Page 15 of His North Star
“Hospitality management.”
“Her family owns The White Pines Bed-and-Breakfast,” Lys said, using her hands to accentuate her speech. “It’s amazing. The lodge is a huge log cabin. Then the guest houses are baby cabins tucked behind it. It’s pretty. You should see it sometime.”
“Only if you want to.” I met his gaze head-on. He was under no obligation to pretend we had to hang out after tonight. And honestly, I was a mess. I didn’t deserve someone like James.
“We should all go kayaking on Whitefish Lake sometime,” Lys said enthusiastically.
Ah, and there goes Lys coupling us together. Was it her idea we kept to a small group tonight? Ty said James was only looking to make friends. He promised there would be a big crowd. The four of us indicated the opposite. Unlike what Ty admitted about the other crappy guys he set me up with, James actually had potential for more than justfun. Was this Ty’s way of making up for those horrible dates, or was this Lys’s doing?
All these questions made my head pound harder, when it didn’t even matter in the end. I was too damaged to be in a relationship.
“I’d love to come see the property and kayak.” James’s lips lifted into a gorgeous smile. My stomach fluttered in response.
“Uh. Yeah, sure.” I smiled at James.
Ty grunted.
I peeked at Ty. His lips were in a straight line, brows creased in the middle. What was his deal? This whole night was confusing and super annoying.
“Ty, what was playing rugby with James like?” Lys asked.
His lips shot up on one side. “It was the best four years. James was one heck of a hooker.”
My brows rose multiple times. “Hooker, huh?”
“Not like that. Geez, Mare, get your mind out of the gutter,” Ty chided, shaking his head.
James looked at me and silently mouthed, “Okay.”
My shoulders caved in on themselves.
Lys piped up, sparing us an awkward silence. “What was the worst injury you had from playing?”
James spoke first. He leaned his elbows on the table, getting closer to us. “Every game we played ended in bruises and blood. The worst was this guy from Western State. He had such a foul mouth and huge ego. By the end, we were all sick of him. I tried to get a good shot at him, hoping it would shut him up. Instead, he took a cheap shot at my ankle and broke it.”
“Ouch.” I winced.
“Yeah, that match sucked,” Ty agreed. “We lost as well. Remember that?”
James nodded. “I was out the rest of the season because of him.”
“You made up for it the next year though. I swear you were better after your ankle injury,” Ty said.
“I was out for blood.” He winked.
Our food arrived, interrupting their battle reminiscing. Perfect timing. Their talk of bruises and blood made me nauseous. As I ate, my goose egg hummed.
I took a few bites, but the sandwich turned over in my stomach. I pushed the food around my plate while the other three kept up the conversation. After switching one of James’s tacos for half of my sandwich, I excused myself to the restroom.
Lys walked in as I exited the stall. She smiled in a knowing way. “What are your thoughts on James?”
I rubbed my hands together, lathering soap. He was handsome and cute. But there wasn’t a future for us. I wasn’t on the same level of attractiveness as he was. He was a vet, I just worked at my family’s hotel. He was a lot like Blake. Big, bold, handsome. I was the exact opposite. I forced a smile. “He’s fine. Although Ty’s acting a little weird.”
“I know.” She huffed. “He’s been. . . aloof the last few weeks. But he won’t tell me why. Has he said anything to you?”
My stomach jumped. I would not betray what information, albeit little, he’d confided in me. “No, he hasn’t.”
“Well, you’re no help.”
