Sometime later, her laugh drew him back to her. “I hope you weren’t really sold on that most delicious gourmet roast beef sandwich I made you,” she said.
“Why?” he asked against her neck.
“Oh, because of that.”
He followed her gaze, and then glared at Houdini, whose butt was sticking out of the plastic bag. “The lure of food finally woke him from his puppy sleep coma.” The pup suddenly backed away, yanking the sandwich out with him. Chase ignored that and slid off to the side of Harper, keeping her in his arms, feeling the exhaustion of the day combined with the sex catching up to him.
“Should we stop him?” she asked a moment later when more rustling indicated Houdini was going in for seconds.
He shook his head and locked his arms around her. “Stay close. Just for a little while.”
A few minutes later, a sudden beep on her cell broke through Houdini’s chewing, followed by three more beeps. Chase snorted against the top of her head. “That lasted long.”
“I better get those.” Harper leaned away for a moment, reached for her shorts, and grabbed her cell. After examining her phone, she said, “It’s a text from Megan, Emma, Brody, and Faith.” She laughed then dropped her phone onto the blanket. “I guess Megan heard about the engagement. She’s throwing Brody and Faith a party tonight, as well as a going-away party for me.”
“Well, I’m sure my team will understand if I sneak out for a couple hours,” Chase said, eyes shut.
Harper paused. Then, “We should probably get going. We need to get you something else to eat. I need to get ready.”
“Not yet.” He snatched her up, bringing her close against him, locking his arms around her again. “Just a little bit longer.” She felt good in his arms. Soon, he would have to let go.
Right now, he didn’t.
Chapter 8
That night, Harper arrived at Kinky Spurs ten minutes late for work. Maybe before she would have cared, but now everything had changed. There was something desperate in the way Chase had held her in the tree house, telling her that he needed that extra half an hour to get his head straight. Sometimes it was worth being late, and deep down, she hoped he saw that sometimes it was worth not doing the right thing all the time because someone you cared about in your life needed you.
She supposed that was where they were opposites. She lived in the moment. He thought things through. Sometimes too much. She guessed everyone had a flaw, and the thing that made Chase who he was also stood as the biggest obstacle in their way.
Trying to get her mind off all the emotional things her heart wanted to feel and yet could not, she tended bar for the last couple of hours, keeping an eye on all the customers, ensuring they got served as fast as possible. Harper’s replacement, Bethany, a pretty brunette with short hair and violet streaks at the front, ended up not needing much training at all. She was at the other end of the bar, handling the customers like a pro.
Most of the people there tonight were old friends of Brody’s from high school and his coworkers from the auto shop and their partners. Harper didn’t have close high school friends who lived in River Rock anymore, since her three best friends from high school had all moved away to bigger cities and had young families now. But Emma was there working the bar to help out with the party, with Megan on the other side of her. Across the bar, near the mechanical bull by the dart board, Chase sat at a round table next to Brody.
With the live band playing on stage blasting country music through the bar, she smiled, not needing dozens of people there anyway. Everyone she cared about was within these walls.
Chase must have sensed her staring at him. His gaze flicked to hers, and he gave her a tight smile, tripping her heart. Ever since they left the tree house, he had exuded heady tension. From his clenched jaw to his haunted eyes, she ached to go and kiss him like crazy until his worries over the inspection melted away, though one look at Brody next to him reminded her of all the reasons that was a terrible idea. She would be gone soon. The last thing she wanted was to hurt their friendship before she left. Because Las Vegas was her dream. She knew Brody had seen the way that dream had faded away for a while after her parents died. And she also knew he had become so protective about keeping that dream alive when it came back that he would never forgive Chase if she stayed for him.
Guilt upon guilt upon guilt. The thick emotion seemed to run their lives lately.
“I see you finally got what you deserved,” Megan said, drawing Harper’s gaze away from Chase to Nash approaching with a slight limp. Beneath his worn brown cowboy hat, his cheek was bruised, and his lip had a thin split on the corner. When he slid onto the stool in front of Megan, she wiped up the spill in front of him and said, “You know, sleeping with another guy’s girlfriend is a really bad idea.”
Though it had to hurt with that cut on his lip, Nash grinned. “Freckles”—the nickname he always called Megan—“you know the only woman I want to fuck is you.”
Megan’s responding grin showed teeth. “I like my body without STIs, thank you very much.”
“Always so vicious.” He chuckled.
“Only to you, Blackshaw.” Megan headed toward the guy on Brody’s old high school football team waiting for service at the end of the bar.
Nash’s gaze followed her, focusing directly on Megan’s ass.
Harper restrained her laugh. She had never met two people who had as much sexual chemistry as Nash and Megan and did not act on it. Sure, Harper kind of understood. The Blackshaw family had big issues with Megan’s father, Clint Harrison. Being the two biggest cattle farmers in River Rock, the two men had fought over customers years back, long before any of the kids were born. When Rick Blackshaw came out on top, Clint apparently harbored a grudge. Harper was sure Megan’s mind had been poisoned for years about the Blackshaw men.
Curious now, Harper asked Nash, “Really, though, what happened to your face? Are you okay?”
“My horse did that,” Emma said, sidling up next to Harper.
Harper pointed to Nash’s face. “Bentley did that?”
Emma winced and nodded, reaching into the beer cooler and taking out two beers. “I know. It’s awful. I told Shep in passing that I hoped one day I could ride Bentley.” She twisted off the caps, tossing them into the garbage. “He got it in his head that I meant, like, now.”
“It’ll happen,” said Nash, his beer halfway to his mouth. “Some horses just put up more of a fight.” He took the long swig he’d been waiting on.
Emma frowned. “It might not happen at all if you’re dead.” She headed off toward the customer waiting for her a few stools down.
“Trust me,” Nash stated, drawing Harper’s attention back to him. “It will happen.”
When Megan returned to Harper, she grabbed three shot glasses then poured tequila into each glass. “I’m a big fan of this horse.”
Nash chuckled, the type of laugh that only a man full of arrogance could possess. “Why? Because you want me dead?”
Megan placed the bottle back onto the wall behind them and then shot Nash a sassy smile. “Because he’s saving me the job of doing it myself.”
He lowered his beer to the bar and arched an eyebrow in her direction. “Ah, but don’t you think the fight would be half the fun?”
The heat that rose to Megan’s gaze was swift and blatantly obvious. Her cheeks flushed pink, and even Harper could see the way her lips parted, indicating the rise in her pulse and need to draw in more air.
Harper pretended to look anywhere but at them as a loud whistle cut through the air.
The live band stopped playing as Brody took over the microphone on the stage. In a slightly belligerent state, he yelled, “Faith and I are getting married on Friday at Chase’s place at eight o’clock. Consider this your welcome to be there.”
The crowd roared with thunderous applause filling the bar.
Once they quieted, Emma stopped next to Harper. “Friday, as in this coming Friday?”
�
�Yup,” Harper replied.
“Talk about a fast wedding.”
Harper nodded. “He wanted me to experience it all, I think, so they’re doing this in hyper speed.”
“River Rock is such a strange place,” said Emma before turning to the register to grab change. “I can’t even imagine how they will pull that off in such a short time. Crazy.”
Farther down the bar, one of Brody’s work buddies held up two fingers. Having served him earlier, Harper grabbed two Foxy Divas then said to Emma, “As long as the important people are there, who cares about anything else. Get some booze, some snacks, and great friends, and you’re all set.”
Emma closed the register, then nodded. “You’re right. That is how it should be.” She paused. Then, “I take it you’re cooking up the snacks for the wedding?”
“You know it.”
Emma smiled. “How about I come over Friday morning and help you?”
“I’d love that.” Harper delivered the beers, taking the guy’s twenty-dollar bill and returning to the cash register right as Megan climbed onto the bar with the help of a stool.
When Harper strode by, Megan snatched her arm. “Get on up here, girl.”
“Oh, no,” Harper grumbled. She used the same stool to climb up on the slab of the bar next to Megan, followed by Emma a moment later.
“Raise your glasses, Kinky Spurs,” Megan called to the crowd before she handed one of the shots of tequila to Harper and the next one to Emma. “Our girl is leaving us. I surely don’t know what I’ll do without her. So, let’s do what we do best. Tonight, we’ll drink, and we’ll party, and we’ll celebrate not only for Brody and Faith, but let’s wish our girl, Harper, well on her move to Sin City.” She raised her shot glass. “I’m going to miss you like crazy, chica. Go and kick some serious ass in Vegas.”
Harper smiled, clinking her glass against Megan’s, then downed the tequila. When she lowered the glass, cringing against the aftertaste, Megan and Emma wrapped their arms around her tight.
In that warmth surrounding her, a confusing coldness struck to her core. Everything in their touch felt honest and real. So why did everything suddenly seem all wrong?
When they stepped back, she glanced at Chase, his gaze locked onto hers. For years she had dreamed of Las Vegas, of all the excitement, of all the recognition she would gain there as a chef. For the past month she had planned her new life. She’d found an apartment to rent. She’d booked her plane ticket. And now, for the first time, she did not feel excited anymore.
She wanted time to stop, only for a minute, so she could catch her breath again. And in the intensity burning in Chase’s eyes, she knew she wasn’t the only one.
* * *
Every person in the bar faded away, the roar of the crowd simply went quiet, and all Chase could see was her. He had seen many things in Harper’s eyes over the years of his friendship with Brody. And even more things these past three months when he had gotten to know her more intimately. He had never seen that cold sadness gripping her. It certainly made him pause. Something was going on in that pretty mind of hers.
Of course, he understood what she must be dealing with. He wasn’t sure what he would do if his dreams took him away from River Rock. She must be torn, and he sympathized with that. To want a different type of life for yourself, but not want to leave the people that matter so much, was cruel. He knew moving away must be hard for her, but he had not realized how hard until now. Everything was changing, and there was no way to hold onto the past anymore. Christ, even he felt like the future was spiraling away from him, and he couldn’t control any of it, certainly not getting back the time that seemed to be moving far too quickly.
Maybe that’s why he was indulging in a couple beers tonight.
Along the way, he had taken the straight and narrow road. He saved before he opened his company. He hired the right people. He did good work. And yet his future lay in the hands of a stranger. Part of him wanted to be at the ranch now fixing what needed fixing. The other part of him knew how important this night was for Harper and Brody.
Though now, as he watched her begin to say her goodbyes, he felt utterly cold and helpless. He could not fathom Harper not being in River Rock. His town would look bleak. Dark, even.
“Congratulations.” A hand slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the table.
Chase blinked, realizing that at some point Brody had left the table, joining some old high school friends at the dart board, with Shep settling into his place. “I don’t believe it,” Chase said. “Nash finally got Bentley to settle down?”
“Well, no.” Shep rested his beer bottle on the table between his hands. “But that kid brother of ours never gave up. I had to force him to stop for the night. I swear he’d still be out there if I hadn’t lured him with the promise of free beers.”
Chase chuckled, glancing at Nash as he got off his stool, limping his way to the restroom. “He looks sore.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s why I made him stop. Bentley proved to be much more of a fighter than even I expected.” Shep took a swig of his beer. “But it’s probably good for Nash. I don’t think it’s a bad thing for him to come off his high horse every once in a while.”
“Hear, hear.” Chase drank his beer, staring at his younger brother until Nash vanished into the bathroom. The new guest ranch was going to give Nash purpose again, something Chase imagined he had been looking for after his leave from the PBR. Chase had wondered once what was worse: never experiencing your dreams or having a taste of them then having those dreams ripped away? He still didn’t know the answer, but seeing how lost Nash seemed sometimes, he figured the latter was worse. All of which reminded him that he needed this inspection to pass. Right now, his reputation was on the line.
The live band switched to a faster song, and the crowd drew closer to the dance floor. Couples were dancing in a circle, along with a straight line of people doing a line dance.
“Who’s got the pup tonight?” Shep asked.
“Mom’s babysitting.” Chase spun his lukewarm beer bottle between his fingers.
“She actually called it babysitting?”
“I think she’s getting desperate for grandkids,” Chase explained, his gaze falling to Harper now dealing with customers behind the bar. An odd tightness filled his chest. He didn’t like knowing she was holding something in.
Wanting to go and check to make sure she was all right, he nearly rose, when Shep said, “Believe me, don’t I know it. I hear her sob story about grandkids almost every time I’m there.”
Chase smiled and stood.
Shep interjected, “Give me another sec. I wanted to talk to you earlier, but with Harper showing up, I figured it could wait.”
Chase lowered back down to the stool. “What’s up?”
Shep glanced around him then leaned forward, keeping the conversation private. “Do you know that inspector?”
Chase shook his head. “I thought he looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. You?”
“Nah, I’m sure I’ve never met him before.” Shep paused when Faith and her friends walked by the table heading for the dance floor, waiting before addressing him again. “From what I hear, the guy only moved here recently.”
Chase snorted a laugh. “I take that to mean you did some digging on him.”
Shep leaned his arms on the table, his stare focused. “I thought it was in our best interest to do so. Especially when I heard how picky this inspector was being. I became concerned that maybe he had ties with Clint.”
Chase froze. When Clint heard about Blackshaw Cattle being on the verge of bankruptcy, he’d swept in offering to buy a large portion of their land. Something they all considered seriously until Emma’s plan changed their minds. “You think Clint would play that dirty to get our land?”
“Without a doubt.” Shep nodded. “Clint had been willing to pay us ten million dollars for the land. I can only imagine we created an enemy when we turned his offer down.”
Chase consi
dered, running a hand over the scruff of his beard. “To go so far as to screw up my inspection, though?”
“It gives him a way to force our hand to sell the land.”
“You’re right.” Chase blew out a loud breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “He would play that dirty.” His gaze clicked to Megan across the bar. She had none of the calculated coldness her father had. Turning to Shep again, he asked, “You found no connection between them?”
“Thankfully, no. As far as I can tell, this guy is originally from Colorado Springs. He moved here a month ago and has no ties to Clint at all.”
Chase considered that then shook his head. “To be honest, he didn’t seem shady, just a prickly fucker.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” Shep leaned back on the stool and stretched his arms. “But I wanted to make sure that was all you were dealing with. Keep an eye on him. If anything begins to feel not right, we might want to check him out further.”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Shep studied Chase then his voice softened. “You’re not in this alone. Don’t forget that.”
“I appreciate that.” He tossed back the remainder of the warm ale, his eyes returning to Harper. Around him, the spice from the hot-as-hell chicken wings on the table behind him infused the air. He craved to replace that scent with her fruity aroma that remained imprinted on his mind. She smiled, taking the customer’s order, but behind that smile he saw her pain. He wasn’t sure how she was always so happy, even when she felt sad. He had never been like that. When he felt something, he made sure everyone knew it. Now, thinking about it, he found he liked that about her. She brightened up the world.
“I sure as hell hope you know what you’re doing.”
Chase slid his gaze back to Shep. “About what?”
“Her.” Shep flicked his chin toward Harper at the bar.
“I know what I’m doing,” Chase muttered.
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Shep stated in his firm older-brother voice, rising from his stool. “Because from where I’m sitting, you’re taking a complicated situation and making it more complicated.”
Sweet-Loving Cowboy--A Kinky Spurs Novel Page 11