“What’s going on with you and Alex?” Brody asked two hours later. Alex had gotten up to go to the bathroom.
“Why?” Cade asked. He didn’t like the look in Brody’s eyes. It was bad enough that Brody had made that crack about him being possessive. That was all Alex needed to hear when he was trying his damnedest to spend time with her while it seemed she was doing everything imaginable to avoid him.
“Just curious. You seemed a little touchy-feely there with her for a minute. Not to mention the look in your eye.”
“What look is that?” he asked.
Brody leaned into the bar closer and lowered his voice. “Possessive. Like when Aiden made red velvet cupcakes and you stuck your finger in your mouth then swiped frosting off of half of them because you knew we wouldn’t eat them after you did that.”
He laughed. “It worked.”
“It won’t work with Alex if you lick your finger and run it down her cheek. And trust me, I know you’re dying to.”
Nothing got by his family. “She just wants to be friends.”
“And you?” Brody asked.
“More.”
“So? What is holding you back? Ask her out. Or better yet, ask her to bed because she’s out with you right now.”
He narrowed his eyes at his older brother of barely twenty minutes. “Let me deal with this on my own.”
“You slept with her, didn’t you?” Brody asked, squinting his eyes.
“What the hell, Brody?” Cade looked around and was glad to know no one could hear them with the music playing.
“Come on, Cade. I shared a room with you growing up. We always knew when the other got a piece of ass. Not to mention you’ve had your arm around her or leaning into her for hours. She isn’t pushing you away, but she isn’t grabbing you either. It’s more like comfort with an edge of wanting more on your end. What’s the matter, did you pull the trigger too fast on her? You always had to be the first one to get everywhere.”
“Asshole,” Cade said. “And for your information, I’m gentlemanly when it comes to that.”
“You’re such a sucker. I had no clue if you guys slept together, but sometimes you just don’t think before you speak. Now I know. So tell me, what’s going on?” he asked again.
Cade let out a sigh, then moved behind the bar quick to refill his and Alex’s drinks. He was switching over to soda now; she’d said she wanted another beer when she got up. “She just wants to be friends.”
“With benefits?” Brody asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“I’m not twenty anymore,” he said, scowling back. “Why can’t it be more?”
“I don’t know, why can’t it?” Brody asked.
Cade was trying to hold his anger in check but it wasn’t working. “I have to figure it out. I’m trying not to push right now. Sometimes when you push too hard, you push away. I did learn that much as a kid with you guys.”
“Glad to know something stuck. Here she comes.”
He grabbed their drinks and walked back around to the other end of the bar. “Sorry I was gone so long,” Alex said. “I saw Tessa in the hall and we were talking for a minute.”
“Not a problem. Here’s your beer.”
She picked it up, sipped it slowly, looked over the rim and gave him a wink. “You sure do seem to know what I like, don’t you?”
“We all have to be good at something.”
She laughed, then leaned into him a bit, reminding him what Brody said about her not doing that, proving Brody wasn’t always right. So he turned and looked over his shoulder to see Brody watching them closely. It might be a comfort lean, but there was a suggestion behind it and he was listening.
***
Alex was having the time of her life right now. The third time she’d been to a bar listening to music with Cade.
He was just so much fun to be around. People had been coming up to him all night long, but no one was flirting with him like before. It was more like patrons who knew he was an owner and just wanted to chat.
Then Tessa had come over and sung Cade’s praises while she thanked him for introducing the two of them, creating a good business relationship.
“I’ve got an idea,” Alex said to Cade.
“What’s that?”
“How about coasters with the Fierce logo on it, or change the logo slightly? Just lightweight ones that you could throw out if they get ruined, but they would last longer than a night for sure. Just to use them here at the bar.”
“I like that idea. See, it was good to have you come here and see what we’ve got going on. I’ll run it by Brody at the next meeting.”
“Thanks. I can try to get a few samples for you first if you want?”
She liked that he listened to her ideas. That he didn’t just place orders. Not all the customers wanted her input, but she was trying to be different.
“Just find a few examples from your vendors. We know you do good work. While you’re at it, a few glass ones might be nice to sell here at the shop.”
She’d noticed that there was a shop here at the pub with a few items but on a much smaller scale than the brewery shop.
“I can do that,” she said.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Tessa is waving me over for something.”
“I’ll be sitting right here waiting for you to come back to me.”
When he turned and stared at her, she realized that maybe she shouldn’t have said those words. Or said them with a husky voice, only she couldn’t help it. It was like Cade knew every button to push with her tonight. From what to say, where to touch, how to smile. Everything about him and his actions gave off something much more than friends and she was thinking many noticed.
“Hey, Alex. Having a good time?”
She looked over to see Brody standing there grinning at her. No, he was smirking the same way that Cade did at times.
“Yes. This is great. Of course this is the second time I’ve heard this band with Cade, but it’s much better here.”
“We aim to please. Cade treating you well?” he asked, filling an order that a waitress just brought over. She noticed that he and Aimee had switched ends of the bar for the moment.
“Of course. Why?”
“Just asking. He seems a bit smitten with you.”
She choked on the beer she was sipping. “Smitten. Nah, you’re seeing something that isn’t there.”
“Am I?” Brody asked. “I could say the same look is in your eyes tonight too when you look at him.”
This time she started to cough. “No. Really? You can see that?”
“Definitely.”
Guess she wasn’t doing that good of a job at hiding things like she thought she was. Or maybe she just wasn’t as strong as she hoped she could be in Cade’s presence.
“I probably should dial it back then.”
“Why?” he asked, never missing a beat at the bar.
That was the question of the day, it seemed. “It’s what he wants. We’re just friends. No reason to muddy things up.”
“Cade is good at getting messy. He thrives at being dirty. Don’t worry about him.”
“I’d never have guessed,” she said, “since he seems to be the prettiest of you guys. Sometimes I wonder if he takes more time in the bathroom than I do.”
Brody burst out laughing. “God, you are so good for him. Just remember, he isn’t only a pretty face though.”
“Do you feel that way too?” she asked, smiling at him. He was teasing her, she knew it and she wanted to give it back. So far she’d enjoyed all her interactions with Cade’s siblings, even if they were odd at times.
“When you look as good as we do, a lot of assumptions are made that aren’t always true.”
“Not always, but sometimes?” she asked.
“Well, sometimes they are. You know that old saying about making beds and lying in them?”
“Yeah,” she said, not liking where this might be going.
“It doesn’t mean you can’t buy new bedding.”
Brody turned and walked away, leaving her there to think about everything she’d been trying to keep locked up.
***
“Did you get anywhere, Paula?” Jolene whispered into the phone to Alex’s mom as she walked into another room so that Gavin couldn’t hear her.
“Nothing. I have no clue what is going on. I honestly think they’re just friends.”
“No way. I know Cade and I saw what I saw weeks ago when they were at our party. Those two must be fighting what is right in front of their faces.”
“Alex is stubborn, that’s for sure. But I just don’t see it, Jolene. She had a rough time with her last relationship and I think she’s steering clear of things.”
“Cade will help her forget about that,” Jolene said. “She needs to give him a chance.”
“I don’t know how to get her to do that. I had to pretty much twist her arm to ask him to lunch a month ago as a thank you. I know they’ve done a few things together, but I really think it’s what she says. Friends.”
“She’s at Fierce with him right now, right? You said you got that much out of her.”
“She said all the siblings were going to be there, so I’m thinking it’s not like she is meeting Cade. She made it sound like it had more to do with the new agent that she was working with. Supporting the band.”
Jolene snorted. “That sounds like words Cade put in her mouth.”
“Do you think?” Paula asked, sounding hopeful. “I’d really love to see her settle down. I’ve been throwing out all sorts of hints and she brushes me off like lint on her shoulder.”
“I’d be at the bar right now to see what was going on if we weren’t watching our granddaughter for the night. It’s probably for the best. I might have overstepped myself a few weeks ago, so I’m trying to behave.”
“What happened?” Paula asked.
“Nothing to worry about. It wasn’t anything big, but I’m not letting up. Don’t worry there. I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything.”
“I’ll do that same,” Paula said.
“Jolene, what are you doing?” She turned and saw Gavin standing in the doorway to Cade and Brody’s old room, glaring at her when she disconnected the call.
“Nothing.” She walked up and put her arms around him and gave him a hug.
He huffed out a laugh. “I know guilt when I see it. I’ll let it go since you didn’t push me on going out tonight.”
“I know when to push and when to sit back and wait,” she said, running her hand down his arm.
“If you say so. But since Sidney is sound asleep in Ella’s old room, how about we make our way to our room for a little entertainment ourselves?”
“How about we do that?” she said, putting her arm around her husband and pushing Cade and Alex from her mind.