Can You See Me? (3 page)

I glance at the pool tables off to the side of the bar and spot Hailey and a group of her girlfriends flirting with some of the local guys shooting pool.  She keeps looking over here at me as she repeatedly touches Matthew Rhodes’ biceps.  I know what she’s doing; she’s trying to make me jealous.  Fat chance.  Hailey and I went on a couple of dates a few months ago and that was enough for me to know that I wanted nothing to do with the vain and vapid creature. Harsh, I know, but true nonetheless.

I turn back to the bar to order another beer from Mitch. 

“There she is,” Mitch says to me nodding toward the entrance.  I turn around and smile as I see Summer bouncing in the front door.  She literally has a bounce to her step.  My heart beats right out of my chest as a tall raven haired woman with gorgeous toffee colored skin walks in behind her.  The stranger’s head is up; shoulder’s back surveying every inch of the place as soon as she walks in the door. 

When her eyes land on me her step falters just a bit; to the point where only a trained eye like mine would notice.  She smoothly recovers and averts her eyes away from me.  I smile a little.  Good, she felt it too.  She experienced that instantaneous, inexplicable, undeniable attraction.  I haven’t felt this way upon first sight of a woman since I was a hormone driven teenager.

Summer heads directly for me with gorgeous trailing behind her.  “Hey, Cooper.  What are you doing here on a Wednesday night? I usually don’t see you till the weekend?” She asks, snatching the beer from my hand and taking a sip.

“I came by to see you,” I tell her.  She notices my eyes drifting to her friend and smiles at me.

“Well then Cooper, you’re in for a treat.  I’d like for you to meet my big sister Skye.  Skye this is Cooper Talbott,” she says, making the introductions.  Skye sticks out her arm for a handshake and looks me directly in the eyes. I stand there momentarily stunned as I take in the striking gray color of her eyes.  They’re the color of a cloudy sky before a thunderstorm.  Her sister she says?  I look between the two.  Yeah okay, I can see they have the same almond-shaped eyes that slant toward the end and both have pink Cupid’s bow shaped mouths, but that’s it.  

Skye cocks her head to the side and I realize I’m still grasping her hand and I haven’t spoken.  “Nice to meet you darlin,” I greet her.

Summer sees her sister’s surprise at the way I talk and comments, “You’ll get used to the Southern type drawl that some people have around here.  It’s funny before I moved here I would never have imagined people in Southern Illinois had a drawl.”

“I like it.  Is this the guy you were talking about earlier?” Skye remarks to Summer.  

It’s funny how when you’re quiet people will sometimes talk in front of you like you’re not even there.  I take a toothpick out of my pocket and pop it in my mouth, twirling it around with my tongue as I lean back to take in the conversation.

“The one and only,” Summer replies.  Skye nods her head as if contemplating something.  “Hey Mitch can you get me an apple martini and a sweet tea for my sister here,” Summer requests thumbing her finger at Skye.  Summer reaches for her purse to pay for the drink.

“I got it,” I say, putting a twenty on the bar.  I know they won’t charge Summer for the sweet tea but even employees don’t get free alcohol.

Out of nowhere I hear Hailey Weaver’s whiny voice behind me.  “If you’re over here buying drinks handsome, I’ll take one,” she remarks, hands on hips, popping her gum.  She’s wearing painted-on jeans, high heeled boots, a purple off-the-shoulder sweater, and ten pounds of makeup over her peaches and cream complexion. Her light brown hair is curled at the ends and swept to the side in front of her shoulder.

“Who’s your little Indian friend Summer?  Did she get lost and wander off the reservation?” she taunts, referring to Skye.  Hailey must have felt I was paying Summer and Skye too much attention and came over to start some mess.  Her friends are snickering behind her like a bunch of high school girls. 

Skye quickly reaches out and grabs a hold of Summer’s wrist to keep her from physically retaliating.  Summer is a little more hot-headed than Skye, apparently.  “Just ignore her Summer,” Skye instructs her sister through clenched teeth. 

“Yeah, listen to Pocahontas.  I wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” Hailey sneers.  “You ever seen a squaw with curls,” she asks maliciously, addressing her friends.  I watch as she reaches out and pulls hard on a handful of Skye’s long black waves. 

The next thing I know Hailey is face planted into the bar next to my elbow with Skye holding her in an arm lock from behind.  It happened so fast I didn’t see it coming.  No one did.  By the look of bewilderment on her face, not even Skye new she was going to react that way.  Realizing what she’s done, Skye immediately releases Hailey from her hold.

“I’m sorry about that.  I didn’t mean to do it.  It was a reflex. But don’t you ever put your hands on me again,” she warns Hailey, voice still absolutely calm. 

Everyone is stunned.  I’m pissed at myself for missing the signs.  Skye is obviously Law enforcement, military, or both.  I saw the way she walked in the bar with confidence and immediately scanned the room.  She looked me in the eye when she shook my hand and never truly relaxed her stance.  Classic law enforcement moves. I think I’m becoming lax at my observation skills from working in this small sleepy town for so long.

Hailey finally snaps out of her shock, picks her face up off the bar and gingerly wipes the blood from her nose.  I’m guessing she got slammed pretty hard. 

“You all saw that! She assaulted me.  I want to press charges,” she rants at the crowd that has gathered around. 

“Looked like self-defense from where I’m standing sweetheart, and my police report wouldn’t say otherwise,” I inform her in no uncertain terms.  I’m still leaning against the bar chewing on a toothpick with my arms crossed over my chest. 

She mistook Skye for a pacifist because Skye didn’t want to cause a scene, but she learned quickly that if you keep poking the bear you’re gonna get bit.

I actually feel sorry for Skye.  She looks upset and possibly guilt-ridden that she caused a scene on her first day in a new town.  She meant it when she said it was a reflex.  Obviously, self-defense is second nature to her.  I bet Hailey won’t be pressing her buttons again. 

I do admire her resolve.  Skye remained level-headed and didn’t let Hailey’s spiteful words get to her, but when Hailey put hands on her, all bets were off.  The crowd is still gathered around as if they’re waiting for more action.  Possibly to see what Hailey’s going to do in retaliation.

“Go on back to what you were doing ladies and gentlemen, there’s nothing to see here,” I advise the people that gathered around to see what all the commotion was about.  Hailey has grabbed her purse and is heading out the door with her friends in tow.  Good riddance.  You wouldn’t guess that a pretty woman in her late twenties would act so ugly and immature.

“I’m so sorry about that Sherriff Talbott.  I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Skye apologizes to me.

“She had it coming,” is all I say in response.  I take my wallet out of my back pocket and pull out a card.  I grab a pen from the bar and write on the back of the card and hand it to Skye.  I touch the tip of my baseball cap, nod my head in farewell and head out the front entrance.  I’ve had enough excitement for one night. Especially since I’m off the clock and all.

Chapter Three

Skye

Summer helps me drag my luggage up the back stairs of Acorn Groves Bar & Grill, or as she calls it AG’s, to her apartment.  I’m pleasantly surprised when she opens the door revealing an apartment with real wood floors, exposed wooden beams, and an open layout.  It almost looks like a barn loft and her country chic décor only adds to the atmosphere.

“Very nice,” I tell her, eyeing the farmhouse sink and running my hand across the butcher block countertops and the small island in the kitchen area.  The cabinets are a soft aqua blue color and she’s tied the color into her cream-colored couch with throw pillows adding splashes of coral here and there too.

“As you can see it’s actually quite big and open since it’s the attic above the restaurant, but the owner didn’t spend a lot of money finishing it so there’s only one bathroom and one bedroom located at the back of the space,” she points to the two doors on the left side of the large room.  “The good news is that there’s an alcove on the other side of the kitchen,” she walks to the right side of the kitchen to what looks like it could have been a dining area. 

“My table used to be here,” she admits.  “But since it goes past the kitchen and is somewhat secluded I moved my table over there,” she points to the table located to the front right of the kitchen in front of a window.  “Then I had the owner, Jason, help me move a bed, dresser, and nightstand up here.  It was his idea to add this privacy curtain,” she informs me pulling back the curtain and revealing a double bed with a brass frame against one wall, a white-washed nightstand and an old chest of drawers in dark wood.  But the best part is the dormer window with a seat bench.  I can imagine myself just sitting there reading a book.

“It’s gorgeous, I absolutely love it! It’s better than I hoped for.  I thought I was going to be crashing on your couch until I could get a place of my own,” I admit.

“I’m happy to have you here and I don’t want you to feel like you have to rush to move out.  Besides, like I want you sleeping on my beautiful cream colored sofa,” she teases me, socking me playfully in the arm. “Just put your bags on the bed.  You can unpack later. Let’s go downstairs for a little while,” she demands, pulling me by the arm.

“Can I, at least, freshen up first?” I ask her sardonically.

“Fine, but hurry up!” she commands, flopping down on the couch to wait for me.  I pull a few toiletries out of my luggage and head to the bathroom. 

I step into a large bathroom with a vanity made from barn wood and two-drawer open shelf with an artisan top.  The bathtub is a large claw foot tub with shower and a wraparound shower curtain.  I’m loving the country look and feel of her place so much I may never leave.  I set my travel bag on the counter and take out my toothbrush and brush my teeth.  That feels so much better.  I grab my paddle brush and pull it through my dark hair.  My hair falls to the middle of my back and curls at the ends, which tends to tangle.  I give it a few more strokes; that will have to do for now.

“Okay, I’m ready,” I tell Summer as I walk out the bathroom.

“Great, let’s go,” she says walking to the front door.  I don’t understand what all the rush is about.  Like she told Mom and Grandma, I live here now.  I’ll have time to meet people.  But I don’t say anything, I just follow behind her.  If she’s happy, I’m happy.

When we reach the entrance Summer bursts through the front door of the establishment like she owns the place.  I scan the room quickly taking in my surroundings when my eyes land on a man leaning against the bar. My step falters slightly as I take in his long lean frame clad in fitted jeans and a red flannel shirt with his dark hair curling up the sides of his well-worn baseball cap.  Even from this distance, I can see the crystal blue color of his eyes, it’s almost startling.  He has a few days growth of beard and it in no way detracts from his good looks, it just makes him appear more rugged.  I feel an instant pull of attraction and quickly tamp it down.  A guy like that is the last thing I need.

Summer waltzes straight up to the man.  “Hey, Cooper.  What are you doing here on a Wednesday night? I usually don’t see you till the weekend?” She asks, snatching the beer from his hand and taking a sip.  An unwarranted knot of jealousy forms in my stomach at her familiarity with him.

“I came by to see you,” he tells her in the lowest sexiest voice I’ve ever heard. 

“Well, Cooper you’re in for a treat.  I’d like for you to meet my sister Skye.  Skye this is Cooper Talbott,” Summer says, making the introductions. 

I stick out my arm for a handshake and look directly into his eyes out of habit. His eyes are just as beautiful as I first suspected, I could get lost in them.  I’m waiting patiently for him to take my offered hand but he just looks at me.  Do I have something on my face?  I tip my head to the side in confusion, about to retract my hand when he says.  “Nice to meet you darlin’.” His southern drawl surprises me.  He just became ten times sexier in my book.

“You’ll get used to the Southern type drawl that some people have around here.  It’s funny. Before I moved here I never would have imagined people in Southern Illinois had a drawl,” Summer randomly comments.

“I like it,” I automatically reply.  Great.  Why did I say that?  I hope Cooper doesn’t think I’m flirting.  Suddenly I realize that Cooper’s name sounds familiar.   “Is this the guy you were talking about earlier?” I ask Summer.  

Too late, I realize we’re talking about Cooper like he’s not standing right here.  He’s so quiet it’s easy to exclude him from the conversation.  But it’s not as easy to ignore his good looks.

“The one and only,” Summer replies.  I nod my head in acknowledgment.  Yeah, that’s what I thought.  He’s definitely not a guy I should become interested in since the whole female population of Acorn Grove is already in love with him.  I’m not up for the competition, especially of that magnitude.

“Hey Mitch can you get me an apple martini and a sweet tea for my sister here,” Summer asks the bartender.  She reaches for her purse to pay for the drink.