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Once she'd thought she'd seen that in Gregory, only to realize too late that what she had read as confidence was really arrogance. Unlike JT, Gregory secretly believed he was superior to most people. Whenever he got into a conversation he somehow managed to bring it back to himself. If someone had a story to tell, Gregory always had his own story on deck that was so much funnier and interesting.
JT, on the other hand, really listened to people when they talked, focusing on what they were saying rather than on what he wanted to say next.
She shook her head. She shouldn't be comparing JT to her ex. It was wildly unfair to JT to even be lumped into the same category.
One thing that wasn't different, she noticed, was the attention they got from women. She watched as the twenty-something-year-old daughter of the Chicago couple laughed at something JT said. She tossed her head, sending her long blond hair spilling over her tanned shoulders (what was it about him and the blondes?) and touched his forearm in a move that was straight out of flirting 101.
An uncomfortable sensation, like that of a fist wrapping around her intestines, settled in the pit of her stomach as JT grinned back at the other woman.
You have no right to be jealous, she scolded herself. In the week since she'd started working here, while JT had been very friendly, it had been clear that he intended to keep their relationship just that—very friendly.
She told herself she was grateful when she heard a male voice say, "Excuse me?" She forced a smile as she recognized George Henderson, who, she knew from their conversation two nights ago, was an investment banker who lived outside of Boston.
"Seven and Seven, right?" Colleen said.
"You remembered!" he said with a delighted grin.
"I'm great with matching faces with drink orders," she said as she mixed his drink. He stayed to chat a few moments, until his wife came over to fetch him for dinner.
The rest of the guests dispersed along with them, making their way to their tables to eat dinner before many of them headed out on an evening ride. She and Charlie stacked up the remaining plastic cups and she stashed them beneath the bar for next week.
She popped back up to see JT leaning forward with his elbows propped on the bar.
"You survived your first cocktail party," he said with a grin that made her stomach flip over on itself.
"It wasn't too bad." She smiled back. "Carmichael only sent his drink back once."
"Probably because his daughter-in-law called him out for being an asshole," JT said.
Her eyebrows shot up. "Good for her." She looked across the restaurant to where the extended Carmichael clan was gathered around a large circular table. "Though her husband doesn't look too happy about it."
"He should have said something himself," JT observed. "Bet that's going to be a tense evening ride."
"Speaking of," Colleen said as she poured herself a glass of water, "have you guys ever questioned the wisdom of getting the guests all liquored up and then sending them off on horseback? I'd think people would be falling off right and left."
JT shrugged. "Our dude horses are so bulletproof, you'd have to practically fall off on purpose. Every once in a while someone rolls off, but it doesn't happen very often. Besides," he said with another grin, "now we have Nurse Nancy on staff to patch everyone up."
Before Colleen could reply, she saw the blond from before approaching. She busied herself polishing glasses as the other woman made a beeline for JT.
"Oh, hey Amber," JT said as the woman breathlessly called his name.
Of course her name was Amber, Colleen thought sourly. A blonde with her big boobs straining against her V-neck T-shirt and round ass poured into jeans so tight it was a wonder she could breathe, had to be named Amber.
"A few of us are going to go to the Last Chance when we get back from riding. You want to join?"
"I'd love to."
Colleen's stomach started to drop to the floor.
"But I have to get up way too early tomorrow morning."
Amber stuck out her heavily glossed lower lip. "Come on JT, you used to be so much fun."
Colleen's shoulder muscles tightened at the implication.
"I know, I'm getting boring in my old age." He grinned. "Besides, I need my beauty sleep."
Amber laughed and swatted his chest. Colleen fisted her hand to keep from jumping over the bar and twisting the other woman's arm up behind her back.
