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“If it wasn’t over you, why did he split with Tara?” Laredo couldn’t help being curious.
“She made the mistake of siding with her father against Ty. Calders put a high value on loyalty, and she didn’t show any. Even then Ty might have overlooked it if the future of the Triple C hadn’t been an issue.”
“So he walked from her straight to you.”
“Something like that.”
“At least he finally wised up.”
She released a soft breath of laughter. “Thank you. That sounded distinctly like a compliment.”
“It was.”
“Thanks. You’re good for my ego. But we both know Tara is an incredibly beautiful woman.”
“That’s what most men probably see when they look at her, but I’m not most men.”
“No, you’re cut from a different cloth,” Jessy agreed. “I just haven’t figure out what kind.”
“It’s nice to know you’ve wondered about me. After the way you reacted when I suggested Tara thought we were having an affair, I had just about decided you didn’t think I was human, let alone a man.”
Something had changed. One minute Jessy was relaxed and at ease for the first time in days. Then suddenly she was full of a tingling awareness. She felt uncertain of her footing, a sensation that made her uneasy and hesitant.
“It didn’t have anything to do with you. I was surprised that anyone would think I might be interested in someone else,” she explained.
“Because of Ty.” Laredo stood much closer than she remembered.
“That’s right. He’s the only man I ever loved.”
Laredo nodded as if he had anticipated that’s what her answer would be. “Gave you your first kiss, and probably was your first lover, too. That makes for some tough competition.”
Worried that she might be misinterpreting this shift in the conversation, Jessy blurted, “Are you flirting with me?”
Amusement gleamed in his blue eyes. “I am. Any objections?”
Her throat felt strangely tight. She had to swallow to get the words out. “I think so.”
“That’s encouraging.” He grinned crookedly, a kind of sexiness in his smile. “You aren’t sure. You just think so.”
She gave him a long, level look. “You know what I really think?”
“What?” The corners of his mouth deepened in a near smile.
“I think you’ve spent too many nights alone at the Boar’s Nest. What you really need is a trip into town, a few beers, and an easy woman.”
He threw back his head and laughed. It was a rich and hearty sound, genuine and impossible to resist. Jessy found herself chuckling softly along with him. At last his laughter subsided, ending with a mild shaking of the head.
“You might as well admit I’m right,” she said, feeling comfortable and sure of her footing again. “I spent too many years working side by side with men not to know when one gets randy from spending too many nights out on roundup.”
“Ah, Jessy, that’s what I like about you. You just cut through all the trimmings and get right to the meat of things. It’s a very effective weapon. I’m surprised more women haven’t discovered it.”
“Weapon?” His choice of words puzzled her.
“Sure, it’s just like that calm composure of yours that somehow pushes a man back. Your blunt talk cuts a man’s legs right out from under him. Here I am, working things around to where I can steal a kiss, and you”—he made a slicing motion with his hand—“completely destroy the romantic mood I was trying to create by declaring I must be horny.”
“Aren’t you?” Jessy challenged.
“Sorry, that won’t work this time,” he informed her. “I’m gettin’ my kiss.”
