Free Interference by Sophia Henry Page A

to keep you in line.” I took Jason’s hand and pulled him closer to me. “This is Jason. Jason, this is Greg.”
    “Hey.” Jason held out his hand. Greg clasped it and brought him in for that bro chest-bump thing.
    “Hey, man, good to see you again. My great aunt Mildy and the law. I better be on my best behavior.” Greg flashed us a grin before downing the half pint of beer that was left in his glass. He already had another full brew waiting for him.
    “Good to see you again?” Wonder how they know each other.
    Ignoring my confusion at Jason and Greg’s familiar bro-bump, I asked, “Are you guys playing tonight?”
    “Yeah, and I’m late as usual. I gotta get up there. Enjoy the show. Catch you later, Auntie,” Greg joked. He tucked a few strands of shoulder-length, brown hair behind his ear and grabbed his beer off the bar as he brushed past.
    “You guys know each other?” I asked Jason.
    “I was going to ask you the same thing,” he replied, with a hint of annoyance.
    He didn’t look jealous, but it was a jealous accusation, wasn’t it? It wasn’t the kind of jealousy I was used to, Tim’s high school brand of blame-me-later kind of jealousy. I needed to stop comparing guys to my ex. Not everyone was an insensitive meathead.
    “Greg has been my neighbor since we were kids.” Although Greg was a few years younger than I was, I’d known him almost all my life. His family had lived next door since I was five. Holden loved playing with Stevie, his family’s golden retriever.
    My stomach dropped. How had I not even thought about Holden until right now?
    I dug my phone out of my purse and tapped Jason’s shoulder. “I’ve gotta text my brother quickly. Do you mind?”
    “Go for it,” Jason said. “I’m gonna grab us drinks.”
    He raised his hand to get the bartender’s attention and I took a step back. I tapped quickly on the keypad.
Me: How’s it going?
    It took only a few seconds before I got D’s snarky response.
Damien: Hold on a sec. Holden is playing with matches and running with scissors.
    Me: Why do you have to be a jerk? I’m just checking on my kid.
    Damien: I watch him every time you work. How is tonight different?
    I thought about his question for a moment. It wasn’t any different than any other time Damien watched Holden. It just felt different to me because I was out having fun. Without Holden.
Me: Sorry for checking in. Glad you have everything covered. Grab the box with our insurance papers in case he figures out the matches.
    Damien: Already have them in the car. See? I’m responsible.
    I couldn’t help but smile at the interaction. I dropped my phone into my purse and looked for Jason. He stood at the bar waiting for drinks. His profile was striking. Strong jaw dusted with scruff, wavy hair cropped over his ears, not one of those military-type buzz cuts some cops wore. He had the kind of hair you could put your fingers in and really latch onto during a good kiss or—
    I shook away my lusty thoughts. I knew better than to think like that on the first date. Or the second.
    Jason handed me a bottle, which I accepted and swigged from. “So how do you know Greg?”
    “Through the lead singer.”
    “Auden?” I asked.
    “Yes.”
    His short answer didn’t give me a clue as to how he knew Auden. Before I had a chance to ask, her voice filled the air, belting out the slow-building first verse of the song “Making Believe.”
    I directed my attention to the stage, immediately engrossed in Auden’s sultry stage presence and the haunting hum of the guitar, like every time I’d seen Strange Attraction. The girl’s ability to change from the quiet goofball who pounded dinner rolls dipped in ranch dressing at Peak City to this confident woman fronting a band always fascinated me.
    I had a hard enough time pretending to be someone I wasn’t on first dates. Most guys assumed I was a working college student like anyone else. Which is true, but I use first dates to decide if a