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