
“Sure.” He shrugged before taking a swig of his beer.
You’ve got to be shitting me.
The one thing I could do was sing my ass off, not as well as my shower Sinatra, but I could definitely carry a tune. Yet, Ronin said yes to a duet with Vanessa. I took the second tequila shot.
“Pace yourself.” Tami laughed, sipping her wine.
Ronin’s one-peaked-brow of concern turned into two, but I ignored him, quickly ordering more shots from the waitress. That brought him out of his chair, working his way around the table to me.
“Come here.” He smiled, holding out his hand so the rest of the table didn’t question what was up.
I stared at his hand a few seconds, already feeling a buzz from two shots on an empty stomach. Then my gaze flitted to Vanessa. She watched me while sipping her beer. Placing my hand in his, I let him help me up and drag me toward the back of the bar to the one empty barstool on the corner.
“Water,” he said to the bartender, lifting me onto the stool and wedging himself between my legs, hands on my thighs. “What’s up, Evie?” His head cocked to the side.
I shrugged, dragging my sluggish gaze around the room. “Nothing.”
“Two shots in less than five minutes doesn’t seem like nothing. Try again.”
I forced my eyes to meet his gaze. To meet all of him—his dark blue jeans hanging just right on his waist, black leather unlaced boots, and a fitted white button-down with the sleeves rolled up showing off his sinewy arms. And don’t even get me started on how good he smelled, like pine and cedar. My mountain man.
“I like karaoke.”
“Okay,” he replied on a soft chuckle, handing me the water the bartender just set on the counter.
I took a few swigs before handing it back to him.
“Then you should sing.”
I frowned. “I didn’t know you sang, except in the shower. And now you’ve agreed to sing with Va-ness-uh”
“Va-ness-uh?” He smirked at me. “Why are you saying her name like that?”
“Like what?” I blew a few strands of hair away from my face.
“Like you don’t like her.”
“I just met her today. Why wouldn’t I like her?” Such a great question and completely rhetorical.
“Exactly. So … are you saying you want to sing with me too? We can sing together.”