Delilah watched them, ignoring the pang of longing that came with sitting inside—yet outside—such a tight-knit family. Jake sat next to her now, his arm brushing hers often as he spoke to Lucas and Nash about the upcoming rescue season. She didn’t take a single note as he listed off “trouble spots” up on the mountain or people that tended to take too many risks with their winter sports.
“Wait, there’s a place called Cripple Creek?” she interrupted Xavier’s story about his rescue a couple of weeks ago when he had to carry a mountain biker out of a ravine. “Do I even want to know how it got its name?”
Jake grinned. “The wilderness is a dangerous place, little lady,” he said, pretending to tip an invisible hat.
She giggled but her amusement turned fast to attraction when his dark eyes smoldered at her. Her insides heated as she pictured Jake in a cowboy hat. And maybe some chaps. Hot dang. She could get used to country living.
“So, Delilah, where are you from?” Xavier asked, drawing her back into the conversation.
She took a pull from her beer. “The city, born and raised,” she said.
“Do you like it there?” Xavier asked.
Jake wrinkled his nose. “Too many people. Not enough trees.”
“You’ve been there?” she asked, turning to him.
“Don’t look so surprised,” he said. “I might be a small town redneck but I’ve been beyond the borders of Blue Hole once or twice,” he said.
“Well, then I’m ashamed to admit this is my first time venturing out,” she said. “But I might never leave. These mountains are beautiful.”
“Cheers to that,” Xavier said, lifting his beer and they all did the same. Jake’s hand reached for hers under the table, his fingers brushing her knuckles as he drank. She found herself leaning closer after that, letting her shoulder brush his and ignoring that little voice in her head telling her the lines weren’t so much blurred as fading away.
“Colorado’s the only place that even comes close,” Nash agreed.
“Are we talking about scenic views or people?” Harley asked.
Delilah listened as the rest of them talked about past trips elsewhere and how none of those places compared to Blue Hole. She tuned out, watching the patrons inside the bar as they watched her back. None of them looked friendly. In fact, they’d been mean-mugging Xavier and his crew all night, especially the four men seated at the window booth. She wondered who they were. Maybe Jake knew them. Maybe they were the lead she needed on Xavier’s secret hater club. She took a thoughtful pull from her beer, never letting her eyes leave the men at the window.
“What is it?” Xavier asked.
She looked up to find Xavier watching her and one by one, the rest of the crew fell silent and also turned to study her.
“Do I have something on my face?” she asked, wiping her nose.
“Yeah, it’s covered in bull shit,” Harley said from across the way.
She gave him the finger and Jake snickered.