Tanner slapped my back and laughed. “Your girl sure does know how to throw a party.”
I shot him a dirty look and replied in a hushed voice, “She isn’t my girl, so stop saying that.”
Giving me a smirk, Tanner looked over to our parents and then back at me. “That’s not what Brock said.”
I rolled my eyes. “Brock doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Our parents walked farther into the room as they went on and on about how beautiful it looked. It did look beautiful, and Kaylee had done an amazing job.
Tanner bumped my arm. “From what he told me, you two hooked up together, and you stayed at her place all night.”
“Jesus, is my sex life really the topic of your conversations with Brock?”
“Not every conversation, but he did get me caught up on some stuff.”
I glanced over my shoulder to give Brock a look that said he was getting his ass kicked as soon as this anniversary party was over. He caught my hard stare and frowned but then focused back on Morgan in his arms.
A pang of jealousy hit me in the chest as I watched him with his daughter. I quickly pushed it away.
“You want to tell me about it?” Tanner asked.
“No. Go find your date and leave me the hell alone.”
Tanner laughed and stopped to wait for Lindsey Johnson. She was his go-to girl when he came into town and needed a date.
Lindsey walked in with Blayze and Lincoln, all of her attention on my nephew, who was turning out to be a lady’s man just like his father and uncles.
“No date tonight?” Lincoln asked as she made her way up to me and stopped. She looked beautiful in the baby-blue gown she had on. It was sort of cute that Morgan’s little dress matched Lincoln’s. Another one of Kaylee’s ideas, I was sure.
“Well, I had planned on asking Kaylee, but Brock informed me last night she had a date.”
Lincoln raised her brow. “You were going to ask Kaylee?”
I smiled. “Why does that shock you?”
“Well, considering you had sex with her and then disappeared for three weeks, and then waited until the last night before the party to think about asking her . . . yeah, that would shock anyone.”
“You never are one to mince words, are you, Lincoln?”
“Not when it comes to the people I love.”
I nodded. “Duly noted. Is she coming with Channing?”
Lincoln gave me a little evil grin with a wink before turning on her heel and walking back over to Brock.
“Women,” I mumbled as I made my way to the bar.
“What can I do for you, sir?” the kid behind the bar asked.
“Are you even old enough to be bartending?”
He laughed. “Yes, sir. I’m twenty-three.”
I bristled. Since when did I become my father? “Give me anything in a bottle, beer-wise.”
The young kid nodded, then handed me a bottle of a local craft beer. I took a drink as I scanned the room. Not many people were here yet, since the party didn’t officially begin for another twenty minutes or so.
A flash of red caught my eye, and I damn near choked on my beer when I saw her.
Kaylee.
The dress she had on was off her shoulders and hugged her figure in all the right ways. It hugged the very figure I’d lost myself in just a few long weeks ago. When she walked, I noticed the slit that went damn near halfway up her thigh. I forced myself to swallow, feeling like I had a huge lump stuck in my throat.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” the bartender said, clearly seeing whom I was looking at. “Whoever she’s with is one lucky bastard.”
I nodded, finished off my beer without looking at anyone else in the room but her, and then asked for another one.
Before I had a chance to take a drink, though, I heard a familiar voice.
“Better slow down, dude. The party hasn’t even started.”
Looking over my shoulder, I smiled when I saw Dirk. “Aww hell, does Brock know you’re here?”
He laughed. “Yeah, I stopped by earlier today to visit with the little family. Morgan is a doll and looks just like Lincoln.”
I smiled. “Yeah, she’s a cute one. Blayze happy to see you?”
Dirk nodded. “Yeah, I saw him yesterday, when he was over at the house practicing on Dad’s sheep for his big mutton-busting debut next month.”
“Christ, Lincoln is going to pull her hair out with that boy,” I said with a chuckle.
“Just like his daddy,” Dirk said, then motioned to the bartender. “I’ll have what he’s having.”
I took another look around the room, searching for Kaylee, but I couldn’t find her.
Once Dirk got his beer, we made our way toward the table that had been set up for family.
“You come to town just for the party?”
He smiled. “That was one reason. I’m here on business too.”