Lone Calder Star by Janet Dailey Page B

eyelashes, the supple grace of her body, and the heat that emanated from her.
    In spite of the rightness he felt holding Dallas in his arms, he was gripped by a growing frustration that came from knowing he didn't dare see her again-not for a while, not until this business with Rutledge was concluded not just for her sake, but for his own.
    If Max Itutledge suspected that Quint cared even a little about Dallas, it wouldn't trouble his conscience to use her as a means to get to him. Quint couldn't afford to let Rutledge have any kind of hold over him.
    After tonight, he needed to stay well away from Dallas. He had no other choice.
    John Earl Tandy stood to one side of the pool table, his hands wrapped in a stranglehold around the cue stick while he stared holes in the back of the stranger circling the dance floor with Dallas.
    It sickened him the way the stranger was coming on to her, sickened and infuriated him.
    "Hey, John Earl." Somebody poked him in the shoulder. "Have you gone deaf or something?
    It's your turn."
    John Earl turned a scowl on his fellow ranch hand, Deke Saunders. hefore he had a chance to reply, one of his other buddies spoke up. "Hell, haven't you noticed? John Earl always turns deaf, dumb and blind whenever he's in the same room with Dallas."
    "That's her dancing with that new guy from the Cee Bar, isn't it?" Deke Saunders observed.
    "Sure looks like she's getting mighty friendly with him."
    John Earl leaned onto the pool table and took aim at the white cue ball. "If you'd been watching, you'd know, he's the one getting friendly with her. I have half a notion to go over there and cut in on him."
    "Why don't you?" his other buddy, Chuck Reno, taunted.
    Page 38

    "Maybe I will." John Earl was quick to take up the challenge, straightening from the table when the cue ball took a nosedive into the corner pocket.
    "Too late," Deke informed him. "The song's over."
    John Earl turned to look, his eyes narrowing at the sight of that tanned hand riding so familiarly on Dallas's hip when the stranger guided her back to the bar.
    "Somebody needs to let that guy know he isn't welcome here," he declared stiffly. "And maybe do a little rearranging of his face at the same time."
    "Now you're talking, John Earl. Go get him," Deke urged.
    "Don't think I wouldn't like to, but I talked to him before. He's liable to remember me." He eyed the trio around him with sudden speculation. "He's never seen any of you, though."
    L.B. Brody, always the quiet one, drew back in uncertainty. "Wait a minute, John Earl. Rutledge might not like the idea of us roughing him up."
    "Hell, he's liable to pay you a bonus for it," he retorted. "And if he does, you damned well better share it with me."
    "Why should you get anything when we're the ones taking the risk?" Deke wanted to know.
    "There won't be any risk, not the way I got it figured," John Earl stated and motioned them closer to explain his plan.
    At the bar, Quint waited until Dallas had climbed onto her bar stool before he slid onto his tall seat. There was distance between them again, but it didn't eliminate the new awareness that sizzled between them. Quint knew he had to do something about that.
    He signaled to the woman behind the bar. "Two more beers, Tillie."
    Dallas spoke up quickly. "Don't order any for me. I still have half of mine."
    "But that's warm by now," he countered smoothly.
    "It's not that warm," she insisted, sliding him a glance that was slightly confused and uncertain.
    She forced a smile. "Besides, I told you my limit was one drink. Then I have to go hit the books."
    Quint shrugged. "You can't blame a guy for trying," he said and flashed her a smile.
    "I suppose not," she agreed and studied him with a new carefulness as Tillie walked up and shoved two more beers onto the counter in front of them. "You should have listened, though.
    Now you have two beers to drink."
    Quint made no reply to that and fished more money out of his pocket, then slid it over to the