Page 44 of Tinder Embrace
Zander reappeared with our drinks before she could answer, but I could practically see the wheels turning behind her eyes as she considered my words.
Whatever transgression lived rent-free in Gwen's head, it was clear that Zander didn't feel the same. When he thought no one was looking, he watched her with affection verging on worship.
His feelings were painfully obvious, and I could only wish Davis watched me the same way. With effort, I buried my jealousy. For all of my envy, Gwen and Zander still hadn’t found happiness.
"Your next round, ladies," Zander said, carefully placing glasses in front of each of us.
Gwen squinted at him. "How many have you had?"
I fully expected him to turn it into a joke, but he stilled, expression serious.
"This is drink two. I promise I'll be fine to drive myself home."
Gwen nodded, a silent message passing between them, and Zander slid onto his stool.
We nursed our drinks for another hour, chatting and laughing, until Zander pushed back from the table with a sigh. "Thanks for taking pity on my sad-ass self and letting me be one of the girls for tonight. I'm going to close out, then I can see you to your car if you're ready."
Gwen nodded, and I followed Zander to the bar to close my tab. He walked us to my car, shivering in the cold.
"Where's your jacket?" Gwen scolded, snuggling into her own down monstrosity.
"I thought if I came without one, I'd convince some pretty young thing to keep me warm." He batted his eyes at Gwen, surprising a laughout of her. "That jacket looks big enough for two, Gwen. Wanna cuddle?"
"Nah, I'd rather see you suffer."
I chuckled at his disappointed face. "Zander, like I tell my students: youcanmake smart choices."
"And onthatnote, I'm gonna head home. Remove myself from the line of fire. You ladies drive safe." He watched as we slid into my SUV, waiting until we'd pulled out of the lot before following in his truck.
Gwen seemed quieter than normal on the drive, staring out the window toward Colville Mountain. Moonlight cast faint illumination over the landscape, giving the houses and fields an eerie glow.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yep. Just thinking about the corpse flower," she murmured.
"I looked it up online before I came to pick you up." I chuckled at the memory. They were huge. Some as tall as seven feet. And phallic AF.
“Judging by the headlights in my rearview mirror, I think you’re closer to exotic flower ownership than you might believe,” I murmured.
“Maybe,” she allowed, smiling at me when I drew up to her place behind Sprouts & Sprigs. “But if my love life isn’t dead on arrival, you should re-examine yours too, Sophie. Give Davis another chance.”
I contemplated her advice as I drove slowly home, eyes peeled for deer. The loneliness I’d avoided by hanging out with Gwen rushed back as I pondered my future. Endlessly chasing a man who didn’t truly want me would destroy me. I couldn’t and wouldn’t go that route.
If Davis wanted another chance, he’d need to earn it.
Cancelling our first real date didn’t bode well. Once I wasn’t underfoot, had he decided I wasn’t worth the effort? The thought grated.
I didn’t like the idea that only proximity made me appealing. I wanted him to want me forme. Enough to sacrifice some of his broody alone time and spend it together, even if I was loud, talkative, and sometimes as excited as a raccoon on meth about my latest passion project. If he didn’t like that about me, we didn’t have a future.
I was willing to give Davis another chance,ifhe stepped up. The sad truth was, he already had one hand wrapped around my heart, whether or not he realized it.
Chapter 18
Davis
After an eighteen-hour day troubleshooting the chiller, researching spare parts, and trying everything I could think of to get it up and running again, I had to admit defeat. We'd lost a full batch of wort.
I thought for sure I'd sleep as soon as my head hit my pillow, but I underestimated the grip Sophie had on me. Getting pulled into the brewing emergency had sent a cascade of memories surging through me, reminding me of why I didn't date: the farm demanded all of my attention.
