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I wouldn’t be surprised.
The more he reads about horses, the better he’s gotten at the ranch. I half expect him to have Shiloh bowing and doing tricks before it’s all over.
“Focus on the spot beyond the object ball.” He leans down,wrapping his index finger over the pool cue and sliding it back and forth a few times. “Shoot straight and with force.”
He pulls back and hits the arrangement of balls, sending them flying to the edges of the table. Most of them bounce around, but a solid red and a stripe green each land in a pocket.
“Not bad.” I step back to the screened wall, where I have a pretty good view of the dining room. “Pick your pattern.”
“Pick the stripey ones, Eddie!” Kimmie Joy bounces on her toes. “Snappy likes the stripey ones best.”
“Stripes it is.” Edward leans down, sliding his pool cue with a little more confidence this time.
He hits the striped ball, but it doesn’t quite make it into the pocket. His brow furrows, and it’s like I can see his brain working as Austin steps up to take his turn.
“Go, Aussie!” Kimmie jumps up and down pumping her fists.
Austin has been playing pool here for a few years, and we watch as he expertly guides almost all his remaining solids into the various pockets around the table before faltering on the number six.
“Good work, Austin.” I clap his shoulder as he passes me.
Eddie studied his movements the entire time, from the position of his fingers, to his aim, to the variable use of force he used to strike the cue ball.
This time when he gets up to play, he sinks two more balls before missing the next.
“I thought I saw two of my favorite guys out here.” I recognize Gloria’s voice as she enters the side patio. She’s dressed in her usual shorteralls over a flannel shirt and boots. “Who are you hiding from?”
I glance to the dining room where the girls are on the bar dancing to the Buster Poindexter song “Hot Hot Hot,” which is kind of fitting for a Caribbean hot sauce. A group of customers has formed a train and are snaking through the hall.
“Not hiding.” I tilt my head at my young friend. “It’s a little less chaotic here.”
She holds up her hands. “Ah, right. I get it.” Stepping closer to the table, she watches a few moments as Austin almost sends the eight-ball into the corner pocket.
“So close!” she hisses.
Kimmie jumps up and down. “Your chance to steal it, Eddie!”
Edward’s lips are in a line, and he steps up, focused on the balls. Austin, by contrast, is watching the girls on the bar through the screen. He’s way less worried about winning than he is wrapping this up and getting out where the action is.
I can’t say I blame him. I’d have been more interested in pretty girls dancing on a bar at sixteen than playing pool, too.
My eyes drift to the hall, and when they land on hers, it’s a lightning strike. All the feelings swirling in my chest through the night and into the morning surge forward on a tidal wave.
Rachel stands beside a booth where a smiling Miss Gina and an obviously confused Claws sit. Her soft hair sways as she bends her knees, bouncing along to the music and swinging her arms. She’s wearing a short, flowered dress with a low-cut front that shows off her luscious breasts.
My stomach tightens with every bounce, and I need to get it together before I have a semi in my jeans. Cheering breaks out behind me, and just before I turn, Rachel’s eyes meet mine. She smiles shyly, and a flush of pink rises in her neck.
It’s the sexiest thing I’ve seen all day, and I have to adjust myself covertly before turning around again.
“You did it!” Kimmie yells. “Eddie won!”
“I hope that wasn’t beginner’s luck, because I fully expect you to win our tournament.” Gloria lightly places her hand on his shoulder.
“Beginner’s luck is only a supposed phenomenon. It has no basis in fact.”
“In that case, you’d better sign up first thing tomorrow morning.” Gloria nods, unfazed by his monotone.
“Good game, bro.” Austin slaps him on the shoulder as he passes, depositing his pool cue on the rack and heading into the party. “I’ll get you next time.”
