The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1)(70)

“Nothing,” Zoey promised. “I’d love to. When and where?”

“I’ll meet you at the resort at two thirty.” With a quick kiss to her temple, Graham opened the door, letting the line trample past them first so she could slip out unharmed. “Poor schmuck has to stay there too.”

*

The first time Graham met Jackson Shaw, he’d punched him in the face.

Maybe they’d only been in kindergarten, but to this day, Graham maintained Jackson had it coming.

As an only child, he’d never learned to share well. Take a Barnett’s Transformers sticker at your own risk.

In the years since kindergarten, Graham’s relationship with the son of the resort owners had been far more positive, even if the face punching had sort of become their thing. So when he heard Jackson was back in town, the first thing Graham always did was hop in his truck and drive up to the big house to see him.

The fact that gave him an excuse to see Zoey was only an added bonus.

She was waiting for him near the gift shop, staring longingly at the jewelry displayed in the window while resolutely ignoring the brochure dude edging toward her.

“Diego.” Graham nodded in greeting to the other Moose Springs local before stepping up behind Zoey and wrapping his arm around her waist.

“What are we drooling over?” he asked her, pressing a kiss to the rim of her ear, knowing his breath would tickle her neck. Graham liked knowing that. He wanted to know more, every little bit of information he could about her. Including what had her gazing so intently through the glass. “Is it the earrings?”

“No, although those are pretty. Stupid expensive though. Do you see that piece of old newspaper they’re using as decoration in the display? That’s from the 1920s, Graham. It’s almost a hundred years old. It should be in a museum.”

“No one goes to the Moose Springs Museum. It smells like formaldehyde.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s in the same building as the taxidermist.”

“You’re lying,” she accused, but Zoey was giggling as she turned around and stepped out of his arms.

Graham opened his mouth to proclaim his innocence, but then he saw stars. Everything blurred for a moment, but as he staggered back, he could hear Zoey yelling.

“Hey! Get off him!”

Vision clearing, Graham saw who had sucker punched him. Jax always could get the jump on him. But Zoey had planted herself between them, hands up and stance ready, like she was prepared to kick Jax’s head off.

Someone had taught this girl some serious self-defense, because Graham was still working his jaw, trying to keep his feet, when Jax moved in for the hug that always followed their ritual greeting. Zoey, his tiny slip of a perfect person, grabbed Jax by the wrist and did some sort of Jedi thumb trick thing that had him yelping in pain and jumping backward.

“Trust me, buddy, I have had a long morning, and I’m not in the mood to watch a friend get attacked. So back off or I will go full spider monkey on your ass. Security!”

Her only weapon was a worn water bottle, but she brandished that sucker like a broadsword, braced and ready.

Grinning, Graham stepped behind her, draping his arm around her collarbone and pulling her shoulders back into his chest.

“Jax, this is Zoey. She’s cute, right?”

“She’s mean. I think she broke my thumb.”

When Zoey twisted her face around to look at him, Graham caught a glimpse of actual concern in her eyes. Graham rested his chin on the top of her head, hugging her tighter to him. “You’re not mean. He’s a baby.”

“He hit you.”

“It was his turn.”

“That makes no sense at all.”

Groaning, Zoey leaned back into him, just a little. The smallest of actions, just an involuntary need to take shelter from a stressful situation, but Graham liked her leaning into him for comfort.

“Mr. Shaw?” A blond, curly-haired hotel worker with massive eyes stared at them in concern. “Are you all right? Do you want us to escort Ms. Caldwell off the grounds?”

Zoey’s own eyes went wide with horror, even if not nearly as big as the blond’s eyes. “No, Quinn. I was just…argh.”

“Naw, it’s fine,” Jackson promised. “Graham’s taste in women has always been off.”

“Did he just call me off?”

“It was a double insult, darlin’,” Graham said in her ear. “If he riles me up enough to hit him, then Jax gets first punch next time.”

“This makes no sense. Which, considering it’s you, makes complete sense.”

Slipping away from his hold, Zoey stepped sideways, looking at both of them as if they’d lost their minds. With a grin, Graham moved in and gripped Jax in a massive bear hug.

“Let’s start over. Jackson Shaw. This is Zoey. She’s taken me down, and I promise you, she can do the same to you. Tread lightly, my friend. She has pointy toes and knows how to use them.”

She offered him a pained look. “Really?”

“Zoey, this stuck-up rich boy is Jax. Believe it or not, he’s not half-bad.”

“Don’t wax poetic on me,” Jax teased, then said to Graham, “Where are we going? I don’t want to eat in this shitbox.”

“You’re reading my mind, brother.”