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I shake my head. “Sorry, I don’t. Haven’t had much interaction with kids. None of my brothers or Elise have any yet. But it sounds like you enjoy your job.”
“Oh, I do. And this is my first visit to Montana. I’m sure you know all about my sister and Nash. I had to come out and meet him in person, see what all the fuss was about. I have to say that he and Rhett seem great. And from what my sister says about Elise, she and Rhett are a great match, too.”
I nod my head. “Yep, both brothers are awesome. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better for my only sister.”
She smiles brightly at that. “Are you a protective big brother then?”
“Is there any other kind?” I smile at her. “Elise is the baby. All five of us are like that.”
I turn onto Main Street and slow down as we approach the Saloon. A spot opens up to park just in front of it, and I smile at our luck as I pull into it. Killing the engine, I hop out and round the truck in time to help Marley climb out of it.
She takes my outstretched hand to steady herself on the icy road, and electricity pulses through me when she does. Her hand feels so soft and smooth and fits mine perfectly.
“Like I said, the Saloon is usually the busiest place in town on a Friday night. If you want a taste of Heart River it’s a must-do. But I hope you don’t mind, I’m not one to get up and dance.”
“Understood. I’m happy to people-watch.” She spins around and heads for the front door, my eyes glued to her curves swaying with each step.
We enter and are greeted with the hum of loud voices mixed with the clinking of glasses. The hostess lets us know that we're in luck because a booth just opened up.
I gesture for Marley to walk ahead of me, and as we follow the hostess to our seats I notice more than one cowboy taking a long look at my date. I give them each a stare that dares them to keep looking. They don’t.
In addition to being a pretty big guy, I’ve got a bit of a reputation in town for being someone you don’t want to mess with. I never seek out a fight, but I’ve been in my fair share. With as many brothers as I have, it was a common occurrence when we were younger.
Speaking of brothers, I spy two of them across the restaurant just as we sit down.Great. I know for certain that Damien and Brodie will see us and head over to investigate. Those two are the troublemakers in our family.
After we are seated and order drinks, Marley smiles up at me as she reads the menu. “So what’s good here?”
“Everything, really. You can’t go wrong.” I glance down. Am I nervous? When the hell was the last time I felt nervous? This is so odd. This girl makes me feel all kinds of things that are foreign to me. What is going on?
When the waitress comes back with our drinks, Marley orders soup and a salad while I order a steak and baked potato. We settle back in our seats, each taking a sip of our drink and staring at the other. There’s electricity in the air tonight. I can feel it. Markley smiles up at me again and a thrill shoots down my spine.
“So your turn, Colton. Tell me about you. What was it like growing up here? What do you do now?”
My nervousness fades as Marley and I fall into an easy conversation. There are no awkward moments of silence. She laughs at my stories of the tricks my brothers and I would play on Elise and each other.
I tell her about growing up in Heart River, and how as soon as I could I moved back. I knew this town was the place for me. “The mountains call to me. I don’t know how to explain it other than I feel at peace when I’m here.”
I glance across the restaurant and frown. “Don’t look now, but two of my brothers are here.”
Of course she sits up and looks around.
“I mean it. If Damien and Brodie spot us they will come over and give me a hard time about being out with you.”
She frowns. “Is there something wrong with being here with me? Am I embarrassing you?”
“Oh no, the opposite.” I rush to correct her. “They aren’t used to seeing me out. On a date, I mean.” She smiles again. “I think they’d try their best to embarrass me in front of you.”
She grins. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
As soon as Marley finishes her sentence, I see Damien and Brodie rise from their table, mischief shining in their eyes. They're like two wolves sizing up their prey, ready to pounce. I brace myself for what's to come, knowing that my brothers won't let this opportunity go to waste.
They approach our table with exaggerated swagger. Damien, the taller and more muscular of the two, smirks as he leans against the booth, his arms crossed over his chest. Brodie stands beside him, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Damien, the older of my two troublemaker brothers, slaps me on the back. "Well, well, well, look who we have here. Colton on a date? Never thought I'd live to see the day."
Brodie, the younger and equally mischievous one, smirks. "Who's the gorgeous lady, Colton? Introduce us."
I glance at Marley, who's watching our interaction with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Boys, this is Marley, Maddie’s sister. Marley, these are my brothers, Damien and Brodie."
