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“You can be a real fucker when you’re mad, Jude.”
“The meeting didn’t happen. I ran Nix off as soon as I realized what she was up to.”
“Which was what?”
“To discuss a lease, or better yet, sign one.”
“Aha! A landman? You have no recourse, only some room in the contract details.”
A snarl escaped Jude. “Thanks for pointing out the obvious, asshole.”
“Dressed to negotiate. Definitely a secret weapon.” Chet guffawed, seeming to enjoy irking him He signaled with two fingers to the passing waitress for another round of beers for him and Jude. “She must have heard what a dog you are. Did you bite?”
“Nope, but now that she’s visiting your girlfriend through the weekend, I just might.”
Catching Remi’s attention in the other room, Chet flashed a smile and waved at her and Nix. “Nix is a tall drink of water, Jude. And ballsy to show up on your property like that. Maybe let whatever is in your craw slide tonight.”
“Nothing in my craw.”
“Bullshit. I hear it. I see it in your face. You have a conflict. You’re as attracted as hell to her, but she holds the power of oil and gas over you. Ouch.”
Chet summed it up perfectly. Jude had been unable to think of much else after their encounter. He could not remember experiencing such an immediate reaction. But he was also fiercely protective of the Carpenter land, which brought out the best and the worst in him. Nix had gotten a taste of the worst. The idea of having to cave to a descendent of the man who had fucked over his great-grandfather pissed him off to no end. His entire body tightened in response. What a quandary. Did she know?
“Don’t worry about that,” Jude said with a smug grin. “I’ll lay on the charm.”
“You can be a real jerk sometimes.” Chet pulled his phone from a hip pocket and glanced at it. “It’s trivia night in the bar. Remi is planning on snagging a table. Let’s go check in with them. Maybe join.” He poked Jude in the chest and squinted, his lips drawn into a hard line. “Don’t fuck me over with Remi. Got it?”
“Got it.”
THREE
Remi dragged Nix toward the bar. It was filling up. The women claimed a high-top table with two stools in the back of the room.
Nix hitched her hip onto a stool and rested her elbows on the rustic wood surface, noting the ornate hand-carved bar that filled most of the back wall. Her eyes flipped to Remi. “How long does trivia last?”
“A few hours. It can get competitive and rowdy, which will help me not think of Chet playing pool in the other room with his friends.”
“Oh, girl. You’ve got it bad.”
“Yup. I told you; I think he’s the one.”
“I’m up for rowdy.”
Remi elbowed Nix good-naturedly. “And maybe more?”
“Possibly. You picked up dinner, so the rest of the night is on me. I’ll be back with beer.” Nix edged off the stool as a graying older man stepped onto the low riser in the corner, to the side of the bar.
“Good evening!” The mic carried his voice over the crowd. “For those of you who haven’t been here before, and those who have, welcome. I’m Wade Chisholm, one of the owners of Beugy’s Bar & Grill. This evening is trivia night. Some housekeeping before we begin. If you’re hungry, the last orders for the kitchen are nine o’clock. That’s a firm deadline. Our cooks work hard and need time off. Teams are limited to four. You might play with people you never met. To quote Yeats—” He directed patrons to the large lettering on the wall to his right. “‘There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met.’ So, get yourselves acquainted, situated, and be prepared to have fun. We’ll begin in fifteen minutes.”
Nix returned with four long necks in a bucket of ice. “Thought I’d get backups. Okay, I want to meet your Chet.”
“I texted him when you went for beer. He’s popping in. They just finished their game. Not sure if any of his—”
“Remi.”
Grinning from ear-to-ear, her college roommate raised her head, appearing like she was swooning as the good-looking man placed himself in between the women and delivered a wallop of a smooch.
Oh yeah. Remi was a goner. They should just cut to the chase and find a room. Or a dark corner. Nix rolled her eyes and twisted away, connecting with a frowning Jude Carpenter.What the actual hell?Scowling, she whipped back to look at her friend.
