AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Daphne flipped the beer taps, filling cloudy plastic pitchers with Pecan Porter. “Band’s warmin’ up upstairs, Daize. Only ten minutes til the kitchen closes. When it does, your margarita will be waitin’, I promise.”
“Thank you,” she breathed.
Her sister grinned. “Hank Gallagher’s sure got eyes for you. You didn’t tell me there were sparks, on those long rides.”
“Because there aren’t!” Daisy blazed.
Daphne set the last pitcher down and raised a disputing eyebrow. Wiping her hands on the cloth at her waist, she asked, “Aww, what’s not to like about Hank? He’s about the closest thing I’ve got to a little brother. I remember you two half-naked, splashin’ in the creek together back in the day.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Her sister wiggled her eyebrows. “He’s sure got great assets.”
“Yeah, like our six hundred acres!” Daisy snapped, snatching the handles of three full pitchers in her right hand.
When her sister set her drink order down, she closed the fingers of her left around the chilled glasses, tossed her head, and stalked off. Hank was still carrying on with his crew at the table, she noticed, making no move to head upstairs . . . until Janie Dupree came in, wearing some kind of debutante dress, short skirted and low cut.
Janie looked gorgeous, somewhere between ‘va-voom-me’ and ‘can’t touch this’. Her father was a dentist. She could burn money on clothing, and it always looked like she did.
Plenty of male eyes followed her, but she passed by deep mumbled hellos and tipped hats and made her way straight for Hank. Laying it on thick, she put her arms around his neck and scooted down to hang over his broad shoulder for a flirty hello.
Smelling like greasy food and spilled beer, Daisy felt uneasy and embarrassed. In a Hymie’s t-shirt, cutoffs and old boots, with just earrings for jewelry, she was tired and sweaty with work; it was hard not to be envious of Janie’s fancy clothes.A single cheap dress suit hung in Daisy’s closet, ready in case she ever did decide to apply for vet tech school. She wouldn’t know where to buy the kind of things Janie wore, even if she could afford them.
Hank sure won’t be putting the moves on me. Not that I gave him an in. Not that I wanted to.Really, Janie can have him.
After kissing Hank’s cheek, Janie stared right at Daisy. Well, looks like she’s heard we’re riding to rodeo together.
Setting her jaw, Daisy finished serving the last of her dinner orders and Hank started for the stairs with Janie close at his heels. When he hung back to say goodnight to Julio, who was going home to Luanne and the new baby, and then glanced her way, Daisy felt something like hope tug in her chest.
But then, with an impatient little toss of her head, Janie grabbed Hank’s hand. Looking sheepish, he started upstairs after her. When Janie flashed Daisy a triumphant smile she couldn’t help taste a bitter disappointment rising in her throat.
Shaking it off, she looped through the last of her tables to set down checks, then took a seat at the bar. Sucking the frozen margarita Daphne set in front of her, she let her boots rest on the second rung of her neighbor’s barstool and tried not to think of Janie and Hank upstairs. His big hands would be on the waist of her dress and they’d be laughing and flirty, shuffling to the two-step the band was playing just like they’d been at senior prom, when T.J. had shown up drunk. They were Class Couple; they belong together, Miss Personality Janie and Mr. Most Likely To Succeed Hank.
Too soon, the limey coolness of her drink was gone.
Tequila-induced smile on her lips, her back and hips considerably looser, Daisy made a last sweep, wiping down tables, running up credit cards and delivering change. Sure, Hank and Janie might be getting it on upstairs, but Hank had left her a nice tip, thirty-percent. And I need Hank Gallagher like a hole in the head.
Cashing her sister out, Daphne’s eyes widened. “Hank left you seventy-five bucks on a two hundred and twenty dollar check, and he transports your horse for free? He’s got it good for you, sweetheart!”
Daisy shook her head, handing her sister twenty percent of her night’s take. “He followed Janie upstairs like a hound on a trail, Daph.”
Daphne laughed, setting another margarita in front of her. “He was only being polite, Daize. Janie looks darn cute in that dress, but she can’t ride for her life, and she has no clue when it comes to ranch life, he knows that. Hank’s embarrassed by the fuss she makes over him, can’t you tell? Look, I’m following the crowd upstairs, tips are waiting. Come on up and claim your stud, sister.”
Daisy shook her head, taking her apron off. “No way. I’m not getting myself in the middle of that. I’m done for the night. See you in the mornin’, k, Daph?”
******
Win, Lose or Draw?
Daisy had stuffed her tips into her purse and was washing her hands behind the bar when Hank eased onto the stool in front of her. “Have a good night, Daize?” he asked with a wink, flashing a quick, shy smile.
“Good enough, thanks,” Daisy said, ignoring the little quiver in her belly. Why isn’t he upstairs with Janie?
She walked out from behind the bar, passing behind him to take her stool three seats down. Sipping long draws of the fresh margarita, Daisy let her bare leg swing, watched Hank’s eyes shift her way. The tip he’d left her was ridiculous. Maybe it was just guilt; he had their six hundred acres, after all.
Finished in the kitchen, Clarence came behind the bar to take care of the stragglers. He set a Shiner Bock in front of Hank, who was tapping his toe in time with the tune that came down the stairs as his thick fingers spun a pressed paper coaster.
Daisy’s eyes wandered to the mirror. A dark green t-shirt wrapped snugly over Hank’s big, knotty shoulders. Tanned biceps poked out from its short sleeves. Checking out the ridges of firm pectorals bulging under his shirt, she had to admit, if she didn’t know him, she’d be attracted.
