Lexi pushed open the door to the brewery for the third time in as many days. Her initial enthusiasm was starting to wane. Two dud dates had shaken her confidence in this plan. But Lexi was nothing if not persistent, so here she was.
Her date tonight was an executive of a pet food company who’d recently relocated to Jackson due to the convenience of remote work. His profile said he liked the outdoors, animals, and craft beer. His picture was attractive, though not the blonde adonis she’d been looking for. The new open-minded Lexi didn’t let that detail bother her.
She glanced around the room, but didn’t spot her date. She was early, so it wasn’t that surprising he hadn’t arrived. Except punctuality was important to her—being on time was a sign of respect. She headed straight for the bar and slid onto a stool.
Her brother was working the bar tonight and waved to her, then held up his finger to indicate he’d be down in one minute. Lexi craned her neck to look around for Zach, who was almost always working. Except tonight. Her stomach hollowed at his absence, but Lexi shook it off. Zach was still the most annoying man she knew, even if he’d been her savior last night.
“Your date stand you up?” Matt teased.
Lexi was relieved he hadn’t caught on that she was actually looking for Zach. Something about her brother knowing she was thinking about his best friend made her squirm.
“Not yet,” she replied.
“What can I get you?” He pulled a pint glass and hovered near the taps. He may not know which beer she’d choose, but he knew she’d choose beer. Lexi was a dedicated craft beer girl.
She tilted her head to regard her options. She felt like something different tonight, although she didn’t want to examine the reason why too closely. This restless feeling that had come over her a few minutes ago had everything to do with first date nerves and nothing to do with a certain handsome bartender who was MIA tonight.
“I’ll try the stout,” she announced.
Matt’s eyes widened, and he gave her a curious look as he poured the draft. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you order a stout except in a flight.”
Lexi shrugged. “A girl has to mix it up every so often—maintain her mystery.”
A deep voice rumbled very close to her ear. “Women are mysterious as fuck already—no need to work at it.”
Zach.
She turned to face him and found he was close enough that his breath ghosted over her mouth before he stepped away. She shivered in response. His breath smelled like mint and his hair was slightly damp as if he’d just showered.
“I’m coming from the gym,” he replied to her unspoken question. It unsettled her that he could read her so well and hoped that he couldn’t tell that her mind had drifted to thoughts of him in nothing but low-slung gym shorts, sweaty and panting after a vigorous workout.
“Here’s your beer,” Matt said more loudly than necessary as he slid it across to her.
Lexi was jolted out of her fantasy and into reality. Zach quirked an eyebrow at her choice of beer.
“Stout, huh? By the last date you’re going to be drinking straight whiskey,” he joked.
The way this was going, he was probably right, but Lexi didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
She was desperately trying to think of a smart reply when she heard her name.
“Lexi?” the stranger asked. She turned to her left to see her date had arrived.
“Chad?”
Chad nodded and stuck out his hand to shake. “Nice to meet you.”
His handshake was limp, which was surprising. “Nice to meet you, as well. This is my brother, Matt,” she said as she gestured behind the bard. “And his friend, Zach.”
Zach leaned around her to shake Chad’s hand. She caught Chad wince at the handshake and felt Zach’s satisfaction roll of him in waves.
Lexi looked between Chad and Zach, who was still hovering a bit too close on her right. She had the unexpected urge to step closer to Zach and soak up his warmth and the faint smell of his shampoo. She leaned his way and felt the flannel of his shirt brush her bare arm.
Chad interrupted her before she could do something truly embarrassing—like lean into Zach.“Sorry I’m a few minutes late. I had to pick up Abby on the way.”
Lexi’s eyes narrowed. Who was Abby?
Chad laughed at her confusion. “Abby is my dog.” He pointed down at his feet where a lab mix sat politely.
“You brought a dog. On a date,” Lexi said as she hopped off the stool to greet Abby. Lexi bent down and scratched the dog’s ears, and Abby leaned against her leg. This date was already ten times better than the last two. “She’s so sweet.”
“Yeah, the website said dogs are welcome, so I thought she would be a good icebreaker.”
“Great idea,” Lexi enthused. “We’ll need to sit on the patio, but it’s a nice night to be outside.”
Chad turned to Matt. “Can I get the pale ale on draft?” He turned to Lexi. “What would you like?”
Lexi pointed to her drink. “I’m all set.”
“I’ll pay.” He turned to Matt. “Can you add hers to my tab and also an order of nachos?” He glanced at Lexi. “That ok?”
“Fine,” she said as she buried her nose in Abby’s neck. She couldn’t date a man for his dog, could she?
Chad paid and moments later, drinks in hand, they found a table on the spacious patio and settled in. Matt stocked dog treats and Abby was happily munching her own snack. Lexi sipped her beer as she subtly took inventory of Chad. He was as his profile advertised—tall, athletic, handsome, and friendly. He was perfectly fine.
Why didn’t Lexi feel any butterflies? On paper, he was her near perfect man.
“This is a solid beer,” Chad said. “How’s yours?”
“It’s good.” Lexi wracked her brain to think of something to fill the silence. “How have you enjoyed exploring Jackson?” She figured there would be a lot to say about the town since he was a new resident.
“I’ve gotten out a few times for hikes. Can’t wait to hit the slopes this winter.”
Lexi waited for him to elaborate, but Chad fell silent.
She tried again. “Which hike? Getting out on the trails is one of my favorite things to do.”
“Uh, there’s that popular one just outside town,” Chad replied. “Can’t think of the name but it was a solid hike.”
“Cabin Creek? That’s one of my favorites.”
Chad tapped his chin. “Possibly. We went after it rained. Abby had a run-in with a mud puddle then ran through some brush. She was a mess.”
Lexi leaned down to rub Abby’s head. “You naughty girl,” she teased.
She and Chad shared a laugh and Lexi’s optimism blossomed. Chad was a great guy. Surely, they’d have chemistry.
Matt delivered the nacho platter and they dug into the delicious food. No need to talk around mouthfuls of chips covered in cheese.
It was only after the nachos were gone that Lexi realized they’d been silent much longer than desirable. The patio had emptied out as the evening chill descended. Their table was directly under a heater, which provided a cocoon of warmth.
Lexi made a few more halfhearted attempts at conversation before admitting that Chad was just not a good match. He was a great guy, just not for her.
He must have realized the same thing, as he shifted around on his chair, glancing at the time. “I have an early morning meeting.”
“I understand,” Lexi replied, eager to give him the opening to leave. She was tired. Three dates and three strikeouts were getting under her skin.
“I can walk you to your car,” Chad offered. Such a gentleman.
“No thanks. I’ll hang with my brother awhile before heading out.”
“Ok then,” Chad said as he stood. He bent down to give Lexi a chaste peck on the cheek. “It was nice getting to know you.”
She appreciated his kindness because their date was one of the most boring in history, she was sure.
“Thank you for the beer and nachos,” she replied.
She leaned down and gave Abby an enthusiastic pet. “It was great meeting you, girl.” Abby barked happily and wagged her tail.
Chad retrieved Abby’s leash and walked towards the patio gate. Within moments, he disappeared around the corner.
Lexi huffed out a breath. She glanced towards the wide windows of the brewery. It was busy for a weeknight and Lexi didn’t have the energy to go in there and answer her brother’s questions about yet another bad date. One of the advantages of living in downtown is she was walking distance to many amenities, including the brewery. She’d wait just long enough to ensure Chad had left, then walk home.
* * *
Watching Lexi smile and flirt with her date was a punch in the gut. Zach had expected another disastrous date when he swung by on his night off to check in on Lexi. Instead, he was forced to watch her have a proper first date with a good- looking and seemingly successful guy. The kind of guy that was perfect for Lexi. Professional, put together, successful. And he had a gorgeous dog. Zach might have dated him with those credentials.
Yet when he glanced outside for the hundredth time tonight, Lexi was alone. She was staring in the distance, her hands absentmindedly tracing the base of her pint glass. Zach resisted the urge to leap up from his stool and rush out to check on her. He was trying to be subtle, as Matt was suspicious as it was that he decided to spend his off night nursing a soda at the bar.
He waited until Matt was distracted by a customer at the other end of the bar, then made his way to the patio. He sat down across from Lexi, who looked up at him with sad eyes.
“Everything ok?” he asked as he placed a hand gently on hers.
The bolt of electricity shocked him. Meant to be a warm gesture for her, the contact had somehow morphed into a roaring fire of desire. He pulled his hand back quickly. Lexi hadn’t seemed to notice, which meant this newfound attraction was entirely one-sided.
She sighed heavily. “I’m fine. I had high hopes for this date. He was paper perfect.”
“What does that mean?”
“Paper perfect is when someone has all the qualities you desire, so they should be a good match.”
“But this dude wasn’t?” Zach never understood why women were so caught up in certain superficial qualities. If his time in the military had taught him something, it was that instincts were far more powerful than any one fact.
“He was perfect,” Lexi whined. “But yet there was no spark. What am I doing wrong?”
For the third time in as many nights, Zach felt himself in over his head. He couldn’t even figure out his own love life, so how did he have anything to offer Lexi? But the forlorn look in her eyes called to him. He wanted to take care of her and not just because she was his best friend’s sister. It was in spite of that reality that had Zach pushing down his hesitation and offering support.
It was his nature to care—he ran a peer support group for veterans with PTSD, after all. Somehow his own problems faded when he reached out to help someone else. His caretaking was legendary among his buddies while enlisted. He was the go-to guy for everything—hangover needs, first aid, an empathetic ear to listen.
Receiving support was much harder than offering. He’d learned that the hard way when he discharged back to civilian life only to realize the transition was even more brutal than he’d thought. It took him longer than he’d like to acknowledge he suffered from PTSD and needed help. It was only after moving to Jackson that he got his life together. His years of therapy and the support of fellow veterans got him back on track.
Zach returned his thoughts to Lexi’s question. His gut twisted at her self-blame. He’d been down that road himself after his marriage ended. He’d replayed every detail, thinking that somehow, somewhere, he’d messed up. His therapist had helped him realize that his marriage ending wasn’t his fault. Hell, he hadn’t even been in the same location as his wife for much of their marriage. He couldn’t let Lexi beat herself up like this.
“You are not the problem,” he barked. Lexi’s surprised look told him he’d been too harsh. Talking to Lexi required a different approach than he used with his marine veteran friends. Softening his tone, he reiterated his statement.
“I appreciate the attempt,” she replied. “But what else is it? Chad lined up perfectly with what I’m looking for.”
“First of all, nobody is perfect,” Zach reminded her.
“I know. But if a guy that matches everything I want doesn’t work out, what hope do I have to meet someone who does?”
Valid point, but Zach didn’t say that out loud. Better to not bring his own baggage into this conversation.
“What are you looking for?” he asked instead.
Lexi paused for so long that Zach was sure she wouldn’t answer. She picked up her phone and tapped around the screen, then turned it to face him. She’d pulled up a graphic that showed a good looking man along with a list of attributes.
Zach reached for the phone to see it closer. He read through the list, then set the phone on the table.
“That’s a good start, Lexi, but there’s one factor you didn’t consider.”
Her brows knit together in a puzzled frown. “What?”
“Chemistry.”
Zach’s voice sounded like it scraped over gravel. The single word hung between them in the chilly night air, although Zach felt lit up from the inside like a furnace. There was no lack of chemistry between him and Lexi.
Not that he’d act on it—rule number one of best friends—don’t mess around with sisters.
Now Lexi’s brow scrunched adorably as she processed this information. “Chemistry,” she repeated. “I figured that chemistry would be a product of finding someone that matches my list.”
Zach scrubbed a hand over his beard. “Nope. That’s the magic of a good relationship. The thing that can’t be quantified. You don’t need a list to tell you who to be with—you need to trust your feelings.”
Lexi shook her head. “Emotions are a distraction.”
Zach felt sorry for her in that moment. Feelings were what gave everything meaning. Even the painful ones served a purpose. He’d learned that in therapy.
“Have you ever felt a connection to someone so strongly that you couldn’t ignore it?” He held his breath waiting for the answer. Suddenly, picturing her with other men made his skin crawl.
She shook her head again. “No. I’ve had nice dates, had fun with guys, but never anything I couldn’t pack away when the relationship ended.”
“Well, there’s your problem. You need to forget your list and start listening to your heart. Date the guy that makes your pulse race, not the one that checks your boxes.”
Zach almost laughed at himself. Here he was, sounding like a relationship guru when he’d never had a healthy relationship in his life. And had sworn off them for the future. The woman in front of him checked off all the wrong boxes—the ones that reminded him of his ex and the qualities he swore to himself he’d never deal with again. Not that he was looking to date Lexi. She was firmly off- limits.
Lexi flushed at his comment and he’d worried that he offended her. He opened his mouth to somehow take back the statement, but she held up a hand to stop him.
“It’s ok, Zach. I appreciate the advice. I’m pretty tired so I’m going to head home.”
“I’ll walk you.” The offer was out of his mouth before he could stop it.
Lexi looked as if she was going to argue, but surprisingly agreed.
Zach cursed himself as he stood up to follow Lexi out the patio gate. Spending this much time with her was messing with his head. The simmer of attraction that was always present with an attractive woman was now threatening to boil over. A moonlit walk was the last thing he needed—he should head straight home to a cold shower.