The bartender delivered the pie, and it was as delicious as she’d promised. They really knew how to do food here in Charming Cove, if the coffee shop and this pub were any indication.
When I finished my dinner, I decided to move over to the bar. It was getting too warm by the fire, and I wanted another pint before I headed back for the night. I was tired, but I didn’t want Rafe thinking he was driving me away from The Sea Shanty.
The bartender smiled as I approached, and began to pull me another pint. I took one of the barstools and asked, “Has that fire really been burning since 1602?”
“Never put out.” She passed me the beer. “And there’s the ghost of a female pirate here, Mary MacAlain. They say she cut off the balls of the pirate who stole her ship.”
I winced, then grinned. “Well, she certainly didn’t take any shit, did she?”
“An icon.” Her gaze went to someone over my shoulder, and she smiled. “Not that I’m planning to cut off any balls, Charlie, so don’t worry.”
A warm laugh sounded from behind me, and I turned. A handsome man with friendly features and warm brown eyes smiled at me, then nodded at my drink. “One of what she’s having.”
“Coming right up.” The bartender got to work on his pint, and he turned to me.
His smile was warm. “Pity you haven’t finished your drink. I’d offer to buy you one.”
His tone was distinctly flirty, and I smiled. He was about my age and seemed like a nice guy. He definitely gave off good guy vibes, but I’d just spent all of my adult life with Tommy, so what did I know?
“I’m Charlie.” He held out his hand, and I took it, immediately noticing the warmth of his handshake. It was a good guy handshake, as far as I could tell.
Something made me look over at Rafe. He was staring directly at us, and there was something in his gaze that I didn’t recognize.
I turned back to Charlie. “I’m Isobel. New in town.”
“Oh, yeah?” He smiled and took the seat next to me, then immediately stood again. “I should have asked. Is this seat taken?”
“Only if you sit there.”
He gave a relieved laugh and sat. “Great.”
The bartender handed him his beer, and we got to talking. He was a plumber, which I found to be immensely exciting, considering the fact that I had four broken toilets and exactly no plumbing skills, but I didn’t mention the house yet. It was clear what the town thought of that house, and I needed to make this guy like me if I was going to ask him to help. It was sly, but I was desperate.
After about fifteen minutes, two other men entered the pub. They were a similar age to Charlie, and they smiled as they greeted him.
“Isobel, let me introduce you to the guys.” He turned and gestured to the shorter man. “This is Lee, who does roofing, and Carlos does electrical work. They work with me.”
A plumber, a roofer, and an electrician? Jackpot. They were the damned dream team.
Lee and Carlos ordered their beers, and Charlie invited me to play darts with them. I immediately said yes, liking the vibe of the three guys. Even if they weren’t tradesmen, I’d have wanted to hang out with them.
The dart board was in the corner of the room opposite the fire, which meant it was near Rafe’s table. He was still there, still looking at me. Not all the time, but often enough that I could feel his gaze.
It gave me shivers, and not the bad kind, which was a surprise.
Nope, I admonished myself. I needed to keep my mind out of that gutter. Rafe was complicated, whereas Charlie and his plumber friends were exactly what I needed. They were friendly and easygoing.
After a couple of games, they all had to leave because of an early job the next morning. As they walked out of the pub, I looked down at my empty glass. I should go home, but I was having too much fun. Who knew that freedom could be so great? I hadn’t realized I was in a cage in London, but I definitely had been.
Decided, I went to the bar and ordered another beer, then another one of what Rafe was having.
The bartender raised her brows at the order but filled it. “You’re a brave woman,” she said as she handed it over.
“What’s the worst he can do? Growl at me?”
She nodded. “Fair enough. I’m just not one for rejection.”
“Oh, he can’t reject me.” I grinned. “We live together.”
She leaned on the bar, interest lighting her eyes. “Now that’s a story I need to hear. I’m Meg, by the way.”
“Isobel. Nice to meet you. And next time I come round, I’ll fill you in on the details. For now, I’m on a mission to annoy my roommate.”
Rafe
I watched as Isobel approached, a beer in each hand. My wolf hearing had allowed me to eavesdrop on every word she’d said since she’d walked in, and I couldn’t help the anticipation that fizzed through my veins. It annoyed the hell out of me, but it was impossible to fight. My body just seemed to come alive around her—my wolf instincts in particular.
Connect, protect.
The instinct surged through me, one I’d never felt before.
She stopped by the table, grinning widely as she put the beer down in front of me. Her golden hair gleamed in the light, shorter than it had been last night. The soft curls made my fingertips itch to touch, and I clenched my fist.
“What’s that for?” I looked between the beer and her, careful to keep the scowl on my face. It wasn’t as easy as it normally was.
“For you.” She smiled, a damned ray of sunshine. And like a ray of sunshine, she warmed me. Which was irritating.
“Why?”
“Because you look grumpy, and I want to turn that frown upside down.”
I groaned. “Too much.”
She grinned. “I know. It was over the top, but I thought it would annoy you, and I couldn’t help but try.”
“Try to annoy me?”
“Yep.” She laughed lightly. “You’re just so grumpy. I could try to cheer you up, but…nah. So I’ll go with annoying you.” She took the seat next to me, her lovely lavender and honeysuckle scent washing over me.
“Well, it’s working.”
“Good.” She sipped her beer. “Why are you sitting over here by yourself, just glowering?”
“I’m not glowering.” I took a drink of the beer she’d brought me.
“Oh, you definitely are. You’re the grumpiest werewolf I’ve ever met.”
“You’ve met a lot of werewolves?”
“No, actually. I suppose I can revise that statement to say you’re the grumpiest man. It’s an even broader category.”
“Then you should avoid me.”
“Can’t, unfortunately, since we live together.”
“We live near each other, not together.”
“Very near.” She grinned. “But that would change more quickly if you’d help me fix up my house. I’d be out of your hair much sooner.”
“No.”
“Oh, come on. Take a break from your boat hobby and help a girl out.”
“It’s not a hobby.” Her words shouldn’t have annoyed me, but they did. “It’s a business.” Albeit one that I didn’t need the money from. But my reputation as a reliable craftsman who delivered on time was important to me, and that was more than a hobby.
“Sorry.” She seemed genuinely contrite. “The bartender said it was a hobby. I misunderstood.”