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She'd had plenty of alone and it sucked. She'd rather not do that again, especially not for someone like Brody, who changed women as often as he changed his underwear. It was too bad she was crazy about him and thought about him constantly. Why couldn't she be immune?
Then again, was any woman in Deer Lake immune? Judging from his past interactions with the women in this town, it didn't appear so. And she had no interest in becoming another statistic. Likely the only reason Brody appeared interested in her was because she kept shutting him down. Once she let him in, he'd no doubt drop her in a hurry.
The door opened and Brody walked in. She'd spent the day by herself since all the guys were out on jobs.
"Sorry I'm a little late," he said, taking off his coat and slinging it on the chair. "I had to drop Ethan and Zoey off at the airport."
"No problem. They get off okay?"
He cracked a smile. "Yeah. Zoey's all kinds of excited to go see her mom in concert in Nashville this weekend."
Tori leaned back in the chair and grinned. "I'm sure she is. I talked to Riley on the phone earlier this week. She really misses Zoey and Ethan when she's on the road. She's thrilled this is the last road trip she'll be on for a while."
He nodded. "Ethan said he's pretty happy she's closing out her tour in Nashville. Now that she's pregnant, she'll be able to settle back for a while and concentrate on the baby. Ethan's been nervous as hell with Riley insisting on finishing her tour while she's pregnant."
Tori laughed. "Well, she is in her eighth month, but she's been super healthy and the doctor's been monitoring her regularly. But you're right. She's finishing up now and she can rest and start nesting."
"I'm glad it's all worked out for them, considering their rocky start. Zoey loves Riley like she's the only mother she ever had."
"The only one she remembers now. And you can't tell Riley that Zoey isn't hers. It's a good fit for all of them. With the new baby almost here, I can't think of a happier couple, or a happier family."
This was a new side to Brody, seeing him all mellowed out and grinning about his brother's contented family life. "You'd think all that wedded bliss and family life would make you twitchy. Your younger brother is married with a baby on the way, and your older brother just got married this year to his ex-wife's sister. So much...settling down going on around you. Doesn't it freak you out?"
He cocked a brow. "I have nothing against marriage and family, you know."
"Of course you don't." She couldn't resist the smirk. "All your relationships with women lasting so long and all."
"Hey. I just haven't found the right one."
"Uh huh." She took a long sip of her giant soda she'd bought earlier. "You are the king of denial, aren't you?"
"I can do a relationship."
"Careful, you might break out in hives. Or maybe your nose will start to grow. I should get out my tape measure and check it out."
"You wanna check out something with a tape measure..."
She shook her head. "So inappropriate for the office. And you being my boss and all. I should report you to your brothers."
"Whatever. Let's go."
"What? Where?" Somewhere she could measure him? The thought both appalled her and flamed her senses.
"Out of here."
"What about my review?"
"You're doing a kickass job, like you have been since we first hired you. We're jacking up your pay twenty percent. I've got a write-up about your glowing skills in my file as well as a goals sheet for the next year. I'll email it to you and copy my brothers. Any questions?"
Her eyes widened. A twenty percent pay raise? Hell no she wasn't going to question that. "Uh, no. No questions."
"Good. Let's go."
She grabbed her purse and her coat, curious about where he was taking her. He locked the door behind her, but when she headed toward her car, he grasped her arm.
"We'll take my truck."
Shrugging, she climbed into his truck and he drove off. He was quiet as he drove down Central and turned onto the highway.
"You're brooding," she said as she studied his profile.
"No, I'm not."
"It's because I insulted you, isn't it?"
"Doubtful, since you're always insulting me. You really can't hurt my feelings, Tori."
"Oh, I'm sure I could if I tried harder."
That at least got a curve of a smile. God, he was devastating when he gave that sexy half smile. She'd love to see that smile close up, like when he was hovering over her, both of them naked...
Stop that. Hadn't she spent the time before he came into the office reminding herself of all the reasons why they couldn't be together? Fantasizing about making love with him was the wrong direction for her thoughts to go.
It was a while before she realized he'd hit the highway, that they were leaving Deer Lake.
"Brody, where are we going?"
"Out of town."
"So you're kidnapping me?"
"Not exactly."
It took about fifteen minutes to get to Botswell, the next town over. He pulled into a one-story--shack, was the only way she could think of to describe it. She supposed it was a bar, with the headache-inducing half-blinking neon sign proclaiming it as Ed's Bar and Grill. Though the grill part was suspect, since the place resembled an oversized shed. She'd come into Botswell on occasion, mainly to do some shopping, never to hit the bars.
This one seemed--interesting, in a she'd-never-stop-here-without-a-guy kind of way. Or even with a guy, for that matter. She half expected a brawl to tumble out the front door any second.
When she climbed out of his truck and met him around the front, she cocked her head and looked at him. "Seriously?"
"Best beer and burgers I've ever had."
"I hope this isn't a date, Brody, because if this is where you bring your women, your taste is sorely lacking."
He cracked a smile and grabbed her hand. "You have such little faith in me, Tori. Just trust me."
She snorted. Trust him? Borrowing a line from one of her favorite movies ever--as if.
The inside didn't look much better than the outside. Old, worn tables were scratched with wear and tear. There were a few pool tables scattered around, and those were taken up by people who must be regulars. A couple older-model televisions sat above the bar that several people who'd bellied up were watching.
A couple food tables were full, but Brody had spied one in the corner, so he grabbed her hand and, despite her dragging her heels the whole way, tugged her along. She feared for her life as she took a seat in a rickety chair.
"Come on," he said. "It's not that bad."
She wasn't exactly a prima donna as far as the places she hung out, but Ed's was as low on the dive bar food chain as she'd ever gotten.
A waitress hustled over. She was older, in her fifties maybe, with faded-out blond hair that she'd over-teased, over-bleached and gathered up in a haphazard ponytail. And she didn't look happy to see them, because she didn't smile as she grabbed a pencil from her hair and pulled the pad out of her apron. "What can I get you to drink?"
Brody ordered the specialty beer. Tori looked at him.
"Try it. It's great."
Tori nodded. "Okay, I'll have one of those. And can we see a menu?"
The waitress, whose nametag said "Pat", snickered. "Honey, we have cheeseburgers, or cheeseburgers without cheese on them. If you're feeling adventurous you can have a hot dog. That comes with or without chili and the works. I'll be back with your drinks and you can let me know what you want."
Tori shifted her gaze to Brody. "Limited menu."
"People come here for the beer and the burgers. The hot dogs kind of suck."
"Thanks for the warning. I guess I'll have a burger, then."
"Good call."
When Pat came back with the beer, Brody said, "We'll both have the cheeseburgers."
"Smart idea. Everything on them?"
Brody looked at her. Tori said, "Sure. Why not?"
>
Pat finally shocked her by patting her hand and grinning. "You're gonna love these burgers, honey. And once you eat them, you're gonna come back again and again. Enjoy your beer."
After Pat hustled away, Tori looked at Brody. "Oh, my God. She seemed almost human there."
He laughed. "Pat has tons of attitude. She and Ed have owned this place since they were in their twenties. He brews the beer himself, along with his sons now. Taste it."
She took a drink of the beer. It was mellow, with a honey flavor. "Oh, it's good."
"Told you. They're a small operation, but this place is never empty. I stop by for lunch a lot when I'm driving through town on a job."
"For the beer?" she asked with a smirk.
"For the burgers, smartass. Though after a shitty day, I can pound down a few beers."
She preferred margaritas with Calliope after a bad day. She wondered who Brody unloaded on when he had problems. His brothers? Or was the familial bond too close, the fact that they all worked together too much to share troubles. Who did he tell his problems to?
"So when you have a bad day at work and you want to let off some steam and have a few drinks, do you grab your brothers and go out for beers to talk it out?"
He looked horrified. "Hell, no. It's bad enough I grew up with them, and now I work with them. Half the time it's them I'm pissed off at. The last thing I'd want to do is unload my problems on them."
She swirled her finger over the top of the glass. "So...who do you talk to?"
He shrugged. "Nobody."
