good friends and the handsome man sitting next to her had Jenny relaxing a bit. She was determined to enjoy the perfect evening despite the lingering disquiet over last night’s events.
The conversation flowed easily, as did the laughs. Mac and Grant grilled Adam about his trip with Abby to the mainland to visit Janey, Joe and baby P.J. in the hospital.
“The baby is so cute,” Abby said.
“I think he looks just like me,” Adam said. “He’s got my strong, handsome jaw.”
“Grant, will you please punch him in his strong, handsome jaw?” Mac said from the other end of the table.
“Oh, I’d love to,” Grant said, “but I can’t endanger the tools of my profession.” He wiggled his fingers dramatically.
Adam snorted and nearly choked on a mouthful of beer. “He doesn’t dare risk his digits on this jaw.”
Abby made a fist and playfully landed it against her boyfriend’s jaw.
“You’ll pay for that,” he said meaningfully as the others groaned.
Up on the stage, Evan picked up a banjo and gave it a quick tune.
“He plays the banjo, too?” Jenny asked, incredulous.
“He plays everything ,” Grace replied, watching her fiancé with pride. “He’s so talented.”
“Always has been,” Mac said. “He used to drive us crazy when he was learning how to play the guitar and the piano. He didn’t always sound as good as he does now.”
“Haven’t played the banjo in a while, so here goes nothing,” Evan said into the microphone as he launched into the complicated banjo intro to “I Will Wait” by Mumford & Sons.
“They haven’t played this before,” Mac said.
“It’s new,” Laura said. “They’ve been working on it.”
“They’re so good,” Maddie said.
All eyes were fixed on Evan and Owen, which was how Jenny didn’t immediately notice when Alex walked into the bar. It took Grace calling out his name for Jenny to realize he’d come in with another guy who looked an awful lot like him.
“Over here,” Grace said, gesturing for them to pull up chairs at their table. “You guys all know AM and PM, right?”
“Can’t say I do,” Linc said.
“Alex and Paul Martinez,” Grace said. “Evan’s friends from high school.”
Alex Martinez. So he was at least a co-owner of the business … Jenny registered a pang of disappointment at losing the anonymity she’d shared with him and then just as quickly chastised herself for caring. She couldn’t deny he looked really good in a slightly rumpled white shirt that was rolled up over his tanned forearms along with olive green cargo shorts. His dark hair shone in the late-day sunshine, but his eyes bore signs of disquiet, which had her wondering if something was wrong. Of course, she instantly hated herself for caring.
Linc stood to shake hands with the brothers. “Do you know Jenny?” he asked, gesturing to her.
Jenny wanted to curl up in a ball and dive under the table. But she calmly met the intense gaze Alex directed her way and even managed to shake his hand when he said, “Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.”
She wanted to smack him when he gave her hand an extra squeeze, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“My brother, Paul.”
“Hey, Jenny.” Paul leaned across Alex to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same to you.” He was every bit as handsome as his brother but seemed to lack Alex’s rough edges.
“We need some beverages,” Alex said. “Another round for the table?”
“I won’t say no to that,” Mac said. “We’ve got a tab going. Buy yourself one on us.”
“Thanks.”
Was it her imagination, or was he staring right at her, and why did Linc choose that moment to put his arm around her? Alex directed his dark-eyed gaze at the hand that cupped her shoulder before continuing on to the bar, waving hello to Evan and Owen as he went by the stage.
Her gaze riveted to him, she watched his every move as he approached the bar and exchanged greetings
The conversation flowed easily, as did the laughs. Mac and Grant grilled Adam about his trip with Abby to the mainland to visit Janey, Joe and baby P.J. in the hospital.
“The baby is so cute,” Abby said.
“I think he looks just like me,” Adam said. “He’s got my strong, handsome jaw.”
“Grant, will you please punch him in his strong, handsome jaw?” Mac said from the other end of the table.
“Oh, I’d love to,” Grant said, “but I can’t endanger the tools of my profession.” He wiggled his fingers dramatically.
Adam snorted and nearly choked on a mouthful of beer. “He doesn’t dare risk his digits on this jaw.”
Abby made a fist and playfully landed it against her boyfriend’s jaw.
“You’ll pay for that,” he said meaningfully as the others groaned.
Up on the stage, Evan picked up a banjo and gave it a quick tune.
“He plays the banjo, too?” Jenny asked, incredulous.
“He plays everything ,” Grace replied, watching her fiancé with pride. “He’s so talented.”
“Always has been,” Mac said. “He used to drive us crazy when he was learning how to play the guitar and the piano. He didn’t always sound as good as he does now.”
“Haven’t played the banjo in a while, so here goes nothing,” Evan said into the microphone as he launched into the complicated banjo intro to “I Will Wait” by Mumford & Sons.
“They haven’t played this before,” Mac said.
“It’s new,” Laura said. “They’ve been working on it.”
“They’re so good,” Maddie said.
All eyes were fixed on Evan and Owen, which was how Jenny didn’t immediately notice when Alex walked into the bar. It took Grace calling out his name for Jenny to realize he’d come in with another guy who looked an awful lot like him.
“Over here,” Grace said, gesturing for them to pull up chairs at their table. “You guys all know AM and PM, right?”
“Can’t say I do,” Linc said.
“Alex and Paul Martinez,” Grace said. “Evan’s friends from high school.”
Alex Martinez. So he was at least a co-owner of the business … Jenny registered a pang of disappointment at losing the anonymity she’d shared with him and then just as quickly chastised herself for caring. She couldn’t deny he looked really good in a slightly rumpled white shirt that was rolled up over his tanned forearms along with olive green cargo shorts. His dark hair shone in the late-day sunshine, but his eyes bore signs of disquiet, which had her wondering if something was wrong. Of course, she instantly hated herself for caring.
Linc stood to shake hands with the brothers. “Do you know Jenny?” he asked, gesturing to her.
Jenny wanted to curl up in a ball and dive under the table. But she calmly met the intense gaze Alex directed her way and even managed to shake his hand when he said, “Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.”
She wanted to smack him when he gave her hand an extra squeeze, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“My brother, Paul.”
“Hey, Jenny.” Paul leaned across Alex to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same to you.” He was every bit as handsome as his brother but seemed to lack Alex’s rough edges.
“We need some beverages,” Alex said. “Another round for the table?”
“I won’t say no to that,” Mac said. “We’ve got a tab going. Buy yourself one on us.”
“Thanks.”
Was it her imagination, or was he staring right at her, and why did Linc choose that moment to put his arm around her? Alex directed his dark-eyed gaze at the hand that cupped her shoulder before continuing on to the bar, waving hello to Evan and Owen as he went by the stage.
Her gaze riveted to him, she watched his every move as he approached the bar and exchanged greetings
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