6
Daren
This is the problem with small towns. You can’t avoid anyone. Ever.
I don’t know why I’m surprised to see her. There are only three places to eat dinner on this side of town, and Latecomers is the only one with decent food. It only makes sense that Kayla would end up here. But sitting right next to me? Come on.
She’s traded her skirt and blouse in for a pair of ripped jeans and a gray T-shirt, but she still looks hot—even with her eyebrow arched in irritation like it is now.
“Of course,” she says, looking at me in exasperation.
I grin. “It’s a small town.”
Amber looks back and forth between us. “Do you two know each other?”
I say, “Yes—”
“No.”
“Seriously?” I stare at Kayla. Why does she act like we’ve never met before? And why does it irk me so much that she does? “I’m not Stranger Danger over here, Kayla. You know me.”
She looks at Amber. “I’ll just have a beer, please.”
Amber gives me a questioning look before slowly saying, “You got it.” Then she reaches for my empty dinner plate.
I stop her hand. “I’ll clean it up.”
Kayla looks at me, then around at the patrons, and asks Amber, “Does everyone clean up their own plates here?”
She laughs. “No. Daren is only insisting on cleaning his plate because he’s working in the kitchen later.”
At the word “working” Kayla glances at me then looks back at Amber. “Oh. Okay.” She flushes a bit. “I just didn’t want to be rude and not clean up after myself if that was how it worked here.” She gives a nervous laugh, which makes her look adorable. Almost.
She’s still a brat for taking Old Man Turner’s money and shutting him out of her life.
“Nope.” Amber smiles. “I’ll clean up any dishes you use. So don’t you worry about a thing.”
She shuffles away, leaving Kayla and me on our own. We’re seated at the end of the bar top where it makes an L shape so I have a perfect kitty-corner view of her face. It’s a pretty face—a sweet face—but at the same time it’s a sexy face. Long eyelashes and a small nose. Plush lips and high cheekbones.
I tap my finger on the counter between us. “I think you and I need to work on our relationship status.”
She turns to me and manages to look both amused and pissed off. “Excuse me?”
“We are not strangers,” I say. “I’ve seen the inside of your bedroom, Kayla. I think that qualifies me to be at least an acquaintance of yours.”
“Wha—” She looks horrified. “When? When have you ever seen my bedroom?”
I shrug. “Sometime in the tenth grade I think? Your dad bought you a new dresser and I helped him move it into your room.”
Her eyes bulge. “What?”
“Love the puppy posters, by the way,” I say with an exaggerated voice. “Super cute.”
Her face starts to redden. “I hate you.”
“Ditto. The point is,” I say leaning forward, “we’re not strangers. But since you insist on telling people that we are…” I give her my most charming smile and hold out my hand. “Hi. I’m Daren Ackwood—all-around nice guy and legendary lover. Nice to meet you.”
She doesn’t even look at my hand. “No.”
I blink. “No?”
“No.”
Amber returns with Kayla’s beer. “Here you go,” she says, carefully setting the mug down so it doesn’t spill. She looks at my outstretched hand, still hovering in midair between Kayla and myself, and raises a brow.
“Kayla won’t shake my hand,” I explain, pulling my arm back.
Kayla looks at Amber. “He introduced himself as a ‘legendary lover.’ ”
Amber slants her eyes to me. “You didn’t.”
I shrug innocently. “It’s supposed to be funny.” And it’s supposed to work, dammit. It always works.
Amber shakes her head with a sigh and says to Kayla, “Don’t mind Daren. He’s full of himself, but he’s harmless. I swear.”
My mouth falls open. “Traitor.”