AllFreeNovel
Share Us
* * *
Even on weeknights, the Roadhouse, run by a burly man named Jake Loman, was the busiest place in Blue Moon. The food was good, especially the choice cuts of beef, bought from local ranches. The booths and tables were usually full, and there was plenty of activity at the billiard tables in the back.
The place had become a gathering spot for the community, where families could dine together, neighbors could exchange gossip, couples could court, and men could discuss business. And after hours, a man able to pay could visit one of Jake’s so-called nieces who lived upstairs and helped in the kitchen.
No one was paying much attention when Kristin and Webb entered and followed Jake to the corner booth he’d reserved for them. Still, it was all Kristin could do to keep from ducking her head. Her efforts to dissuade Webb from taking her to this very public place had met with a wall of resistance. What was wrong with his wanting to show her off? he’d demanded. It was time the townspeople knew that they were a couple.
A couple? Was that what they were? But Kristin had known better than to challenge him and cast more discord on their evening together. In his own commanding way, Webb was making an effort to please her. She had resigned herself to a minor scandal. Let the chips fall where they may.
Webb was good company. She liked his intelligence, his determination, and his raw honesty. They’d enjoyed a few rides on his ranch and meals at his home, along with some pleasant conversations. But Webb Calder wasn’t a patient man. He was rushing her, seemingly unaware of her need to slow things down.
Did he love her?
Maybe he wanted to. Kristin understood that he was lonely and liked the idea of having an attractive, accomplished woman on his arm. But her instincts told her that Webb’s true heart had died with his wife. Any woman he chose would take second place to the portrait on the wall. Just as any man who chose her would have to respect her need to serve the community as a doctor.
Many successful relationships were built on compromise. Was it possible that this might be one of them?
Now, across the table, he smiled as he studied her in her simple yellow dress. “Every man in the room is jealous of me tonight,” he said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d have you stand up and take a bow, just to show you off.”
“Thank you for not doing that,” she said, smiling.
“And thank you for agreeing to come with me tonight. See, it’s not so bad, is it?”
People were starting to notice them now. As Jake took their order, a head turned in their direction, then another and another. A low buzz of conversation drifted through the room, like the hum of bees hovering over a blooming clover patch.
Fixing a polite smile on her face, Kristin willed herself to ignore the onlookers. She was managing all right—until she glanced across the room and saw Logan.
He was sitting alone at a small table, making a visible effort not to look at her. Kristin resisted the urge to shrink behind the table. Why did he have to be here? Why tonight?
But why should it matter? He’d seen the roses. He shouldn’t be surprised, seeing her with Webb. Should he?
* * *
After a long, frustrating day and with nothing worth cooking in the house, Logan had decided to treat himself to a steak dinner. He’d gone early and had almost finished his meal when Kristin walked in with Webb.
So that was how it was.
He’d suspected the truth when he’d seen the flowers on her table. But suspecting and knowing were two different things. Seeing her with Webb now, smiling as she leaned toward him in her pretty yellow dress, stirred dark emotions that an officer and a gentleman had no right to feel.
He gave himself a mental slap. Webb and Kristin were good people, and they were his friends. They deserved to find happiness. If they’d found it in each other, all he could do was wish them the best.
But a Calder and a Dollarhide together? That was going to cause some ripples.
What was left of his appetite had fled. Standing, he laid a bill on the table and stepped away. Now he had a choice. He could head straight for the door, pretending to ignore the happy couple, or he could take the high road.
He made the second choice.
Making his way among the tables, he walked up to their booth. “Well, this is a surprise,” he said. “Are congratulations in order?”
“Not quite yet.” Webb was beaming. “But I finally talked the lady into letting me show her off in public.”
“I was afraid we might cause a stir.” Kristin’s smile was strained. “It appears I was right.”
“Well, I wouldn’t let it bother me,” Logan said. “What happens between you two is nobody else’s business—including mine. I wish you both the best.”
“Thanks, friend.” Webb’s smile broadened. “When I get time, I plan to come out and see how the work on your ranch is coming along.”
“You’re welcome anytime. No invitation needed. You too, Kristin.” He gave her a nod. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, then closed as if she’d changed her mind.
