Second Chance Ranch: a Hope Springs novel (Entangled Bliss) (9 page)

Chapter Eight

There were two bars in town. One on the east end, closer to the fancy, bigger homes built or bought by people who’d come to Hope Springs to live off whatever fortune they’d acquired somewhere else. Quinn’s parents fit that profile, and the Lounge definitely catered to them—it specialized in wines and colorful cocktails.

Bar number two was Seth’s Steak and Saloon—generally referred to as the Triple S by locals—and it was the one you went to if you wanted the best steak in town, cheap but cold beer, and the chance to do some country dancing. People from other nearby small towns also frequented it, so it was also the best place to find a possible hookup. If Sadie knew Quinn—and she did—she’d be throwing cowboys at her all night.

There are worst things to have thrown at you, I suppose.

The front of the place stayed true to the look of old western saloons, although there were neon beer signs hanging in the windows. They sent flashes of colored light across Sadie’s bare arms and legs. She’d put on her red smocked summer dress and paired it with her brown boots with the bright embroidered flowers. This afternoon, she and Quinn had ended up at the Curl Up and Dye Salon. Quinn had gotten a trim and a streak of red in the back that could be easily hidden—though she’d done her hair up in a high ponytail so it was showing now—and Sadie had the hairdresser take out her hair extensions. She’d also had her trim it so that it brushed her shoulders, and put strawberry lowlights into the hard-to-keep-up platinum blond. Thanks to the combination of her makeunder and having Quinn by her side all day, making her laugh so hard she’d had to retouch her mascara from crying, she felt more like herself than she had in a long time.

Quinn hooked her arm through Sadie’s. “Okay, I’ll save you if you give me the signal, but you should at least
attempt
to flirt with a couple guys. It’s the only way you’re going to move past Royce.”

She almost said that she’d moved past Royce already. At one point, she had. Mostly. After being around him, though, she needed to re–get over him. If that were even possible. She took a deep breath. “I’ll try. But you remember how many weirdos live around here. Not to mention I know too much dirt on most of them to ever consider them viable dating options.”

“You haven’t even talked to them, and you’re already rejecting them.”

“I’m sure your diamond-gifting boyfriend would be happy to know you’re spending your evening scoping out dudes.”

Quinn tugged her toward the entrance. “If he saw how much help you needed, he’d give me props for helping the helpless.”

Sadie laughed and gave in, pulling open the door. The music was loud, honky-tonk vibrating through every inch of the place. They headed toward the bar to get drinks. The bartender’s familiar face lit up with a smile.

“Sadie and Quinn, how the hell are ya?”

They leaned over the bar to hug Seth, one of their former classmates. “Your dad has you working for him, too?” Quinn asked.

“Nah, I just bought the place from him last year—so it’s now technically Seth Junior’s Steak and Saloon.” He readjusted the faded green cap covering his red hair and jerked his chin at the jukebox. “Threatened to get rid of that and put tables on the dance floor, but there was an uproar. The town committee even wrote me a letter. Apparently the shit-kicking music and dancing must go on.” He shrugged and then folded his arms on the bar. “So, what can I get you ladies to drink?”

They ordered two beers, and when they turned to find a table, Sadie nearly ran smack into Royce and Cory. She stopped so abruptly her drink sloshed over the glass and onto her fingers. She looked her ex-boyfriend–slash–boss up and down, taking in the Wranglers, black shirt with pearl buttons, and black felt cowboy hat. His eyes met hers and she forgot how to breathe.

“Now this looks like trouble if I’ve ever seen it,” Cory said. Sadie could hear the smile in his voice, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Royce. She was vaguely aware of Cory hugging Quinn. Then Quinn moved to hug Royce, and a pinch of jealousy went through Sadie’s gut. Not because she thought anything would happen between Quinn and Royce, but because she’d never gotten a nice-to-see-you-again hug. They’d hardly touched since he’d run his fingers down her arm and squeezed her hand, and she’d relived it so much it was pathetic.

When Quinn stepped back, though, Royce’s attention returned to Sadie. “You cut your hair.” He stepped forward and picked up the ends. “You look like you again.”

The strands slowly fell from his grasp, tickling her bare shoulder. His callused fingers brushed across her collarbone before he dropped his hand. Her skin was on fire. Probably as red as her dress. And she wanted more. Let it all burn.

Royce cleared his throat. “We should get that drink.” He walked past her without another glance. Cory gave her and Quinn a quick smile and then headed after him.

Sadie followed Quinn to the closest table and dropped into a chair.

“Hol-ee hell!” Quinn slammed her glass down with a
clink
. “How can you say that boy doesn’t want you anymore? I could
feel
the heat coming off you two.”

Sadie glanced at Royce’s back as he and Cory talked to Seth, and then she slumped down in her chair, tightly gripping her glass. “Well, apparently I’m not so scrawny that he won’t check me out, but that’s it. There’s a difference between liking the way someone looks and wanting them.”

“Oh, he wants you.”

“You’re talking sex, which is different from actually liking a person or getting involved in a relationship. Not that I’m looking for that right now.”

I don’t think I am, anyway. Not that it matters, since Royce made it clear he’s not interested.

Sadie leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I know this sounds desperate, but I swear I’d just take the sex if I thought I could even get that.” She took a generous swig of her beer. “Maybe we should leave. Watching him all night, seeing all the girls who’ll inevitably hit on him, and the ones he’ll hit on…that’s not going to make me feel better.”

“I think we just need to speed up the drinking.” Quinn flagged the waitress who was walking by and asked for a couple shots of their best tequila.

…

Royce was doing his damnedest to not look at Sadie, but how was he supposed to do that when she was wearing that bright red dress? He’d nearly tripped over his own feet when he’d first seen those little strings that basically pointed to her cleavage. Then there was the way her hair skimmed her bare shoulders—strawberry-blond hair, the way she used to be. Not to mention the legs and the boots and the eyes and the lips. Even when he wasn’t looking at her, he saw her.

He signaled Seth to ask for another drink.

“Obviously this plan didn’t involve…” Cory gestured with his beer toward Sadie and Quinn. The other guys in the place were noticing the girls, too, which made it impossible to relax and enjoy this night away from the ranch. Every muscle in his body was tensed and the beer wasn’t working near quick enough. When Seth placed a Coors in front of him, he asked for a shot of Jim Beam as well.

He caught a flash of red and gritted his teeth as Sadie hit the dance floor with one of the boys from the town over. He couldn’t remember the guy’s name, but he was one of the Kendrick brothers. They were the pretty type who wore the cowboy uniform to go out but wouldn’t know what to do with a horse if you handed them the reins.

Royce drank the whiskey as soon as Seth set it in front of him, letting it burn through him. “So this is getting out. It’s not as fun as I remembered.” He was pretty sure half the town thought he and Cory had some
Brokeback Mountain
thing going on. But if he needed to come out to the Triple S every weekend and pick up women to prove he preferred females, he’d rather just stay at the ranch and let them talk. What did he care?

“Dude, you can sulk, you can go find another girl to dance with, or you can grab Sadie for the next song,” Cory said. “As for me, I’ve got a blonde with a low-cut top and, from the looks of it, even lower inhibitions staring at me, and I’m sick of living the monk life.” He clapped Royce on the back and then headed over to the blonde. In no time, they were plastered together on the dance floor.

Sulk.
He didn’t sulk. He scanned the rest of the women in the place, determined to get Sadie out of his mind. But then he noticed her sit back down with Quinn. She leaned in and the two of them laughed. Warmth flooded his chest and he could feel himself smiling. It was nice to see her so happy. Hundreds of good memories pushed in on the corners of his mind. Since he’d dated Sadie, that meant he’d spent lots of time with Quinn, too. She was always fun, loud, and infinitely grounded, although that never stopped her from sneaking out of her house.

Sadie glanced his way, and he realized he was staring. He turned in his seat, focusing on the lights behind the bar and thinking he was completely failing at reminding himself other women besides Sadie existed. Obviously he was pretty rusty at this whole getting-out thing. There’d been a couple girls here and there, but it’d always ended with them complaining about how busy he was or how hard it was to get through to him.

Who has the time to deal with that?
Ever since Dad died, he’d just worked, worked, and worked some more, so he could only imagine how much worse women would complain about his busy schedule now.

Maybe he should just go home. He was buzzing enough that he couldn’t drive—Cory had driven anyway. But all of this wasn’t worth the hassle, and if one more guy asked Sadie to dance…well, he was starting to feel like doing something stupid. Like going to ask her to dance himself.

And that would just make it too damn impossible to get the girl out of his head for good.

…

“Could you stop eye humping him and just go ask him to dance already?” Quinn tried to take a drink but was laughing too hard and ended up spilling it on her lap.

“You’re still such a lightweight,” Sadie said.

“I always hated I couldn’t put it away like you. Guys are impressed with that.”

“I’m not sure ‘impressed’ is the right word.” Sadie took another sip, enjoying the buzz starting to form. “I can’t drink like I used to, though. I spent too much time working, rehearsing, and filling every spare second with any performance I could get. Now I’m totally out of practice.”

“I’ll bet you the bill. If you go ask him to dance, I’ll pay.”

Sadie tilted her head. “There are some things money can’t buy. Humiliating myself is one of them.”

“Fifty bucks.”

“That’s just cruel. You know how broke I am.”

Quinn tapped her purple nails on the top of the table. “That’s why I’m offering. And adding in a double-dog dare you.”

“You think elementary tricks are going to work on me?” Sadie looked from Quinn to Royce and back to Quinn. The current song ended, and another one started—quick, the kind that required someone who really knew how to country dance. And Royce did. “You’re on.” She pushed out her chair, tossing Quinn a smile. “You spoiled rich girls think you can throw money at anything.”

Quinn laughed, then leaned forward and smacked her on the butt. “Go get ’em, tiger.”

Desire was pressing her forward more than the bet—and okay, the liquid courage was helping quite a bit. It didn’t keep her heart from pounding faster and harder with each step. Royce straightened, looking like he was getting ready to go.

All her words fell out of her head and all that came out was, “Uh…” She licked her lips and tried again. “Quinn says I don’t know how to country dance anymore. Care to help me prove her wrong?”

As Royce pushed in the stool he’d been sitting on, his muscles and height hit her again. “I don’t know that that’s a good idea, Sadie.”

A sharp pain shot through her chest. She’d told Quinn he’d say no, but she’d thought the bet would at least soften him, and the rejection firsthand—well, it sucked. “Oh. Right.”

“I’ll dance with you, sweetheart,” the guy sitting a few spots down said. She wasn’t really interested, but she supposed taking him up on the offer would help ease the sting. Anyway, put on a front that she wasn’t so crushed by it, at least.

“On second thought,” Royce said, wrapping his hand around hers, “I guess I can spare one dance.” He tugged her toward the floor, slid his arm around her waist, and then gripped her hand tighter, holding it up in dancing position. One eyebrow quirked a little higher than the other, and there was a challenging glint in his eyes that reminded her of all the times they used to egg each other on. “Try to keep up.”

Then they were off, feet shuffling, bodies spinning, trying to keep time with the music. She was rusty, and being drunk didn’t help. But whenever she started to go the wrong way, Royce would nudge her in the right direction. Her desire for him flared hotter as he led, always in control, his strong hands on her. Sometimes it drove her crazy when he was bossy or argumentative, but she loved when he took charge of certain things. Dancing. Kissing.

Other things.

She gulped and her breaths were coming faster and faster, and not just from the dancing.

He spun her out, then twisted her tight to his side, both of them facing forward for a couple of steps. Another spin and she was in his arms, her chest pressed against his.

The song ended, the silence suddenly so obvious after the loud, and then Royce was pulling away. “Guess you remember enough,” he said, and it took her a second to remember her excuse about how she needed to prove she could still country dance.

“Well, when you’ve got a partner who knows what he’s doing, it helps.”

A slow song started, and the couples on the dance floor reshuffled, some coming, some going. Royce took a step away, and she caught his arm. “One more.”

“I—”

“Just one more dance.” She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “Please.”

The tense line of his jaw softened and his fingers slowly curled around her hip. She kept the torturous space between them for a couple of eight counts, then moved in closer, until every inch possible was touching, and her hand was on his chest. With their bodies pressed together, the scent of his cologne filling her senses, and his intense gaze on her, she was back at prom all those years ago, the night he’d first told her he loved her. After the dance, they’d driven to the river, and one thing led to another. It’d been her first time, and she’d been surprised when he’d admitted it was his, too.