Two Cowboys for Cady by Kit Tunstall

Chapter One
    Cady entered Maverick’s, still not sure why
she’d chosen to come to the bar. She’d find no genuine relief from
her emotions in the bottom of a pint of beer, but damned if she
could think of a better idea right then. At least the place was
quiet on a Wednesday night. It was still weird to be in the small
bar by herself. The few times per year she ventured out to drink,
she was always with her best friend. Since Ella was two thousand
miles away, meeting Mr. Right in person after a three-month online
relationship, she couldn’t just call her up and invite her to come
along while Cady drowned her sorrows.
    She took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer
from the bartender. Sam set a frosty mug in front of her within
seconds, and she drained half the contents in one swallow. With a
small cough, she returned the mug to the bar and blinked as her
head started feeling fuzzy. Yeah, smart move to down the drink like
a sorority girl when she hadn’t cracked a bottle in months. Not
since she’d started dating that worthless bum. She snorted,
thinking how she’d entirely given up drinking to support his
sobriety. He’d sure abandoned being sober fast enough—almost as
fast as he’d deserted her.
    “Cady?”
    She looked up from the amber liquid at the
sound of a familiar voice, one that instantly recalled forbidden
fantasies of the panty-dampening variety. A lump settled briefly in
her throat, forcing her to swallow it down before she could reply.
“Hello, Jace.” A glance over her shoulder revealed Brody sitting at
a table across the room. No surprise there. The best friends rarely
went anywhere alone.
    “How’s it going?”
    Ah, tell the truth or pretend to be just
hunky dory? She settled for a shrug. “How’re you?”
    “Just having a drink. Wouldn’t have expected
to see you here.”
    Cady shrugged again. “Not without Ella,
anyway.”
    “Or without Garrett.” Jace quickly lifted a
work-roughened palm. “Not that he spends any time at Maverick’s
these days.”
    She tossed back the rest of her beer, this
time not choking, though the swimmy-headed feeling persisted. “I
don’t much care where he spends his time, Jace.”
    Jace frowned. “Why don’t you join us,
Cady?”
    She contemplated the idea for a second. Yeah,
why not? Jace was the older brother of her best friend, and there
was no harm sitting with him and Brody. Neither man knew about her
secret thoughts and fantasies that featured both of them doing
wicked things to her body. Being in the company of two luscious
cowboys just might improve her mood anyway. “Sam, another beer for
the road,” she said with a smile. “I’m taking my act over
there.”
    Swaying, she stood still for a minute after
gaining her feet, ignoring the hand Jace extended to brace her. A
brief image of that same hand moving over her bare skin made her
shiver, but she pushed aside the thought. A man like Jace wouldn’t
look twice at her. Once steady, she followed him over to the small
table, nodding to Brody. “I hope you don’t mind me joining
you?”
    Brody shook his head as he removed his
Stetson to reveal tousled blond curls. “Of course not. How you
been, Cady-did?”
    She managed a small smile at the old term of
endearment. He hadn’t used it for several years. “Peachy.”
    Jace pulled out her seat, and she sat down
with a murmured, “Thank you,” thinking she must be pretty pathetic
in her current state, since they were going out of their way to be
so kind. Not that Brody and Jace would ever deliberately hurt
anyone, but they generally saved their charm for the fillies they
pursued on their free weekends. The slender, confident blondes with
big boobs. Cady’s antithesis. She had long ago accepted they would
never reciprocate her unspoken desire, but that didn’t keep her
from the occasional moment of bitterness. And tonight was a night
meant for wallowing in bitterness.
    Sam ferried another round to their table,
setting her mug and two bottles