Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Lynx
By the time Saturday afternoon rolled around, I was ready for … something. I wasn’t even sure what, but I needed something to do.
Glancing over at Copenhagen, who was snoozing on the wood floor, I considered taking the dog out, playing ball for a while. We’d spent a good part of the morning doing that after we’d returned from Reagan’s, but Cope was always up for a game of fetch.
I clicked my tongue, but the dog didn’t move.
Okay, so maybe not. Poor Cope was probably hoping I would give him a little breather.
But I was antsy and I didn’t know why. That wasn’t like me. Not these days anyway. When I was younger, sure. I never could sit still, always looking for trouble to get into.
In a couple of hours, I could head over to Reagan’s to get a beer.
That was what I looked forward to most nights and not necessarily for the beer, either.
Nope. My reason for going over there had everything to do with Reagan.
It had been my own form of hell for the past few years, it seemed.
Knowing I couldn’t have her, yet still holding out hope. Yeah. I was pathetic.
Only now I needed to up my game.
Maybe I should send her flowers.
Or not.
That seemed weird. Especially since I didn’t think Reagan was much into flowers. Then again, I didn’t know all of her idiosyncrasies. Sure, I knew plenty about her, but admittedly, I had made a point to stay out of her business. Mostly.
With a heavy sigh, I flopped back on the couch.
Boredom was a bitch.
“Hey, boy,” Calvin greeted when I walked into Reagan’s a few hours later. “Where you been?”
I shrugged. “Took a nap.”
Wolfe’s father grinned. “Old age does that to ya sometimes.”
“Thanks,” I said when Amy delivered my beer to the table. I turned my attention back to my uncle. “You’d know all about that, wouldn’t ya?”
“Hey, I ain’t complainin’,” he replied. “Just be thankful I don’t take naps durin’ the workday.”
I laughed. I'd caught Calvin snoozing in his chair over at the store a couple of times now, but I didn’t say as much. Instead, I lifted my bottle and tapped it against his.
“Where’s Wolfe?” I asked, peering around the room.
“Had to do somethin’ with Rhys. Asked if I’d hang out for a bit. At least until you got here.”
That meant Wolfe wanted someone to keep an eye on Amy. I had to wonder why he hadn’t called me in the first place. My cousin knew I would’ve done it.
Calvin leaned back and looked around the room. “Looks like there’s not much trouble to be had tonight, huh?”
I sure as hell hoped not. One night a week was enough for me.
Didn’t help that I was sleeping in my damn truck these days.
What I needed was about eight hours in my own bed.
And didn’t that make me sound old? At twenty-eight, I damn sure shouldn’t be planning how to catch some z’s in the middle of the afternoon. Shit.
Unable to help myself, I glanced over behind the bar. Reagan was there talking to a couple of guys, both from Dead Heat Ranch. She was laughing at something they said, and I suddenly wished I were the one to put that damn smile on her face.
I waited, knowing she would eventually make eye contact. That’s what we did. And every damn time, it was a heady feeling, leaving me reeling.
Wait for it.
Wait … for it.
There it was.
Reagan’s eyes lifted, darting over the one guy’s shoulder, coming to rest on mine. I didn’t smile, simply held her stare for a few seconds as I sipped my beer. Goddamn, the woman made me want things I had no business wanting. Not from her anyway.
“You made your move yet?”
Snapping my attention back over to my uncle, I frowned.
Calvin chuckled. “Oh, come on now, boy. I might be old, but I ain’t blind. I know you’re sweet on that girl.”
I took a long pull on my beer, choosing not to say anything to that. I was sweet on her. Always had been.
“That one’s gonna make you work for it,” he continued. “But that’s not a bad thing. Wolfe’s momma…” The older man smiled. “God, she had me chasin’ her every-damn-where. Best time of my life.”
I glanced back at Reagan again. Yeah, I could see her being the best time of my life, too.
“Take her out,” Calvin suggested, his gaze discreetly moving in Reagan’s direction. “But I’m bettin’ she’s not the fancy-restaurant type. I know. Invite her to the lake tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow night?”
“Yeah. Monday’s Labor Day. Y’all are plannin’ a party out there, right? It’s tradition, after all.”
It was tradition, but not something I'd even thought about this year.
The door behind me squeaked open, but I didn’t bother to turn around.
I was too busy trying to figure out how to put together a party in less than twenty-four hours.
Sure, Labor Day was on Monday, but our party would start Sunday night and go until people passed out.
That’s how we rolled out in the country.
A firm hand gripped my shoulder, causing me to glance back.
“What’s up?” I asked Wolfe.
The man was grinning from ear to ear.
Suddenly, I had a good idea what was so urgent for Wolfe to take care of with Rhys. I smirked at my cousin, enjoying the way the man couldn’t maintain eye contact.
“So, I was just tellin’ him how y’all are gonna put together a party at the lake for Labor Day.”
Wolfe’s gaze slammed into mine.
I offered my cousin a one-shoulder shrug. “I can make it happen.”
Wolfe nodded. “I think that’d be cool. We need somethin’ to break up the tension right now.”
Damn right we did.
With a smile on my face, I got to my feet and clanked my beer bottle on the table to get everyone’s attention.
“Hey, y’all hear about the party we’re throwin’ at the Caine lake tomorrow night? Well, if you didn’t, it’s on like Donkey Kong.”
A couple of people groaned at my terminology. It only made me laugh.
“So, get your friends and meet us out there, yeah? And bring somethin’, too. Ice, coolers.” I grinned. “Beer’s good, too.”
A chorus of cheers erupted.
And just like that, I had single-handedly set up a party.
Now I just had to get some beer for them.
And the girl.
The first I could worry about tomorrow, the latter I would take care of tonight.
More like right now.
Reagan
I knew Lynx was coming to the bar before he even turned toward me. It was a feeling I had, something I couldn’t shake.
Of course, my nerves decided to riot, even though I was willing them to chill the fuck out.
The second he had mentioned the party by the lake to everyone in the bar, memories of so long ago had come roaring to the forefront of my brain.
Fortunately for me, I was able to push them back, tamp them down.
I didn’t have time to be reminiscing about the time I'd spent with Lynx all those years ago.
“Hey,” he greeted, stepping up to the bar and resting one arm on the top. He had tucked himself into the corner where he normally spent his time. I'd come to think of it as his space, and anytime someone else took it, I got irritated. No one said my thoughts were ever rational.
“Hey,” I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “’Nother beer?”
“Sure.”
I grabbed a Coors Light and passed it over. Lynx Caine was a relatively simple man. I knew he didn’t particularly care for Coors Light, but considering I didn’t have any of the fancy brews in my bar, he took it without complaint.
Lynx cocked his head in that way that invited me to come closer.
Hesitantly, I moved toward him, leaving the two guys I'd been chatting with to carry on their conversation without me. Not that I'd been particularly interested in their topic of the day they’d spent on the ranch, but I did like to talk to my customers. Plus, being engaged in conversation always kept men from hitting on me. I wasn’t so full of myself to think that every guy wanted to hit on me, but I had my fair share.
I knew some of it had to do with the fact that I owned the place.
“You comin’ out to the lake tomorrow night?”
I shrugged, wiping down the bar top. “Don’t know yet.”
“You got other plans?”
I lifted my gaze to his, holding it for a second before I exhaled slowly. “You askin’ as friends?”
“Of course.”
The way he said that didn’t make me believe him.
“What? Can’t a guy invite a girl out to the lake for some beer around the bonfire?”
“He can,” I told him. “As long as the guy knows the girl’s not goin’ as a date.”
“’Course not.”
Again, I didn’t believe him.
Of course, maybe Lynx was wholly serious. Maybe he was just inviting me as a friend.
What if he had a date? Would I be able to handle seeing him with another woman while I was that close?
It wasn’t above him to do that. Not that Lynx would try to rub it in my face, but I knew him.
He didn’t chase women. They generally were the ones chasing him.
And I'd never seen him lacking in the female companion department.
I had to give the guy a little credit. He had been spending damn near every night at the bar until closing time, then sleeping in his truck in front of my house for the past three weeks. I couldn’t imagine he’d had much time to be mixing it up with the ladies as of late. Unless…
“Tammy gonna be there?” I asked, hating that I sounded jealous.
Lynx frowned. “That’s over, Reagan. She ain’t gonna be around.”
“You gonna have a date?” God, could I seriously just stop?
“Just you, girl.”
“Not a date,” I reminded him.
“Exactly.” He tilted his beer to his lips and grinned.
I hated that even that move was sexy. It had my eyes trailing down to his neck, watching as his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. Hell, the man’s neck was freaking sexy.
Ugh.
“So?”
“Yeah,” I said on a huff. “I’ll be there.” What else would I be doing? Sitting at home watching Netflix?
“Good. Maybe you can save me a dance.”
I rolled my eyes. I should’ve known there would be a catch.
“Don’t count on it,” I replied, trying to keep my tone dry although I was smiling.
It was hard not to smile at Lynx. There was something about him. He was just so damn likable.
“See you tomorrow night,” he said softly.
I nodded, moving away from him. I needed to put some space between us. Lynx Caine was dangerous to my sanity. Especially now that I was single and didn’t have an excuse as to why I should ignore his advances. Once his divorce was final, I knew I would have absolutely no reason.
My eyes darted over to him once more. My belly fluttered as it always did when I saw him watching me. I liked that he did, even if I didn’t want to admit it to anyone.
“Can I get another beer over here?”
I tore my eyes from Lynx and turned toward my customer.
At least I had something to do to keep myself from entertaining the notion of letting this man get under my skin. I knew it would be so easy.
Lynx was right about one thing.
I couldn’t handle what he wanted from me. Even if I thought I was tough enough.
I wasn’t.
That I could admit.