Two nights in a row?” Megan asked. She was lounging on her bed, picking through a box of her kids’ candy while I raided her closet for something to wear on my date with Garrett. I’d already pulled out a large chunk of what she owned, much to her amusement.

“Am I being stupid?” I asked, picking out a gorgeous pencil skirt and red blouse combination and holding it up to me before turning around for Megan’s opinion.

“That depends.” She tipped her head to the side and studied my ensemble before giving me the thumbs up.

“On what?”

“Is he any good in bed?”

I bit my bottom lip and gazed at my best friend in the mirror. Words were not needed for that response, and her reaction said she’d got the message loud and clear. She threw herself back against her dozen throw pillows and dropped more hard-shelled candy bites into her mouth with a sigh.

“Wear the skirt. You’re not being stupid, and I‘m so damn jealous, I could spit.”

“You have Robert! I’m jealous of you. Dating is awful, Megan.”

“You don’t seem to be suffering.”

“Then you’re not looking properly,” I said, lowering my hands in defeat. “What I wouldn’t give to have been married for thirteen years—broke as fuck, yet happy.”

“I’m sorry.”

I brought the hangers together and waved her off. “Don’t be silly. I’m just being dramatic after today. Maybe I should stay in with Holly? After being with Dustin, she’s going to need me. She’s probably feeling down and needs a girls’ night. I’m being selfish going out with Garrett tonight.”

“Your daughter is fine. In fact, she’s more relaxed than I’ve seen her since y’all got here. You gave her the one thing she wanted, and now it’s one less thing for her to worry about. I think she was more worried about you. Wear the damn skirt.”

“You’re a bad influence.”

“Someone has to be. You’re living the life of a saint.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Oh, I would,” she said, putting the candy aside and rolling from the bed. She opened a drawer on her tall boy and pulled out a fire-engine-red lace bra and pinged it across the room at me with a grin. “You break it, you buy me a new one.”

“Really?” I held the bra up. The limited material would barely cover a thing, but it would give the girls a boost, and from the grin Megan was giving me, that was the whole point. “Okay, I’m going to trust you.”

“You’re welcome in advance.”

I rolled my eyes and headed to her bathroom to change. As this was Robert’s bedroom as well, it was a safer bet than changing in the room. When I headed back to Megan, I was walking with smaller steps because of the material that hugged every curve I owned. Megan whistled her approval and opened her bedroom door.

“Robert,” she shouted, and then repeated his name louder when he failed to respond fast enough. “Come here.”

I could hear the grumble from down the hall. We’d done this to him so much in the past that he knew what was coming. We wanted a man’s opinion, and he was the man of the house. He normally took a moment to formulate the right answer when he eyed the two of us, but tonight he walked in, and his eyes widened as they caught me pinning my hair up in a messy bun in front of their long mirror.

“Damn. Whoever he is, he’s screwed.” The sentiment was said with appreciation and humor, and he could get away with that when it came to me. As long as he’d been with Megan, he’d pretty much been my friend, too. He’d had to be.

“Good answer,” Megan replied and held her arms out to the sides, twirling in her pajamas. “And me?”

“Perfect as always, baby,” he said, dipping Megan into a kiss that made her giggle. I loved being around the two of them when they were like this. Their relationship had set a standard I held all others to. They loved one another with no inhibitions. They respected each other completely, even when they didn’t always agree, and according to Megan, they had a sex life that should be envied. I, of course, got all the details there, even when I didn’t want them.

“Damn, you know how to make me feel good in flannel. Marry me?” she asked sweetly, fanning herself.

“I’ll think about it.”

The tease earned him a slap on the ass in the form of a dismissal, but we both knew he was within hearing range when Megan said to me: “He’s so getting laid tonight.”

With a small amount of makeup and shoes, I picked up my leather jacket and twirled for Megan one last time before being waved off with another mumble about jealousy. So, I promised to babysit and let them go and tear up the town one night.

I hunted down Holly and found her in the media room watching an animated movie with Katie and Emmett. She glanced at me before doing a double take and grinning. My daughter: the ego booster.

“You look really good, Momma. Red really suits you.”

“Thanks, baby. You sure you don’t want me to stay home? We could make some popcorn and watch a semi-scary movie.”

She smiled and shook her head. “It’s okay, Momma, I’m fine. I promise. But you tell this guy you’re mine tomorrow night.”

“It’s our night.”

Every week, no matter what, Sunday was our night. Whether it was watching movies, bowling, a walk or stargazing, it was just Holly and I. Those were the rules. Just the two of us, being ourselves with each other.

“Good. Now go,” she said, standing up long enough to give me a brief hug before sending me on my way.

I waved goodbye and blew kisses to Katie and Emmett who had Kenny the dog sat between them, then I slipped out and headed to the door with one last goodbye to Megan and Robert as I passed them dancing in the kitchen. The breeze from that afternoon had picked up into a full wind, and it wrapped around me with a chill that made me wish for a sturdier bra. The gust slipped under the leather of my jacket and spurred me to my car faster than I probably should have in the heels I was now wearing.

I felt so overdressed for Childress, but this was a date, and I was determined to put an effort into the process. I was glad I did when I pulled up at the bar and saw Garrett leaned against his truck in a charcoal grey suit that followed the lines of his body with a precision that my eyes had grown accustomed to.

Taking a moment to appreciate the view, I only gave up when he pushed from the truck and approached in that confident gait of his. I smiled at him, feeling the telltale roll of need in my gut as he pulled the last barrier out of his way and offered me his hand.

“You know, I feel like I say this a lot when it comes to you, but you’re damn beautiful.”

“Thank you.” I felt the blush rise on my cheeks and tipped my head in his direction. “You look very handsome tonight. You look good in a suit.”

“This old thing?” He grinned, tugging on my hand gently. Once I was on my feet he pulled me in closer, his lips falling to mine, the palm of his free hand rested against the column of my neck to keep me engaged in the kiss. It wasn’t like I needed much persuasion. The moment our lips touched, I was caught up in his spell and swept off my feet like the fool I was.

“You’re trying to get me into bed without the date, aren’t you?” I teased, my hands dropping from his shoulders and easing the skirt down.

“As tempting as that is, I have something special planned.”

“You do?”

He beamed his brightest smile and towed me to his truck, his chivalry still intact as he opened my door before helping me in and finally getting us on the road.

Being around Garrett was a lesson in just how bad the pool of men I’d been choosing from over the last thirteen years had been. I’d only “dated” four men in all that time, and each of them had been the literal definition of booty calls. I don’t think one had opened a door for me, and less than half had attempted any real conversation. They’d been good-looking enough, and looking back with any kind of consideration, that was the only bar I’d ever set for myself. Now I was starting to see just how much I’d sold myself short. Or maybe I’d been sabotaging myself, unwilling to share my time with Holly when she’d needed me as a child. I wasn’t willing to cut my time with her short. I never had been.

Garrett reached across the bench seat of his truck and wrapped his fingers around mine, squeezing lightly before lifting the tips of my fingers to his mouth and brushing them gently against his lips. The action was so reverent I swallowed almost compulsively and scrambled for something to say. I was too flustered. Garrett made me too flustered.

“So, where are you stealing me away to?”

“You have something against surprises?” Garret asked, chuckling as he left the Childress city limits.

“Not at all. I have one or two up my sleeve, too.”

“Is that right?” He looked over at me, his eyes flashing with hunger before they dropped to my crossed legs. The material of the skirt was stretched tightly over them, but he must have had a good imagination because even in the darkness of the highway, his eyes lit up in the way they had the night before when he’d between my legs in his bedroom. The image made my thighs tighten, and I was rewarded with another chuckle of recognition.

We drove for a while longer in companionable silence as our imaginations got the better of us, but it wasn’t long until his curiosity got the better of him.

“Tell me about where you live.”

“Trinidad?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “Well, it would be beautiful with a little bit of love. It’s nestled in the mountains on the other side of the Raton Pass. My bar is in the main area of town, but I live close to the lake there.”

“You’re surrounded by mountains?”

“Every window has a view.”

“I’ve only been up there once. We went skiing there as kids. I just can’t remember where.” He smiled wistfully and glanced over at me. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Nope. Only child. You?”

Garrett paused before responding. “Only child, I guess.”

There was definitely more to the story, but I didn’t push for him to explain. The finality in his tone made sure the topic was off the table. He didn’t want to talk about siblings, and I respected that. However, with that in mind, he changed the subject. His twenty questions were going around in circles to questions he himself didn’t want to answer.

“You ever been married?”

“No,” I said slowly. “Too focused on getting the bar and then promoting and keeping it open. I worked in one before the opportunity arose to buy one for myself. I just put everything I had into that because it made me happy. I wasn’t willing to marry for the sake of a ring and a piece of paper. I figured if it happened it happened, you know?” Not to mention the only man I’d ever wanted to marry had been murdered by my father. “You?”

“Almost,” he said, angling his head to look at me. “But I dodged that bullet. She was…” he paused to consider his words again. “All kinds of wrong.”

“Close call?”

“You have no idea. I do believe she was the spawn of Satan. She married someone else less than six months later. I’m gonna go ahead and say she wasn’t that torn up about our breakup.”

“Her loss,” I said quietly with a small smile of satisfaction. “My gain.”

“Jesus, are you trying to get yourself fucked in this truck?”

“Flattery works then?”

“When it comes from those red lips of yours…” He glanced at me for a while, the lights of oncoming traffic highlighting his features enough to show me just how much he meant that statement. The thrum of his tires hitting the rumble strips on the shoulder pulled his eyes back to the road, and he released a small cough of embarrassment. “Kids?”

I thought about my answer. I wasn’t going to lie to him about Holly: she was my world, my soul, and if someone wanted to be a part of my life, they had to be aware they were sharing me. They also had to be aware that she came first, always. Last night, I hadn’t been sure I would tell him about her, but then I hadn’t counted on him asking. I’d discovered that most men didn’t want to complicate things. Garrett was different. He seemed to be in most things.

“I have a girl, Holly. She’s going to be fifteen in December.”

“Fifteen?”

“Yeah.” I could see the mental calculation in his head. “I was a single, teen mom, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. She’s perfect.”

“I hope I get to meet her one day.”

I swallowed and looked down at my hands for a moment before raising them to study his handsome face. I hated this part of the discussion, mainly because men tended to take offense.

“I don’t introduce my daughter to the guys I date.”

“Ever?” Garrett asked, sounding more interested than offended.

“More that no one’s ever made it that far,” I replied. “I’m not against a guy meeting her eventually, I’m just cautious. I don’t want her growing attached to men in my life only to feel abandoned when it doesn’t work out. She knows I date, and she knows that if she ever meets him, I’m serious about them and trust them enough to be a part of her life, too.”

“Y’all have talked about it?” he asked, scratching his cheek and glancing over at me.

“Extensively.” I grinned. “She’s a smart kid. She also said to tell you tomorrow is her night.”

Garrett laughed once and shook his head. “I knew my greedy luck would hit a wall eventually. At least I know you’re going to be spending time with your kid.”

I smiled and leaned my head against the seat rest as I studied his face, my cheeks aching from my constant grin at being in his company. I only had a week left before Holly had to be back in school, but I was determined to make the most of my time with Garrett while I could, and this date was going to be a part of that, along with anything else the night might bring with it.

I was laughing so hard my sides ached. It turned out that our date was at one of the most famous steakhouses in Amarillo, the same one Holly and I had stopped at on our way into Childress, and this was a night where someone was attempting to stomach the seventy-two-ounce steak in an hour.

The crowd was a rowdy one, cheering and hollering rambunctiously as the clock ticked down the last ten minutes of the hour. Garrett was on his feet, leaning against the booth with his ankles crossed and a beer in one hand. Most of the women in the place had been giving him an appreciative glance when they thought no one was looking, and I couldn’t blame them. He looked damn good in a suit, but with the jacket off, and his shirtsleeves rolled up, offering his working man forearm muscles for appreciation, he was damn drool-worthy.

“He ain’t gonna do it, baby.” He chuckled, looking down at me.

I pushed up from my place in the booth and leaned into his side, my cheek on his chest as I looked over at the green pallor of the man fighting to chew the last of the meat and potatoes on his plate.

“He’s close.”

Garrett wrapped his arm around me, allowing the cool side of his beer to brush against my back, making me jump. “Not close enough.”

“Two bites. That’s it.”

“Two big bites and seven minutes to finish that potato.”

“You want to wager on that?” I asked.

“What are the terms?”

I pulled back and looked up at him. He had this way of looking at me, full of warmth, hunger, and appreciation that made me feel like the only woman in the room. I was finding resisting him harder and harder the more time I spent with him, mainly because it was impossible not to want that feeling of reverence humming through my very bones. What woman didn’t want to be wanted that way?

“What do you want?” I challenged.

“I want you to spend the night with me tonight. I want to wake up next to you before I relinquish you to Holly for the day.”

“You really are greedy,” I mused, teasing him. “If you win, I will spend the night, but if I win…”

What did I want from him that I wasn’t already getting? Garrett was the perfect gentleman while we were together, and he was less than gentlemanly in bed, which was also perfect.

“You’re thinking too hard. We’re almost out of time,” he said, tapping my ass with his palm.

“If I win, you may have to fulfill a booty call to Colorado in the future.”

Garrett looked down at me, his eyes full of seriousness and his lips turned up into a tentative smile. “Just a booty call?”

Rubbing my lips together, I fought the desire to smile at him. I didn’t know how to answer that, so I went for vague. “For now.”

He nodded and leaned forward to brush his lips against mine. When he’d barely pulled back an inch, he responded, “I agree to your terms.”

My stomach tightened again, anticipation and a hunger of my own burning through my veins and pooling like liquid lava between my thighs. I leaned closer to him and felt his responding arousal against my hip sending satisfaction burning through me.

I was barely aware of what was going on over on the other side of the restaurant. All I could feel was that reminder of his lust against my hip, his deep and uneven breaths heating my scalp, and his hot hand making circles on my hip and ass. This was like having sex in a room full of people, only with space between the two of us, and all of our clothes still on. The excitement in the room grew as the timer counted down, feeding into the frenzy of need and hunger between Garrett and me.

“Ten,” Garrett grunted.

“Nine,” I followed.

And so it went, all the way down to one and the last bit of potato being swallowed with a sickening belch of success from the brave soul who was now filled with a lot of food. I had won the wager, but so had Garrett, because I was going to give him exactly what he wanted anyway.

“Kay?”

I glanced up at him, a mirror of my own feelings greeting me from his eyes.

“I think we both win.”

“Thank fuck for that.”

With a flick of Garrett’s fingers, our server rushed to get the bill, and I knew we wouldn’t make our way back to into Childress until the morning. The red lace bra was also a large hit that earned me a lot more than just one promised trip to Colorado.