Shit.
“Yeah, listen, honey, I gotta run.” He glanced around, noticing a few people in the crowd looking in his direction and whispering to each other in a way he knew meant they’d recognized him. Lucky for him, right then the band took the stage. Which gave him the perfect distraction as the crowd moved forward in anticipation. Evan and Gloria came back, narrowly avoiding the crush of the crowd pressing closer to the stage.
“Time to go,” Evan stated. He hadn’t missed a thing. Probably knew that Asher was about to get into a fight with Brice.
“Yeah.” Ash turned to Gloria. “Come on, I’m taking you home.”
Her eyebrows pulled down. “I’m not leaving. I want to hear the second set.”
“Uh, man.” Evan palmed his shoulder roughly and Asher saw that the blond girl had met a gaggle of other girls who were looking over at him.
Fuck. He’d been made.
“Come with me if you want to live,” Asher offered his hand, wanting to get Glo out of here and the hell away from Brice.
“I drove her here. I can drive her home,” Brice said.
Asher turned to him and his fist balled automatically. Then he spotted some of Evergreen Cove’s finest spread out along the edges of the crowd. The familiar face of Officer Brady Hutchins among them, who gave a chin lift like he’d also gleaned what was going on.
“Unless you wanna spend the night with Brice in jail, I suggest we go,” Evan said close to Asher’s ear. Totally had figured out what Ash was thinking.
Gloria either overheard or picked up on the tension. “I can’t believe you. Either of you. Whatever. I’m done.” She waved them off, then turned toward the stage and started hopping to the music.
Asher frowned.
Brice shrugged. “Say the word, I’ll back off.”
Asher leaned in close enough so Brice could hear him. “No is the word.”
He forced a cocky grin he knew would make Brice wonder what Asher was up to, then walked to Gloria, clasped her hip, and put his mouth to her ear.
“See you soon, Sarge. Don’t forget to miss me.”
When he backed away, she looked up at him—a little dazed and not just from the whiskey. He knew her. No matter what McGuire tried tonight, she wouldn’t touch him. Not after Asher had kissed her first. Which made coming out tonight worth it in every way.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, jutting her chin out.
“You are that.” He winked at her and turned to leave, sidestepping Brice, who didn’t look the least bit threatened. Had to be a mind game he was playing. Ash wasn’t falling for it.
“We’ll see, Knight,” Brice stated calmly.
That’s when Asher found his smile. Like Charlie said, the race may have started without him, but after that kiss? He knew who was in the lead.
Chapter 6
Gloria stepped outside her apartment and started off to work on foot. That was one benefit to living close. She’d walked to work often when she lived in Chicago, but in the Cove, the pace was different. Slower, more relaxed.
More…her?
Not yet, but it could be.
Brice thought she didn’t belong here, but she wasn’t ready to give up yet. It’d taken a few years to fit in after she moved to Chicago, too. Evergreen Cove hadn’t accepted her yet, but the people who lived here had. And that was a start.
Speaking of people who live here…
Asher Knight, in the tattooed flesh, stood on the walk in front of her, Tank at the end of a leash, wagging his tail. Gloria had been watching her shoes while she walked and, until she lifted her chin, didn’t realize she had company.
“Brought you coffee,” Asher said, familiar lopsided grin on his face, cups in his hands.
Hmm. Suspicious.
Determined not to let him break her stride, she walked to him, accepted the paper cup, and bent to give Tank a quick pat. “What else?”
“What else what?”
She straightened and lifted the cup. “What else did you want besides to deliver me coffee?”
“Walk you to work,” he said, leisurely pacing beside her. Tank toddled along, keeping up. The dog was good on a leash. Either he’d had training or learned that getting under Asher’s feet did not produce a desired outcome.
“And…” She smiled, wondering when she’d become so weak around him. She used to not take any of his shit. She used to be able to look at him and swoon internally but resist him externally. Now his charm overwhelmed her, and she wasn’t sure he was trying.
It was just…him.
“And find out how your evening went with Dickhead.” A little of his charm slipped. Last night, she thought he was being immature and jealous, but today she could see it’d really bothered him when she’d stayed behind with Brice.
“I’m sure you already know,” she said, eyes straight ahead as she drank her coffee. God. Cup of Jo’s. How did they make a coffee better than any she’d ever had?
“I have a guess,” he said.