Page 11 of Hammer and Hops

I grabbed my phone, needing answers.

Fuck my life.

Or Cameron Telliyard.

Lukas had encouraged me to reach out to him, and so had Nate, maybe for different reasons, but the results would be the same. It might start out good, but it would surely end badly. I did not need that.

My phone beeped.

Maybe nothing to lose, but I still had a heart that could easily break. But not if I didn’t let it get involved. Hell, that Mitchel ass-wipe didn’t break my heart. I could have let him. But I knew he was a jerk before we whipped our dicks out. Cameron was different. He was nice and was highly recommended by others in the community. That description sounded more like a restaurant than a man.

Now I was giggling.

I needed pants on for this, though. I pulled them back up, not missing the big-boy-pants irony of it, and pulled his number up.

And stared at it for what felt like an eternity. With a sigh, I turned my phone off and face planted onto the bed. Another jack-off session starring Cameron’s rugged face and dark hair would get me over this stupid idea. With a groan, I stripped off and got busy.

The next morning, I pulled into the parking lot, grabbed my coffee, and went into the office. Before I could even fire up my laptop, Lukas was in my face. “Well? How’d it go?”

“How’d what go?” Play dumb, because that always works—not.

“You know what I mean.” He grabbed his hair, tugging. “My God, Everett. You didn’t call him, did you?”

“No. I didn’t. And you know why? Because I’m already married. To this business.” There. That’ll shut him up.

“You did not just say that. You can’t fuck the brewery, dude.”

I glared at him.

“You know what I mean. You need something else in your life. This—”

“No. I do not. Not now. Not yet.”

“When?”

“Stay out of my love life.”

“What love life?” He had a point.

I leaned back in my chair. Lukas had never been anything but on my side. He was always there for me, loyal to the end. And this wasn’t treating him like that. He didn’t deserve my grumpy face. And…he was probably right. He usually was.

“Everett. Pick up the phone and call him. Right the fuck now.” He pointed at my cell, sitting on my desk.

“Fine.” I picked it up and jabbed my phone screen until his number came up.

“Do it.”

I sighed and clicked the button. Because he was right. Because I wanted to. Because I hadn’t stopped thinking about Cameron. Because maybe I could have something more with someone nice.

The phone rang.

Chapter eight

Ooh A Date – Cameron

An unknown number popped up on my phone. I set my hammer down and wiped the sweat off my brow, and answered it, thinking it was probably spam, but I always answered anyway, just in case someone needed me. A lot of people in the area had my number and called me when they needed help, mostly with minor household stuff, but sometimes more, and they passed it on to others as well. “’Lo?”

“Uh, hi. Is this Cameron?”