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Her gaze wavered. With the corner of her lower lip caught between her teeth, she confirmed the fact with a small nod. His fingers curled into fists at his sides, and he consciously unfurled them.
“Highlands has unlimited access to the park.”
She swallowed hard, then raised her chin with a hint of that infuriating defiance. “Yes.”
Joel cast Casey a pointed look and the truck engine revved as the guy wisely drove ahead to park. Brittany gazed after them, looking as if she’d lost her best friends.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he managed to keep his voice level. “I assume you have a really good reason for not informing me of this at any point during the fourteen or so hours we spent together on the mountain?”
When she finally met his gaze once more, he gave her a ‘still-waiting’ raised eyebrow.
She threw up her hands. “I don’t know!” She turned away, but then spun back just as fast, her dress whirling around her thighs. “Actually, yes I do. You assumed I was a spoiled little rich girl doing whatever I wanted. I just didn’t correct your assumption.”
“Oh, I see. Better to be a rich bitch than a conniving, lying, rich bitch—”
“I did not lie.”
“It’s the same thing.” He shook his head in disgust. “You know, I’m beginning to think women are just born dishonest.”
Her gaze narrowed. “The only thing I did wrong was take your horse, and I’ve apologized for that. There’s nothing more to say.”
Joel watched the swing of her hips as she strode away in those black cowboy boots. Deliberate or not, the movement was damn sexy all the same. He sighed, looking up at the stars while running his hands through his hair.
She was infuriating to say the least. And deceitful. Spunky, headstrong, beautiful—
Whoa, stop right there. Wrong damn road.
He dropped his arms back to his sides and decided to call it a night. He
hadn’t been enjoying himself before, no way the evening would be any better now.
Not two steps toward his own truck, he spotted Casey crossing the lot with the woman from his passenger seat. They were talking as they walked, holding hands, and even from a distance, it was impossible to miss the air of intimacy about them. Joel had noticed the wedding ring on the man’s hand last night, so he figured the brunette must be his wife.
As Casey held open the door for her, he cast a narrow-eyed glare across the vehicles. Joel’s jaw tightened with the realization the sonofabitch had known exactly what’d happened on the mountain when he sought him out at the restaurant to talk about wayward campers. He knew there’d been something fishy about the whole thing, just hadn’t expected it to be connected to Ms. Lucas.
She’s got more right to be here than you do.
The words echoed in Joel’s mind like a silent challenge. He abruptly switched direction to follow them all back inside. The redhead from earlier was about to get exactly what she wanted.
Chapter 9
Women are born dishonest.
Well, damn. If he weren’t so darn good-looking—and bossy, let’s not forget the bossy and arrogant, Britt—maybe she’d be able to keep her head straight and not do stupid things like lie—
No, she hadn’t lied. There was a difference. And besides, either way, it didn’t give him the right to blame her for every bad experience he’d ever had with women. She didn’t blame him for Daniel’s faults.
A lilting ballad replaced the rowdy country music the band had been playing. Gina went to refresh her drink while Casey and Jayne joined the other couples on the dance floor. Watching them snuggle together, she found herself picturing one man, the man she most wanted to forget—and it wasn’t her no-good cheating ex.
When a dark head suddenly appeared at her shoulder, a start of surprise tripped her pulse. Mitch chuckled, his breath warm against her ear.
“Since you won’t go out with me, you can at least dance with me.”
Relief spiraled through her, and she accepted his hand. She didn’t object when he pulled her close on the dance floor, either. He’d been a harmless flirt from the moment they’d met at the start of her third summer, and she appreciated his friendship.
“You and that redhead seemed to be getting pretty well acquainted,” she remarked, referring to the woman she’d seen him dirty dancing with a short while ago.
“Yes. Because Lindsey appreciates a good man when she sees one.”
