Take a Chance (Chance, #1; Rosemary Beach #7)(24)

Blaire looked up at me from where she was slicing a tomato. “Really? That’s what you wanted? Because most of the time when a guy is trying to give a girl the brush-off he wants no drama. Sounds like Harlow gave you the easy out.”

“I wasn’t brushing her off,” I said defensively as Nate threw his frozen blue thing onto the floor and began clapping as if he had just done something fantastic.

Blaire smirked. “He wants you to pick it up. Be warned, this is his favorite game. He’ll treat you like a dog. He will keep doing it as long as you fetch it.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Well what the he— I mean, heck do I do then?”

She shrugged. “Be his favorite uncle and pick it up or be the party poopero and ignore his game.”

Dammit. I reached down and got it and handed it to him and he beamed at me as if I was the most wonderful person in the world. The kid was cute. And at the moment I felt pretty damn special . . . until he threw it on the floor again and began clapping.

“He’s a manipulator,” I told her as I bent down to get it.

“Or you’re a sucker,” Rush said as he opened the back door and stepped inside. He smirked at me, then went over to Blaire to kiss her openly right there in front of me and the kid.

“I need help. Let her face go, you’re gonna eat it off,” I grumbled.

Rush went a little longer on the kiss just to be an ass, then shot a look over at me. “This about Harlow again?”

“Yes,” Blaire said, pressing one last kiss to his lips before going back to the tomato.

“Dadadadada,” Nate said happily, and Blaire and Rush both froze. Blaire dropped her knife on the bar and covered her mouth.

Rush stared at his son with an emotion I didn’t understand.

“Dadadadada,” Nate said again.

“Ohmygod he did say it,” Blaire said as tears filled her eyes and she laughed out loud.

Rush walked around the bar and took Nate from me as if I wasn’t even standing there. “Hey, buddy,” he said with awe in his voice. Nate patted Rush’s chest. “Dadadadadada,” he said again.

Blaire made another happy cry sound and Rush grinned. “That’s right, buddy. You can say it now, can’t you?”

I looked over at Blaire and I realized this had to be Nate’s first word. I was witnessing a special family moment and I needed to leave. This was their time with their son. I would talk to Blaire later.

Blaire ran around the counter and wrapped her arms around Rush’s back. “Who is this, Nate?” she asked, and once again he happily answered.

I didn’t say anything as I slipped out the door and headed for my truck. I quickly sent Rush a text.

“Tell Nate I said congrats on his first word. I’ll talk to y’all later. That was a moment y’all needed to enjoy alone.”

?

It was after eight and all I could think about was Harlow’s f**king date. Why? I had let her go. I had told her I couldn’t commit to her. No dating. No nothing. I just had one damn good memory to cherish. The best. Now I had to move on. If I was scared to be involved in more than a shallow relationship then I needed to embrace my fate. I just wasn’t going to be shallow with Nan. That was too f**ked up.

Harlow was looking for more. I was looking for less. So, I headed to the closest honky-tonk. I’d find a hot little number who just wanted a good time and take her home. I didn’t want the strings of a girl from the club. They were all f**king looking for more than I wanted to give.

I was familiar with this place. It was go-to when I wanted to get out of Rosemary. They had good cover bands and cold beer. College girls were always in abundance from the local state school.

Walking in, I scanned the place until I saw several promising opportunities then made my way over to the bar. Lynette was bartending tonight. She was a looker for someone old enough to be my mom.

“Hey, handsome. Haven’t seen you all week. Thought you might have left town again.”

I flashed her a smile that I knew wouldn’t make her blush. She was too hardcore, but I knew she still liked being flirted with. “Can’t leave you for too long,” I replied.

“Bullshit.” She grinned and set a tall mug in front of me. “That’s the best we got on tap tonight.”

“Thanks, sexy,” I replied and winked.

Lynette let out a bark of laughter then walked over to help someone else. I turned to look out over the room. Two pretty blondes with matching black halter tops and red leather miniskirts were sending me flirty little smiles. They weren’t twins but they were trying real hard to be. The matching outfits were a nice touch. Not to mention they had some killer legs. They weren’t in Harlow’s league, though . . .

No! Fuck no! I interrupted my own thoughts. I wasn’t going to compare girls to Harlow. Those two were hot. They had nice plump tits about to fall out of their barely there tops. And the spiked heels were doing it for me. I shoved off from the bar.

“Figured those two would get your attention,” I heard Lynette say in an amused tone.

I glanced back at her. “You know me well.”

She just shook her head and fixed another drink.

Both girls tried to strike sexy poses as I approached them. They wanted it. This would be too damn easy. I needed easy tonight.

“You two here all alone? Looking like that?” I asked then took a sip of my drink. I wasn’t going to give them any dumbass lines.