N A T E
Music pumped through the bar, vibrating the wooden floors with the bass of the country song. Bill’s was slowly filling up and would soon be swimming with women and men from town and the surrounding areas. It was where everyone went to unwind after a long week, and this Saturday night was no different.
Six bottles clanked together as Silas and Ryke placed them on the table at the edge of the dance floor. We always started with two rounds to save the trip back to the bar right away.
“Thanks.” Picking up my beer, I twisted it in my hands and glanced around before taking a swig. The ice-cold liquid bathed my throat.
“So, Mirabelle said you gave Shiloh a present.” Si’s eyes glinted, and I knew I was about to get a rash of shit.
“What?” Ryke looked up with interest. “What did you get her?”
“Nothing much, It was just a plant. Kind of a peace offering.” Shrugging nonchalantly, I did my best to act uninterested, hoping like hell Si would just let it drop. Laughter boomed from Silas, and my gut tightened as I awaited the onslaught of ribbing at my expense.
“It wasn’t just a plant; it was a cactus!” Silas roared, throwing his head back, and slapping his hands against his legs.
“What?” Ryke exclaimed, eyes crinkling at the corners as he stared at me.
I shrugged again, unable to say anything.
“Tell me you didn’t give a blind woman a fucking cactus, brother?” Ryke guffawed, joining Silas in laughter at my expense.
“It had a pink flower. She wears a lot of pink. I thought she’d like it.” I hadn’t been thinking past her and her favorite color when I’d picked it up in town.
My lapse in judgment became abundantly clear when she had touched it. Assuring her it wasn’t a cruel joke had been difficult, and I wasn’t altogether sure I hadn’t been sent back to asshole status. At least she’d allowed me to get her a Band-Aid.
“I hope Mira gets here soon. I feel like dancing.” I braced myself for his reaction, sure he would either punch me or yell at me. Pushing the boundaries with Si gave me a perverse sort of pleasure. Poking the bear was too fun and easy.
“Go ahead.”
Whipping my head around, I stared at my boss. “Seriously?” For as long as Mira had been around, she’d been off limits.
Silas downed the rest of his beer before turning to me with a sardonic grin. “That’s fine, brother. You take my girl for a spin, and I’ll take Shiloh.”
Mother. Fucker. He turned it back on me. The idea of him touching her made my gut clench and my hand grip my bottle a little tighter. I wasn’t going to bite though. Two could play this game.
“Sure, whatever.” My shoulders raised and lowered in effort to seem uninterested. “Do blind girls even dance?” I asked, taking it a bit further.
“I can assure you they do.” The delectable voice was so close to my ear that, even with music thumping in the background, it was clear as a loud whisper in a quiet church. “But if you want to see my moves, you’ll have to buy me a drink first.”
Silas and Ryke roared with laughter as the girls rounded the table and sat beside us.
“You knew they were there, asshole,” I accused. I should’ve known there was a reason he’d stayed so calm when I offered to dance with Mira. The fact that he knew I was interested in Shiloh enough to be a bit jealous was off-putting. It left me a little bit vulnerable, and I hated that.
“What are you ladies drinking?” My seat skidded across the wooden floor as I stood.
“Fat Tire in a bottle. Unopened, please.” Shiloh requested.
“I’ll have the same, please.” Mira ordered before snuggling into Silas’s side.
“Unopened?” I confirmed.
“Yes, please.” Shiloh smiled at me. Blonde hair fell in soft curls over her exposed shoulders. Her flawless skin was slightly flushed, and her stunning red lips called to me like a siren’s song.
“Do you need help, brother?” Ryke asked, bringing me out of my gawking.
“Uh, no. I’ve got it.” Sauntering off, I pulled my shoulders back and resumed my usual confident stride as I made my way to the bar. After ordering beers for the girls, I propped against the bar and took in the crowd. Familiar faces acknowledged me with nods or waves.
“Hey there, Nate.” A thin brunette sidled next to me as the bartender placed my bottles on the bar. “One of those for me?” She pressed her chest against my arm.
Normally, I would play the game, buy her a drink, and maybe twirl her around the dance floor before going back to her place for a roll in the sack, but not this time. As I stepped back and patted her shoulder like I would a dog, what I wanted was to get back to the table and the dazzling woman who waited there.
“Sorry, Bridget. Not tonight.” Grabbing the two bottles, I pushed my way through the crowd.
“Two unopened Fat Tires,” I announced, setting them in front of the girls, wondering what they were gonna do without an opener.
“Thank you, Nate.” Shiloh inched a hand over the table until her fingers brushed the cold bottle, then her other hand covered the top. With a quick jerk, the cap clinked on the table. She traded Mira opened for closed and did the same thing before wrapping her luscious lips around the bottle and taking a long pull.
“Oh my God, I think I’m in love,” I groaned, falling back in my seat as the guys chuckled. “How in the hell did you do that?”
She wiggled her fingers, showing me the top of a silver ring. Flipping her hand, she did the same thing, showing me the sparkly ring was actually a bottle opener on the back.
“That is fucking awesome.” I marveled.
“Blind girl safety.” Her eyes gleamed as the corners of her mouth quirked.
“What do you mean?”
“If I always open my own drinks, I don’t have to worry about anyone slipping something into it. Not that I thought you’d do that. It’s just a habit now.”
This girl had more than one impressive trick up her sleeve.
The conversation morphed into other topics, but I sat quietly, watching her talk to everyone else. Despite my acting somewhat creepy, I couldn’t help it. On numerous occasions in the past week, I’d found myself searching the ranch for her. We’d taken several rides, and even though our conversations weren’t deep, being with her was just easy.
Fingernails scratched across my shoulders. “I’ll be over here if you change your mind,” Bridget’s throaty voice breathed in my ear, causing me to tense until she moved on. As soon as she was far enough away, I allowed myself to relax.
“Is there somewhere you’d rather be, cowboy?” Shiloh raised her brows in question.
“What? No,” I stammered. “How do you do that?” It was freaky how she always knew what was going on around her.
“Well, first of all, her proposition wasn’t as quiet as she thought.” Her delightful laugh made me smile. “I also smelled her awful perfume, and felt your leg stiffen against mine under the table.” She finished her beer and set the bottle on the table. “So? Are you here or there tonight?”
Leaning forward, I placed my hand over hers. “One hundred percent here, Shiloh.”
“Good. Now take me dancing, Nate.” She squeezed my hand before scooting her chair back and standing.
I made my way around the table and offered my arm like she’d shown me, waiting for her to take it, before leading her to the dance floor.