Sean looks at me closely and then nods. “Okay. Do you want to grab a drink or some dinner tonight?”
“Yeah, maybe. I’ll check in with you when I’m done.”
He heads over to our vintner, Joshua, while I head back to Ranger. “Everything okay?”
I nod. “It’s not great, but it could’ve been worse. Of course, they did lose almost fifty gallons of wine, so yes, I guess it’s bad.”
“We can continue the tour later if you need me to go,” Ranger says and looks back toward the building we just walked out of.
“There’s nothing I can do. I’ll just be in the way if I try to help with anything. We should just go ahead and finish.”
I’m zooming through this tour and not even really giving him a chance to talk. Luckily, he hasn’t said anything about the other night or the rushed tour. “Now, I don’t know a whole lot about the grapes themselves, but I can at least show you the area.”
He places his hand on my arm, and I ignore the warmth that spreads up it. “Hey, what’s the rush?”
“I… um… just thought you might have stuff to do.” I try to avoid looking at him, but dammit, I do, and he flashes me a cocky grin that I just want to slap off of his face.
I hit the accelerator, and we fly down the path around the grapes. “Jesus Christ, woman, are you trying to kill me?”
We skid to a stop. “Maybe I am.”
It takes us fifteen minutes to drive around the perimeter. We reach our starting point, and I park the golf cart off to the side, and we both climb off. Ranger comes around to my side, not stopping until we’re practically touching. “Do you think maybe we could get together and talk?”
I suck in a deep breath before looking up at him. “What is there to talk about? I think you made things pretty clear ten years ago. Do we really need to rehash it?” I don’t want to.
Ranger reaches out, fingering a strand of my hair. My pulse races just from that simple touch. “There are things I need to tell you.”
I put my hands on his chest, pushing him back. “Fuck you, Ranger. I don’t want to hear about it. It’s burned into my brain. When I think of you, that is all I see.” Marching away from him, I find Sean watching us.
As I approach, he calls out, “You okay?”
“Still want to have dinner and drinks tonight?” I have no attraction to this man in front of me, but he’s just what I need to distract myself from the one I hate yet still love.
Sean’s eyes light up. “Yeah, for sure. How about I pick you up at your brother’s house at seven? There’s this great place called Taco-bar that I want to take you to.”
“That sounds great. I’ll see you at seven.” I walk away, my stomach turning all the way to my brother’s scooter. I stick my helmet on my head and drive toward the parking lot's exit, but I stop when I find Ranger standing by his SUV. “What?”
“Are you going out with him?” I roll my eyes-like he gets to comment on anything I do.
“It’s not your concern, but we’re just grabbing dinner. We’re friends.” At least I’m Sean’s friend, even though he wants more. I accelerate the scooter and yell, “Stay out of it.”
I swear I hear him shout never, but I can’t be too sure.
When I get home, I find my brother at the kitchen counter on his laptop. He looks up, smiling at me. “Hey, how’d the tour go?”
“Good, except for the barrel.”
“Yeah, I’m heading there now. I’ve been on the phone with Sean and Joshua since it happened. I’m also getting a new barrel delivered before the end of today. Anyway, I may be there for a while. Are you okay, being alone?” He asks while tucking his laptop into the leather satchel he carries—it probably cost more than all my clothes together. I love my brother but he’s more into expensive things than I am.
“I’m actually going to have dinner with Sean tonight.” Lance’s mouth turns down into a frown. “What’s with the face?”
Lance lifts his shoulder. “I don’t know… I just don’t think he’s right for you.”
“We’re just friends.”
“Does he know that?”
I shake my head in exasperation. “It’s fine. We’re friends, and I’m not going to do anything except eat some tacos and have some drinks with an old friend.” Turning on my heels, I head to my bedroom to get ready for a night out.
Chapter Eight
Ranger
The moment they walk into the restaurant, I turn in my seat so Lainey doesn’t spot me. I overheard Sean tell her where they were going. I… I’m not sure why I’m here. Okay, I know why I’m here. I don’t trust Sean around her and never have. What grown-ass man openly flirts with a teenage girl?
She always wanted to see the good in people, but I’ve seen the way he watched her. It always would creep me out and piss me off. Now he’s walking through the restaurant like he’s king of the world with his hand on the small of her back.
Her words from earlier play on repeat through my mind. “It’s burned into my brain. When I think of you, that is all I see.” I drink my beer and try to think of a way to get Lainey to talk to me, to listen. If she’d understand why I did it, then maybe we could get closure, finally.
Sean pulls Lainey’s chair out as she sits, then he takes the seat across from her. The bartender stops in front of me. “Can I get you another beer, handsome?” The brunette gives me a smile that I’m sure helps get her a lot of tips.
“No, thanks.” I turn to pretend to look at the TV above the bar, ignoring the come fuck me eyes she’s giving me. Once she heads to the other end of the bar, I glance back at Lainey and Sean.
He says something to her, and she throws her head back, laughing. I used to love making her laugh because she’d laugh with her whole body. She doesn’t even notice Sean is staring at her breasts… Fucker.
Their waiter comes and blocks my view of Sean. I watch Lainey smile up at the waiter as she orders. When the waitress walks away, I pull my hat down lower on my head to hide myself a little better.
The bartender heads my way, so I signal for another beer. She twists the cap off and sets it down in front of me. “Thanks,” I tell her and hand her cash. “Keep it.” She smiles and nods.
My eyes go back to Sean and Lainey. I watch him pick up his phone, excuse himself, and step outside. She flags their waitress over, says something to her, and then stands up. I keep my face hidden when she comes around the bar to head to the bathrooms that are at the back.
“Why are you here?” I freeze and then turn around on my stool until I face her, and Lainey looks pissed. “Answer me before he comes back.”
“I. Don’t. Like. Him. Lainey, I don’t trust that fuck, and I never have.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. Her electric purple maxi dress hugs her body, and I must fight getting hard while she stares at me, waiting for an answer.
“That still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here “hiding” at the bar.” Her air quotes make me smile, which just pisses her off, but I kind of like that I’m getting to her. “Go home, Ranger. I can take care of myself.” Lainey starts to walk away but comes back. “Take off that stupid hat.” She snatches it off my head and tosses it on the bar.