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“Do you need me too?” Dana asked.
“Probably. He’s looking at your plans and will likely have questions.”
“We’ll be there in a minute,” Levi said. Rocky left and Levi turned to Dana. “This is harder than I imagined it would be. And I knew it wouldn’t be easy.”
Dana didn’t misunderstand or deny his comment. “It will get easier.”
“Will it?” Levi asked. “It hasn’t so far.”
“It has to,” she answered. “We have work to do.”
*
Dana hadn’t thought anything of it when Siobhan talked her into coming to Booze’s for the Friday night pool tournament. It sounded like fun and she needed a break from working. Besides, she hadn’t played pool in a while and she liked to keep up her skills.
What she hadn’t expected was that Nathan would be there, and she really should have. Siobhan had lost no time in pushing the two of them together. But it wasn’t a date and Nathan was a nice, entertaining guy. And very cute. Hot, even.
But he wasn’t her type. Still, there was no reason she couldn’t have fun and flirt a little. So she played a couple of games of pool with him and let him buy her a drink when she beat him two games straight. Apparently, it didn’t bother him to be beaten by a girl, which was a definite point in his favor. Nathan Kershaw was clearly not an insecure guy.
“Where’d you learn to play pool like that?” Nathan asked her after Siobhan brought their drinks.
Dana managed to send her friend a look that promised retribution, not that it appeared to bother Siobhan. “My father taught me. We had a pool table growing up and my dad taught my two brothers and me to play.”
“Did you beat the pants off of your brothers too?”
Dana laughed. “Sometimes. Enough that they got used to being beaten by a girl.” She took a sip of her wine and said, “It didn’t seem to bother you.”
“What, being beaten by a girl? I have two older sisters. I’d have been in sad shape if I let something like that bother me.”
“Still, it’s nice that you have that attitude. I swear with some men losing to a woman is a threat to their masculinity.”
Nathan laughed. “No, that’s not one of my insecurities.”
They talked a while longer and ordered a second round. Nathan said, “So what are your plans when you finish with the airport? I know it’s getting close to completion. Are you sticking around or going back to—I don’t know where you were before you were here in Whiskey River.”
“I was in San Antonio. I’ve sublet my apartment there. I’ll be here for a while longer, at least. I’m helping remodel Levi’s house.”
“Oh, right. I heard that at poker. His brother’s a veteran and is moving in with him. How’s that going?”
“Good, so far. I’m a little worried about the time constraints but so far all is going as well as you could expect.”
“Are you and Levi dating?”
“No.” Definitely not dating. Wishing they were together was a whole ’nuther matter. “Why do you ask?”
Nathan shrugged. “Just wondered. You’re both single, you’re beautiful and Levi is not a stupid man.”
Dana stared at him a moment. “I think there was a compliment in there. Thanks?”
He grinned. “Merely stating a fact.” Looking over her shoulder, he added, “And speak of the devil, look who just came in.” He gave a wave, motioning whoever it was to come over.
Dana turned around and saw Levi standing in the entrance to the bar. Of course it was Levi. Their eyes met and she smiled involuntarily. She couldn’t decipher his expression but he started walking toward them.
“Dana. Nathan.”
“Levi, how’s it going, man?” They fist bumped.
“Pretty good. I thought you had a flight tonight?”
