“So he likes her,” I say as I lift my cup to take a sip.
“More than likes her,” Tyler replies.
“Does she know that?”
He shrugs. “I don’t think so, and it’s not for lack of Ben dropping not-at-all-subtle clues. She just moved to town about six months ago. Before that, she lived with Ted’s ex-wife in Texas, and I get the impression that woman is a real piece of work—kept her daughter on a real short leash. Ted about fell over when Meghan called to say she wanted to move here.”
“What’re you two talking about?” Jana asks as she takes the seat across from me.
“Meghan,” Tyler answers.
Just that, nothing more, but it’s obvious from her expression that Jana gets it. “Ah yes, the future Mrs. Benjamin Gates. If Ben doesn’t ball up and ask her out on a real date soon, I’m going to lock them in one of the holding cells at work. I bet they’d be doing a horizontal dance in no time.”
Will laughs as he slides onto the stool next to Jana. “You’d make a terrible matchmaker.”
“Ain’t that the fuckin’ truth,” Reese says as he sets a cup of beer down on the table and then takes a seat.
“Bitch, please,” Jana laughs. “You’re just grumpy because you hate romance. You’re like the old mean guy in the wheelchair in It’s a Wonderful Life, just shooting down people’s dreams like it’s no big thing.”
This earns her a laugh. An actual, honest to God laugh. Apparently, Reese can warm up. Will is also cracking up.
“For the record, you’re no better, William,” Jana jokes as she pins him with a mock glare. “You’re so anti-relationship I think it’s morphed into an all out aversion. I think you’re terrified of being with one person. You should probably see someone about it.”
He shrugs, unfazed by her statement. “It’s not my fault there are a lot of really beautiful women in these parts.”
It’s weird to see the man Will has become. I never could’ve imagined he’d grow up to be so attractive—or so confident. I’m happy for him that he was able to make such a big change. Jana likely doesn’t realize what Will put up with when he was younger. He’s just twenty-six now, so there’s plenty of time for him to find the right woman and settle down.
All thoughts of anyone who isn’t Tyler disappear in a blink when he leans forward, his shoulder brushing my arm. When I turn my head in his direction, I find him staring at me, the green flecks in his brown eyes prominent due to the light hanging over the table. Just like that, heat races through my veins. God. With Tyler Jameson around, I could probably get away with wearing short-sleeved tops year round. If we weren’t in a bar with people around us, I’d be fanning myself right now.
“You any good at darts?” he asks.
“I’ve only played a few times, so not really.”
Honestly, even if I played on the regular, I’m fairly certain if I were to throw a dart right now, it’d go awry. I’m not super-steady with Tyler this close to me. Not that I want him to move, mind you. No, even though I now know that interoffice relationships aren’t an issue at the department, nothing has changed. I have to keep my distance, even though I like when he’s close. I’m more than a little addicted to the way his sporty, clean scent tickles my senses, for starters. The list only grows from there.
“Board’s open,” Ben announces.
“Girls versus boys,” Jana declares.
That is a horrible idea. “Oh, I’m not—”
“It’s not up for debate,” she says. “Every time we come here, I get stuck with these choades. Get your head in the game, because we’re cleaning up the floor with these idiots. Speaking of, which two of you are up first?”
Will’s in the process of standing when she asks, so I figure he wants to be in on the first game.
“I’m out this round,” he says, his attention on something across the room. “Maybe next round too,” he mutters as he wanders off.
“Let’s do the warm-up round,” Reese suggests. “The two guys who do the best can take you two on. Spoiler alert, I won’t go easy on you.”
I pull in a relieved breath when Tyler stands and goes to the dartboard with Ben and Reese to battle it out through the warm-up round. Jana moves into his empty chair so she’s facing the dartboard.
“If you like looking at asses the way I do, check out the cheeks on Reese,” she says, not quietly.
He shoots her a dry look over his shoulder before he turns and aims his dart. “I’m not going to throw like shit because you’re staring at my ass,” he snickers. Flicking his hand forward, he releases the dart. When it hits the bull’s-eye, he lets out a laugh. “Nice try, Jan Brady.”