9781631052323ForeverKindofCowboySullivan (5 page)

“Jeremiah,
you are being an ass.”

“Sorry,
but this is for the best.”

“You’re
going out with a guest on the ranch?”

“Just
going for a late evening ride.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Nothing
else.”

“Don’t
forget to call Callie. You’ll really be in hot water if you do.”

The
family had finished up their food as well so he motioned for Jeff and his dad
to join him in his office to go over the figures for the month on the supplies.

* * *
*

Callie
finished dressing in her tight-fitting jeans, white tank top with a sheer
blouse she wanted to wear over the top lying on the bed, and her cowboy boots.
She planned to be the epitome of what Jeremiah wanted in a woman if it killed
her. With a glance at the clock, she realized he should be here any minute so
she finished with the light bit of makeup before she clipped her hair back in a
barrette. Nothing like being the girl next door and still trying to be a woman a
cowboy would be interested in dating on a regular basis. “What if he kisses me
tonight?” She closed her eyes as she imagined the look he had on his face when
he bent his head to kiss her. He’d been about to, she just knew it, and man did
she want him to.

“Callie?”

“Yeah,
Dad?”

“Are
you about ready? Jeremiah should be here any time.”

“Yes.
I’ll be out in a minute if he comes to the door. I need to put on my blouse.”

“All
right.
I’ll
man the door.”

Fifteen
minutes later, she paced in front of the fireplace as she glanced at her watch.
Six-fifteen.
She’d never known Jeremiah to be late for
anything. Maybe she should call him. She had his number from when he’d tutored
her so many years ago. She’d never erased it from her phone, always hoping
someday he would call her. Well, now he should have and hadn’t.

“Why
don’t you call him? Maybe something happened. He might have forgotten or he got
in an accident or whatever.”

“I
should, huh?”

“Yes,
you should.”

“Okay.”
She exhaled forcibly, picked up her phone from the coffee table and scrolled
through the numbers to find his. When she had his name highlighted, she hit
talk so it would dial his number.

The phone
rang several times before it he finally picked up with a breathless hello.

“Jeremiah?”

“Callie?”

“Uh, I
thought I’d check with you since you’re late. I thought you said six?”

“Oh,
shit.
God.”

A
female voice in the background said, “Hey, baby. Where are you going? We’re
just getting started, cowboy.”

“Callie,
I’m sorry. I was going to call you. Something came up and…”

“Something
came up? Why do I hear a woman in the background?”

“She’s
a guest at the ranch.”

“And
the water in the background too?”

“She’s in
the restroom.”

“Why
don’t I believe you, Jeremiah? If you didn’t want to go out tonight, you could
have at least called me.”

“I
meant to.”

“You
meant to cancel our date because you wanted to go out with a guest at the
ranch?”

“Yes, I
mean no. Shit.”

“Never
mind.
I
understand. I’ll talk to you some other time.”

“Callie?”

“What?”

“I’m
sorry. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

“Fuck
you, Jeremiah Young. Do your guest. Get your fucking rocks off because you
aren’t worth my time, you asshole.” Too bad they didn’t have a land line. It
just wasn’t the same forcibly hitting end on a cell phone.

Tears
rolled down her cheeks. She should have known. All men were the same. They
didn’t give a shit about how things were supposed to work. He was supposed to
be different. He was supposed to care about her even a little bit, but he
didn’t apparently. He was more interested in doing one of the guests at the
ranch.
Fucker
.

“Aw,
baby, I’m sorry.”

She
hiccupped as she pressed her fist to her mouth and bit down to try to relieve
some of the pain she felt. “He’s with someone at the ranch, Daddy. He couldn’t
even take the time to call me and cancel before he took off for parts unknown
with some
sleazeball
guest who wants to fuck a
cowboy.”

“I
know, honey. He’s not worth your tears if he’s that kind of man.”

“God
help me.”

“It’s
okay. You should go out tonight anyway. Find yourself a nice young man to hang
out with at the bar. Get a little crazy.”

She
wiped the tears from her face with a tissue from the coffee table. “I think I will,
Daddy. Who knows? Maybe I’ll meet the man of my dreams, the one who will take
the place of Jeremiah Young and shred the thoughts of him right from my mind
with one smile.”

“I hope
so, baby.”

“I’m
going to touch up my makeup before I head over to The Dusty Boot.”

“You do
that.”

She
hugged her dad, and then headed back down the hall to her bedroom to fix her
face. When she glanced in the mirror of her bathroom, she saw the red rimmed
eyes and blotchy face staring back. “He’s not worth the tears.
Asshole.
I can’t believe he did that.” A fresh tear slid
down her cheek, but she wiped it away angrily. “He’s not worth my tears. I
thought he was different.
Apparently not.
If it means
a piece of ass, he’s all about the most readily available women around. Well, to
hell with him. He could have gotten it from me, but no. Asshole wanted some
chick on the ranch.
Probably a blonde bimbo with big boobs or
something.”
She wiped the mascara that had bled under her eyes so she
could refresh the look she’d perfected before.

She’d
teach him and his wandering ways. She’d find herself a cowboy to fuck for the
night so she could totally forget all about Jeremiah Young. If she was lucky,
she might run into her forever cowboy and it wouldn’t be him.

Several
minutes later, she found herself standing at the open doorway of The Dusty
Boot. Music blared through the speakers next to the band playing country music
with a two-step beat to it. She wanted a drink.
Something
strong.
Whiskey and Coke maybe.

She
found an empty stool at the bar between two men she didn’t know. Right up her
alley.

Peyton
Young made her way toward her to take her drink order and she had to bite her
lip to keep from saying something about Jeremiah to his sister-in-law. Of
course, it wasn’t her fault or Jason’s Jeremiah turned out to be an ass.
“Hi there.”
She tilted her head to the side and smiled.
“Callie, isn’t it?”

“Yes.
Hi, Peyton.”

“What’ll
ya
have, doll?”

“Jack
and Coke, please.”

“Coming
right up.”

As
Peyton mixed the drink for her not far from where she sat, she glanced to her
left to take in the man next to her.
Nope, not her type.
Older guy with a beer gut, large belt buckle and cowboy hat probably covering a
half-bald head. She looked to her right. Now there was a possibility. The guy
sitting next to her was cute. Dark hair peeked out beneath a straw cowboy hat,
western style button-down shirt, nice jeans and dirty boots. He apparently
worked for a living if he wore dirty boots to the bar.

“Hey.”

He
looked her way as he brought the beer bottle to his lips. When he finished the
sip, he said, “Hi, pretty lady.”

She
blushed at the compliment as she held out her hand. “My name is Callie.”

He took
her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Callie.
I’m Matt.”

“Do you
live around here? I don’t remember seeing you before.”

“Nope.
Live in San Antonio, but I
heard this was a great bar to come to on Saturday night so here I am.” He
turned to check out the dance floor.
“Seems to be a great
place.”

“Yeah.”

“You
live around here?”

“Yeah.
My dad owns the garage up the
road.”

“Cool.”

 
He tapped his foot to the beat of the
music coming from the band as Peyton slid her drink to her on a napkin.
“Six-fifty.”

“Can I
run a tab? I think I might be drinking a bit tonight.”

“Sure.
Just give me your card and I’ll run it.”

“Thanks.”

She
sipped the drink a let out a small cough.

“Strong?”
he asked, one eyebrow shot up over his left eye.

“Yeah,
a little.
I’m not quite used to it being that strong, I guess.”

“They
make some pretty mean drinks here, I heard.”

“They
are pretty generous with the booze, that’s for sure.”

“Hey,
want to dance?”

“Let me
finish this drink first and I’d love to.”

“How
old are you, Callie?”

“Twenty-eight.
Why?”

“Just
checkin
’.
You look young, but the bartender didn’t card you so I
figured you were over twenty-one anyway.”

“I know
her. She knows me. In fact, most everyone in this bar probably knows me.” She
looked around the room noting several people she’d went to high school with, a
group of the single Young brothers in the corner playing pool, another group of
women she knew from around town and there was Lydia hanging all over a
good-looking cowboy who worked on one of the other ranches in the area. Boy,
she didn’t take long finding another hunk.
“Yep.
I
know most everyone in here.”

“Maybe
I should have you introduce me around. I could use some work.”

“Are
you a cowboy?”

He
tipped his hat. “As cowboy as they come. Been
wranglin
’
for a while now, but the ranch I’ve been working on sold out recently to a big
conglomerate so they won’t be running cattle anymore.”

“I’m
sorry.”

“What
do you do?”

“I work
at my dad’s garage.”

“Oh,
like running the cash register or something?”

“No,
I’m a mechanic.”

“Really.
You work on cars, huh? Not a
typical job for a woman.”

“No,
it’s not, but I enjoy doing it and since I’m my dad’s only child, I got to
learn his trade.” She set her empty glass on the bar. “Shall we dance now?”

“Sure.”

He took
her hand in his and led her to the dance floor. His touch didn’t do what
Jeremiah’s did. She didn’t tingle or shiver from the brush of his fingers. She
hoped she could get past that because she really did want to like this guy. However,
when he wrapped a hand behind her head, he almost punched him. She didn’t like
being manhandled.

She
took his hand and put it on her waist.

“Sorry.”

“No
problem. I don’t like a guy’s hand up there is all. It’s more comfortable on my
waist.”

“Okay.”

They
danced a two-step while she kept looking around the bar. Her vision caught on
the other Young brothers playing pool in the corner and her thoughts strayed to
Jeremiah. What was he doing? Was he doing the guest from the ranch? Where were
they? She’d heard water running in the background, but that could’ve meant anything.
Jeremiah shared half of one of the cabins with one of his brothers, but he
could have taken her there. They might have been sharing a bath when he
answered the phone or maybe in her room?

“Bastard.”

“Excuse
me?”

“Sorry.
I didn’t mean you. I was thinking about someone else.”

He
placed his hand on his chest. “Ouch. You’re dancing with me and thinking about
another guy?”

“I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“Did
you have a fight with your boyfriend tonight? Is that why you’re at the bar
prowling?”

“I’m
not prowling. You make it sound like I’m some slut looking to get laid because
my boyfriend cheated on me.” They stopped dancing as she jammed her hands on
her hips. “I’ll have you know I don’t have a boyfriend and we didn’t have a
fight. I’m not here looking to get laid, I’m just here to have a few drinks and
unwind, so you can kiss my ass, Matt.” She spun on her heel to head back for
the bar to get another drink. Strike one.

“Wait a
damned minute here. You’re the one who muttered bastard I’m asking
what’s the issue here
. I need to know where I stand because
it’s Saturday and I don’t want to go home alone.”