you?”
Olivia whipped around, seeing her brother leaning in the doorway of the kitchen. “What?” She forced a laugh. “Why would you say that?”
“I’m your brother, and I’ve kind of known you your whole life.” He inched closer. “And my leg may be out of a commission, but I didn’t go blind.” Kris’s face scrunched as if he’d just smelled something that had gone bad. “You couldn’t keep your eyes off him.”
“Please,” she blurted out, heading for the sofa. Olivia dropped onto the cushion. “You’re out of your mind.” She glanced up. “You sure a piece of that shrapnel didn’t lodge in your head?”
Kris came forward until he stood next to her. “Smartass.”
Olivia dropped her gaze to her lap. “Bite me.”
“Mandrake’s not going to be staying around. Just like before, when he’s done here, he’s going to up and head back to wherever the hell he came from. He’ll hurt you, Livvy. Don’t allow him to mess up what you and Taylor have. McDaniel is solid, reliable. You can count on him.”
Her brother was right. She knew he was. So how come every sentence out of his mouth selling Taylor over Eion felt like another cinch in the band squeezing her chest? “I know that. You don’t have to convince me what a great guy I have. I’ve known Taylor a lot longer than you.” Olivia shook her head. “And I’m not falling for Eion, so don’t get your boxer briefs in a wad.”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded, but the tone said you’re lying through your teeth . “I’m just saying…that’s all.” He turned back toward his bedroom. “Watch yourself around him, Sis.” He stopped and looked back over his shoulder, his gaze snagging hers. “You weren’t the only one whose eyes couldn’t stay put.”
***
Olivia stopped under the glow of The Dry Well ’s neon sign and checked the time on her phone. Fifteen after nine. Only a few minutes late.
Inside, Josie waved to her from the bank of pool tables on the other side of the saloon. Olivia hustled over and gave her a quick hug. “Sorry I’m late. Thanks for meeting me for a little girl’s night out.”
“Oh, you’re fine,” Josie said. “And you know it. Any chance to hang out with my BFF after hours.” She lifted her beer for a salute, and Olivia grabbed the one Josie had waiting for her. They clinked their bottles.
“Between your brother’s injury, and you and Taylor,” she said, emphasis on Liv’s partner’s name, “you and I don’t get to do this often enough.”
“I know. We’re going to have to correct that.”
“So what’s the occasion?” Josie grasped her pool cue and chalked the end. She moved to the end of the table, gave the cue ball a hard crack, and scattered the multi-colored billiard balls.
“Well, speaking of Taylor,” Olivia took another swig of her Bud, “he asked me to marry him.”
Josie’s next shot missed the cue ball, nearly leaving a groove in the velvet. “What?” Her head popped up. She squealed, dropped her stick, and flew around the table. “Oh, my God.” Josie yanked her into a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you.” She pulled back, holding Olivia’s shoulders, and her smile faltered. “You did say yes, right?”
“Not exactly.” Olivia sighed.
“Oh.” Josie’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” she added, her voice hushed. “What happened? When and where did he ask you?”
“A couple of days ago, at the steak house.”
“A couple of days ago!” Josie gasped. “And you’re just telling me now?”
“I know…I should have called you.” Olivia gave her friend a pained smile, and then took her turn at the table, sinking a ball in the pocket. “Work has kept me so busy, and we lost one of our herd that night… It’s been a rough few days.” Liv then went on to fill Josie in with the details of the proposal, leaving out her run-in with Eion. No need to go there.
Batting her eyelashes, Josie sighed. “That man of yours is so romantic.”
“Yes. I
Olivia whipped around, seeing her brother leaning in the doorway of the kitchen. “What?” She forced a laugh. “Why would you say that?”
“I’m your brother, and I’ve kind of known you your whole life.” He inched closer. “And my leg may be out of a commission, but I didn’t go blind.” Kris’s face scrunched as if he’d just smelled something that had gone bad. “You couldn’t keep your eyes off him.”
“Please,” she blurted out, heading for the sofa. Olivia dropped onto the cushion. “You’re out of your mind.” She glanced up. “You sure a piece of that shrapnel didn’t lodge in your head?”
Kris came forward until he stood next to her. “Smartass.”
Olivia dropped her gaze to her lap. “Bite me.”
“Mandrake’s not going to be staying around. Just like before, when he’s done here, he’s going to up and head back to wherever the hell he came from. He’ll hurt you, Livvy. Don’t allow him to mess up what you and Taylor have. McDaniel is solid, reliable. You can count on him.”
Her brother was right. She knew he was. So how come every sentence out of his mouth selling Taylor over Eion felt like another cinch in the band squeezing her chest? “I know that. You don’t have to convince me what a great guy I have. I’ve known Taylor a lot longer than you.” Olivia shook her head. “And I’m not falling for Eion, so don’t get your boxer briefs in a wad.”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded, but the tone said you’re lying through your teeth . “I’m just saying…that’s all.” He turned back toward his bedroom. “Watch yourself around him, Sis.” He stopped and looked back over his shoulder, his gaze snagging hers. “You weren’t the only one whose eyes couldn’t stay put.”
***
Olivia stopped under the glow of The Dry Well ’s neon sign and checked the time on her phone. Fifteen after nine. Only a few minutes late.
Inside, Josie waved to her from the bank of pool tables on the other side of the saloon. Olivia hustled over and gave her a quick hug. “Sorry I’m late. Thanks for meeting me for a little girl’s night out.”
“Oh, you’re fine,” Josie said. “And you know it. Any chance to hang out with my BFF after hours.” She lifted her beer for a salute, and Olivia grabbed the one Josie had waiting for her. They clinked their bottles.
“Between your brother’s injury, and you and Taylor,” she said, emphasis on Liv’s partner’s name, “you and I don’t get to do this often enough.”
“I know. We’re going to have to correct that.”
“So what’s the occasion?” Josie grasped her pool cue and chalked the end. She moved to the end of the table, gave the cue ball a hard crack, and scattered the multi-colored billiard balls.
“Well, speaking of Taylor,” Olivia took another swig of her Bud, “he asked me to marry him.”
Josie’s next shot missed the cue ball, nearly leaving a groove in the velvet. “What?” Her head popped up. She squealed, dropped her stick, and flew around the table. “Oh, my God.” Josie yanked her into a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you.” She pulled back, holding Olivia’s shoulders, and her smile faltered. “You did say yes, right?”
“Not exactly.” Olivia sighed.
“Oh.” Josie’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” she added, her voice hushed. “What happened? When and where did he ask you?”
“A couple of days ago, at the steak house.”
“A couple of days ago!” Josie gasped. “And you’re just telling me now?”
“I know…I should have called you.” Olivia gave her friend a pained smile, and then took her turn at the table, sinking a ball in the pocket. “Work has kept me so busy, and we lost one of our herd that night… It’s been a rough few days.” Liv then went on to fill Josie in with the details of the proposal, leaving out her run-in with Eion. No need to go there.
Batting her eyelashes, Josie sighed. “That man of yours is so romantic.”
“Yes. I
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