Burning the Midnight Oil: A Single Dad Small Town Romance

Chapter 36

“It’s going to be fun,” Xander coaxes as we walk into Boots and Bourbon, the bar he suckered me into going to tonight. “Trust me.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” I mumble under my breath.

The Copper Lake crew is already here, since they drove over as soon as the rodeo was over. I don’t think any of them even changed before coming. The most they did was take off their chaps—which, in my opinion, is a damn shame. Xander came with me back to my room after the rodeo so I could drop off my equipment, which is why we’re showing up later than everyone else. Luckily, the hotel I’m staying at this week is down the block from the bar, so I can drink tonight without worrying about having to drive.

My stomach is a twisty mess, knowing I’m going to be near Boone. I’ve been successful at avoiding him since we left Copper Lake almost a month ago, but I know that won’t last forever. It hasn’t been easy. I didn’t realize how attached to him I’d become until all of this shit happened. We’ve talked a few times here and there, but for the most part, I’ve tried to keep my distance. It’s for the best. Even on the nights when I go hang out with everyone at their campsite, I purposely steer clear of him, and I definitely leave well before anybody goes to bed. I think the worst thing I could do is wind up alone with him, because I don’t trust myself to keep my hands to myself. I miss him.

I’ve spoken to Jade a few times when I’ve called to check in with Suzy, but she’s holding on to her stance that we need to talk once I’m home. Apparently not a moment before. It’s all been so fucking hard. It feels like I’ve lost the people who mean the most to me, and it’s my fault. I’ve got no one to blame but myself. It was me who betrayed my sister’s trust and continued to hide it. It was me who allowed myself to develop feelings for somebody I knew I shouldn’t.

Xander practically begged me to come out tonight, and I wanted to say no at first. But then I got to thinking about it, and maybe it’ll be good for me. I’m stuck on the road with these guys, whether Boone and I are speaking or not. I might as well make the best of it. I can’t hole up in my hotel room every single night—I mean, I could, but where’s the fun in that? I’d drive myself crazy. So, reluctantly, I agreed, but now my heart is hammering as anxiety swirls inside of me.

Weaving through the crowd, we find everyone in the back corner of the bar. They’ve pushed together a couple of tables, and it looks like they’ve got a few pitchers of beer already. Xander takes the spot right beside Cope, and I sit beside him. A quick sweep of the table shows me Boone is on the other side, a few chairs down from me, and our eyes meet for the briefest moment before I look away. Of course, he’d already be looking at me.

“Wow, little Wilde finally graced us with his presence,” Shooter teases. “What a nice surprise.”

A smirk tugs on my lips as I flip him off before I pour myself a glass of beer. I don’t know what Boone has told them about why I’m not staying at the campsites, but I’m sure as shit not telling them anything. Xander knows—which in turn, probably means Cope knows too—but that’s it.

One beer quickly turns into many more as the time passes. We all order some food for the table, eating, chatting, laughing, and drinking. The more I have to drink, the happier I am that Xander forced me to come. I was right…this is what I needed. There’s no reason I can’t still have fun with everyone while also not letting myself flirt with Boone.

That doesn’t mean I’m not checking him out any chance I get, though. How can I not? He’s fucking gorgeous. He’s currently occupied, playing pool with Daisy, Sterling, and Jessie, so I can safely admire him from my seat without the risk of him noticing. Kind of a win, win, if you ask me.

“How long are you traveling with us?” I ask Xander as I pour another beer.

“Just this week.” He holds out his cup, silently asking me to refill him too. “I don’t want to be away from the animals too long, especially with the new calf.”

“Somebody is looking after them, though, right?”

“Yeah. We had one guy who we’d hired to help my aunt on a regular basis, who also helped with mine and Cope’s animals when we were both gone, but he got a new job in Cheyenne and moved away. The Hendricksons, who live on the other side of us, their son is home for the summer from college, so we’ve got him checking on them twice a day now.”

“Do you wish you were able to stay the whole season?”

“Uh, yes and no.” Xander tilts his hand in a ‘so-so’ motion. “Yes, because I miss Cope whenever we’re apart, but no, because I’d never get any work done if I was traveling the whole season. I get so caught up in everything that it’s impossible to focus.”

“That makes sense.” Movement catches over by the pool tables, and when I look over, I’m blessed with the view of Boone leaning over the table as he takes his shot. A groan sounds in the back of my throat before I can stop it at the sight of his well-worn and dust covered Wranglers stretched over his tight ass.

Xander chuckles, shaking his head. “You got it bad, my friend.”

Groaning, I scrub a hand down my face. “I do,” I admit with a huff. “I can’t even lie.”

“Have you guys talked?”

“Not really. We’ve talked here and there, but never anything worthwhile.”

“What about Jade? Have you talked to her?”

“Nope.” I down the rest of the beer in my glass. When I reach to pour another one, I notice we’re all out. “Shit, I’ll go get us some more.”

Up at the bar, I order a few more pitchers. While I wait, I glance around the room, noting how busy it’s gotten since we first arrived. It’s nearly midnight now, and it’s practically wall to wall packed. A guy who looks to be around my age steps up to the counter. He sets his empty glass down, signaling to the bartender that he wants another. We’re both probably going to be waiting a while with how busy it is.

“Hey,” he shouts over the sound of the music and the chatter.

“Hi,” I reply with a smile.

Now that I’m really looking at him, he appears older than I originally thought. Maybe closer to thirty. His hair is blonde, lighter than mine, and a bit longer too. He smells like expensive cologne, and while it smells good, it’s also a tad overdone, especially for how close he’s standing to me. His eyes are bloodshot and glassy, letting me know he’s either stoned or drunk. Maybe both.

Leaning in, he says into my ear, “You’re cute. Haven’t seen you here before.”

“Uh, thanks,” I murmur, glancing around. My eyes seem to automatically gravitate toward where Boone’s standing and, of course, he’s already looking this way, eyes narrowed. “I’m not from here.”

“Where you from?”

Good Lord, the last thing I want to do is make small talk. “Wyoming.”

“What brings you here then?” he implores, taking a small step toward me, I’m sure to be able to hear me better.

“The rodeo.”

His lips tip up into a grin. “Oh, a cowboy, are you?”

What? In what world do I look like a cowboy? “Uh, no. Actually, I?—”

The bartender sets my three pitchers of beer down in front of me, thankfully saving me from having to continue this conversation. I pull out my wallet, and hand the guy behind the counter my card. When I go to grab the handle on all three of the pitchers, the chatty guy beside me stops me.

“Here, let me help you.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” I mutter. “I think I can get it.”

“Don’t be rude,” he replies, grabbing one of the pitchers anyway. “If someone’s offering to help you, just say thank you.”

What the fuck?Is this guy for real?

“I didn’t ask for your help.” When I try to take the third pitcher from his hands, he jerks back, some of the beer sloshing over the side onto his hand.

“Hey, jackass, I don’t think he wants your help.”

At the same time, me and the stranger turn our heads to look at the source of that voice. Boone. His eyes are lasered in on the guy in front of me, and boy, does he look pissed.

“Mind your business, dude,” the guy sputters, still not giving me the pitcher.

Boone steps closer, towering over both of us at this point. “I’m not your fucking dude, dude. Now, I suggest you give him back his beer before I have to drag you outside by the collar of your preppy-ass shirt and really embarrass you.”

Holy. Fuck. Why is Boone being pissed off and threatening someone so fucking hot?

The guy is staring at Boone, wide-eyed, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. He barely looks at me before he’s shoving the pitcher my way, spilling more beer. “There. Happy?” he asks Boone.

What I swear is a growl rumbles in Boone’s throat. “No, I’m not happy. You spilled beer all over his hand. Get him some napkins before he gets all sticky.”

“Th-that won’t be nec?—”

Boone cuts me off. “No, it will be necessary, G. Nobody is going to disrespect you and get away with it.”

Annnnnd I’m officially turned on. A flush creeps across my cheeks at the authority in his voice, and the way the guy scrambles to grab a stack of napkins off the bar behind him, shoving them at me.

“Here.”

“Very good,” Boone murmurs, voice sickly sweet and slightly deranged. “Now, apologize.”

“Dude, you must be joking.”

“I thought I told you I wasn’t your fucking dude, and do I look like I’m joking? Apologize for making him uncomfortable and for spilling beer on him. Here, let’s practice.” Boone clears his throat with a fist to his chest. “Say, ‘I’m sorry for being a douchebag. I’m overcompensating for what I lack in the bedroom.’”

The guy scoffs, rearing his head back like he got sucker punched. “Fuck off, I’m not saying that.”

A maniacal grin pulls on Boone’s full lips, the mustache, I swear, making him look more evil. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, dude.” He gestures over to our friends, where they’re already all watching us. “See those guys over there?”

Dude nods.

“We’re a bunch of crazy motherfuckers who think our idea of a good fucking time is wrangling wild bulls and broncs. And we don’t much appreciate people disrespecting one of our own, and Grady here is one of us. So, I will repeat myself one time, and one time only, before I drag your ass out of here, and we all take our turns showing you how much we hate disrespect. Am I making myself clear?”

Nodding, the guy at least has the decency to look a little frightened now. Not that I blame him. Boone is a massive man, in more ways than one, and I wouldn’t want him talking to me like that. Now, watching it? That’s a whole different story.

Boone smirks. “Good. I’m waiting.”

The guy drags his wide eyes from Boone to me. “I-I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable and spilling your beer.”

“Ah-ah,” Boone cuts in. “That’s not what we practiced. Say it correctly.”

“Boone,” I breathe, wanting to get away from this situation already.

“No, he’s going to say it correctly. Aren’t you, dude?”

The guy clenches his jaw, his neck and face flushing a deep shade of crimson. From embarrassment or anger, I’m not sure. Maybe a little bit of both. His shoulders slump when he seems to give in to his fate, and he looks back at me and mumbles, “I’m sorry for being a douchebag.” His eyes flit to Boone, who makes a sweeping motion with his hand as if to say, keep going. Lips pressed into a tight, thin line, he huffs out a breath before continuing. “I’m overcompensating for what I lack in the bedroom.”

Boone grips the guy’s shoulder, making him startle. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, get the fuck out of my sight.”

He practically runs away from us, and if I wasn’t so overwhelmed with Boone’s closeness and the way he just defended my honor like some knight in shining armor, I’d probably laugh. My gaze reluctantly slides over to Boone. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to do that.”

“He was acting like a fucking tool, and you were clearly uncomfortable.”

“Still, I’m a big boy. I can handle my own battles.”

Boone’s scent is intoxicating. I shouldn’t find it so irresistible, especially since he hasn’t showered or changed since he competed. He smells like a hardworking man, and fuck, if it doesn’t make my head spin and my heart pound harder in my chest. After he left the arena, he switched out his cowboy hat with a black trucker hat that he’s wearing backward. His dark hair peeks out from underneath it, especially around his ears and the back of his head. It’s hot.

He”s hot.

And a gentleman. A psycho gentleman, but a gentleman, nonetheless.

It feels like every last ounce of oxygen has been sucked out of this room. I can’t catch my breath. I need air.

“Excuse me,” I manage to mumble before shoving past him and making a beeline toward the front door. It’s too much, having him right there, standing up for me. The anger on his face and the bite to his tone when he talked to that guy shouldn’t make me weak in the damn knees.

The midnight air hits me in the face, doing very little to cool my overheated body. My pulse hammers in my neck, the blood whooshing in my ear, drowning out the sound from inside the bar and the cars driving by. The door pushes open in my periphery, and I know without even looking that it’s Boone. As if my body can sense him.

“Are you okay?” His deep, gruff, sexy voice cuts through the pounding in my head, washing over me like silk.

I laugh without humor. “No, I’m not okay.” Tilting my head back, my eyes find his, and it’s a mistake. His warm gaze on my body turns my insides into mush. “You can’t be going around doing that, Boone!”

“Do what? That guy was a jackass.”

“You can’t be defending me and threatening guys on my behalf, Boone! It makes it hard for me to keep my head on straight and stay away from you!”

With a single step, Boone closes the distance between us and, once again, I’m left floundering for air. “So, then don’t,” he growls. “I miss you, and I’m about damn tired of the cold shoulder, G. I’m done giving you space.”

Quite fucking literally, apparently.

“Boone, we can’t,” I grit out, but I can feel my resolve slipping by the second.

“Yes, we can.”

My head is spinning. I need to get out of here.

“I gotta go,” I blurt out, taking off down the street. The hotel is just down the block, so I’ll go there. Yeah, great idea. Except I can hear Boone’s footsteps as he follows me. But maybe… Maybe if I don’t look back, maybe if I pretend I don’t hear him, don’t realize he’s following me, it’ll be enough. So, then when I eventually cave for him like I know I will, I can at least say I tried. Because I did… I tried, but this pull toward Boone is just too strong. I don’t stand a chance.

God, I’m pathetic.