“Seth Landers.”
“I know. I mean...” She glanced back at her table. “Rachel mentioned it. Rachel McAllister... Gunderson, actually.”
“Ah. She say anything else?”
“Hmm. Not that I recall.” Her gaze went to Nikki. “Do you have something I can use on the floor? A rag maybe?”
“Should I get the mop?”
“No, it’s just an itty-bitty spot, but someone could slip,” Hannah said, staring at her feet.
She was pretty. Brown eyes, brown hair, a heart-shaped face, nothing that stood out. But pretty all the same. Nice smile. Yeah, she had a real nice smile. If she weren’t drunk and a friend of Rachel’s, he would’ve gone for her.
The minute he walked in he’d pegged her as a guest at the Sundance. Before he’d moved back to help his brother run their family ranch, Seth had heard the McAllisters had opened a dude ranch separate from their cattle operation. What he hadn’t known was that their guests were mostly twenty-something women, a good many of them looking for vacation flings.
A couple of hired men had been scoring left and right, but Paxton and Joe had made a deal not to clue Seth in on their little gold mine. Then last week Joe had let it slip. Dumb greedy bastards. Seth had threatened them with a month of flood irrigation duty, a chore that made for endlessly long days. That would teach them. They’d be too damn tired to dip their buckets in anybody’s well.
He smiled thinking about the looks on their faces, even though they knew he never would’ve done anything like that. Guess it was easy for them to forget he was their boss. Up until seven months ago, he hadn’t been around all that much.
It bothered him to think about what a shit he’d been, sullen and uncommunicative, mad at the world and leaving the responsibility of the Whispering Pines to his dad and brother. Clint had suffered the brunt of it. But Seth was here to stay, making it up to his brother, hell, his whole family, for as long as it took. He just needed to stay out of trouble and let time heal.
Rag in hand, Nikki started to come around the bar but stopped for a guy wanting his mug refilled.
“I’ll get it, Nikki.” Seth reached across the bar.
“No,” Hannah said, trying to snatch the rag from him. “It was my fault. I’ll do it.”
He got off the stool, and when she stubbornly refused to move, he crouched down right in front of her, putting his face level with her crotch.
Not a wise move. His thoughts shot in every direction but the right one, while his body reacted as if he’d never been with a woman before. For Christ’s sake, it wasn’t as if he could see anything.
It seemed he’d mopped half the floor before he finally trusted himself to stand.
Hannah hadn’t moved, other than to place both hands on her slim, curvy hips and frown at him.
“You’re welcome,” he said, and dropped the rag into Nikki’s outstretched hand.
“Thank you.” Hannah inched back and came up against a stool.
He hadn’t meant to crowd her. He quickly got out of her way and returned to his seat.
She had a pleasant scent, nothing floral or cloying. Maybe it was just her. Seth normally didn’t care for perfumes of any kind. Even her breath smelled nice, no hint of booze. He’d heard her massacre that song, though. He wondered if she was that gutsy when she was sober.
He returned to his seat just as Nikki set another water on the bar.
“Here you go,” she said to Hannah. “I’ll let you open this one.”
Hannah laughed. “God, you’d think I was drunk.”
In mid-sip, Seth chuckled and nearly sprayed her. Wouldn’t that have been a hell of a thing? He lowered the mug and wiped his mouth.
“Nice meeting you, Seth. And thanks again.”
“Any time.” He turned just enough to watch her walk back to the table without being obvious.
She had a nice backside view in those slim-fitting jeans. The heels on the snazzy boots made her look taller. By his estimate, without them, she was around five-six.
A few seconds after Hannah sat down, Rachel jumped up. So did the blonde sitting with them, but she lingered with Hannah while Rachel approached the bar.
“Hey, Seth. How’s the family?”
“Good. Working hard.”
“I know what you mean,” she said and motioned for Nikki, who nodded as she poured drinks at the other end. “We sure don’t need any more of these scorching hot summers.” Rachel shrugged. “Could be worse, I suppose. I pity the ranchers in Texas.”
“Amen to that. How’s the dude ranch business treating you?”
“The money’s decent. And mostly it’s been fun.” Rachel grinned. “My brothers might tell you otherwise.”
“I met Hannah,” he said, as if Rachel and half the people in the joint hadn’t noticed. “I assume she’s a guest?”
“She’s from Dallas and staying at the Sundance, although I invited her to stay with Matt and me. We’re old college friends.”
Nikki brought a foaming mug with her and set it in front of him.
“Ah, no, thanks. One’s my limit. Unless you want to drive me home.” He wasn’t hitting on her. She knew it and just laughed.
Rachel’s soft smile told him she recalled the trouble he’d gotten into years ago. Folks in this flyspeck town had long memories. Rachel wasn’t judging, though, and he appreciated that.
“Your beer is warm and flat by now,” Nikki said. “Just drink what you want and I’ll pour out the rest.”
“Listen, Nik,” Rachel said. “I need to run up to Kalispell for Matt. He needs a part for the tractor by morning.”
“What’s the matter?” Nikki asked. “He can’t get it himself?”
“He could, except I was supposed to pick it up yesterday, and I forgot. Just like he said I would. So, of course I’m not admitting to it. Anyway, I should be back before you close. If I’m not, can you give Hannah a lift to the Sundance?”
“You’re leaving her here?” Seth said, before Nikki could answer or he had stopped to think.
Both women gave him strange looks. He was touchy about leaving someone who was drunk on their own. Nikki was a relative newcomer and wouldn’t understand. But Rachel did. His own hang-up aside, it surprised him that she’d abandon her friend.
“Well, yeah, I can’t imagine she’d like driving to a garage. She’ll have more fun here. Even Jamie doesn’t want to go. She’s meeting Cole.”
Hell, it was none of his business. He glanced over and saw a young cowboy hitting on her. Hannah was going to get plenty of that kind of attention. Could be what she wanted.
“I don’t mind taking her,” Nikki said. “But it’ll be late, unless Sadie comes in and closes up.”
“Like I said, I hope to be back by ten. Possibly elevenish.” Rachel paused. “Seth? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he muttered, dragging his gaze away from Hannah. Nah, he had to say something. “You really think it’s a good idea to leave her here alone?”
“Um, she’s twenty-eight. I’m pretty sure she can take care of herself.”
“But she’s drunk.”
Rachel grinned. “No, she’s not.”
“Hell, I’m not judging.” He glanced at Nikki. “You know I’d be the last one to do that.”
“I get why you think she is,” Rachel said, laughing. “She just can’t sing.”
Seth wasn’t buying it. Nobody in their right mind would get on that stage and do what she did to that song.
“I hope you bring her back in before she leaves,” Nikki said. “That was priceless.”
“I’ll admit, I called in a chit from our college days. She wasn’t all that anxious to get up there. But she’s fearless. I knew she’d do it.”
A blonde waitress walked past them, waving an order ticket.
Seth didn’t recognize her, but then he’d been gone most of the last ten years. She gave him a sassy smile, and he smiled back. But she had to be a local and he didn’t want to go there, so he broke eye contact quickly. Too bad about Hannah being Rachel’s friend.
“Kristen, same thing?” Nikki got a nod and grabbed the tequila from the back shelf. “Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll get Hannah to the Sundance,” Nikki said, and started toward Kristen waiting at the end of the bar.
“Thanks,” Rachel said. “Oh, Seth, how about you? If you’re still around and Nikki has to close, any chance you can give Hannah a ride?”
He heard Nikki laugh, caught a brief glimpse of her giving Rachel an eye-roll. So maybe Hannah being a friend wasn’t a problem at all. “Sure,” he said. “Count on it.”
2
NOT LONG AFTER Rachel left, Hannah took Seth up on his offer to drive her to the Sundance. She’d resisted at first, not wanting to impose, but it seemed he wasn’t going to leave the bar without her. Once they were outside, he gestured to the right. “My truck’s that way.”
Hannah hesitated. “Tell me the truth,” she said giving it a final try. “Did Rachel twist your arm? Because, honestly, I don’t mind waiting for Nikki.”
“Nah, I figured I’d play hero and rescue you from the masses.”
She still wasn’t sure she believed him, and she would’ve told him just that, if it weren’t for that ridiculously charming smile of his. It was a tad crooked, the corner of his mouth hiking up slightly higher on one side. The adorably boyish look was an amazing contrast to the dark intensity of his eyes. “Those guys had to be pretty drunk to ask me for an encore.”
Seth chuckled. “That’s downtown Saturday night for you. Up ahead is the Full Moon Saloon. Been open almost a year now. Before that, we had only the one bar.”
“Wow. The Watering Hole is kind of small, too.”
“The Full Moon is supposed to be a lot bigger. I heard they have live music some nights and a mechanical bull in the back.”
“You haven’t checked it out yet?”
He shook his head. “I’d been away for a while. I moved back seven months ago but I don’t come to town much.”
Hannah got the feeling he didn’t really want to talk about himself so she held her curiosity at bay. Anyway, she could get all the information she wanted from Rachel. “Well, Montana is beautiful country, so green, and the mountains are breathtaking. I don’t understand how you could’ve left in the first place.”
“It won’t be all that green for much longer. Not with the heat we’ve been having.”
“Well, I’m from Dallas, and it’s been exceptionally hot for a couple years now.”
“Yeah, Rachel mentioned you’re from there.” He was over six feet tall, with long legs that could probably go much faster but he stayed at a nice comfortable pace that better suited her.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Texas, but excuse me for not being sympathetic when you say it won’t be green much longer.”
“I’ve been there,” he said. “I seem to recall some nice areas.”
“Of course there are, mostly in the Hill Country, but overall it’s been so dry and just...brown and ugly.”
“Yep, the drought has hurt a lot of folks—ranchers, farmers and ultimately the consumer.” He gestured to a sign posted in the window of a bakery. “As a matter of fact, there’s going to be a town meeting on the topic.”
Hannah had been too busy looking at the bakery’s name. The Cake Whisperer. Cute. She caught only a quick glimpse of the handwritten sign as they walked past it. “Grazing permits. What does that have to do with the drought?”
“Cattle have to eat,” he said. “If you don’t have enough grass on your own land, you have to find some. It just so happens the government owns a good deal of prime grazing land,” Seth said, with an enigmatic smile that revealed nothing of his political leaning.
Something that Hannah understood. Discussions about politics and religion always made her edgy. “So, the local ranchers can get a permit and let their cows graze on government grass?”
“For a fee, yes. And not just local ranchers, some of whom have been using the land for decades without a permit. Hence, the emergency meeting. It’s a touchy subject around here. That’s why I stay out of it.”
“Huh.” She wondered if her father knew anything about grazing permits or had thought about looking beyond Texas. Depending on shipping costs, leasing land here could solve his problem. Maybe she’d poke around and get some info.
Right now, though, she was more interested in Seth. His language surprised her. With his scuffed boots, worn jeans and blue T-shirt, he looked like a typical cowboy. Sometimes he sounded like one, and other times not at all. Now she really wanted to grill Rachel about him. What had she said about him having issues?
“Ask me,” he said with an air of amusement.
At the sudden realization she’d been staring, she blinked. “Ask you what?”
“Whatever it is that’s got you thinking so hard.”
Tempting, but no, she’d wait for Rachel. It was possible the night could end really well and she didn’t want to mess things up. “Where did you park? The next county?”
Seth stopped and opened the passenger door of a late model, dark gray truck. “Here we go.”
“Is this yours?”
“No, but it’s closer,” he said, pulling the door wide. “Go ahead. We’re all friends here. We swap vehicles all the time.”
Hannah opened her mouth to ask if he was joking, then closed it without a word.
He laughed. “Of course it’s mine.”
“I knew that,” she said, glaring up at him.
Humor lit his eyes. He really was very good-looking and it was all she could do not to touch his dimpled chin.
Before she gave in to the impulse, she looked up at the June sky filled with stars. So many that she couldn’t keep count if she tried.
“Sorry,” she said, when it registered that he was waiting for her. “The sky is so beautiful out here.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” His gaze swept the vast expanse of inky backdrop. “I’ve visited a lot of different places, and so far nothing beats a Montana sky. Probably why I loved astronomy so much as a kid.”
“Really? Not anymore?”
“Ah, you know...” He shrugged. “Life happened.”
“I get it. Oddly enough, I was just thinking about how stargazing had been one of my favorite things to do as a little girl. Now I can’t remember the last time I slowed down long enough to look up.”
“Did you grow up in Dallas?”
“No. My parents own a small ranch a couple hours west of the city in the middle of nowhere.”
“A ranch?” His brows went up. “No kidding?”
Hannah wished she hadn’t told him that part. He’d expect her to know things about ranching. But her father hadn’t taught her anything, or wanted her around. He’d considered her a nuisance. “When I say small, that’s not an exaggeration.”
“But your folks raise cattle?” he asked, and she nodded. “How many head?”
“I’m guessing around a hundred. My dad works by himself.”
“That’s not as small as you think. Statistically speaking, fifty head is closer to the average. But, yep, he could easily handle a herd that size alone.”
She started to climb into the truck but it was a high step up so she accepted the help he offered. His hand was big and strong, with long, lean fingers, and his palm was not nearly as tough as she’d expected.
Once she was seated and buckling up, he closed the door and came around to slide behind the wheel. Just as he was going to start the engine, his cell phone buzzed and he took a quick look at it. Then he checked his watch.
“Honestly, you don’t have to drive me anywhere,” Hannah said. “I can wait for Rachel or Nikki.”
“If it was a problem, I’d tell you. I don’t have anything I need to do at the moment.” He put his phone on the console and started the truck. A country music song blasted from the speakers and he quickly turned off the radio. “I wanted to get away from the ranch for a while. That’s all.”
“You were in the bar for less than an hour. That’s not much of a—” She sighed at the smile tugging at his mouth. Okay, so she’d noticed him when he’d first come in. So what?
At the sound of laughter she turned and saw two couples leaving a steak house. Once they were on the sidewalk, the women tried awfully hard to see through the truck’s tinted windows. The shorter brunette smiled and waved.
Seth waved back. “So,” he said, “what do you want to do? Go straight to the Sundance? Go for a ride? Get something to eat?”
Excitement flared, then the truth hit her. “That tricky little—Rachel had me convinced this was all because she had to run to get a part for Matt. I swear I’m gonna kill her.”
“I don’t think I can help you with that,” he said, and pulled the truck away from the curb. “But I will need to know which direction to go.”
“The Sundance, I guess,” Hannah said, and he looked disappointed, so that was some consolation. “How well do you know her?”
“Rachel? Not all that well. We went to different high schools. I know her brothers.”
“Well, I love her dearly but she has a nasty little habit of trying to fix up her friends. Or anyone.” Hannah snorted. “She’s horrible about it.”
“Oh, that’s right,” he said with a slow nod. “She used to piss off Cole and Jesse.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me one bit.” Hannah cleared her throat. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure that’s why she asked you to give me a ride. I mean, I’m only here for a week, but—well, who knows what she was thinking...”
Seth didn’t respond. He had no reaction at all, and not because he needed to pay attention to traffic. Main Street was practically dead.
Sizzling Summer Nights Page 2