Page 55 of Nights at Seaside
“All of you?”
“When you think of me, you see a guy who fights in the ring, and there’s a lot more to me than that, Sky. There’s more to my friends than that, too, andthatis what tonight is about.”
Colton came around the bar to their table. “Hey, Songbird.” He lifted his baby blues to Sky. “Hi. I’m Colton.” The year2012was inked on the inside of his left forearm, and the sleeve of his T-shirt revealed sharp lines of another tattoo.
“Hi, I’m Sky. I like your ink.”
“Thanks, Sky.” He looked down at his tattoos. “Everyone’s got a story, I guess. It’s nice to meet you, too. What can I get y’all?” he asked.
“Sky?” Sawyer asked.
“A sea breeze, please. Thanks.”
Sky followed Sawyer’s gaze toward the front door as he asked for a beer and was surprised to see his trainer and Brock heading toward them, with two tall blond women in tow.
“Cool. Sibs are here.” Colton waved at Brock and the others. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
“You brought your coach? Am I in for a lecture?” She fidgeted with her necklaces nervously. The taller of the two girls wore a white crinkled cotton skirt and a black and green tie-dyed tank top with lace circling the bottom. The other girl had on a pair of cutoffs and a flowing pink and blue blouse that hung off of one tanned shoulder. Her long blond hair hung halfway down her back, and she wore a cute leather headband across her forehead. Like Sky, both women wore a number of bracelets.
“No lectures. I promise. Tonight I brought myfriendRoach. He left the coach side of himself at home. And those are Brock’s sisters, Harper and Jana.” He rose and shook Roach’s hand, embraced Brock with a brotherly slap on the back, and then hugged each of the girls before sitting back down beside Sky.
Brock leaned down and hugged Sky. “Nice to see you again, Sky. These are my sisters, Harper and Jana.”
Roach moved in for a hug next, barely giving Sky time to catch her breath. “Glad you’re here.”
“Hi,” she said as Roach sat down beside Sawyer.
Harper and Jana sat down across from Sky, and Brock slid into the booth beside them.
“How’s ourotherbrother?” Jana asked.
“Doing great.” Sawyer leaned closer to Sky and said, “Harper’s a screenplay writer, and—”
“And television writer now, too,” Harper interrupted, smiling at Sky. “I just got hired to work on a sitcom.”
Jana bumped Harper with her shoulder. “Show-off. Hi, Sky. I’m Jana,nota screenplay writer.”
“Hi,” Sky said, immediately liking the girls’ energy. Sawyer reached for her hand.
“Jana’s a dancer,” Brock said, then added with a proud smile, “and a fighter. The girl packs a mean right hook.”
Sky thought they were kidding. Jana was graceful and lithe, not muscled or harsh-looking like Sky pictured female fighters. “Really?”
Harper patted her sister on the back. “She really is. Strange, I know. But when you grow up with brothers like Brock and Colton…” She shrugged.
“Doyoufight, too?” Sky asked Harper.
Jana laughed. “Her? No way. She wouldn’t hurt a bee if it stung her.”
That made Sky a little more comfortable. At least she wasn’t the only girl who didn’t like fighting. “What kind of fighting do you do, Jana?”
Jana gathered her hair over one shoulder and twirled a lock around her finger. “Brock’s been training me to box for the last two years. I haven’t won anything big yet, but I will.” Determination filled her eyes. “You should come by and watch sometime. Brock could show you a thing or two if Sawyer hasn’t already.”
“Sky isn’t really into fighting.” Sawyer squeezed her hand.
“Then she can watch,” Jana suggested. “It’s fun to watch, too.”
“Thanks. I’ll think about it.” She still couldn’t imagine the pretty blonde fighting. “What about dance? What type do you do?”
