To Tempt a Cowgirl (22 page)

Of course people were looking at her. And talking.

Well, screw ’em.

She poked her head into the auction room to see two women in their late forties—one was a petite blonde and the other sported an impressive bouffant of flame-red hair—straightening the clipboards in front of the items, while a handful of attendees circled the room, contemplating the offerings.

“Hi,” she said to the redhead. “I’m Dani. I helped Gina solicit the gifts.”

“And you did a great job,” the woman replied. “I’m Elsie and this is Lydia.” The blonde woman wiggled her fingers at Dani. “Gina had to cancel, so we’re holding down the fort.”

“I heard.” Dani stood for a moment, feeling a touch awkward. “Well, I hope we make a lot of money.”

“I’m certain we will. These things start off slow, then snowball as the alcohol flows.”

Dani laughed and then turned to find Gabe standing in the doorway, a drink in each hand.

“I’m not needed,” she said to him as she came to take her drink. She held it up to eye level. “Did you order me a double?”

“I did not. The pours are generous. Although your ex was maybe too busy checking me out to keep track of how much was going into the glass.”

“He’s competitive.”

Gabe’s smile shifted. “He already lost.”

“I agree,” Dani said softly.

“It’s almost time for me to go on duty.”

“I guess if you’re on duty, then we can’t slip away early.” His free hand was once again at her back, his touch firm and warm.

“You wanted to slip away early? We barely got here.” The pressure of his fingers increased slightly.

“The thought had crossed my mind,” Dani said. She gave him a long look, acting on pure instinct and for once not thinking of six or seven different consequences of her actions. “I’ve achieved my purpose. I showed up at an event where I would see Chad. The worst is over. Now I can slip away into the night...and so can you—or rather, you could have.”

It was rather gratifying to see the dawning understanding in his eyes, followed by an appreciative lift of his lips. “I’d say this time Marti turned out to be a foe.”

Dani smiled up at him, then sipped her drink.

“Dani!” She turned to see a tall auburn-haired woman pushing through the crowd, drink held high.

“Jessie?”

Jessie Greenway squealed and gave Dani a big hug before stepping back and chanting, “Who’s a Spartan? I’m a Spartan, you’re a Spartan, too!” Her drink sloshed in time to the chant, slopping over at the very end.

Gabe’s forehead wrinkled as he glanced down at his damp shoes, then back up at Jessie. “It’s our cult greeting,” Dani explained with a wry smile.

“Cult?”

“Cheer cult,” Jessie said, leaning closer to Gabe and waggling her eyebrows. Jessie had obviously been taking advantage of the generous pours the bar offered. Her head suddenly went up and she vigorously waved her hand at someone across the room. “I’ll be back! I want to catch Marco before he gets away.”

With a jangle of bracelets she was gone, leaving only a faint hint of Shalimar behind.

Gabe shifted his jaw sideways. “Cheer cult, eh?”

“Three years of rah-rah. Jolie did four. We wanted to be on the rodeo team, but couldn’t afford it, so...” She shook imaginary pom-poms.

“Were you good?”

Dani ran her fingers over the thin gold chains she wore. “I was great. And I almost married the school quarterback.”

Gabe jerked his head toward the bar. “That quarterback there?”

“That’s the one.”

Gabe looked down at his watch. “Our shift starts soon, but I was thinking that maybe we could be a few minutes late showing up.”

Dani considered for a moment. “Or maybe I can stop pussyfooting around and just go and say hello.”

“Is that all you’re going to say?” he asked on a wry note, but she caught the protective gleam in his eye. She had backup.

She held his gaze for a moment, then slowly smiled. “I have no idea.”

* * *

G
ABE FOLLOWED
D
ANI
across the room, glad he was there to have her back and hoping at the same time that there would be no blood. Chad seemed to have disappeared, but Dani did not slow down as she wound her way through the crowd. She strode up to the bar, which was at the moment clear of customers, and stopped directly in front of an older man with a thick head of silver hair.

“Hello, Burt. I’m supposed to work this shift.”

“Well,” Burt said briskly, folding the towel he held and knocking over a glass, which he quickly righted, “I’ll just get out of your way,
Dani
.” He spoke her name in a louder tone, giving a quick glance toward the partially closed closet door.

“Is Chad in there?” Dani asked with a frown.

“Chad? No. He’s not.” Burt shook his head as he set the towel down. Then he let out a breath. “But I wish he was. Megan is in there. She’s working the next shift.”

“Really? Huh.” She cocked her head at Burt. “This is someone’s idea of a joke, I guess.”

“Or cheap entertainment,” Burt agreed in a low voice.

Dani pressed her fingers to her forehead. “I have to live in this community. And apparently so do they.” She looked up at Burt then back at Gabe.

“Burt—” All three of them looked around as Chad strode around the end of the bar, coming from the kitchen. He stopped short at the sight of his former fiancée. Gabe started to put a hand on her shoulder, then thought better of it and dropped it back to his side.

“Hello, Chad,” Dani said with a dignified nod. He nodded back without speaking, probably half-afraid of what was going to happen next, then his gaze slid over to Gabe as if gauging his worthiness as an opponent. “Someone has set things up so that Megan and I work the next shift together.”

“Uh-uh,” Chad said, shooting his attention back to her.

“Then what do you propose?” Gabe asked from behind Dani, just so the asshole would know that Dani wasn’t alone. He was surprised at just how badly he wanted to do the guy some bodily harm for what he’d done to Dani—and then he had to remind himself that if Chad hadn’t cheated, he and Dani probably wouldn’t be together right now.

A tapping of a coin on the bar interrupted them. “Bartender!”

“I’ll get them,” Burt said, looking happy to escape. Quickly he squeezed past Dani and headed for the small group of customers.

“You and I can work the shift,” Chad said to Gabe in a take-command voice. “Who are you anyway?”

“Gabe.” He didn’t offer either his hand or his last name.

“Maybe we should all work together,” Dani offered in a flat voice. “The four of us crammed back here. That could be entertaining.” She let out a sigh and then called toward the closet, “You can come out, Megan.”

The door opened the rest of the way and Megan stepped out with a stack of clean bar towels, looking sheepish as she walked over and planted herself under Chad’s arm. “I didn’t want to be in the middle of a scene.”

“Oh, that’s rich,” Dani muttered.

“Hey,” Chad said, his arm tightening protectively around Megan.

“Well, we are in the middle of scene,” Dani said, cutting her eyes toward the milling crowd, some of whom were watching them surreptitiously, while others were openly staring. “And you had to be well aware that this would happen when you moved back.”

“I never thought you and I would be at the same events.”

“Why not?” Dani asked, propping her hands on her hips.

“Because you were never interested in being social.”

“But I live here,” she said on a low note of outrage. “How could you possibly think this wasn’t going to happen?” She gave her head a disgusted shake. “You thought I’d stay out of your way.”

“I know I was going to stay out of yours. You wouldn’t have seen us at any horse shows or rodeos.”

“That is ridiculous,” Dani said. “And I suppose I was to stay away from what...football games and all community events? Grocery stores? Service stations?”

“Excuse me,” an older woman said from the other side of the bar, apparently oblivious to the drama playing out on the other side of the bar. “Can I please have a Coors?”

Gabe reached down into the icy cooler beneath the counter, pulled out a beer and popped the top. “Four dollars.”

She counted out the bills, then put a tip in the jar. After a moment’s hesitation she put in another.

As soon as the lady was gone, Dani pointed a finger at first Chad and then Megan. “You cheated on me. You get no courtesy. I’ll go any damned place I want to go.”

“Scotch, please?” A soft male voice came from the other side of the counter. “Oh, Dani. How are you? And...Chad,” the guy added on a startled note. “How are you?”

Dani rolled her eyes and reached for the Scotch bottle. “I’m fine, Gerry. How are you?” Gabe took it from her and poured the shot.

“Five dollars.”

“I thought we could be civilized...and stay out of each other’s way.”

“At least until Chad gets promoted to regional manager and then we’ll be gone,” Megan said as if it was going to happen tomorrow.

“What if he doesn’t?” Dani asked.

Megan’s mouth fell open as if the possibility had never occurred to her.

“Why don’t Gabe and I work this shift,” Chad said.

“And Megan and I can go powder our noses?” Megan drew closer to Chad and Dani said, “I’m kidding.”

“Easy solution,” Gabe said. “Dani and I will tend bar. You guys go and schmooze and everyone can be relieved that the first awkward big moment is over.”

“It’s true,” Dani said lightly. “Now you can go to rodeos and I can go to the grocery store.”

Chad lifted his chin in a quick movement of agreement and steered his bride out from behind the bar and into the kitchen.

Once they were gone, Dani pushed her hair back from her forehead with her wrist. “That sucked. But it’s over.” She stepped toward the bar as a group of people approached, pasting on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, but she was more relaxed than she’d been since walking in the door. And no blood had been spilled. Yet.

“Would you mind taking care of these guys?” Gabe asked, settling his hand on her lower back for a brief moment. “I’ll be right back.”

“Gabe—”

He smiled reassuringly, then headed out from behind the bar toward the coat check. Once he was out of sight, he doubled back and went into the kitchen, where Chad and Megan stood close to the exit, deep in conversation.

“Would you excuse us?” he said to Megan as he approached.

“I will not,” she said, flashing him an indignant look.

“Honey, let us talk,” Chad said without taking his eyes off Gabe.

“Sweetheart, I don’t think—”

“Please.”

“This won’t take long,” Gabe said before turning his attention back to the hometown hero.

“What the hell do you want?” the hero growled.

“I’ll tell you what I want,” Gabe said as he moved closer. “I want you to stay the hell away from Dani. If you see her in a store, I want you to go the other way.”

“It’s a free country.”

“Which means I’m free to cause you pain if you mess with her in any way.”

“Pain?” Chad sneered.

Gabe said nothing. He just continued to stare the bastard down the same way he’d stared down more than one purported badass who’d lived in his neighborhood during the bad old days. Finally Chad cleared his throat and Gabe stepped back. “I’m glad we understand each other.”

He started to turn, caught movement out of the corner of his eye in time to duck, then righted himself and sank his fist into Chad’s gut.

Chad let out a low groan as he doubled over. Gabe stood where he was, hands at the ready, just in case the asshole wanted more. Chad wretched again, as Megan rushed between Gabe and Chad, putting her hands out to push the two of them apart.

“I’ll call the police,” she said.

“He swung first,” Gabe replied coolly, thinking that Stewart was going to kill him.

“No police,” Chad said slowly, straightening back up, Megan clinging protectively to his arm.

“So we have an understanding?” Gabe asked.

Chad gave a short nod, then brushed by him. It was then that Gabe noticed Dani standing near the kitchen door leading to the bar, looking none too happy. Gabe idly rubbed his knuckles—Chad had a serious six-pack—then gave a shrug. “Who’s minding the bar?”

“We are,” she said, giving her head a quick shake before pushing her way back through the swinging door.

The rest of their hour-long shift passed quickly and uneventfully, but Dani spent most of the time seemingly lost in thought. Gabe didn’t push. The band started playing just before their shift ended. Chad and Megan danced the first dance and Dani leaned back against the wall, folding her arms over her chest as she watched.

“How’re you doing?” Gabe asked, mirroring her position, leaning against the wall next to her.

“I’ve been better, but I’ve also been worse.” Her shoulders rose, then sank again. “I’m glad it’s over.” She turned her head to look at him. “I’m glad you were here.”

“You didn’t need me.”

“But you needed to threaten him anyway?”

“Pretty much, yes.”

She leaned closer and lightly touched her lips to his. “I don’t approve, but I forgive you.”

He tilted her chin up and couldn’t help lowering his mouth to hers in a light kiss. “Good.”

“Our replacements are coming now.” She softly nipped his lower lip and Gabe started planning their escape when she said simply, “Let’s go.”

She didn’t have to ask twice. Gabe took her hand and wound his way from behind the bar to the door and blessedly fresh air. Once outside, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her long and hard.

“Let’s go home.”

Gabe didn’t know what she considered home, but had the sudden and disconcerting feeling that it didn’t matter as long as he was with her.

* * *

D
ANI OPENED HER
eyes when Gabe parked next to Dani’s good truck near his walkway. They hadn’t spoken much on the drive to his house, but it hadn’t been an uncomfortable silence. If anything she felt better than she’d felt in the past several days and the nerve jangling sexual tension building between herself and Gabe only added to her sense of well-being. Tension and well-being didn’t normally go hand in hand in Dani’s world, but they seemed to do just that when Gabe was involved.