Chapter 2

Colton and Beau walked into the Eagles Hall together and paid the entrance fee. They were early. The band was just setting up, but the parking lot was filling with trucks, and people were streaming inside the hall, some couples and some stag.

The brothers gazed around the huge room lined with tables and a dance floor close to the raised stage. They headed for the bar, and Colton paid for the first round. He took a slow draw on his longneck and leaned back against the bar to survey the gathering crowd.

He recognized many of the local residents. Whether they were fellow ranchers, people he knew from school or church, or some of the tradespeople from around town, he could count a lot of familiar faces. But there were also people from the surrounding area. Due to the fact that a popular band from Amarillo was gathering on stage and it was known to draw quite a crowd, he figured some of the crowd had even driven from the city.

When he glanced in the mirror over the bar, he was in for a surprise. At the opposite end, Misty Dalton stood gazing somberly down at the longneck in front of her. Raising it to her lips, she tilted her head back, took a long swallow, and then set it back on the bar. She resumed her quiet contemplation of the bottle.

Colton picked up his beer and joined her. “Are you old enough to be drinking?”

She glanced at him, a flash of dark fire in her eyes, but her voice was soft when she spoke. “Of course I am. My twenty-second birthday was this past Wednesday.”

“You’ve got a baby face.” He raised his bottle in a silent toast. “Happy birthday, Misty. I hope you had a good one.”

Her shoulders sagged. “Not so much.” She took another swig of the beer.

Colton leaned both forearms on the polished wood of the bar. “Well, we should celebrate. It’s not every day one turns twenty-two.” He mentally calculated the difference in their ages. Six years wasn’t so bad. “How about tomorrow night? I’ll take you to dinner at the steak house.”

She glanced up again. “Aw, you don’t have to do that.”

“I’d like to take you to dinner. I can pick you up at six.”

Her dark eyes seemed to be assessing him. “I don’t know what my dad would say.”

“It’s just dinner,” he said. “You know, to celebrate your birthday.”

She nodded. “That would be nice. I’ll see how Dad is feeling tomorrow.” She met his gaze shyly. “I can call you if he’s feeling well enough to be left alone with my brothers.”

Colt swallowed. There was an air of sadness that seemed to hang over her like a shroud tonight. Not the same spunky young woman who had challenged him earlier. “That will be fine. I hope you can work it out.” He asked for her phone and punched his number in. He handed it back, hoping he would hear from her.

The band was tuning up their instruments, and one of the Eagle members stepped to the microphone to make announcements. He rattled off the name of the band and a list of upcoming events. By the time he finished, the band began to play their first number, a fast polka.

A few couples took to the floor and whirled around at a rapid clip. Colton watched Misty watching the dancers. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and the easiest way to accomplish that was on the dance floor.

When the song ended, the band started up a two-step, and he decided to make his move. “Would you like to dance?”

She shrugged. “I guess so.” She set her bottle on the bar and strode out onto the dance floor, once again reminding him of a queen among her subjects. When she reached the center of the floor, she turned to him, and he gathered her in his arms.

Nice. He held her for a moment, realizing she felt perfectly matched to him. Tall and slender, she placed her hand in his and the other on his shoulder. He experienced a squeezing in his chest but set off dancing when he would rather be kissing her.

As Colt moved to the music, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Misty’s face. Due to his size, people generally got out of his way on the dance floor, but he felt especially protective of his partner, making sure no one bumped into them. He wondered how, in the course of a few hours, he had become so interested in her.

It wasn’t only her beauty but also her attitude that captured his interest. This girl had an inner strength she must have earned the hard way.

He wanted to know everything about her but was reluctant to pummel her with questions. He wanted to be in her life but knew he had no right to expect her to open up to him when she had so much going on with her family. He wanted to be the only man in her life, but right now, he was just her dance partner and perhaps her dinner companion the following night, if things played out in his favor.

As he danced, he dreaded the end of the song when he would have to let her go, but the next dance was a waltz.

She looked up at him, a sweet smile on her lips. “Oh, a waltz. Can we do this one too? I love to waltz.”

“My pleasure,” he said, surprised that his stomach was doing flip-flops like the first time he had ever asked a girl to dance. He swirled her around the dance floor, delighted when she grinned and leaned into the turns. Her long hair flowed out behind her in the wake of their turns, and she looked, for the first time, as though she had left her pain behind.

All too soon, the waltz came to an end, and Colton was left to escort Misty back to the bar. He placed his hand at her waist, enjoying the sensation of her warm skin just beneath the cotton shirt and the firm muscles as she walked. “Thanks for the dances,” he murmured when they reached the bar.

She flashed him a smile. “I enjoyed it.”

He took a few steps down the bar to where Beau stood, nursing his beer. “Man, you got it bad.”

Colt expelled a breath. “I know. I can’t figure out what happened to me.”

Beau snorted with laughter. “I can. My big bro has finally fallen for a girl who isn’t all goofy about him.”

Colt snuck another glance at Misty. “You could be right.”

“She’s the first one who isn’t worshiping at your shrine. How does that make your ego feel? I mean, now that you’re like the rest of us mere mortals?”

Colton lifted his bottle to salute Beau. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“You bet. It looked like you were about to gobble her up out there on the dance floor. Just glad you made it back without embarrassing yourself.”

“Keep it up, Little Bro.” Colton felt a stab of jealousy as another man came to ask Misty to dance. Her new dance partner must have been someone she knew because they immediately began to talk.

Beau inclined his head toward the twosome. “Got a little competition there, Bubba.”

“Don’t call me that.” Colton watched as Misty danced in another man’s arms. “I’m going to marry that girl.”

* * *

Misty kept glancing at Colton while she danced with one of her former classmates. She loved to dance, but something about being held in Colton Garrett’s strong arms had thrilled her to her toes. No, she didn’t want to lose her head. It couldn’t mean anything to the all-powerful Colt Garrett to be dancing with her, but for a moment there, it had felt so right. She could have stayed in his embrace all night.

She returned to the bar when the song was over and picked up the bottle of beer she had been sipping. She needed to make it last, because she shouldn’t be spending any more money. Add that to the fact that she had never indulged in more than one serving of beer at a time, and those were on the sly from Joe’s stash.

She was supposed to wait here for Joe and Mark, who had collected the check from the auction and were to pick her up for the ride home. She hoped her dad would be relieved and not worry so much about their finances. His illness was enough for him to handle without being concerned for the ones he would leave behind.

Casting a quick glance down the length of the bar, she saw Colton staring at her. She swallowed hard, as a blush crept up her neck and painted her cheeks. He can’t possibly like me. Not really. Not like a girlfriend. We’re too different. Too far apart. She tilted the bottle to her lips, drained it, and then set it back on the bar.

“Can I buy you another?” It was Colton, his voice deep and rich, wrapping around her like a warm blanket.

“Um, no, thanks. I’m a total lightweight. I just wanted to buy a beer to prove I could.” She smiled up at him, hoping she didn’t sound like a complete idiot.

A smile touched his lips. “You do have that baby-faced thing going for you.”

Misty shrugged. “My curse.”

“There will come a time when you’ll be glad for your young face.” He gave her a wink and tilted his beer up to drain it. He nodded at the bartender and gestured with the bottle. “How about a soda then?” He was regarding her kindly.

The bluest eyes she had ever seen set fire to something in her chest. He thinks I’m just a kid. The same way he’s nice to Mark. That’s it. He’s just being nice to another kid. She nodded. “Thanks.”

He signaled to the bartender, who served her a soda in a can along with a mug of crushed ice and set another longneck in front of Colt.

“We could get a table, if you like,” he offered.

“Um, I’m waiting for my brothers. They had to collect the check and drop off the trailer we borrowed to haul the horses.” Her lips twitched before she pressed them together and released a sigh. “Now we just need to sell off the cattle before the ax falls.”

“Ax?” Colt gazed at her, trying to keep his expression neutral.

Misty shrugged. “Before the bank forecloses on our land and gobbles up our cattle and equipment too.”

The silence that followed settled heavily on her shoulders. She glanced up at Colt and found his gaze fastened on his beer.

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Why don’t we sit over there?” He pointed to a table close to the dance floor where she could keep an eye on the door. “That looks like a good vantage point. I’ll wait with you for your brothers.” He picked up her soda and his longneck. “Come along, Little Brother. Let’s keep the beautiful lady company.”

Beau gave him a funny look but followed along behind them.

The Garrett brothers seated themselves on either side of her at the table. She didn’t figure anyone else would dare ask her to dance with such a formidable lineup surrounding her. Big, hunky maleness all around.

She grinned and took a sip of her soda.

Beau stood up and directed a formal bow at her. “Miss Dalton, may I have this dance?”

She giggled. He looked so serious. “Yes, you may,” she said and put her hand in the one he offered.

Beau led her onto the dance floor and through a nice two-step. He was tall and broad-shouldered like Colton but less so. He didn’t hold her the same way as Colton. He just wasn’t Colton.

“Are you seeing anybody?” he asked.

“No. I’ve been too busy taking care of my dad.”

He smiled at her. “Sorry to hear that about your dad. But Colt will be glad to hear you’re not involved.”

“What?” She stumbled.

“My brother Colton. You have figured out he likes you, haven’t you?”

Misty swallowed hard. “Um, no…I didn’t know that.”

Beau smiled and twirled her under his arm. “Well, he does. I didn’t want you to miss it, in case he’s being too subtle for you.”

She gazed back to where Colton was sitting, staring at her. He raised his beer to her and took another drink. “I, uh…I don’t know what to say. Joe said all the girls were crazy over him when he was in school.”

“They were,” Beau agreed amiably. “But it didn’t go to his head. He always had a lot of responsibilities around the ranch. He’s a pretty serious guy.”

She tried to absorb what he was telling her. She couldn’t, really. She wondered if Colton had conspired with Beau to tell her this…and if it were true.

When the song finished Beau started to escort her back to the table, but Colton met them half way.

“My turn,” he said, holding out his hand.

She considered what Beau had told her as she was wrapped in Colton’s arms again. Does he really like me, or was Beau teasing me? Something she saw burning in the depths of Colt’s eyes made her think Beau’s words might be factual.

* * *

At last the band played a slow song and Colton could draw Misty close. The house lights went down, lending an illusion of intimacy. She seemed to soften against him, her pretty face pressed against his shoulder. He buried his lips in her hair, inhaling the fragrance—something floral that he couldn’t identify.

She circled her arm around his waist, snagging his belt loop with her thumb to hang on to. Her body melted against his, and he thought he had reached heaven, or at least a place nearby.

When the song ended, he reluctantly lifted his head and gazed into her beautiful eyes. Without thinking he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. It was just the merest hint of a kiss, but she didn’t draw back. He dipped his head for another, this time parting her sweet lips with his tongue. The kiss deepened as they stood in the middle of the dance floor and the band struck up another song. Couples danced around them, but he was oblivious to everything except the woman in his arms. When he pulled away, he felt slightly dazed. He glanced around and led her back to the table, hoping he hadn’t ruined his chances with her.

For her part, Misty was quiet and somewhat subdued. As Colt seated her, Joe Dalton pulled up a chair opposite them.

“Oh, Joe,” she said. “I didn’t see you come in.”

He let out a derisive snort. “You were otherwise occupied.”

Colt frowned, narrowing his gaze at Joe.

Misty blushed as though being caught kissing Colton was a bad thing. “Where is Mark?” she asked.

“He went home with one of his school buds. The Tates took him for a sleepover.”

She looked uncertain. “He didn’t have a change of clothes.”

Joe waved his hand at her. “You worry too much. He’ll be fine.” He lifted his longneck and chugged down his beer. “Like I’m fine with this nice fat check for the stock sale.” He pulled it out of the breast pocket of his shirt, unfolding and displaying it for them to see. “Thank you, Garretts, for buying my horses.”

“Thank Colt,” Beau said. “He was the one who bought them.”

Joe nodded to Colton, raising his beer in a salute but spilling some of it. He started to fold the check, but it slipped from his fingers, landing in the puddle in front of him.

Misty snatched the check and blotted the spilled beer off it. “They weren’t your horses, Joe,” she said gruffly. “And this isn’t your money. It belongs to Dad, and I’ll see that he gets it.”

She folded the check and tucked it into her bra.

Joe leaned across the table, grabbing her shirt, but Colton’s hand shot out to grip Joe’s wrist.

“Not a good idea.” Beau wagged his finger at Joe. “Do not make the big man mad.”

Joe froze, glancing from Beau to Colt and back again. Slowly he uncurled his fingers from the fabric of Misty’s shirt.

Colton pushed Joe’s hand across to the other side of the table, giving him a stern glare.

“Okay, okay. I’m sure Little Sister will be persuaded to turn over the check later.” He smirked, giving Colton and Misty the benefit of his smug expression.

“I think this money better make it to your father’s hands,” Colt said, his voice low and deadly. It occurred to him that Joe had imbibed more than a few beers before he got to the Eagles Hall.

“We’ll see,” Joe said in a singsong voice. He drained his beer and stood up. “I’m going to the ranch, Misty. Come on.” He jangled his keys in front of her.

Beau stood, grabbing the keys. “I think you’ve had a little too much alcohol to be driving anyone home tonight. I can drive you, and Colton can follow to pick me up.”

“Nobody’s driving me home. I’m perfectly capable of getting us back to the ranch. C’mon, Misty.” He was slurring his words, but he made a swipe at Beau, snagging his keys in the process.

Misty frowned, pressed her lips together, but stood as if to leave with him.

Colton stood beside her. “I’ll drive Misty home,” he said, his hand on her arm.

Joe glowered at her, then turned and stomped across the floor, almost lurching into a couple. He pushed his way out of the hall and into the night.

Colt looked at Misty. “Sorry about that. I hope there won’t be any trouble later.”

She shook her head. “He’ll be all right. But I do want to be sure this money gets in the bank. We can’t afford to waste it.” She patted her breast.

Colt grinned at her. “I think it’s in a pretty secure place right now. Let’s dance, and then I’ll make sure you get home safely.”