Love After All
Page 22
Bash sure would like to know if there were any more pictures of Chelsea, though why he was interested, he had no idea. He was perfectly content hanging with all the guys, and Logan was having a great time.
Bash purposely kept his drinking to a minimum because he wanted to make sure to help Evan get all the guys home in one piece tonight—plus, this was his bar. He had a responsibility to everyone here.
There was plenty of food, there were sports on the TV, the guys were playing pool and drinking, and they were all having a good time. This was what Bash lived for—his bar and his friends.
So why the hell did his thoughts keep drifting to Chelsea? Her and her damn list.
He looked around the bar. Carter was engaged to Molly. Luke and Will were both married, Logan was about to get married.
Evan was single, and as far as he knew, Chelsea had never dated him before. Of course, Evan was a cop and he worked odd hours, so that was a strike against him.
There were Caleb and Jared McCormack, Logan and Luke’s cousins. Both of them were single, though maybe a little younger than Chelsea. They both worked on the ranch and got up pretty early, but those were kind of regular hours. And they worked around animals all the time, so that was another thing on her list.
But they definitely weren’t suit and tie types, and he didn’t think either Caleb or Jared would like romantic getaways involving room service. Then again, he didn’t know them well enough to find out.
And why the hell was he even thinking about Chelsea’s damn list right now?
Her list was moronic. You didn’t find the person you were meant to be with by making a list. It just … happened.
Then again, he’d tumbled into a marriage with Cathy, and that had just happened. Look how that had turned out.
Maybe he should make a list.
No, he didn’t need a damn list, because he wasn’t looking for a woman.
Carter came over and slung an arm around him. “Logan wants to go to the ranch and see the girls.”
Bash arched a brow. “He does, does he?”
“Okay. I talked him into it. Is he drunk yet? Are you drunk yet?” Carter squinted at him. From the looks of him, Carter had definitely had more than his share of shots and beers.
Bash grinned at him. “What’s the matter, Carter? Missing your woman?”
“Maybe. I need to check on her. Make sure she’s still there.”
Bash knew for a fact those women weren’t going anywhere tonight. “I’ll check with Logan.”
Carter patted his chest and veered off. Bash wandered over to where Logan leaned against the wall in front of the pool tables. He was studying his phone—again.
“More photos?”
Logan shook his head. “These women—my woman …”
He let the sentence trail off, but dragged his fingers through his hair.
“Care to elaborate?”
Logan met his gaze, then laughed. “I think they’re having a good time.”
“Carter said you wanted to go to the ranch and check up on them.”
“Oh, Carter said I wanted to, huh? I think Carter is drunk and wants to check on Molly.”
“I think you’re right.”
“But yeah, we can head to the ranch. Let’s mash up these parties and see what happens. If nothing else, everyone will have a place to crash tonight.”
Bash grinned. “All right.”
Chapter 10
It looked like a crime scene in Logan’s house. Bodies were everywhere, draped over furniture and wandering around like zombies. Some were doing movements that resembled dancing, though Bash couldn’t be sure that’s what it was.
One of those zombies fell into Logan’s arms. Fortunately, it was his fiancée, Des.
“Oops.” She laughed, and Logan wrapped his arms around her to hold her upright.
“You’re drunk, babe,” Logan said.
She tipped her head back¸ her eyes half closed. “And you’re not?”
“Nope.”
“We tried, Des,” Bash said. “He’s got an iron gut.”
Des blinked, frowned, then laughed, throwing her arms around Logan’s neck. “I might throw up on you.”
Logan slid a grin in Bash’s direction. “I’m putting her to bed.”
“Good idea.”
Logan hoisted Des up in his arms and disappeared up the stairs.
“I’m going to find my woman,” Carter said, weaving into the mass of bodies.
Bash shook his head and made his way into the kitchen.
Martha was in there cleaning up. Ben came in behind him.
“How’s it going?”
“Good,” she said, wiping down the counter. “They made a mess, but had a great time. How about you?”
Ben kissed her cheek.
“We had a good time. About half the guys are blitzed.”
Martha looked up at Ben. “Are you one of them?”
“Are you kidding? I can’t keep up with these youngsters. It’d take me a week to recover.”
Martha laughed. “I feel the same way. I had a couple of cocktails and danced. That was it for me.”
“Food smells good,” Bash said.
“You want some?” Martha asked.
“I might.”
“Everything’s in the fridge. You can warm it up yourself. I’m ready to go home and go to bed. Will you make sure all the girls are okay?”
“I will. You two head home.”
Ben nodded. “I think we’ll do that.”
Bash purposely kept his drinking to a minimum because he wanted to make sure to help Evan get all the guys home in one piece tonight—plus, this was his bar. He had a responsibility to everyone here.
There was plenty of food, there were sports on the TV, the guys were playing pool and drinking, and they were all having a good time. This was what Bash lived for—his bar and his friends.
So why the hell did his thoughts keep drifting to Chelsea? Her and her damn list.
He looked around the bar. Carter was engaged to Molly. Luke and Will were both married, Logan was about to get married.
Evan was single, and as far as he knew, Chelsea had never dated him before. Of course, Evan was a cop and he worked odd hours, so that was a strike against him.
There were Caleb and Jared McCormack, Logan and Luke’s cousins. Both of them were single, though maybe a little younger than Chelsea. They both worked on the ranch and got up pretty early, but those were kind of regular hours. And they worked around animals all the time, so that was another thing on her list.
But they definitely weren’t suit and tie types, and he didn’t think either Caleb or Jared would like romantic getaways involving room service. Then again, he didn’t know them well enough to find out.
And why the hell was he even thinking about Chelsea’s damn list right now?
Her list was moronic. You didn’t find the person you were meant to be with by making a list. It just … happened.
Then again, he’d tumbled into a marriage with Cathy, and that had just happened. Look how that had turned out.
Maybe he should make a list.
No, he didn’t need a damn list, because he wasn’t looking for a woman.
Carter came over and slung an arm around him. “Logan wants to go to the ranch and see the girls.”
Bash arched a brow. “He does, does he?”
“Okay. I talked him into it. Is he drunk yet? Are you drunk yet?” Carter squinted at him. From the looks of him, Carter had definitely had more than his share of shots and beers.
Bash grinned at him. “What’s the matter, Carter? Missing your woman?”
“Maybe. I need to check on her. Make sure she’s still there.”
Bash knew for a fact those women weren’t going anywhere tonight. “I’ll check with Logan.”
Carter patted his chest and veered off. Bash wandered over to where Logan leaned against the wall in front of the pool tables. He was studying his phone—again.
“More photos?”
Logan shook his head. “These women—my woman …”
He let the sentence trail off, but dragged his fingers through his hair.
“Care to elaborate?”
Logan met his gaze, then laughed. “I think they’re having a good time.”
“Carter said you wanted to go to the ranch and check up on them.”
“Oh, Carter said I wanted to, huh? I think Carter is drunk and wants to check on Molly.”
“I think you’re right.”
“But yeah, we can head to the ranch. Let’s mash up these parties and see what happens. If nothing else, everyone will have a place to crash tonight.”
Bash grinned. “All right.”
Chapter 10
It looked like a crime scene in Logan’s house. Bodies were everywhere, draped over furniture and wandering around like zombies. Some were doing movements that resembled dancing, though Bash couldn’t be sure that’s what it was.
One of those zombies fell into Logan’s arms. Fortunately, it was his fiancée, Des.
“Oops.” She laughed, and Logan wrapped his arms around her to hold her upright.
“You’re drunk, babe,” Logan said.
She tipped her head back¸ her eyes half closed. “And you’re not?”
“Nope.”
“We tried, Des,” Bash said. “He’s got an iron gut.”
Des blinked, frowned, then laughed, throwing her arms around Logan’s neck. “I might throw up on you.”
Logan slid a grin in Bash’s direction. “I’m putting her to bed.”
“Good idea.”
Logan hoisted Des up in his arms and disappeared up the stairs.
“I’m going to find my woman,” Carter said, weaving into the mass of bodies.
Bash shook his head and made his way into the kitchen.
Martha was in there cleaning up. Ben came in behind him.
“How’s it going?”
“Good,” she said, wiping down the counter. “They made a mess, but had a great time. How about you?”
Ben kissed her cheek.
“We had a good time. About half the guys are blitzed.”
Martha looked up at Ben. “Are you one of them?”
“Are you kidding? I can’t keep up with these youngsters. It’d take me a week to recover.”
Martha laughed. “I feel the same way. I had a couple of cocktails and danced. That was it for me.”
“Food smells good,” Bash said.
“You want some?” Martha asked.
“I might.”
“Everything’s in the fridge. You can warm it up yourself. I’m ready to go home and go to bed. Will you make sure all the girls are okay?”
“I will. You two head home.”
Ben nodded. “I think we’ll do that.”
