AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Well, my fries.
Raising my eyebrows, I turned the chair around and straddled it as I looked pointedly at the salad on her plate. “Not very hungry?” I teased.
“I’m just saving you from yourself,” she said as she plucked a few more fries from my tray and sprinkled them over her salad. “So where is your gaggle of women?”
“Word got around that I was married, and now they all want to murder me,” I responded easily as I smiled. I liked the light and teasing tone in her voice. She looked relaxed and at ease.
“Tell them that I get first dibs. So what’s the point of this party anyway? Just a chance for everyone to get together and dance and drink and… fight.” She scrunched up her nose as a loud shout arose behind me, and I turned to see two younger guys going at it.
“That’s the Markham brothers. They’ve been trading the same girlfriend back and forth for five years now. They don’t need a party to fight. Originally, this was a time for the different ranches to show off their newest ponies or their most prized horses. Some ranches still do that, but most of us just come for the beer and the food.” I’d staunchly ignored the annual gathering until now. As a kid, I’d loved it, but the older I got, the more I realized it was more about rubbing elbows than having a good time.
Up until a few minutes ago, that was exactly what I had planned on doing, but not anymore. I just wanted to see a smile on her face again.
“I saw you talking to Harry. Is he happy?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. I decided not to use tonight to further my agenda. I just want to get a few more dances in with you and maybe convince you to partake in the women’s mud wrestling at midnight…” I bobbed my eyebrows.
She just stared at me, a fry lingering a millimeter from her pretty lips. “You are kidding, right?”
“And then we can enjoy the rest of the night.” I winked. “You forget that I’ve seen you naked and covered in mud. I think you’d put on quite a show.”
“There can’t possibly be a women’s mud wrestling event,” she said as she narrowed her eyes.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. It was so easy to get her riled up. “Not officially, but usually by the end of the night, Donna Seagram has tried to go home with some other woman’s man, and, well, I’m sure you get the picture.” I polished off the ribs and wiped my fingers clean.
“You always make such a mess with ribs.” Jillian laughed as she leaned over with a napkin. I froze as she wiped a spot just next to my mouth. It was far too tempting to take those fingers and slide them into my mouth just for a chance to get a taste of her again.
Her eyes widened slightly as she realized what she was doing. As she tensed, I gave her an easy smile. “You were the one who got the ribs,” I pointed out.
“True.” Clearing her throat, she leaned back in her chair. “So, you said that you wanted a few more dances?”
“I did. Are you game?”
Her gaze slid to the dancers, and she took a deep breath. “Actually, I think I’m tired. Would it be okay if we called it a night?”
“Sure.” I shrugged like I wasn’t disappointed, and when I got up and glanced over my shoulder, I saw what gave her pause. Most of the couples looked like they’d had a few too many drinks and were dancing a little too dirty.
We finished our beers, tossed our trash, and headed for the car. I didn’t bother saying goodbye to anyone when we left. I had a feeling that Harry was definitely keeping an eye on us and already knew.
She was quiet on the way home. Her discomfort tempered my desire for her, and when we got back, I just kissed her forehead, wished her a goodnight, and let her walk away.
As I closed the door to my bedroom, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This whole friendship thing might be the death of me.
***
“I told you that I already looked through Dennis Blackwell’s financials. There’s nothing there,” Gordon complained as he squinted at me. Behind me, the sun was already setting, but I was still an hour behind with work. Two of the ranch hands didn’t show today, and I’d barely gotten two hours of sleep. My nights had been plagued with memories.
“Jillian, talk to me, please,” I begged from the doorway to the bedroom. It had been weeks, and she hadn’t said a word to me. I ached for the child we’d lost, but she was wasting away right in front of me. “At least eat something.”
