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“Thanks,” I say. “Are you going to have any?”
He shakes his head.
“It’s all yours. A wine glass looks better in your hand than in mine anyway and wine has a weird way of making me say stupid shit. It’s a different kind of buzz that won’t be helpful tonight.”
A different kind of buzz?
What does that even mean?
“What kind of stupid shit could you possibly say to make this night any more awkward?” I ask, leading the glass up to my lips to take a sip and take a seat in the wooden chair.
“Trust me, Brynn. You don’t want me to go off-script. It’s better I stick to beer and keep my thoughts to myself.”
He hands me the bottle and picks his beer back off the wide armrest of my chair.
I watch him as he walks to the furthest chair across from me in the circle and takes a seat.
Silence falls over us for a minute. Then a minute turns into two, and two turns into five, and five turns into ten. My second glass of wine for the night is starting to dwindle, and I know better than to indulge in a third glass. The last thing I need tomorrow is a hangover.
I alternate between staring at the flames between us and the moon reflecting against the ocean.
I listen as the relaxing sounds of the ocean waves crash along the shore not far from where we're sitting. It does a little to drown out the unspoken words between us.
"Rita is letting me move into her apartment tomorrow so that Cammy can move into your guest bedroom. If you have any spare, clean sheets, I'll make the bed before I leave tomorrow."
"I have a full set of sheets in the hall closet. I'll get them for you tomorrow. Do you need a lift over to Scallywag's in the morning?"
It's a kind offer, but I've already asked him for enough.
"It's no trouble. I'll just call a taxi."
"I can take you. I have to leave to get Cammy to the airport and pick up some things at the hardware store while I'm in Cancun. I'll drop you off before heading out."
"But it's the opposite direction."
My gaze meets his from across the firepit as he reclines in the wooden chair.
"By thirty minutes round trip. I don't mind taking you."
"Are you sure that's not an imposition?" I ask.
"Can you be ready in the morning so I can drop you before I have to leave?"
"Yes."
"Then it's not an imposition."
I take another sip of my wine.
"Okay, thank you. I appreciate you taking me in."
"Don't mention it," he says and then he finishes off the last of his beer and his eyes break from mine, staring back at the flames between us.
"So Cammy is your niece? Is she your brother's daughter?"
I can't help but try to pull out any tidbits of information about Seven. He keeps a tight lid on most things, not giving much away.
"My brother Eli's. The one and only grandkid in the family."
