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He put his hand to the small of her back and pushed her toward the table. She resisted, but fell in line with him after a few steps. He hated to do it, but the woman had pushed him time and again. A man could only take so much.
“Let’s go,” Jack announced when they reached the table.
Charlie stumbled over, hooked his arm around Summer’s shoulders, and pulled her close. Caleb had enough. He grabbed the guy’s hand, pulled it up and over Summer’s head, and wrapped it around the guy’s back and up behind his shoulder blades.
“Ow! Let go. I didn’t mean anything.”
“Caleb,” Summer snapped. “Let him go.”
“Summer’s my girl, I’d never do anything to hurt her,” Charlie swore, setting off Caleb’s temper even more. He pulled up on the guy’s arm, ready to snap it and him in two for even thinking, let alone speaking, that Summer belonged to him.
Summer settled her hand on his shoulder. “Caleb, honey, let him go. Take me home.”
Caleb released the dirtbag and shoved him forward. Teri caught him before he fell flat on his face. “Come on, Charlie, I’ll drive you home.”
“Finally, we’re out of here.” Jack shoved Charlie after Teri. When he tried to turn back for Summer, Jack grabbed him by the back of his neck and propelled him forward.
The crowd around them stopped staring and went back to partying and dancing since the brewing fight had been averted.
Summer stared up at him, her eyes saying so much without her saying a word. He broke the stare-down and grabbed her purse and jacket from the table, shoving them into her arms.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter Three
SUMMER SATBETWEENJack and Caleb in the front seat of the truck. Tired from a long day and night, maybe one too many beers in the mix, she planted her feet on the dash, leaned back, and closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Caleb’s shoulder.
Jack’s gaze touched her face, but moved back to the road. She watched through her lashes, and when his interest stayed on driving, she settled more into Caleb. He sat beside her rigid and indifferent for several minutes before he relaxed again.
His hand settled over hers on the bench seat, hidden by her hips and his jacket sleeve.
“She asleep?” Jack asked.
“Yeah,” Caleb’s deep voice rumbled out the lie. She flipped her hand over and linked fingers with his. Their secret communication added a layer of danger. If Jack discovered them holding hands, well, she didn’t care, but Caleb did. She settled into him, and though he froze for a second, he settled back into her again. His pinky finger swept up and down against her thigh. She smiled on the inside as wave upon wave of shimmering tickles rippled over her skin from that one spot. Such a small thing, really, but it said so much. When it came right down to it, if she was close enough to touch without discovery, he reached for her in even this small way.
Caleb’s heavy sigh drew Jack’s attention in the quiet truck cab. Summer tried to keep her breathing even and not draw Jack’s gaze.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow, since we spent most of today doing the whole parade and Christmas tree lighting stuff to make Summer happy.”
“The tree looked good,” Caleb commented, indulging his inner beast with yet another stroke of his finger over Summer’s thigh. He knew better, but didn’t stop.
“Yeah. Every year my parents took us. When I was little, I loved seeing Santa. As a teen, it was a great opportunity to sneak off with a girl. Sam and I got into a lot of trouble back then.”
“Same for me and my family. We always went to town for the holiday parades.”
“You miss your folks?”
“Yeah. They’re thinking of doing some traveling like your parents.”
“You think your dad will actually leave the ranch?”
“He said Mom stayed with him all these years in Montana, the least he can do is follow her to whatever far-off place she wants to go.”
“Sounds like my parents. Dad loves my mother something fierce. Never could say no to anything she wanted to do, but ranch life is everyday life.”
“Yep. Dad’s thinking of leaving Dane in charge. Gabe and Blake already have their own places. Dane spreads his time between all three spreads and the rodeo.”
“Summer seems to be looking for something more in her life. Stuck here on the ranch has severely limited her prospects if Charlie is the best she can do in this town.”
