“Oh, hell, no.” I voiced my opinion to my inner voice with vehemence. I was not falling in love with a man who tossed me over his shoulder like a barbarian on muscle juice.
Or one who spanked me as a calming mechanism.
Nope. Not this girl.
I had my life all figured out and was sticking to the plan.
But that’s what I’d wanted, tossing aside my usual focus in search of something more exciting. I might as well take the new me out for a spin.
The parking lot was packed. I’d not only forgotten it was Friday night when normal people went out and enjoyed themselves, but I’d also shoved aside the fact it was a long holiday weekend. Thank God I found a parking space around back. It had been some time since I’d worn heels.
I had to push my way through a rowdy crowd just to get inside. The place was huge, one side dedicated to a restaurant with the other as what appeared to be a wild bar.
Complete with a stage, only with it being so early in the evening, typical honkytonk jukebox music was playing.
Feeling out of my element, I weaved my way toward the bar, noticing Shannon was behind it. That meant Landen was likely to make an appearance. Even after almost twenty years of marriage, the two were inseparable.
The atmosphere was festive with a dance floor full of people. While televisions lined the massive bar area, the remaining space was a dedicated nightclub.
Shannon noticed me first, waving me toward the bar. When I was close, she leaned over to give me a hug. “To what do we owe the honor?”
“Meeting friends here.”
“It’s good to see you.” She pulled away, immediately reaching for a wineglass. “Chardonnay?”
“I’m feeling a little frisky today. How about Cabernet instead.”
“Oh,” Shannon teased. “That must be because of that hot new smokejumper you’re dating. Be warned. They are wild men.” She growled like a big kitten and I could feel excessive heat crawling along my neck.
“Are there no secrets in this town?”
“None. Missoula is a very small town.”
“So it is.”
She tapped the bar. “Cabernet coming right up. How is the new man?”
“He’s… amazing. And a little bit rough around the edges.”
“Yeah, that’s how they all are. You just need to take time cultivating their inner gentleman.”
“Is that what you did with Landen?”
The look on her face turned mischievous. “Absolutely I did, but I’ll give you a little hint. I like my men on the wild side. It makes life that much more interesting.”
“You are terrible.” As the wine was pushed in front of me, I started to pull out my wallet.
“On the house, baby girl. Have some fun.” She started to turn away, but I couldn’t resist.
“Have you heard anything about the fire?”
“Ah,” Shannon said as she crowded over the bar. “I was wondering when you’d ask.”
“What does that mean?”
Her laugh could be heard over the music. “You’re in the same place I was when I was hot to trot for your godfather.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this,” I teased.
