daring kind of way when I saw her dance on the mechanical bull out at Sullivan’s Bar at the truck stop. She’d seemed pretty normal then. Now? She freaked me out. Why did she keep staring at me? I swear, there was hunger in her eyes, as if she wanted to devour me rather than the food she’d pretty much thrown on the floor. Were they wanting a threesome or something? Is that what was up?
Wow. That was new for me, and I’d done some pretty kinky shit. Girls weren’t exactly my thing, although if I did do a girl, I guess I’d do her. She was gorgeous, with big green eyes, smooth, bronze skin that I would kill for, and light brown curls that fell past her shoulders. A little curvier than mine, her body was pretty hot, too. And him? Yeah, I’d taken advantage of his drunken state before for a reason—talk about a body to die for, and those blue eyes and dimples melted bones—but I’d never been rejected by a guy before, especially not a drunk one. If she hadn’t made my day go from bad to worse, maybe I would have considered a roll in the hay with both of them. Or maybe not. Damn. I was going to hell just thinking about it.
“Here, let me help you.” Crazy girl was on her knees next to me, reaching her hands out to scoop the pile of chicken, taters and gravy, greens, and broken plate.
I moved my arm in front of her, blocking her hands. The last thing Elizabeth and Aunt Faye needed was a lawsuit because she cut her hands open. Yankee out-of-towners would be all over that shit.
“Oh, no, I’ll take care of it,” I insisted. “You just sit down and don’t worry your pretty little head over it. Your food will be out in a minute.”
The bus tray was pulled away, though, as a new pair of jean-clad legs knelt down beside me.
“I got this,” said a familiar male voice that made my belly quiver and my throat tighten even though I hadn’t heard it in years. “Go get her food.”
My eyes slowly lifted, taking in the jeans that strained across thick thigh muscles, the wide belt buckle at the narrow waist, the Stu’s Bait and Tackle tan t-shirt that stretched over pecs, shoulders, and biceps that had been smaller when the shirt was bought, and up to full lips spread into a smile and hazel eyes framed by dark lashes longer than Sissy’s fake ones staring at me from under a red baseball cap. As if I didn’t have a thing for guys in baseball caps. As if I hadn’t once had a thing for this particular guy. As if I’d thought my day couldn’t get any crappier.
“Go on now,” Ty Daniels insisted. “You’re lettin’ her food get cold.”
Without a word, I stood and strode for the kitchen, and not because crazy girl’s plate was ready yet or because I was following Ty’s orders, but because I needed a moment. Lots of moments.
“What the hell is he doin’ back?” I seethed out loud as soon as the kitchen door swung closed. I leaned against the wall and stomped my foot. Yeah, I actually stomped my foot. And my hands formed fists at my sides. My eyes stung, but with tears of anger and frustration. I will not cry over him. I will not cry over him .
“Oh, baby girl, I meant to tell ya,” Elizabeth said as she wrapped her arms around me. She’d been my boss for years, as well as a friend—as good a friend as a boss could be. Since Grams died two months ago, she’d kind of taken on a mama role because my own mama had run out years ago. Well, she’d found a way to wiggle herself back into our lives recently, but she hadn’t been a real mama to me since … since I was born, really. Grams, God rest her soul, pretty much raised my sister and me the best she could. “I heard he came in overnight.”
How had I not noticed? He lived next door to me. Was he staying somewhere else? Of course, I’d left home before the butt-crack of dawn this morning, so his trailer was probably still dark. It didn’t matter. I drew in a deep breath and forced my heart to slow to normal.
“It’s okay,” I said through
Wow. That was new for me, and I’d done some pretty kinky shit. Girls weren’t exactly my thing, although if I did do a girl, I guess I’d do her. She was gorgeous, with big green eyes, smooth, bronze skin that I would kill for, and light brown curls that fell past her shoulders. A little curvier than mine, her body was pretty hot, too. And him? Yeah, I’d taken advantage of his drunken state before for a reason—talk about a body to die for, and those blue eyes and dimples melted bones—but I’d never been rejected by a guy before, especially not a drunk one. If she hadn’t made my day go from bad to worse, maybe I would have considered a roll in the hay with both of them. Or maybe not. Damn. I was going to hell just thinking about it.
“Here, let me help you.” Crazy girl was on her knees next to me, reaching her hands out to scoop the pile of chicken, taters and gravy, greens, and broken plate.
I moved my arm in front of her, blocking her hands. The last thing Elizabeth and Aunt Faye needed was a lawsuit because she cut her hands open. Yankee out-of-towners would be all over that shit.
“Oh, no, I’ll take care of it,” I insisted. “You just sit down and don’t worry your pretty little head over it. Your food will be out in a minute.”
The bus tray was pulled away, though, as a new pair of jean-clad legs knelt down beside me.
“I got this,” said a familiar male voice that made my belly quiver and my throat tighten even though I hadn’t heard it in years. “Go get her food.”
My eyes slowly lifted, taking in the jeans that strained across thick thigh muscles, the wide belt buckle at the narrow waist, the Stu’s Bait and Tackle tan t-shirt that stretched over pecs, shoulders, and biceps that had been smaller when the shirt was bought, and up to full lips spread into a smile and hazel eyes framed by dark lashes longer than Sissy’s fake ones staring at me from under a red baseball cap. As if I didn’t have a thing for guys in baseball caps. As if I hadn’t once had a thing for this particular guy. As if I’d thought my day couldn’t get any crappier.
“Go on now,” Ty Daniels insisted. “You’re lettin’ her food get cold.”
Without a word, I stood and strode for the kitchen, and not because crazy girl’s plate was ready yet or because I was following Ty’s orders, but because I needed a moment. Lots of moments.
“What the hell is he doin’ back?” I seethed out loud as soon as the kitchen door swung closed. I leaned against the wall and stomped my foot. Yeah, I actually stomped my foot. And my hands formed fists at my sides. My eyes stung, but with tears of anger and frustration. I will not cry over him. I will not cry over him .
“Oh, baby girl, I meant to tell ya,” Elizabeth said as she wrapped her arms around me. She’d been my boss for years, as well as a friend—as good a friend as a boss could be. Since Grams died two months ago, she’d kind of taken on a mama role because my own mama had run out years ago. Well, she’d found a way to wiggle herself back into our lives recently, but she hadn’t been a real mama to me since … since I was born, really. Grams, God rest her soul, pretty much raised my sister and me the best she could. “I heard he came in overnight.”
How had I not noticed? He lived next door to me. Was he staying somewhere else? Of course, I’d left home before the butt-crack of dawn this morning, so his trailer was probably still dark. It didn’t matter. I drew in a deep breath and forced my heart to slow to normal.
“It’s okay,” I said through
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