Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1)

Which meant I’d done the right thing by not kissing Audrey.

That was it. I could stop thinking about her.

I spent the next hour grilling a steak, eating dinner, drinking a beer, and relentlessly pushing all thoughts of Audrey out of my mind. I ate on the couch in front of the TV because I could. I stuck my feet on the coffee table because I could. I left the dirty dishes in the sink because I could. There was no one around to complain. No one around to tell me how to do things.

Just the way I liked it.

No dogs, no women, no hassles. I’d lived this way for a long time and I was going to keep living this way. No matter how tempting Audrey was.

She wasn’t going to stay anyway. She’d said so. Tilikum was temporary.

I didn’t want to admit—couldn’t admit—how much of a problem that was for me. Because if I thought too hard about why that bothered me, I’d have to face things I didn’t want to think about. Memories that ate at me from the deep recesses of my mind.

I got up and paced around the house. Maybe I’d run to the hardware store and get started on the baseboards. It was about time I finished this place. I could work on it in the evenings. That was what I’d always meant to do anyway.

But Tilikum Hardware closed early. I didn’t have time.

I plopped back on the couch, trying to resist the restlessness that seemed to have overtaken me. I turned on the TV again, but that didn’t hold my interest either.

Finally, I gave up. I needed to get out of the house. I put my shoes back on, grabbed my keys, and headed to the Timberbeast. I’d get a drink and hopefully shake this off.

The parking lot was almost full. I found a spot near the road and when I went inside, I realized why. Karaoke night.

I almost turned around and left. But then I’d be back to where I started. Maybe the crowd and noise would be a good distraction.

The place was packed. Several of my brothers were inside—Theo, Zachary, and Luke. Not surprising. There was probably at least one Haven brother at the Timberbeast on any given evening.

Hayden was helping Rocco tend bar. For reasons that were unfathomable to me, karaoke night always drew a crowd, but with the two of them working, I didn’t have to wait long.

“What can I get you?” Hayden asked.

“Just a beer.”

He grabbed a glass and started to fill it from the tap. “I heard your girl’s car got damaged the other day. Hit and run.”

“She’s not my girl. And how’d you know about that?”

He raised his eyebrows. “This is Tilikum.”

“Good point.”

“Any idea who did it?”

“No. Probably some tourist.” I wasn’t sure if I believed that, although it was the likeliest explanation.

He slid my beer across the bar. “She’s not your girl, huh? There’s nothing going on with you two?”

“Why?” I couldn’t keep the irritation out of my voice. “Are you interested in her?”

A subtle smile curled his lips. “No.”

I wasn’t sure if I believed that either. “Then why the fuck do you care?”

He shrugged. “You hear a lot of talk doing this job. Sometimes I like to figure out what’s true and what’s the gossip line gone wild.”

I grunted a reply and took my beer. I’d come here to get my mind off Audrey, not chat about her with the bartender.

I hated being the object of town gossip.