Chapter Seven #2
“What does that mean?” Seth asked.
“Man, you’ve already started something and don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You’re sleeping with her, though I doubt much sleeping goes on.”
Seth huffed. “I should have stayed away from her.”
“Shit, we could all feel the tension between you. It was just a matter of time.”
“It does no good, Cull. She’ll be leaving soon.”
“She asked me where to go have fun. I told her about Dewey’s.”
Seth stared at him. “Why the hell did you do that?”
Cull chuckled. “Because she asked me.”
“Shit,” Seth said, frustration flickering as he shook his head. “There’s no sense in starting something with her that will end. She has a job in California and I’m not leaving Montana.”
Cull tipped his head. “I’d never leave Montana.”
“Me neither.” Seth tossed the remote to him. “Find something to watch. You’re crashing here, no drinking and driving.”
Cull caught it easily. “Fair enough. My place is only a mile away, but still.” He flipped through channels.
Seth leaned back, tension easing. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Ryan heading to Dewey’s alone, she’d turn every head in that place.
“Is she going alone?” Seth asked.
“She said she’d try to get another woman from the B and B to go along. I told her it’s best she didn’t go solo.”
“Good. She needs a night out.”
Cull smirked. “Maybe drink your mean-ass out of her head.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Seth frowned.
“The tension between you two is thick,” Cull said, voice teasing. “Maybe if you take her to bed enough, you’ll get her out of your head.” He dared Seth with a playful lift of his brow.
Seth narrowed his eyes, then grinned when Cull chuckled.
A movie finally flickered onto the screen. They settled in quietly, the soft glow reflecting off their faces. Seth crossed his arms, determined to push thoughts of Ryan Carroll to the back of his mind and lose himself in the flickering images instead.
****
Ryan perched on a high-backed bar stool, the wood creaking beneath her as she shook her head at the gawky kid in a dust-faded hat sliding onto the next stool. Alyssa, seated beside her, mirrored the gesture, arms folded. Neon beer signs cast a brassy glow over the rough-hewn wooden bar.
“Look, I already said no. Are you even old enough to drink? You don’t look like you even shave yet,” Alyssa said, her voice amused but firm. Ryan burst into laughter.
The cowboy’s grin slipped. “You don’t need to worry about whether I shave or not, sugar. I’m man enough for you.” His voice cracked on the last word.
Alyssa glanced at Ryan; they exchanged a look and choked back giggles.
Before the kid could muster a comeback, another lanky youth sidled up. He had a too-big belt buckle and jeans that drooped at the hips. “How about you, babe?” he drawled at Ryan.
Ryan leaned back, propping her elbow on the bar. “First off, don’t call me babe. Second, what she said.”
His shoulders slumped. “Fine. We’ll just move along then. Your loss.” He pushed off, jingling a handful of change, and drifted away.
“They’re way too young for me,” Ryan said, flicking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Alyssa nodded. “Oh, for sure. They have to be at least twenty-one though to be in here, but that is way too young for me. I’m not here to hook up. I just wanted to dance.”
“Same,” Ryan agreed. She glanced at the polished dance floor seeing it packed with people dancing. “I wish we had somewhere safe to stash our purses.”
Siobhan, a server with red hair and green eyes, and a friendly curve to her lips. set down a deep amber cocktail that gleamed with ice crystals. She offered them a warm smile. “If you want, leave your purses with me. I’ll lock them in the safe so you can get out there and kick up your heels.”
“That would be wonderful.” Ryan scooped Alyssa’s purse from the back of her stool, then handed both to the bartender. “Thank you, Siobhan.”
“You’re welcome. Just let me or any bartender know when you want them back. Have fun.” She moved out from behind the bar and vanished down a narrow hallway lit with old sepia photos of rodeos and line dances.
Alyssa inhaled. “She’s gorgeous. And so nice.”
Ryan tipped her chin toward the far end of the bar. “Did you see the man she was laughing with earlier?”
“No, where?”
“Over there, by the neon beer tap. Black cowboy hat, red T-shirt, broad shoulders.” Ryan’s eyes gleamed. “If you Googled ‘tall, dark, and handsome,’ his picture would pop up.” She leaned back, sipping the last of her whiskey sour. “Here she comes. Let’s see if she talks to him again.”
They watched as Siobhan reemerged, glided across the polished floor, and pressed a quick kiss to the man’s lips. He grinned as he cupped her cheek in his hand, then Siobhan slipped behind the bar again, tossing back a curtain of hair.
“Good heavens,” Alyssa breathed. “I just might have to move here.”
Ryan’s grin was conspiratorial. “I know, right? Just like Seth.” She paused, then added softly, “Damn, that man can kiss.”
Alyssa frowned. “What? How do you know that?”
Ryan’s cheeks flushed. “I didn’t tell you?”
“You know damn well you didn’t.”
Laughter spilled between them. Ryan leaned forward and recounted the memory of that hot, sudden kiss from Seth, the way his fingers moved into her hair, the tug of his breath against her mouth. “It was perfect. Though afterward he got… pissed.”
“Because he doesn’t want to get involved,” Alyssa said gently. “He knows you’re leaving.”
Ryan sighed, eyes distant. “I know. But it wasn’t just a kiss. We ended up in bed together and it was fantastic.” She swirled her drink, the ice ticking against glass, and let the lively bar music wash over her. She set her drink down. “Let’s get in this line dance.”
She stopped when Alyssa grabbed her arm, making her face her.
“You can’t say something like you ended up in bed together, then let’s get in this line dance.”
Ryan laughed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.
I’m sure he’s angry about it. He ignored me Thursday and Friday.
I have no idea how Monday will go and that starts my third week here.
One more and I’ll probably be leaving. Please, let’s just dance.
” Ryan took Alyssa’s hand, and both pushed through the crowd and made it to the dance floor.
They joined in the dance, laughing as they danced along.
An hour later, they perched on the barstools and ordered coffee in heavy ceramic mugs that warmed their palms. Ryan, ever cautious, insisted on sobering up before the drive back to the B and B, even though neither of them drank that much, she was feeling the three whiskey sours she had. She caught Siobhan’s eye with a wave.
“Another coffee for the road?” Siobhan asked.
“No, thank you. Could we get our purses?” Ryan’s fingers tapped against the worn wood.
“Yes, I’ll be right back.”
“Thanks.” Ryan’s gaze followed Siobhan down the narrow hallway. “I just noticed the platinum band and diamond on her left hand. That gorgeous cowboy must be her husband. Damn, I thought I liked her.”
Alyssa nearly choked on her coffee, a drop escaping and rolling down her chin. “God, me too,” she said as she picked up a napkin and dabbed it away.
Siobhan returned and handed them their purses.
“I hope you ladies had a good time tonight.”
“May I ask you something?” Ryan leaned forward.
“Of course.”
“Is that man your husband?” Ryan nodded toward the hot cowboy, his T-shirt stretching across broad shoulders. His black cowboy hat setting low on his forehead.
Siobhan glanced over, then back to Ryan. “Yes, he is.”
“He’s absolutely gorgeous,” Ryan said with a laugh.
Siobhan grinned. “I know. I fell for Liam the first time I saw him.”
“I can see why. I want you to know that if I hadn’t had a few drinks, I never would have said that, but he is very handsome.”
“I agree. You’re not driving, are you? I can get you a ride home.”
“Alyssa is driving, and she only had one drink. Have a good evening. I hope we get to see you again before we leave Clifton.”
“I do too. Be safe now.” Siobhan wiped the gleaming bar with a checkered rag, collected their empty glasses, then turned away to place them in the deep sink.
Ryan and Alyssa gathered their purses, weaved through the crowd, pushed open the heavy oak doors with their glass inserts and stepped outside into the night.
“Oh, my God! It’s freezing!” Alyssa gasped, her breath forming clouds in the starlit air.
“It is,” Ryan agreed, pulling her arms around her as they made their way to her rented SUV.
Once they climbed inside, Alyssa started the vehicle and started laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“We said it was freezing. Look,” she said as she pointed at the outside temperature on the dash and Ryan laughed.
“Fifty is cold to people like us,” Ryan said, giggling as Alyssa drove out of the parking lot.
****
Monday morning, Seth entered the barn with a steaming cup of coffee, tendrils of vapor curling into the biting spring air. He exhaled slowly, watching his breath crystallize in front of him like mountain fog.
“Damn cold this morning,” Cull said as he approached, the leather of his work gloves creaking as he tugged them on. His Appaloosa followed three paces behind, ears pricked forward, no lead rope necessary.
“You’d think we’d be used to this by now,” Seth said, shaking his head as he blew across the coffee’s surface, sending ripples across the dark liquid.
“I think the older we get, the worse it’s going to be. My joints feel like rusted hinges some days.”
“Speak for yourself, old man.” Seth’s lips curved into a lopsided grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes.
“I’m two months older than you... old man.” Cull’s voice carried the comfortable rhythm of an old joke.
Seth nodded, the brim of his hat catching the golden shaft of morning light streaming through the hayloft windows. “True, but you’re still older.”
Cull chuckled as he shook his head, his breath puffing out in small clouds. “Whatever. I’m heading to the north pasture. Ringo said the fence is down. He’s up there now, but I want to ride along it to make sure it’s still intact in other areas.”
“Yeah, sometimes that wire loosens up enough to either sag or fall down completely. Wolves will find any weakness.”
“Where’s Ryan this morning?”
“She went with Red to the oat fields. He told me he stopped up there yesterday, and some are a little yellow on the tips, so he’s going to see what he can do about it and took her to show her how we save them. When we can.”
“Alright. I’m heading out. Radio me if you need me.” Cull swung onto his horse with the grace of decades in the saddle, touched the brim of his hat, then rode out of the barn, the horse’s iron-shod hooves clip-clopping rhythmically on the cement, echoing through the space.
Seth walked to the arena to get the chestnut filly out, her copper coat gleaming like a new penny in the morning light. He chuckled when she pranced along behind him, her slender legs dancing with barely contained energy.
“You’re ready, aren’t you girl?” He rubbed her velvety chin, and she nuzzled the frayed sleeve of his faded flannel shirt, her warm breath leaving damp spots on the fabric.
He knew he’d be removing it once he started working.
He always worked up a good sweat and so did the horse, muscles rippling beneath her glossy hide, but he knew it would all come together.
This girl here, with her intelligent eyes and willing heart, was going to be a champion one day.