“Maybe we do need a detective around here.”
“We should mention it to Bull. I’m sure he would claim to have been one at some point.” According to him, he’d done damn near everything.
“Wouldn’t surprise me a bit,” Joe agreed. “Although I wouldn’t believe it for a second. He’s always trying to sound like a bigger man than he really is.”
“Maybe he’s compensating for that tiny dick of his. Whereas you never seem to put yourself forward for anything. Must be a confidence thing.”
“Yeah, right,” he grumbled. “Like I’m the most confident guy in the world.”
“Naw, you’re the strong, silent type.” Who happens to have an enormous dick. Once again, I batted my lashes at him. “Women like that.”
“Oh really?” he asked with a doubtful scowl. “How come none of them hang all over me like they do with Bull and Troy?” He glanced toward our table. “Or Dusty?”
“Hmm, good question. I’ll have to think about that.”
“You shouldn’t have to think very long,” he said. “I’m too homely to get noticed with them around. Bull may be a prick, but he’s not bad-looking.”
“If you like that shaved head thing,” I conceded. “I’ve never cared for it myself. It makes his ears stick out.”
“Yeah, well, my ears are still bigger than his.”
“So is your—” I broke off there as a fiendish thought occurred to me. “Let me talk to Jenny and her friends. I’ll set them straight on a few things. You’re still one of the nicest of the bunch, even if you aren’t the prettiest. Hopefully, one or two of them might appreciate that fact and at least act like they might want to dance with you. You’re a pretty good dancer, you know.”
“Aw, shucks, ma’am,” he said with a grin. “I’ll bet you say that to all your cowboys.”
“My cowboys,” I said dreamily, giving him a hug. “I’ve got some good ones, don’t I?”
“I can’t argue with that,” he said. “That Troy is one helluva man with a rope. Have you ever watched him?”
I had enjoyed watching Troy do a lot of things, but I’d never actually seen him rope a calf. “Nope. I figured he was pretty good, though. I spotted that belt buckle right off.”
“I’ll bet that’s not all you noticed,” he said dryly. “He’s about the handsomest man I’ve ever seen—and I don’t enjoy admitting that, either.”
“You don’t think Dusty’s cuter?”
“Maybe.” He shook his head, chuckling. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you. I’ve probably said more to you in the past two weeks than I have in the past two years.”
“I know, and I’m sorry about that, Joe. If I’d known about Rufus and his stupid rules a long time ago, things would have been different. I’ve had so much fun with you guys tonight, and, well…pretty much every day since Troy showed up. I guess we have him to thank for that.”
“True, but it probably helped that you got to him before Rufus did. Otherwise, he’d have been cowed into submission along with the rest of us.”
“I doubt that,” I said. “He’s a spunky little rascal—and he didn’t know me when I was married. That might have something to do with it.”
“Good point—although you being married didn’t stop Rufus from lecturing us from time to time. Cody never said a word to any of us. Didn’t need to, but you’d expect that to be the husband’s job rather than the foreman’s.”
“Yes, and Cody was kinda possessive,” I admitted.
The dance ended and I snuggled up against Joe’s chest for another hug before letting go of him. He escorted me back to the table where Dusty sat with a redheaded Siren draped around his shoulders whom he wasn’t lifting a finger to discourage. I’d sort of wondered what Joe had meant by girls hanging all over Dusty along with Bull and Troy.
Now I knew.
Jenny was in Bull’s lap giving him a sip of beer while she toyed with his mustache. Surprisingly, Troy was alone for the moment. Rachel was still sitting at the end of the table, nursing a gin and tonic and looking miserable. I shot the redhead an evil glare and decided it was time to declare war. Tugging on Joe’s hand, I somehow managed to get his head low enough to plant a big, wet kiss on his cheek.
“Oh, don’t stop there,” he pleaded, turning toward me.
I reached up and threaded my fingers into the soft, brown curls on the back of his head and gave him a good one, tongue and all. When I let go of him, Troy and Dusty were both staring daggers at me. I don’t think Bull even noticed, but the redhead did. Apparently seeing this as evidence that Dusty wasn’t taken, she began nibbling his ear.
Joe took his seat with a smug grin and a satisfied sigh. “It’s so nice to be irresistible.”
Dusty glowered at me and leaned his head away from the girl, offering her better access to the side of his neck. “Could you do that a little lower, baby?”
Ignoring him completely, I went over to talk with Rachel, hoping she hadn’t heard our earlier conversation. She’d been raised on a ranch and knew better than to pay much attention to what a bunch of cowboys might discuss in a bar, but you never know about these things.
“Hey, Rachel,” I said, pulling up a chair. “You need to come over and see my new baby. Jenny’s stallion outdid himself this time.”
Rachel smiled. “So she said. Nothing quite as cute as a foal, is there? I’ll be sure to check him out before he gets much older.” Rachel’s Texas accent was even more pronounced than her sister’s, which wasn’t surprising since she’d been about fourteen to Jenny’s six years of age when their family moved to Wyoming. “How’ve you been? I don’t think I’ve seen you since Cody’s funeral. You were pretty torn up at the time.”
“Much better,” I replied. “It took a while, though.”
“You seem pretty happy now.” Taking a sip of her drink, she darted a quick glance at the other end of the table where the others were laughing.
I wondered again exactly how much she’d overheard. “Love will do that for you.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Love never having been her strong suit, I was surprised she didn’t laugh in my face.
“So what did Jenny say to get you to come here tonight?” I asked. “Threaten you with something dire?”
She shrugged. “Nothing really. She said she needed another person, although I don’t see why. With me here, there are more than you need to each have a dance partner.”
“But there are four men and four of us—oh, I see what you mean. Dusty isn’t dancing.”
“No, I meant the redhead. I’m kinda superfluous now.”
“Yeah, well, the redhead is about to get her ass kicked,” I said sweetly. “The one she’s hanging all over is mine.” Apparently, I was every bit as possessive as the guys.
“Really?” Rachel sounded surprised. “He’s gorgeous, I’ll grant you that—even if he is kinda young.”
“Oh, he’s pretty, all right,” I agreed, smiling. I wasn’t touching the age thing with a ten-foot pole. “Now if I could only get your stupid sister to fall for the right one, everything would be cool. I’m sure you’ve noticed she’s doing it again—hanging out with the biggest prick in the bunch.”
“She does have that history,” Rachel concurred. “Which is why I moved to town when she married the second loser.” Having no interest in ranching, Rachel had gone off to college to become a veterinarian. When their parents retired to Florida, she’d happily left the running of the family ranch to Jenny.
“The way I heard it, you wanted to be closer to your office.”
“Yeah, well, don’t believe everything you hear,” Rachel said. “Her first husband was bad enough, but the second one was even worse. She may have finally reached the point where she couldn’t stand being married to him, but you’re right; her taste in men hasn’t improved.”
“Mayb
e I should tell her Bull is only here because he didn’t want to waste his money on a hooker when he could get laid for the price of a drink.”
Rachel dissolved into helpless laugher, which took years off her. She wasn’t a bad-looking woman, but she’d always seemed sort of morose where men were concerned.
“Oh God,” she wailed, wiping her streaming eyes. “Jenny’s sure to fall for him now.”
I nodded. “Pretty soon she’ll have him spoiled rotten and then wonder why he’s impossible to live with. That mustache must have her mesmerized.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me a bit,” Rachel said. “I’ve seen it happen before.”
“I was hoping to pair her off with Troy.”
She directed her gaze toward the other end of the table. “Troy is the really handsome, dark-haired one, right?”
“Yep. He’s got plenty of other traits to recommend him too. I should know.” I hoped my suggestive tone and the significant lift of my brow were enough to make my meaning clear without shocking her. Rachel had never been terribly excited about men in general, and I wasn’t sure how well she would cotton to the idea of me taking on a boy toy. Then again, she hadn’t heard the whole story. “Just not sure how ready he is to settle down.”
Judging from the way her jaw dropped, my efforts to break it to her gently had failed. “You haven’t slept with him, have you?”
“Now you’re sounding like my father,” I said, rolling my eyes. “He wouldn’t like the idea, either—that is, if he’d known about it. Actually, I sort of decided I was already in love with Dusty, so I had to give him up.”
“He doesn’t seem to be too broken up about it,” she observed.
I glanced over at Troy, who was laughing it up with Caroline. No, he didn’t seem the slightest bit upset. “Trust me, he doesn’t stay down for long. Twenty minutes, maybe,” I added with a sly grin. “But that’s about it.”
She acknowledged this with a puzzled frown, but let it pass. “Who’s that last one you were dancing with?”
“That’s Joe,” I replied. “If you’d get your buns down to the other end of the table, you wouldn’t have to ask me all this. You need to talk with them, not me. And don’t worry about the numbers. The redhead is about to become history. Come on.”
Chapter 24
Dusty was well into his third bottle of beer, and the redheaded chick was practically in his lap. He wasn’t even bothering to encourage her anymore. She was doing just fine all on her own.
“Dusty, Dusty,” I said with a slow wag of my head. “What am I gonna do with you?”
He looked up at me with a dreamy-eyed smile. “Take me home and suck my balls?” His speech was only slightly slurred, and if his rapt expression was any indication, the redhead might have been an inanimate object.
Not to mention grossed out.
“Eeeww! That’s disgusting!”
She might think it was disgusting, but she obviously didn’t hold it against him because she still had her arm around him—a circumstance I found particularly repugnant.
Oh yes, I was feeling quite possessive. Now that Dusty and I had each managed to make the other jealous, it was perfectly obvious where our true desires lay. The rest of the world could go hang for all we cared—but I still had to eliminate the intruder.
“Don’t knock it ’til you try it, sweetheart.” I bared my teeth in a mirthless smile. “If you want to keep that arm, you’d best be getting it off my husband.” I was quoting Loretta Lynn, but this chick was probably too young and too drunk to realize that—or to figure out that Dusty and I weren’t married.
“Hear that?” Dusty was still gazing at me with a beatific smile. “She called me her husband. I think I like that. Angel, will you marry me?”
“Ask me again when you’re sober, and I’ll consider it.”
Dusty gave the redhead a nudge. “Get up now, ma’am. You’re sitting in my Angel’s chair.”
The girl hesitated just long enough to annoy me. Raising my right arm, I casually pushed up my sleeve. I’m not very tall, nor have I ever been what anyone would call intimidating, but she took the hint and scurried off like a scared rabbit.
Dusty didn’t even seem to notice she was gone. “I love you, Angel. Take me home now. Please?”
“Not yet,” I replied. “I haven’t accomplished anywhere near what I’d hoped to tonight. Why don’t you sober up and explain to Jenny what a mistake she’s making—as soon as she comes back, anyway. Where is she?”
“I think she might have gone to the restroom,” Caroline said. “I don’t know where Bull is, but—”
A quick survey of the room was all it took to spot him. “Never mind. I see him. He’s over by the bar, hitting on the redhead. Be right back.”
I gave Dusty a quick kiss before heading off to find Jenny. I corralled her as she was coming out of the ladies’ room.
“Dammit, Jenny,” I snapped. “You’ve been dancing with the wrong guy.” Pointing a surreptitious finger at Troy, I ticked off his attributes. “Bigger dick, fabulous ass, twenty-minute turnaround time, and unlike lightbulb head there, he’s a real sweetie. You do the math.”
“But isn’t he the one you—?”
“Forget about me,” I said with an impatient stomp of my foot. “Trust me, I don’t need him anymore—haven’t you been paying attention? So what if he doesn’t have a handlebar mustache? Troy would probably grow one if you asked him nicely. Bull may have a gorgeous mustache, but he’s a complete asshole.”
“But—”
“But nothing. See for yourself. He’s already gone off in search of easier game. Troy, on the other hand, is having a pretty good time with your friend Caroline, so you’d better get cracking. I brought two perfectly good cowboys with me tonight. Why you had to pick the one I’d just as soon have left at home is beyond me.”
“Troy is handsome,” she admitted. “Who’s the other one?”
“That’s Joe. He’s a real sweetie, too. Plus, he’s got the biggest dick you’ll ever see without renting a video, although I probably shouldn’t admit to knowing that from firsthand observation. Trust me, you could do a lot worse.”
Scowling, she pursed her lips in a pout. “He’s not very good-looking.”
“But he’s a helluva nice guy. Great kisser, too. You of all people should know looks aren’t everything. Even Troy will tell you he gets away with murder because he’s so damn charming. He knows it and uses it to his advantage. Joe might play on your sympathy a bit, but he’s really quite likable. If he hadn’t been so shy I might’ve fallen for him myself.”
Jenny didn’t seem convinced. “I’m sure he’s wonderful and all that, but when you bring along someone who looks like the man of my dreams, what did you expect?”
Knowing what I did about Bull, I couldn’t imagine he would resemble the man of anyone’s dreams. Jenny needed to have her eyes checked.
“I expected you to learn from your previous mistakes. Cody never could understand why the really pretty girls always went for the biggest pricks. I’ve never understood it myself. Why is that? Can you tell me?”
All she did was stand there looking at me, her face as blank as a clean sheet of paper.
I threw up my hands in defeat. “Okay. I give up. The ball’s in your court now. I promised my guys I’d help them meet some women who weren’t in it for the money. The rest is up to them—and you. Obviously I’m not much of a matchmaker. But please, consider yourself warned. Bull is not—and I repeat, not—relationship-worthy.”
Jenny might’ve acknowledged me with a nod, but that didn’t stop her from aiming a longing gaze at Bull. Resigned to her being a hopeless case, I stomped off to the restroom, washing my hands of the whole mess. I shouldn’t have been surprised. My family hardly ever heeded my advice—even though my suggestions usually proved to be the best options. Most of the time, anyway.
As
if I weren’t already irritated enough, I made the mistake of noticing the other women in the restroom were all young, lithe, and beautiful. Bare midriffs flowed upward to tight, scoop-necked tops that clung lovingly to round, succulent breasts. Tight jeans hung low on hips that probably had no panties on them at all, unless they were wearing thongs. I sighed, shaking my head, before making the even more disastrous mistake of glancing in the mirror.
I must admit, I looked better than usual. My hair was twisted up in a clip as Dusty had suggested rather than in my usual braids. The deep cranberry shade of my V-necked top went well with my complexion. Like everyone else, I wore boots and jeans, and they didn’t look half bad, despite my rather round figure.
But I was nothing compared to the other occupants of the room. Their torsos alone were longer than my entire body. I was undeniably older than any of them, and I had never been as stunning even when I was their age—not bad, but certainly not stunning. Did any of them realize how lucky they were to have been born beautiful?
Probably not.
Needless to say, I returned to our table feeling rather low.
Dusty sat there alone. At first glance he seemed as forlorn as I was. But he smiled when he saw me coming—that sweet, crooked smile that always warmed me all the way to my toes. Suddenly, I felt much, much better.
“Where’d everyone go? Home?”
He shook his head. “Dancing.” Even our attentive waitress seemed to have neglected him; his beer bottle was conspicuously empty. Spotting the waitress, I waved her over and ordered another round. Dusty opted to forgo the beer and drink Coke along with me this time. Having placed our order, I turned my chair around to face him, running my hand over his cast.
“How long before you get this thing off?”
“Another three weeks,” he replied. “I can’t wait. It’s been a total pain in the ass.”
An amused smile played across my lips. “I’m sure it is, but at least it kept you close to home where I could see more of you.”
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