Chapter Fifteen #2
This was CaDee’s day. To celebrate a new life that would be coming into the world soon.
“Can I get you another, darlin’?” the pink-haired server asked.
“Please. I could use another,” Margo droned.
“Coming right up, honey.”
With her refreshed drink in hand a moment later, she double-fisted her cocktail and chips. She hadn’t been tipsy in…too long. She liked feeling at ease.
Margo waved at Tansy who stood near the jukebox dropping quarters into the slot. She’d been joined by Echo who was wearing a smile that could knock a woman’s panties off. Coal-black hair. Pretty green eyes. A smile for days. But he wasn’t Hawkeye, Margo pondered.
Tansy leaned in and whispered something in Echo’s ear that made the twenty-something cowboy blush naughty red. She then looked at Margo, smiling. Tansy mouthed the words, “He’s so fucking hot.”
Margo responded with a thumbs up.
Tansy could only be described as a woman who probably didn’t stay single for long.
Fashion-model tall with a slender body, her waterfall bangs framed her flawless skin and bone structure.
Her makeup was perfectly applied, and she wore red lipstick that drew attention to her plump lips.
Although she appeared put together, Margo got the impression Tansy could get dirty if the day called for it.
Aasia was standing in the corner, looking like she’d been sucking on lemon wedges. She appeared to be arguing with the person on the phone. After she hung up, she marched over to the table, plucked the straw out of her drink, gave it a careless toss, then downed the drink in one gulp.
“You okay?” Margo asked?
“Do you dance?”
“I’ve been known to on occasion.” Margo just didn’t think she was particularly good at it. Others were filing onto the floor and lining up for a popular line dance. “I don’t know this one.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll show you.” Aasia grabbed her hand, practically dragging her up from the chair, and pushed her toward the floor. The line parted to let them pass. Several cowboys whistled.
They took their places in the line, near the back for Margo’s comfort.
The strong drink had loosened her up. Margo was already laughing by the time the dancers started kicking up their boots and raising the roof.
She followed Aasia’s movements on the floor. Catching on fast, Margo whipped the skirt of her sundress around her legs and clicked the heel of her cowgirl boots on the planked floor. She giggled when she stumbled. She hadn’t had this much fun in…well, ever.
Across the space of people, drinks, and neon lights she met Hawkeye’s disapproving glare. He was scowling, of course. The dude was always scowling. She offered him a flirtatious wave and whirled a circle on the floor.
She wouldn’t allow him to spoil her night.
Happy Birthday to me!
The deep beat of the next three songs vibrated her chest and her body seemed to move on its own. Who knew she could dance? Front, back, stomp to the right, stomp to the left, then turn. She swung her hips to the rhythm and lifted her arms high in the air, staring at the swirling lights.
What the hell is in that drink?
She didn’t care. Birthday girls deserved to live it up. She didn’t need anyone to acknowledge her birthday.
What were birthdays anyway?
“You get it, girl,” Aasia yelled over the loud music. She was churning her hips that had captured the attention of thirsty bystanders.
Tansy joined them, cheering. She and Aasia leaned their heads together and belted out the words to the song, holding their make-believe microphones near their mouths.
Margo was sure neither knew the lyrics, but what mattered was that they were having fun.
They swung each other on the dance floor, and as they came back around, they each grabbed one of Margo’s hands and pulled her into their circle.
All three were dancing together and having an amazing time.
It felt so good to forget all the trouble over the last week.
One song after another, and another, came on and they stayed and danced. Boots thumped the planked floor and there was a dusty haze in the air. Sweat soaked the back of her dress, and she stood in front of the industrial-sized fan to cool off, then she got back to her friends.
At some point she realized that Tansy had disappeared. She came back with shots for each of them. Margo happily accepted hers and swallowed the strong whiskey in one gulp, wincing at the internal burn. She placed her empty glass on a server’s tray as she passed.
Aasia pulled her phone out of her back pocket and frowned. “I’ll be back, ladies,” she said and darted through the crowd.
“Party pooper!” Tansy called after Aasia.
“Is she okay?” Margo asked.
“She and Bentley are having trouble, like always.” Tansy rolled her eyes and leaned in to say to Margo privately, “He’s a bit of a control freak.”
“Life’s too short for that shit,” Margo said confidently.
“No kidding. I keep telling her that she needs boundaries.” Tansy nodded at a group of cowboys standing near the edge of the dance floor. “Looks like we have an audience.”
Margo noticed that several cowboys watched with admiration in their scruffy features. Margo wasn’t interested. However, Tansy seemed a bit curious. She offered them a flirty roll of her fingers and a friendly smile.
Tansy started really moving her hips. The woman could dance, and she had the attention of many of the male patrons now. One of the men came up and whispered something in her ear, making her smile. He whipped her around the dance floor and Tansy bent her head back in laughter.
Margo closed her eyes and allowed her body to move to the beat, thrashing her skirt around her legs as she felt a sense of freedom. She’d never liked being in the spotlight, always feeling like she was judged, but people were different here. They liked her.
She bumped into someone and flicked her eyes open, finding the cowboy that had been watching her—the other cowboy, not Hawkeye. “Sorry,” she shouted over the loud music.
He smiled, showing off an even row of nice white teeth. He held out his hand in silent request.
Why would she say no? It was her birthday after all.
They danced, and boy would he put a lot of men to shame. He swung his hips in his darn Wranglers like a rider in the saddle. She enjoyed the dance and when she saw Hawkeye staring, she brazenly stuck her tongue out at him. Childish maybe but she blamed him for sitting there staring.
A slow song came on, and she started to take a step off the floor, but the cowboy pulled her closer, pressing his large hand into the small of her back. She’d been okay with a few fast songs, but dancing to a slow one took things to a new level and she wasn’t sure this was her cup of tea.
“You’re beautiful,” he said next to her ear. “I think you know how I feel about you. I’m Carl. And you must be an angel.”
This made the tiny soft hair on her neck lift.
His hand shifted to her hip.
She politely clutched his wrist. “No, thank you.”
“Too fast for you?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Let’s not ruin the fun we had.” She pulled away and felt his hand snake around her waist. He drew her in against his massive chest. Some of his smile was tarnished by stale whiskey breath.
Ah no. Not one of these guys who couldn’t take rejection.
“I’m not interested—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the man was wrenched away from her.
She lifted her chin and found Hawkeye hovering close. Carl watched in shock as Hawkeye grabbed her hand and pulled her over to a quieter spot on the floor. He wound his arm around her waist and moved to the song. Where he touched her hand, and her hip, she felt warmth leak through her clothing.
Yes, this was what temptation felt like. Easy and like a honey IV drip.
*****
He’d waited as long as he could before he interrupted the dance between the cowboy and Margo. This intervention wasn’t to draw unwanted attention but at some point, he found he didn’t care.
Hawkeye pulled her close, so their bodies were flush.
They were breaking all the rules, but being this close to her, he didn’t give a rat’s ass what unwritten rules stated.
Seeing her being touched by another man made several things crystal clear to Hawkeye.
One, he did have a jealous bone in his body.
That was a huge shock. Two, he wanted Margo in a very bad way.
The day he’d walked out of prison angry as a hornet because of Silver, his emotions had calmed the second he slid into his truck and saw her.
She’d been eager to hear what he’d found out and when he’d grumbled some negative response, she’d laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and said, “But what didn’t he say tell you? ”
Such an innocent question, but sometimes the most innocent acts caused the strongest outburst of internal feelings.
He’d leaned into her, wanting to kiss her, but he’d stopped himself.
Their first kiss they shared couldn’t be because he needed something to release his pent-up anger.
So, what did he do next? He’d stayed his distance from her.
He couldn’t understand what was happening.
Tonight, when he’d heard that she and the girls were going out to celebrate, he’d been a bit miffed, then realized she deserved to get out and enjoy herself. It was her birthday after all. He guessed she had no idea that he knew.
He held her tighter as the slow song moved around them and through them.
She felt nice. Right. Fit perfectly against him.
She had the right amount of soft curves to make his mouth water.
The white dress she wore was short and showed off every sweet curve.
“Where have you been keeping yourself?” she asked.
The music blared so he had to strain to hear her. Leaning closer, he said next to her ear, “Licking my wounds.”
She turned her head a little. “Licking your wounds? Because you didn’t get any information from Silver? You didn’t think you would so it shouldn’t have been a surprise.”