Christine

Singles night had once been fun. Watching the couples meet, leaving together, and drifting into longer term relationships, had always appealed to my romantic heart.

But I’d gone and invited Travis, and now I was watching all the predatory single women in the county vying for the seat next to his at the bar. Worse, tending bar meant I was delivering the abundance of drinks the women, who lost at the game of musical barstools, invariably sent his way from across the room.

What had seemed like an opportunity to poke fun at Travis was backfiring.

Badly.

He looked particularly pleased with himself as I slid yet another beer across the bar in his direction. “From the lovely lady on the end,” I said, forcing some brightness into my tone.

Travis leaned forward and acknowledged the dark-haired woman, who was probably ten years his senior. With each drink, my mood became snippier. Almost as though I might be… jealous. Which, of course, was ridiculous.

Wasn’t it?

I barely knew the guy.

“Can you do me a favor and start serving me just Coke?” He nodded at his glass. “I’d like to be able to drive home in one piece.”

I bent over the counter and motioned him to come closer. When he leaned forward, the subtle scent of leather and sandalwood tickled my nose. Fighting the urge to grab him by the lapels and pull him even closer, I whispered, “Or maybe you’ll score and you won’t have to drive home at all.”

A grin flashed. “Offering?”

I allowed my gaze to wander downward, over the Western-cut shirt, enjoying the way it hugged his wide shoulders and muscular chest. Yum. When I reached the silver belt buckle at his waist, I reversed direction until I met his eyes again. “Nope. Excuse me, I have another customer.”

Travis merely shrugged, a half-smile playing around his lips as his eyes settled on my mouth. Quickly, before I was tempted to linger, I walked away. My step faltered just a little at what might have been his soft chuckle, but I pressed on.

Keeping by the beer taps, I watched him from the corner of my eye, as he finished off his drink and said goodbye to the redhead, who had occupied the seat next to him for the past hour. Her hands were all over his arm as she leaned forward, pushing her considerable assets against him, and slid a napkin his way. She said something and shot her killer smile. Then she was gone.

“You should go on a break, get the seat next to him before it’s occupied again,” Sissy murmured, drawing another mug of beer.

“He’s not exactly a sad country song when it comes to companionship tonight.” I glowered over my shoulder. “I’ve delivered more drinks to him than the rest of the single men here put together.”

“But I bet he’d actually drink one from you.” The smug smile on Sissy’s face was bad enough, but when she added a wink, she became Mad Mademoiselle Matchmaker. “He’s been watching you all night.”

Of that, I had been acutely aware —and it pleased me. I pulled the tap on a house special for my next order and stole another sideways glance, at the man of interest. He’d had a productive afternoon, apparently having visited the barbershop. Gone were the sun-tipped waves that had brushed his collar and made me want to dive my fingers through the spun gold, replaced by close-cropped hair that appeared more of a warm nut brown.

Wetness trickled over my fingers and I released the tap before too much amber liquid spilled down the overflow. “Damn it,” I whispered, grabbing a rag. With quick strokes, I wiped down the outside of the glass. Keep your mind on your work.

“Oops, sorry, hon, too late.” Laughing, Sissy elbowed me in the ribs. “Beth just took the open seat.”

“What?” I whirled. A young, willowy girl tossed her straight, honey-brown hair over her shoulder, laughing at something Travis said. “Guess I’d better take her order.”

“Wanna take me for a ride in your hot car?” Beth walked her fingers along Travis arm and lowered her voice. “We could go someplace private.”

“Hello, Roberta, nice to see you.” I smiled, though I wanted to break the girl’s fingers. “Travis, have you met Roberta Higgins?”

Travis took a closer look at the girl, obviously trying to figure out if he should know her. Beth’s engaging smile outlined her perfectly straight, gleaming white teeth.

“What can I get you?” I asked. Pacifier? Ride to kindergarten?

“How about a rum and Coke for us both?” suggested Beth, tilting her face toward Travis.

“Certainly. Just let me check your ID real quick.”

The perfect teeth disappeared as Beth’s luscious lips fell into a sexy pout. “Oh, come on, Christine. You know my birthday’s next month.”

“Ohh…” Heaving a sigh, I performed a mental fist pump as I outwardly feigned regret. “I’m sorry, Beth. I can’t break the law. You know how DC is about those things.”

The sexy pout turned sullen. “My dad got you to do this, didn’t he?”

“No, Roberta, it really is the law,” I corrected, cooling my voice as my temper heated. “But your dad would have a lot to say if he knew you were here, wouldn’t he?”

Looking a little like a deflated balloon, Beth directed a gaze at Travis. “So, do you still want to go for a ride?”

“I’ll have to take a rain check,” Travis said with an easy smile.

After subjecting me to a narrow-eyed glare, the delectable —and under aged —Roberta Higgins slid from the barstool and left, her gliding walk leaking youthful sex appeal. Most of the men present watched her exit. But not Travis, I noted with approval.

* * *

Travis

I chuckled. So Bluebell had been jealous enough to interrupt a potential pickup. Interesting. “She seems like a nice girl.” I shrugged and deepened my cowboy twang. “Pretty lil’ thang. Who’s this father of hers who’d have so much to say?”

“Bobby Higgins. Brother Bobby Higgins of the New Life Christian Church across the street.”

I jerked upright and stared in shock. She snickered. “Yeah, you just got hit on by the preacher’s daughter. Care to insert a joke?”

About to sip my soda, I reversed direction and set the drink down on the bar with a little thud, fairly certain I was about to be struck blind for even looking at the girl. I indicated the glass in front of me. “I think I need something stronger after all.”

“Don’t forget you still have to get yourself home tonight,” She warns as she walks away. A moment later, she was back with a tall glass of golden liquid, which she placed in front of me without a word and then walked away.

I sat nursing the beer and wondering how much longer she would let my torment go on. I didn’t want any of the endless parade of single women hitting on me. I was only interested in one sexy single tonight.

Moments later, I felt movement as someone slid onto the seat next to me and closed my eyes, wondering what the opening line would be this time.

“Buy you a drink, cowboy?”

At the sound of the whiskey-honey voice behind me, my eyes flew open. My breathing skidded to a stop, the air backing up in my lungs. My heart bumped hard against my chest wall, pushing a massive amount of adrenaline through my veins.

When I was capable of movement again, I spun around, half afraid she wouldn’t really be there.

But she was.

She leaned toward me, chin propped on the back of one elegant hand, a near-smile tugging her lips. Her eyes said I was the only other person in the room. I pulled in a slow breath, felt my unsteady world right itself. “Hello, Bluebell.”