Anthony stared down the glossy lane to the white pins beneath the lights. He channeled all the frustration raging through him, then rushed in to unleash the ball. The sixteen-pounder let out a low growl as it spun over the polished wood like a panther in pursuit. In one fast explosion, the pins scattered, creating a deceiving show; once the dust cleared, the ball sinking into the machine’s gullet, two pins remained—the pin far on the left and the opposite pin at the far right.

“You threw it too hard,” Benny said before tipping back a bottle of beer.

“Yeah,” Seth shook his head. “You’re going to have to ease up on that ball if you want to catch up.”

“Go easy on him, guys,” Trent said. “He hasn’t had a guys’ night in a while. He’ll get his groove back.”

Anthony spotted the gray ball as it shot from the retriever and back onto the rack. He reached down, secured it in his grip, and tried very hard not to think about what an ex-boyfriend would want from his ex-girlfriend who’d not only moved on with her life, but did so in an entirely different state.

He stepped up to an imaginary line and glared at the pins. Should he go for the left and hope to knock out the right with the spinning pin? He could try. He focused hard, swung back, and set his eyes on the left. No, maybe the one on the right. But it was too late; the ball was already on its way, barreling dead center down the lane.

Nothing but air. Not good.

The guys groaned in the background. Benny tapped him on the back and pressed a cold bottle into his hand. “Here,” he said. “Looks like you need this.”

The truth was, Anthony didn’t know what he needed. “Thanks.” He shuffled back to the bench and sank into the chair beside Seth.

“You all right, man?” Seth asked.

Anthony nodded. “Yeah, I just … have to get my mind off Kira right now. Her stupid ex flew into town, and she’s meeting up with him tonight.”

“Whoa,” Seth said. “That doesn’t sound good at all.”

“I know. Apparently the ex brought his girlfriend with him, and they both want to talk to her.”

“That just got weird,” Logan said under his breath.

“Tell me about it.” The situation was putting him to the test; he couldn’t deny it. “The funny thing is,” Anthony said, “Kira told me I could come if I wanted.”

Seth’s eyes doubled in size. “You’re kidding me. Why aren’t you there?” The guys’ loud reaction gained attention from the others.

“Why ain’t he where?” Benny, who’d just tossed a gutter ball, strode closer.

Anthony looked over to see if Seth wanted to explain, before opting to do it himself. “Kira called me when she and her sister got back from the airport, but added that she had gotten an unpleasant surprise. Her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend flew in with her sister, and they’re staying at the bed and breakfast.”

Trent perked up. “Want me to have someone put sand in their sheets?”

Benny smacked him in the stomach. “Jessie would never let you do that.”

Trent sneered. “It was a joke. When have I ever done a thing like that?”

“Let him finish,” Seth said. “This is better than one of those dysfunctional talk shows.”

Anthony rolled his eyes. “These two seriously wronged Kira a few years ago by stealing some images she shot at a fashion show in Milan, and when Kira tried to sue them, they dragged her family’s name through the mud. It was devastating. According to her sister, they want to make it right.” He glanced away from the group, set his gaze on a lane where an entire set of pins got knocked down by the sweeping cleanup bar. The messy heap was shoved out of sight, and then a shiny new set took its place. Ten white pins standing tall. The others forgotten like yesterday’s news.

“You’re leaving out the best part,” Seth griped. “Kira said he could be there when they talked, and instead he’s here with us.”

A few quiet groans and hums sounded over the guys. Anthony picked the married men of the bunch to set his focus on; they knew women better than the rest of them.

Benny shook his head. “Shoulda gone. If a woman says you can go somewhere but then gives you a choice, the correct choice goes as follows.” He passed his beer to Seth and got both hands involved. “If she’s going to the place she said you can go, then she wants you to go, too.”

“Yep,” a few mumbled in the background.

“But,” Benny continued, “if she isn’t going to the place she says you can go, then she secretly wants you to stay. There. With her.” Benny looked at Trent for backup while snatching his bottle back from Seth.

Trent tipped his head from one side to the next, lips tight as he weighed Benny’s words. “That’s about right.”

“Great,” Anthony said. “Guess I screwed up.”

“No no no, don’t worry.” Benny motioned for Seth to move, then hunkered into his seat, throwing an arm around him and leaning in. “We all make those mistakes. How do you think we know this stuff? Not because they tell us. But because they train us. You see?”

No. No, he did not see. “Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Thanks.”

Benny tipped his drink toward him. “Any time.”