Page 26 of Living with Fire
Christ, now they’re ganging up on me.
If I tell them the truth, Bryn will laugh her way back to Liam and Brody and tell them all about this. At the same time, I do want to warn Savanna about my friends before we head into the bar. They’re like brothers to me, but they can be a handful, especially together.
Actually, it’s Liam. I’m worried about Liam.
Brody is a beast of a man who half rocks the surfer look—only the top half of his hair is long because of regulations at work—which is fitting considering he’s a surfer. He’s a quiet soul. A year younger than I am, but in many ways older. Losing a wife can do that to a person. A couple years ago Heather was killed in a car accident. It was crushing for him, and for a while I wasn’t sure he would make it to the other side, but these days he’s doing better. A part of him didn’t make it out, though, and I don’t know if he’ll ever truly be able to move on.
Liam, on the other hand, requires a warning before meeting. While he’s the most loyal person I’ve ever met, and is the one I’d call on to help bury a body, the guy is a shameless flirt. He’ll pry into what’s going on the second he sees Savanna and me together. If I let her walk out there without a word of caution, it would be like sending her into the lion’s den.
“It’s fine, I can finish this. Go deal with your tables,” I tell Bryn, nodding over my shoulder towards the pub.
I can feel her hazel eyes on me, and I clench my jaw to keep from looking up. Bryn has worked here for years and knows me well. She’s also perceptive as hell, and I don’t need to give her any insight into what I’m thinking.
“Okay,” she says with a shrug. “Suit yourself. Savanna, it was nice meeting you. Next time just shove him through the door.”
“He’s like a brick wall,” Savanna laughs. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to do that.”
“You could try slapping his ass. I know that always makes me move,” Bryn smirks before disappearing through the door separating the kitchen and the pub.
I choose to ignore Bryn, instead focusing on the mess, depositing it into the garbage. “See? I told you I’d help out if needed.”
Savanna tries hard to contain a snicker, but she isn’t doing a great job, and my comment causes her to give me a full-blown laugh. “You caused this! You deserve to clean it up!”
Only when I’m done with everything do I turn fully to her and explain. “I didn’t want to send you out there without proper warning,” I say, ominously.
She steps closer to me, eyebrows furrowing as she stares intently. She’s so close I can feel the heat from her body, and see little flecks of brown around her pupil that I hadn’t noticed before.
“The guys are sitting at the bar. Liam and Brody.”
“The ones I’m lucky didn’t rescue me,” she says so seriously that I bark out a laugh.
“Yeah, those ones,” I concur, giving her a toothy grin. “They’re going to recognize you, and they’re going to be really curious.” Turning solemn, my eyes dart towards the door. “They probably won’t be able to help themselves, and there’ll be questions. And when I say they, I actually mean Liam. Brody will be interested, but he’s more the strong silent type. Liam, on the other hand, is outspoken. But they’re family. With everything we go through together, he’s become a brother to me. They both have, so I put up with them.”
Giving me a firm nod, Savanna gestures towards the doors that lead out front. “I got this. Lead the way.”
Her confidence gives me confidence, and I hope to hell she’s right. It takes a strong woman to take on the two men I’m about to introduce to her.
“Well, well, well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence!” Liam bellows over the music as we walk through the swinging door.
Savanna is right behind me and judging by the look on both Liam and Brody’s faces, they haven’t spotted her yet.
The two of them are sitting at the end of the bar closest to the kitchen doors, and there are a couple of barstools available beside Liam. I’m still trying to decide if that’s a good or bad thing when Liam elbows Brody and I know they’ve both noticed Savanna, who has stepped out from around me.
“I know, I know. I’m a little late,” I start, and then immediately recognize my mistake as I come to stand at the end of the bar.
Savanna joins me to my right, standing close to where Brody is sitting. I’m damn thankful that it’s Brody sitting at the end and not Liam, but then again, the open seat is next to Liam, so I’m not entirely sure how thankful I should be.
Liam’s grin lights up his face and he leans over a little further so he can see around Brody’s large frame. I swear I can see smoke coming out of his ears as the gears turn in his brain at the woman standing beside me. “And we can see why. Your reason is more than acceptable, dude.”
“You must be Brody,” Savanna says, her attention on the closer man, and Christ, I could kiss her for it. I don’t know how she knows to play it off like Liam isn’t even there, but it’s the best thing she could do.
Brody, in all his tiny man-bun glory, swings his head towards her, surprise flashing in his brown eyes that she voiced his name over the man sitting next to him. His eyes dart to me before he looks back to her and gives her a slow smile, extending a hand to her. “That’s me.”
Savanna returns the expression and takes his hand, giving it a shake. I’m positive she’s winning points with the large man. “Savanna. I hope you don’t mind me joining Nate for dinner.”
Shaking his head, Brody releases her hand, his grin growing the longer Savanna ignores Liam. He’s getting as much pleasure out of this as I am, and even though Savanna doesn’t know either of them very well, I’m certain she’s almost as amused as we are.
Liam is sitting there, his jaw on the bar, staring at the interaction going on like it’s the most baffling thing he’s ever witnessed. And for Liam it might be.