He sat the bottle in front of me, and I took a swig. He started off with small talk but realized quickly I wasn’t in the mood for chitchat, so he pretended to check on the silver-haired drunks at the other end.

I was half-way through my second bottle when Zeke walked in with a stunning, curvy blonde and a few of his buddies.

Zeke’s gaze met mine for a few seconds before he checked to see if the blonde had seen the exchange. She didn’t. They stopped at a high-top table near the dance floor, and I faced forward, determined not to stare. Every time their laughter carried over to my stool, I had to resist the urge to turn.

Jerry stood in front of me, wiping down the counter next to me. “What’s going on with you two?”

“Who two?”

“You and Zeke. You fighting or something? One-night stand?”

My nose wrinkled. “Fuck you, Jerry.”

Jerry chuckled. “He keeps peeking over here is the only reason I ask.”

“No idea,” I said, standing. “Smoke break?” I asked, tipping my pack of cigs toward him.

“I don’t smoke. And I’m the only one here. If I left the bar unattended Gerald and Pat would raid the whiskey.”

I popped a cigarette in my mouth. “Be right back.”

“He’s watching,” Jerry said, just above a whisper.

“Don’t care,” I said loudly, pushing through the door.

The sun was lower in the sky, and more cars were pulling into the lot across the street. A few couples walked in, the men noticing me, their girlfriends trying not to. Not one of them knew what a gift it would be to touch each other, to wake up in the morning with a warm body beside them. I hated them for it.

“Hey,” a man said. He was one of Zeke’s friends from nearly two weeks before. “Look, guys. It’s Rocky.”

They all greeted me, following one another in line into the pub, except one.

“How’s the jaw? That bastard hit hard, and you took that punch like a champ. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Go away.” I said, blowing out a puff of smoke.

He chuckled. “Damn. I just came over to introduce myself. I’m Randon Watts. We’re in town for the Queen’s Canyon fire. We’re out of Estes Park.”

I took another drag.

“Zeke said your name is Naomi.”

“Did he?” I asked. I looked at Watts. “I’m not interested in men with arms smaller than mine.”

Randon paused, surprised at the insult, and then rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, okay. I trim down a lot during fire season. Can’t take much on the helo at regular weight. You try hiking up a mountain for endless miles every day.”