staring at him from the booth. Chance looked really good tonight. She wore a sparkly black top, fitted jeans, and strappy high heeled shoes. Her fire red hair was wavy from the braid she wore earlier. Damn how he ached to touch her. What the hell was she doing here? Of all the family members, he had not expected Jan to be won over so easily.
"You want to go to her, don't you?” Lori, the little woman who he met about thirty minutes before they walked in, looked up at him. She was so small and frail he was half afraid she'd break if he hugged her too tight.
"No,” he lied. “I want to be right here where I am."
"Hmmm. A lying cowboy, now this is what my daddy warned me about when I said I was going to Montana for the weekend with some friends.” Lori smiled up at him and slid his hand for the third time back to her behind. “You won't make her jealous if you keep moving your hand back to my waist, Cowboy."
"I'm not trying to make her jealous.” Was he?
"Well, then I am. She's right. You will go home with her tonight, but for once in my life I want to make a woman jealous of me. Look at her, she's beautiful. Tall, perfect figure, not too small or large up top or at the bottom. And here I am, this short, flat-chested blonde dancing with her husband no less. I feel like I'm on Desperate Housewives .” Lori laughed a nice laugh. She really got a kick out of their current situation. “Kiss me."
"What's that?” His gut clenched. They turned, and he saw Chance still sitting there alone, still watching them. A man approached and sat in the booth across from her. A flicker of jealousy washed over him.
He looked down into the bright blue eyes staring up at him and kissed her. No tongue on his part though Lori licked the outside of his lips. Weird. That's how it felt, weird and wrong. A moment later he felt a punch in his ribs. That pulled him up for air.
But it wasn't Chance who had punched him, it was his sister. “Now, you are just being cruel."
Jan looked at her husband, and Buck just rubbed the back of his neck. He had a way of staying out of the family disputes. Mainly by calming Jan down later when they were alone. Buck looked at him and shrugged. “Well, I guess we'll be heading home now."
"Damn straight we will.” Jan gave him another disgusted look, and he felt the disappointment in her tone, like another punch in the ribs. He looked back to the table and noticed that Chance was alone again.
"She left me, Jan. Don't you remember that?” He reached for his sister, but she was too quick and smacked his hand down.
"Do you know why, Heath? Have you ever really talked to her? Do you have any idea why she left so often all those years ago?” Jan wrapped her arm around Buck and started them toward the table where Chance sat.
"Well. I think that about ends our fun here tonight.” Lori smiled, pulled him into a big hug, and then laughed that nice laugh of hers. “Thanks, Cowboy."
When he turned back to look at the table, Chance still sat there, but Buck and Jan were gone. He looked around the room as if someone or something would save him from this moment. The music picked up, and a line dance began. Heath maneuvered through the group. He pop stepped and scooted his way off the dance floor. He wanted to leave now, but he didn't know if she had a ride home.
"Did they leave without you?” He looked down as she looked up. He realized she was crying. No, no. Tears were not going to work tonight.
"Yes.” She sniffed then pulled another napkin from the dispenser on the table. “Can you take me home?"
"Well, Jan scared my date off, so I suppose so.” He felt like a bastard for saying it, but he had to protect himself from this woman. “Mind if I grab some water first?"
"Not at all.” She sniffed again as he sat across from her.
"Why are you crying?” He really wanted to know. After all, this woman left him. He didn't walk out on her.
"I wasn't expecting it to feel like this.” She looked him square in
"You want to go to her, don't you?” Lori, the little woman who he met about thirty minutes before they walked in, looked up at him. She was so small and frail he was half afraid she'd break if he hugged her too tight.
"No,” he lied. “I want to be right here where I am."
"Hmmm. A lying cowboy, now this is what my daddy warned me about when I said I was going to Montana for the weekend with some friends.” Lori smiled up at him and slid his hand for the third time back to her behind. “You won't make her jealous if you keep moving your hand back to my waist, Cowboy."
"I'm not trying to make her jealous.” Was he?
"Well, then I am. She's right. You will go home with her tonight, but for once in my life I want to make a woman jealous of me. Look at her, she's beautiful. Tall, perfect figure, not too small or large up top or at the bottom. And here I am, this short, flat-chested blonde dancing with her husband no less. I feel like I'm on Desperate Housewives .” Lori laughed a nice laugh. She really got a kick out of their current situation. “Kiss me."
"What's that?” His gut clenched. They turned, and he saw Chance still sitting there alone, still watching them. A man approached and sat in the booth across from her. A flicker of jealousy washed over him.
He looked down into the bright blue eyes staring up at him and kissed her. No tongue on his part though Lori licked the outside of his lips. Weird. That's how it felt, weird and wrong. A moment later he felt a punch in his ribs. That pulled him up for air.
But it wasn't Chance who had punched him, it was his sister. “Now, you are just being cruel."
Jan looked at her husband, and Buck just rubbed the back of his neck. He had a way of staying out of the family disputes. Mainly by calming Jan down later when they were alone. Buck looked at him and shrugged. “Well, I guess we'll be heading home now."
"Damn straight we will.” Jan gave him another disgusted look, and he felt the disappointment in her tone, like another punch in the ribs. He looked back to the table and noticed that Chance was alone again.
"She left me, Jan. Don't you remember that?” He reached for his sister, but she was too quick and smacked his hand down.
"Do you know why, Heath? Have you ever really talked to her? Do you have any idea why she left so often all those years ago?” Jan wrapped her arm around Buck and started them toward the table where Chance sat.
"Well. I think that about ends our fun here tonight.” Lori smiled, pulled him into a big hug, and then laughed that nice laugh of hers. “Thanks, Cowboy."
When he turned back to look at the table, Chance still sat there, but Buck and Jan were gone. He looked around the room as if someone or something would save him from this moment. The music picked up, and a line dance began. Heath maneuvered through the group. He pop stepped and scooted his way off the dance floor. He wanted to leave now, but he didn't know if she had a ride home.
"Did they leave without you?” He looked down as she looked up. He realized she was crying. No, no. Tears were not going to work tonight.
"Yes.” She sniffed then pulled another napkin from the dispenser on the table. “Can you take me home?"
"Well, Jan scared my date off, so I suppose so.” He felt like a bastard for saying it, but he had to protect himself from this woman. “Mind if I grab some water first?"
"Not at all.” She sniffed again as he sat across from her.
"Why are you crying?” He really wanted to know. After all, this woman left him. He didn't walk out on her.
"I wasn't expecting it to feel like this.” She looked him square in
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