Since Bradley was sure he’d go back to his ranch when Kat recovered, it seemed stupid to get upset about someone else moving in. He really did want Kat happy, even if it wasn’t with him.
Dean gave a side-eye to Bradley. “Surprised you came, too.”
Bradley nodded toward Kat. “She snuck out with some lie about going jogging. The Kat I know doesn’t jog, and she sure as hell doesn’t jog in fuzzy boots and a trench coat.” Just saying it made Bradley chuckle. Kat really was a bad liar, probably because she lied all the time so didn’t put any effort into it. It really shouldn’t amuse him, however.
“Sounds about like Kat. Seems that Olin made a bet with her—he’d come back if she did.”
“Olin?”
“Detective Olin Ramiz. Good guy, worked on her case, seems smitten.”
“This isn’t the sort of place people go on a first date.” Of course, what Bradley meant was that vanilla people don’t come here on first dates.
“Seems Olin is an old member who knows Toya.”
Bradley frowned, thinking about the name. After a moment, he nodded, recalling hearing the name around Sanctuary back in the day but not thinking he’d ever met him. That meant he must have been from a long time before.
“So, you just going to stare creepily or go say hello?”
“No. There’s no reason to bother her. If she sees me here, she’ll just get even more stubborn.”
Before Bradley could turn around and leave, as if she had some sort of sixth sense, Kat lifted her gaze and landed her gray eyes right on him.
Dean laughed. “Guess we’re both caught. So, run or face the music?”
Bradley moved his gaze to the door, the temptation to head out strong. Still, when he looked back, when he saw the way Kat nibbled her bottom lip, the anxiety on her face, he sighed. “Better to face her now. Worst thing a man can do is give Kat time to think up a good payback.”
Olin had two drinks in hands—lemon-lime sodas because some sugar but no caffeine sounded like the best idea. While some alcohol would have been nice to calm down, he understood why Toya had the no-alcohol rule there.
People got stupid too often when alcohol was involved, and that made for a bad mix when it came to BDSM. Consent tended to get messy when people started to drink.
However, when he spotted Kat, he paused. She wasn’t alone at the table, instead sitting between Dean and a man he didn’t recognize. Then again, with how much time Kat was here, it wasn’t a shock that she’d know about everyone.
He approached, then set Kat’s drink before her. The action made her jump, as if she’d been so involved in whatever she was talking about that she hadn’t noticed him.
“Olin,” she said, a slight uncertainty in her voice as if she was afraid he might be angry.
Angry at what? That she was talking to others? The realization made Olin grin. “Hey, Dean,” he said before turning his gaze to the other man. “You are?”
“Bradley Smith,” the man said. “I’m staying with Kat to help out.”
That fit the pieces together. Olin had heard something about Kat’s ex having shown back up, though he had to admit, Bradley surprised him. Kat was all fire and light, but Bradley seemed as down to earth as a man could get. He was the sort that Olin could see on the back of a horse, in a cowboy hat, on some advertisement with a piece of wheat hanging from his lips.
“Good to meet you,” Olin said as he slid into the booth beside Dean.
“I didn’t invite them,” Kat said.
“I don’t need an invitation,” Dean responded with a grin. “It’s just a happy accident that I spotted her here.”
“She didn’t invite me—I followed her.”
“Stalking is rude,” Kat muttered.
“So is lying to the person trying to help you. If you had just told me you were coming here, we wouldn’t have had an issue,” Bradley said with a shrug.
Kat let out a long sigh, as if she were over the other man’s hovering. Then again, Kat no doubt would prefer to keep hiding from the world if possible. It was probably for the best that Bradley was helping to keep her from doing so. She took a sip of her soda before offering Olin a smile. “Thanks—it’s good.”
“Wish I could take credit, but it isn’t like I made it.” He took a drink of his own before peering out toward the rest of the room, the sounds so familiar despite the years away. There was something about the moans, the cries of pain and pleasure that took him back.