Page 131 of His Reckoning

I notice there are more people at the table than usual.

Melissa sits next to Colton. Eva and Kylie are there too.

And standing near the end of the table is Kayla.

For a second, coherent thought abandons me completely.

She’s wearing black pants that hug her hips and legs like they were clearly designed to ruin my self-control. Her deep red tank top somehow manages to look simple and devastating at the same time.

Her long brown hair is pulled into a high ponytail.

And her lips … in that shade of red. The same shade as the top.

I can’t stop staring.

Apparently, I’ve been standing there longer than I realize because Dean nudges my arm.

“Hey.”

Nothing. I barely notice him.

“Hey.”

Still nothing. He follows my line of sight, then slowly smiles.

“Well, that suddenly makes sense.”

Kayla laughs at something Melissa said, tipping her head back slightly.

Suddenly, I’m very aware that every man in this bar probably just noticed her too.

Dean snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Sawyer.”

“What?”

“You planning on saying hello or just standing here, staring at her all night?”

I straighten slightly. “I wasn’t staring.”

Dean looks unconvinced. “Right.”

We head toward the table. Kayla glances up when we approach. For half a second, our eyes meet, and her expression flickers.

Surprise flashes across her face before her expression turns knowingly amused. And just like that, the atmosphere between us changes instantly, like the past five days never happened.

“Hey,” Melissa says brightly. “Look who finally showed up.”

“Kayla invited herself,” Colton adds casually.

Kayla rolls her eyes. “I did not.”

“You absolutely did,” Melissa says.

Dean slides into the seat next to Kayla before I can react, which is when I realize exactly what he’s doing—testing me. Because he leans toward her slightly.

“Kayla, right?”

She smiles politely. “That’s me.”