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Like you just were.
But he wasn’t some asshole drooling over a bit of bare ass.
Yeah, right.
“Oh.” Something strange filled her face. Her shoulders dropped, and he immediately wanted to take his words back, to find some way to cheer her up. “Sorry. I’m sure no one wanted to see my ass on display.”
He frowned. “That’s not what I was saying.”
“Sure it wasn’t. Oh, here’s your beer.”
Ronny put the beers down, eyeing the woman with some interest and concern. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Me?” She pushed her shoulders back, smiling at him. “Of course, I’m always okay.”
Yeah, that sounded like a total lie.
Someone called out for him, and Ronny turned away with a nod.
“He seems nice. Do you think he’s nice?” she asked.
“Uh, I guess. I don’t know him that well.”
“You don’t come here much?”
“Well, a bit.”
“And you don’t know the bartender?” she queried.
“I know his name.”
“Do you live around here?”
“I live a few miles out of town, on a ranch. Kind of partway between here and Haven.”
“I was meant to live in Haven,” she said, picking at the label of her beer. “Then our car broke down in Desolation.”
Desolation?
“Where’s that?”
“It’s just half an hour drive from here. I thought you lived around here.” She eyed him, taking a sip from her beer then making a face. “Ick.”
“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with your beer?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s beer.”
“What?”
“I forgot I hate beer. I’ll just have to ask that nice bartender for another drink.”
He didn’t like the way she stared at Ronny.
Why was he jealous? That was ridiculous.
“I’ll wave him down,” he offered. “You stay sitting.”
“Ah, yeah, best not to flash my fat ass to everyone in the room. It’s this stupid dress that Emily insisted I wear. I swear she chose something that would look horrid on me.”
“Emily?” he asked as he got Ronny’s attention.
“She’s the braying donkey over there.” She winced as the bride-to-be screeched. “My ear drums are never going to be the same again.”
“Wait, do you mean you’re from Devotion?” She was with those women?
“Yeah.”
Ahh, right. He needed to back away. Fast. Everyone who lived in that town had been hit with the crazy stick. Which explained her strange behavior.
“But I don’t live there anymore. I never wanted to. You don’t know how hard it is to live in a family that’s completely nuts.”
“Don’t I?” He rolled his eyes as he heard another monkey noise coming from the direction where his brothers sat.
Assholes.
“Why does it sound like there’s a monkey in here? They throw their own poop, you know.”
“So I’ve heard,” he said dryly as Ronny came over.
“Can I get you something?” Ronny asked.
“Yeah, ah, what do you want to drink?” he asked her.
“I’ll have a club soda with a shot of peach schnapps, limoncello, Midori, and maraschino.”
Butch stared at her. Even Ronny seemed shocked.
“I call it a Tingles, because it gives me tingles.”
They continued to stare at her. Tingles, huh?
“What? You don’t have those things? I can substitute.”
“Uh, no. I can make that for you,” Ronny replied.
“You’re so lovely,” she said on a sigh. She placed her elbow on the bar, and put her chin on her hand. “I don’t suppose you’re looking for something to do next Saturday night?”
“Uh, well . . .”
“I can offer you a night of free booze and food and probably a whole lot of drama.” She shook her head. “I need to be upfront. There will definitely be drama. Probably tears. And me in a puffy dress. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m certain that’s what’s coming my way if this dress is any indication. Isn’t it disgusting?”
“Um, well . . . I . . .” Ronny stumbled over his words.
“Aren’t you married?” Butch snapped at him.
“Yes,” Ronny said hastily.
“Oh well, I can’t bring you as my date then,” she said with a sad sigh. “That would be just wrong. I don’t like cheaters. Really, you should lead with that kind of thing. I can’t take you as my date when you have a wife—unless she wants to come. But no, that wouldn’t work. My mother would likely think I was having a threesome. Which would create plenty of drama. Huh, maybe that would work. Except she’d probably never let you both through the door.”
Butch gaped down at her. She constantly surprised him. On the one hand, she seemed like a cute, sweet, slightly off-beat woman. But on the other hand, she was from Devotion. And she gave away eight-hundred-dollar shoes like they were nothing.
Yeah, nope.
She might have a delectable ass, but she was not the sort of woman he wanted to be around.
She sighed sadly as Ronny backed away under the pretense of making the bizarre drink she’d ordered.
“You ever feel like everyone else has their life together and you’re just jogging along a different path? Backwards? Not that I jog. Obviously.”
