Page 37 of Firecracker

“Hey.” Jamie frowned at her. “I thought you were going over to Garth’s.”

“I am.” She took a big bite.

Jamie shook his head and headed to his couch. “There’s a ball game on. Let’s watch it.”

“No, let’s watchKeeping Up with the Kardashians.” Mila sank down beside him.

“You’re going out!”

“And I amnotwatching that show,” Tyler added.

Mila pouted. “I need someone to watch with me. Maybe Arden will. When she’s not working.”

“Maybe.” Jamie found the Cubs game on TV, who were winning five-two.

Mila finished off the piece of pizza, jumped up and washed her hands at his kitchen sink, then walked to the door. “Okay, guys, see you later.”

“Have fun.”

When the door had closed behind her, Tyler said, “Have you noticed she and Garth aren’t seeing each other as much?”

Jamie gave him a blank look. “No.”

Tyler shrugged. He picked up his pizza. “He was too busy working on Sunday to come to the beach. I can’t remember the last time I saw him, actually. And she didn’t seem in a big hurry to get to his place.”

“Of course not. There’s free pizza here.”

Tyler snorted. Maybe he was imagining things.

“How’d you do upstairs today?” Jamie picked up his beer.

Tyler filled him in on the progress he’d made with Arden’s bathroom.

Already it was “Arden’s bathroom.” A few days ago it was Apartment Four.

When the baseball game ended, they played Call of Duty until about eleven, then Jamie shut things down to go to bed. Tyler headed back upstairs to his place. He was physically tired from the work he’d done today, but considering he’d napped after getting off work, he wasn’t ready for sleep.

He reached for the remote for his TV, then paused. Arden worked until midnight. He didn’t like the idea of her walking home alone at that time of night, although she’d done it last night without incident. He’d been thinking about it at work though.

What the hell.

He grabbed his keys and jogged back downstairs. He exited the building into the mild night air, the street quiet and dark. He soon entered Shenanigans, greeted by voices and music. He peered around, slowly walking toward the bar, keeping an eye out for Arden. There she was, loading up plates onto a big tray, dressed in a pair of narrow black pants and a white shirt that was fitted to her curves. The back booths had mostly cleared out, although the tables near the bar were about half occupied, and a group of people sat on the big couches by the fireplace.

He paused at the far end of the bar, watching Arden hoist the heavy tray and head to the kitchen. A strand of hair hung in her face, which was flushed and shiny. His heart shifted in his chest.

She was really doing this.

“Tyler, my man,” Liam greeted him. “What can I get you? The usual?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Liam grabbed a Blue Line Pilsner and set it on the bar in front of him. “What’s new, man?”

He made small talk with Liam while keeping an eye out for Arden to return. She walked out carrying an empty tray and paused beside one of the booths. Four men were sitting there, and she leaned in, apparently listening and smiling. Then she shook her head and said something, and all four guys roared with laughter.

Tyler frowned.

With a grin, Arden headed to the back of the bar, checked the booths, and then turned back. As she approached the bar, she spotted him. Her eyes widened and her head tilted.

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