dispensing advice?”
“Was she ever.” Jess mock shuddered before she made the inevitable ploy to remove herself from the conversation. “I need to get going. I’m going to give the bride and groom a big kiss and then I have to get home and get the food put together for poker night.”
“How’d you get roped into that?” Avery shot her a dark look even as she kept her tone bright, fun and oh so slightly manic.
“Because I love my man and want him to have the bestest poker night ever.”
“That doesn’t sound like you’re following Chooch’s advice.”
Jess smiled—broad and wide—and shook her head as she walked backward across the grass. “Ask me if I care.”
Avery shook her head as she watched Jess float off. “She’s really happy.”
“She is.” Ronnie nodded. “I meant it about that beer. Can I get you one?”
A quick glance down at her nearly full bottle and Avery shook her head. “I’m good for now. Are you enjoying the party?”
“I am. I was in and out of the wedding because we had to get the bar ready last night for anyone who was coming in afterward, so it’s nice to be out here enjoying the day.”
“It was a great wedding.”
“You looked beautiful.” He took a sip of his beer. “In your bridesmaid dress.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you have a good time?”
“Oh yeah. It was quite a party.”
They stood together in awkward silence before Ronnie nodded toward a group of kids playing a round of touch football. “My brother, Mike, is beside himself about the hockey lessons this week. He can’t stop talking about it. He’s really good and this should help him get a whole lot better.”
“I’ve heard several kids talking about it.”
“It’s awfully nice of Roman to do it.”
Avery heard the stiff formality in his tone and smiled. She knew Roman wasn’t Ronnie’s favorite person, so the fact he could see something good in the lessons was yet another sign Ronnie was a stand-up guy. “It is.”
“So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to grab a beer some night or something. I don’t have to work every night, and it’s been really pretty this summer. We could grab a picnic or burgers from the diner or something.”
“Oh. Well. Um, I’d need to check my calendar. Susan’s taking a lot of nights off in the coming weeks because of Roman being home and, well, um.”
She saw his tentative smile hover in place, even as he put a few feet of distance between them, and wanted to shoot herself between the eyes.
Damn it, why couldn’t she do this? And why did it have to hurt someone else in the process?
“Sure. Well, it’s no big deal. Just drop in to the bar some night if you change your mind.”
“Maybe I will.”
She watched Ronnie amble away and felt like the lowest scum. How had a polite rejection—albeit a poorly worded one—managed to hurt him so badly?
And why couldn’t she just take what was being offered?
She was young and healthy and vibrant and interesting and—
damn it
—why was she unable to just do something crazy and fling-worthy?
“Your admirer had his puppy-dog eyes on.”
Avery turned to see Roman standing next to her and every unpleasant thought running through her head coalesced into a fiery ball of anger. “Shut up.”
“It’s a joke, Avery.”
“It’s mean and unnecessary. You’re the big, bad hockey god so you have no fucking idea what it’s like for the rest of us.”
Alarm painted his features as he turned toward her. “Look, I wasn’t trying to be nasty. And what the hell does the fact that I play hockey have to do with anything?”
“It’s the bigger point. Not everyone’s blessed with a larger-than-life existence. He’s a nice guy.”
“So go out with him.”
“I don’t want to go out with him.”
“So what are you all up in my grill for about it?”
“I wish I wanted to go out with him.”
The anger in his eyes changed as his brows slashed further over those green orbs, and Avery knew she was
“Was she ever.” Jess mock shuddered before she made the inevitable ploy to remove herself from the conversation. “I need to get going. I’m going to give the bride and groom a big kiss and then I have to get home and get the food put together for poker night.”
“How’d you get roped into that?” Avery shot her a dark look even as she kept her tone bright, fun and oh so slightly manic.
“Because I love my man and want him to have the bestest poker night ever.”
“That doesn’t sound like you’re following Chooch’s advice.”
Jess smiled—broad and wide—and shook her head as she walked backward across the grass. “Ask me if I care.”
Avery shook her head as she watched Jess float off. “She’s really happy.”
“She is.” Ronnie nodded. “I meant it about that beer. Can I get you one?”
A quick glance down at her nearly full bottle and Avery shook her head. “I’m good for now. Are you enjoying the party?”
“I am. I was in and out of the wedding because we had to get the bar ready last night for anyone who was coming in afterward, so it’s nice to be out here enjoying the day.”
“It was a great wedding.”
“You looked beautiful.” He took a sip of his beer. “In your bridesmaid dress.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you have a good time?”
“Oh yeah. It was quite a party.”
They stood together in awkward silence before Ronnie nodded toward a group of kids playing a round of touch football. “My brother, Mike, is beside himself about the hockey lessons this week. He can’t stop talking about it. He’s really good and this should help him get a whole lot better.”
“I’ve heard several kids talking about it.”
“It’s awfully nice of Roman to do it.”
Avery heard the stiff formality in his tone and smiled. She knew Roman wasn’t Ronnie’s favorite person, so the fact he could see something good in the lessons was yet another sign Ronnie was a stand-up guy. “It is.”
“So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to grab a beer some night or something. I don’t have to work every night, and it’s been really pretty this summer. We could grab a picnic or burgers from the diner or something.”
“Oh. Well. Um, I’d need to check my calendar. Susan’s taking a lot of nights off in the coming weeks because of Roman being home and, well, um.”
She saw his tentative smile hover in place, even as he put a few feet of distance between them, and wanted to shoot herself between the eyes.
Damn it, why couldn’t she do this? And why did it have to hurt someone else in the process?
“Sure. Well, it’s no big deal. Just drop in to the bar some night if you change your mind.”
“Maybe I will.”
She watched Ronnie amble away and felt like the lowest scum. How had a polite rejection—albeit a poorly worded one—managed to hurt him so badly?
And why couldn’t she just take what was being offered?
She was young and healthy and vibrant and interesting and—
damn it
—why was she unable to just do something crazy and fling-worthy?
“Your admirer had his puppy-dog eyes on.”
Avery turned to see Roman standing next to her and every unpleasant thought running through her head coalesced into a fiery ball of anger. “Shut up.”
“It’s a joke, Avery.”
“It’s mean and unnecessary. You’re the big, bad hockey god so you have no fucking idea what it’s like for the rest of us.”
Alarm painted his features as he turned toward her. “Look, I wasn’t trying to be nasty. And what the hell does the fact that I play hockey have to do with anything?”
“It’s the bigger point. Not everyone’s blessed with a larger-than-life existence. He’s a nice guy.”
“So go out with him.”
“I don’t want to go out with him.”
“So what are you all up in my grill for about it?”
“I wish I wanted to go out with him.”
The anger in his eyes changed as his brows slashed further over those green orbs, and Avery knew she was
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