Page 30 of High Water

“Aspen Stockton, as I live and breathe. I thought that was you, but I said nah. Couldn’t be. She’s too busy out East.”

“Carson.” I smile brightly at him. “Surprised you’re in town yourself. Don’t you have a rodeo to run?”

“It’s my weekend off, so I thought I’d pop in and say hi to the family and catch a drink while I’m here. I ran into Grant while I was out, and he invited me. This place is gorgeous.”

“Thanks to Dakota.” I lift my drink in a toast to the woman herself, and she grins at me before she takes off down the bar, her eyebrows lifting in silent approval as she makes a quick assessment of my current prospect.

“So you in town to celebrate the opening?”

“No. I moved back a few months ago. Wanted to be closer to family,” I answer.

He doesn’t try to hide the search he makes for my ring before he looks back up at me.

“Single again?”

“Looks that way.”

“Well, his loss is Purgatory’s gain. You living in town?”

“Staying at the ranch house while I look for a place to call my own. You know how the market is around here. I might just build something new.”

“That’s what I’d do if I came back. I love my parents’ old house, but it’s a little too small for my liking.”

“Is that where you’re staying?”

“No. I got a room here. Figured I’d indulge a little. Play some poker. Have a few drinks and some cigars while I take a rest from the road.”

“I imagine you get to stay in a lot of nice places.”

“You’d be surprised then. Mostly a lot of fifth wheelers and motels. Whatever the town’s got available, and sometimes it ain’t much.”

“Sounds like my line of work.”

He laughs, loudly at first, but his brows knit together when he realizes I’m not kidding. “You’re serious? Well damn. I just have a hard time imagining Aspen Stockton in a motel.”

“I do a lot of field work in the summers. University tries to give the students hands-on experience, and I take on some CRM or research work when my schedule allows. Lots of long days and small towns. It beats a tent when there’s a shower and a bed that’s up off the ground.”

“Fair enough.” He nods but doesn’t press to ask me more.

I can assume he’s not interested in what I do for a living and is more interested in what I can do in a night. His eyes drift over me again in interest, and I can tell I’ll have to make up my mind quickly if this is how I want to break into this new single chapter of my life.

I don’t know that I have any actual interest in Carson or what he does for a living either. I already married an athlete. One that left me alone more nights than not. Been there. Done that. Have several T-shirts. And a run-of-the-mill rodeo cowboy would be trouble enough. Carson Beckett’s rodeo royalty. Even being seen talking to him will send the rumor mill into overdrive. Millie might even get palpitations from running around trying to spread the news.

The thought of that seals the deal. I want a simple one-night stand for my first go at this. Not a lot of small-town drama and whispering neighbors everywhere I go. But it can’t hurt to practice flirting with him.

“You gonna stare at me all night or ask me to dance?”

“Working on finding the courage.” He gives me a boyishly charming smile that I have a feeling makes light work of a lot of skirts on the road.

I grin back, but before I can say a word, I feel a hand on the small of my back, and Dakota slings a glass of whiskey across the counter to the interloper before I know what’s happening. He reaches between Carson and me to grab it and tosses it back before slamming the empty glass on the counter and turning his attention to the rodeo owner.

“You won’t mind if I take her for a spin while you figure out where you misplaced it then.”

“Bishop,” I hiss, glaring at his profile as he leans over me.

“Yeah, honey. You ready? I just asked them to play our song.” Bishop takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. I’m too stunned to argue, allowing myself to be escorted out onto the dance floor and spun in a tight circle until he pulls me close. I’m blaming nostalgia for the fact that I keep dancing as Tim McGraw’s “Something Like That” kicks up over the speakers.

“I wasn’t aware we had a song.” I manage to get a word in as he swings me around. The steps start to come back to me slowly, but Bishop was always a good dancer, and he takes the lead as he spins me around the floor.