Matt had gotten up now, too. Instead of traipsing after Liam, he came to us. “What the hell’s happening?”
Since Lucas’s mouth was gaping, but not moving otherwise, I said, “Tamara’s pregnant.”
Matt’s green eyes rounded like frisbees. “No . . .”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Was that your-”
“Big secret? Yeah.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah.”Cole made his way to us, but August didn’t. As Matt filled in his brother, I weaved myself through the thickening crowd toward the shifter who had his back to me and climbed onto the barstool Cole had vacated.
“You’re still angry with me, aren’t you?” I asked.
August’s gaze skimmed over my face, then over the black leather encasing my upper body, before returning to one of the TVs over the bar. Instead of answering my question, he asked, “Had a nice dinner?”
His tone made me smile. “You sound like you hope it was awful.” This won me a piercing side-eye. “What about you?”
“We haven’t had our food yet.”
“I’m sure Kelly’s working extra hard to fix that, or maybe she hasn’t brought it over to extend your visit.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I crossed my legs and spun on the barstool so that I was facing the TV too. “Didn’t you have a fling with her?”
I felt his gaze trace my profile, linger on my chin . . . or was it my mouth? “I’m surprised this bothers you considering . . .”
“Considering?”
“Considering how you’re not interested in me.”
Ouch. I could’ve lied at that point, told him that it didn’t bother me, that he could have flings with every girl in this bar for all I cared, but truth was, I did care and absolutely didn’t want to drive him into the arms of another girl. “I finished sanding the floors. I’ll bring all the equipment back tomorrow.”
August watched me, then watched the boys who were still discussing the new development behind us, then moved his gaze back to the television displaying a live baseball game. He didn’t ask me what all the excitement was about. Had he figured it out on his own, or was he simply uninterested?
“I was thinking of oiling the wood like Dad used to,” I continued. “Which brand would you recommend?”
“The one we have at the warehouse. I’ll put some aside for you tomorrow. You can grab it from the office when you drop off the sanders.”
“I can also go to the store and buy it.”
He angled himself fully toward me now, his broad chest eclipsing everyone behind him. “You could, but then you wouldn’t get the quality stuff we stock.”
I sighed. “Will you at least let me pay for it?”
Instead of answering me-or maybe his pointed look was the answer-he raised his hand to get the bartender’s attention. “Hey, Tommy, can I get a Coors and another Michelob?”
The bartender nodded. Seconds later, two bottles appeared in front of us on the sticky bar.
August pushed the Coors my way. “That’s what you were drinking, right?”
I wasn’t sure why he was asking me, since he was well aware of the answer-August was the most attentive person in the Northern hemisphere.
I wasn’t sure whether I should be drinking another beer. Then again, I was walking home, not driving, and I had a werewolf metabolism, so one more couldn’t hurt. “I’ll only drink it if I can pay for this round.”
He smiled, as though amused. “Same way you’re going to pay me for the hardwood finishing?”
“You do know I wasn’t fake-offering, right?”
“I know.”
“Then why won’t you let me? I’d be using your money to pay anyway.”
His smile vanished. “Stop thinking of it as my money. It isn’t. It’s money that was owed to your family-”
“Stop saying it was owed. Nothing was owed. You just gave me a handout because you pity me.”
His eyebrows shot up. “That wasn’t pity.”
“I’m not mad; I’m just stating a fact.”
“Don’t state incorrect facts because that makes me mad.” He lifted his bottle to his lips and drank a long, hard gulp that made his Adam’s apple judder.
“I didn’t come over here to fight with you.”
His freckles darkened. “We’re not fighting; we’re talking.”
“Well, let’s talk about something else, then.”
The spicy scent of his skin seemed to have gotten stronger. Perhaps because he was flushed from the heat of our talk. “What are you doing for your birthday next week?”
“Haven’t planned anything. Probably just dinner with Evelyn after her shift at The Silver Bowl.” Even though he hadn’t asked, I explained why we’d been there the other day. “Actually, how about we all go to dinner there?”
He cocked up an eyebrow. “All?”
“Your parents, Jeb, Frank, you? We could go late so Evelyn can get out of the kitchen.” I scrunched up my nose. Had I really just suggested his family join me? Just because they’d been to most of my birthdays, didn’t mean they cared to sit through yet another one. Especially after everything that had transpired between me and their son. “Unless-unless you have other plans.”
“I have no other plans.”
“You really don’t have to come if-”
“I’m honored to have been invited. And I can already tell you Mom and Dad will be there.” A smile finally fractured his tension-filled face.
“Okay,” I whispered.