Sun Burnt (2 page)

In the end they would want her to come to her own conclusion, and the
y’
d support whatever she wanted to do. She sighed, not really knowing why she was there. She was clueless and honestly still too heartsick over the loss of her parents to be of any use to anyone. Her plan was to sell the ranch. Mitchell wanted her to give it a try before she made that move, but really, who was she kidding? She could
n’
t do this. She just could
n’
t.

She sighed deeply and tossed back the last of her drink before gesturing to the barmai
d–
a petite woman in shorts that did
n’
t exactly cover her booty and a spaghetti string tank top that read Walker Creek Eagle
s–
for another drink.

When the barmaid smiled prettily and went to work on her drink, Kesslyn had a look around the bar room. It was quieter than sh
e’
d expected. The music was plenty loud, but the bar was
n’
t full of two-stepping, whiskey swilling, brawling cowboys like sh
e’
d expected. There were a few couples dancing on the floor to a song about a neon moon. The tables dotted around the bar were about half full of an odd mix of people in western wear and others in fancier attire.

“
Hi there
.”
The barmaid set a fresh drink on a clean napkin
.“
My nam
e’
s Bitsy. Well, i
t’
s actually Rebecca, but the
y’
ve been calli
n’
me Bitsy my whole life
.”

Kesslyn tried to smile for the friendly woman, but it fell short she knew
.“
I
t’
s nice to meet you, Bitsy.
I’
m Kesslyn
.
”

“
Oh, tha
t’
s a right pretty name, Kesslyn
.
”

“
Thank you
.”
Her parents could
n’
t tell where the name had come from. They could
n’
t find a name they both liked, and her mother had been in labor when they finally settled on Kesslyn.

“
I did
n’
t mean to interrupt your ruminating. You just looked so sad. I thought
I’
d say hello, you know, in case you need to talk.
I’
m a bartender. Tha
t’
s almost the same as a shrink. We hear everybod
y’
s worries on this side of the bar
.”
Bitsy patted her hand kindly.

Kesslyn had to laugh. She bet Bitsy knew everything about everybody in Walker Creek
.“
Thanks, Bitsy. For now, just keep the drinks coming
.
”

Bitsy nodded and danced back down the bar, stopping to ask each customer if they needed anything on her way. Kesslyn turned her attention back to her drink.

****

Beau Knox stared down at his pool stick and took a deep breath. The scratchy collar and confining sleeves of the white dress shirt he had worn aggravated him. He hated the damned monkey suit h
e’
d been wearing all afternoon. Beau was a working man, far more comfortable in jeans and boots. He rolled up the long sleeves of the shirt and loosened the collar a little more. H
e’
d ditched the tie and jacket in his truck after his good friend Deaco
n’
s wedding reception. He pulled back and shot the stick forward to hit the cue ball. There was a satisfying crack of the cue ball knocking against the other balls when he broke.

At least h
e’
d gotten some use out of the suit h
e’
d bought for his grandfathe
r’
s funeral several months before. It had been dry cleaned and hanging uselessly in his closet when Deacon Hughes came to Beau to ask him to be his best man in a wedding to a woman Beau did
n’
t know and Deacon had just met. In spite of Bea
u’
s misgivings about the match, Deacon was sure Rissa was the only one for him. That had been a week ago. One week. Deacon was only willing to wait as long as it took Rissa to find a dress and plan a simple but elegant ceremony and reception.

Beau shook his head at his frien
d’
s rash decision. Marry in haste, repent at leisure. Was
n’
t that how the saying went? Deacon was at his leisure, now. Beau hoped his friend would
n’
t regret the head first dive into matrimony.

Bea
u’
s own parents were married just days after they met, according to his grandpa, and look how that had turned out. It was less than a year later when his father left his mother eight months pregnant for another woman. H
e’
d never come back again. Never even visited his parents again. His mother was so in love with her husband that sh
e’
d gone a little crazy. Sh
e’
d dropped Beau off with his grandparents when he was just a few months old and went out t
o“
find herself
.
”

His ma would show up from time to time and drag Beau off for another try at parenting. When she could
n’
t figure out how to balance partying, working, and being a single mother, she would eventually deposit him back in Walker Creek. It was during one of what h
e’
d come to think of as her 'mommy phases' when he was ten years old, that things had changed.

You see, the cops do
n’
t take kindly to folks using their kids as designated drivers. H
e’
d driven her home lots of times. It was the waiting in the car for hours while Ma went into the bar that he hated, but Ma had always let him have whatever kind of fast food he wanted on those nights. So it was cool. He took the books his nana sent him to read to pass the time.

It was about three in the morning, and the streets were empty when they left the bar. Except for that cop he had
n’
t seen hiding in the shadows. Shit, Beau was a good driver, even at ten years old, but his ma had started vomiting on the bench seat next to him, and Beau had jerked the wheel in his surprise. Tha
t’
s when h
e’
d seen the red and blue flashing lights. After that, his grandparents had
n’
t had any trouble getting permanent custody.

Yup. Marriage did bad things to people, but they insisted on doing it anyway. All of his friends were very married now. Beau did
n’
t begrudge anyone their need to be tied together for better or for worse. It was just that, statistically speaking, for worse was a far more likely outcome. Beau had no interesting in experiencing the devastation that came when the shine wore off those gold bands. H
e’
d lived through enough of that shit already.

He could admit that there were times when marriage did work out. His pop and nana, for example, had a long and happy life together, but now his nana was suffering. After fifty-five years of wedded bliss, to hear his nana tell it, she was alone in the big old farm house her husband had built for her and their family.

Beau tried to shake off his bad mood. It was Saturday night. Bitsy swung by and dropped another bottle of beer off at his high-top table. Hooliga
n’
s was
n’
t overcrowded for a change because everyone had gotten drunk at the wedding reception and went home early. He was going to relax and play a little pool.

He was just about to take another shot when his attention was drawn away from the table to a pair of ridiculously long legs as they passed him on the way to restroom. Who the hell was that? He got a glimpse of long red hair pulled back in a ponytail, an Orioles t-shirt, and a nicely rounded ass in snug black shorts as she disappeared into the ladies room. Orioles? How had he missed the news of a honey in town? He looked around the room to find that everyone else had just noticed her too.

Bitsy was grinning and shaking her head behind the bar. Sh
e’
d obviously just been waiting for the rest of the bar to see the lovely long legged newbie. If sh
e’
d just arrived, the news would be all over town before the end of the breakfast rush at Notcha Momm
a’
s in the morning.

Never one to miss the opportunity to be neighborly and welcome a new resident to Walker Creek, Beau laid down his pool stick and casually walked toward the restrooms for a little accidental run in. The first real smile in days split his face. This night had just taken a turn for the better. He was gonna catch him a redhead. 

TWO

Kesslyn blinked at her tired reflection in the bathroom mirror. It had been such a long damn day. She smiled in the direction of the door. She did
n’
t think there was a bar in America that did
n’
t get a little rowdy when the third verse of 'Friends in Low Places' was played. Country music thumped through the walls and vibrated the lighting fixture over her head. When she looked up at the sound her head spun a little. She washed her hands and splashed some water on her warm face while she listened to a chick in a bathroom stall make multiple phone calls to inform her friends that a mysterious redhead was flaunting her big ass all around Hooligans and tempting their men.

Kesslyn frowned and turned to examine her butt in the mirror. She could agree that she was a curvy woman, sure, but a big ass? Now that was going a bit too far. She happened to like being taller than average and built like Marilyn Monroe. She was healthy. That was all she cared about.

As for flaunting it, she did
n’
t believe walking from one end of the room to the other qualified, but the devil on her shoulder dared Kesslyn to give it a whirl. It could be fun, right? Thoughts like that are how she knew it was time to say when and head back to her hotel for some much needed sleep. When that naughty voice whispering bad ideas in your ear starts making perfect sense, yo
u’
ve had too much to drink.

Kesslyn scowled at the stall door as the woman made yet another phone call. Good lord! Was this how a small town rumor mill worked? This was a bad way to start out in the town named for her forefathers. The toilet flushed so Kesslyn hurried to leave. She did
n’
t want a confrontation with Gossip Girl.

She pushed through the ladies room door and smashed into something solid. The door bounced back at her
.“
Oh
!
”

“
Ouch
!”
said the wall of man sh
e’
d struck with the door.

“I’
m so sorry. Did I hurt you
?”
Kesslyn reached up to inspect the face of the man sh
e’
d hit with the door.  It was dark in the hall and he was backlit, but she got the impression of a square jaw and sharp cheekbones. She could
n’
t tell if sh
e’
d done any real harm, but sh
e’
d hit the man pretty hard. His hands covered hers and held it to his face as he looked down at her. He was tall. At least six-five, likely taller. Kesslyn was five-ten and the top of her head just reached his chin. She was eye to neck with his nice dress shirt open at the collar. His attire was out of place in the honky-tonk. He must be a businessman of some sort. 

“I’
ll be alright darli
n’
. Are you okay? You flew out of there like there were hounds on your heels
,”
he answered in a smooth, deep Texas drawl that made her heart kick up a notch.

The ladies room door opened behind her and the woman sh
e’
d been trying to avoid stepped out. The bathroom light illuminated the stranger's face and Kesslyn caught her breath. Holy shit! He was gorgeous. His perfectly honed features and sandy good looks reminded her of a Ken doll. Only without the whole creepy lack of genitalia thing.

Oh god! Was she really standing there imagining his genitalia?  And sh
e’
d hit him in the face with the door. There was a scratch on his temple . . . and she had her mind in his pants in an instant. It was time to go to bed. Alone? Yes, alone!

“
I see. Not a hound, but a bitch for sure
,”
he said under his breath when he saw the too perfect blond in tight jeans and extremely high heels who was gawking at them as if sh
e’
d seen a train wreck and could
n’
t close her painted red lips.

Kesslyn looked back up to the man, who still held her hand pressed to his face, and she giggled. Lord, sh
e’
d had too much to drink. Sh
e’
d regressed to laughing at dirty words, but the woman really was a bitch. He lowered her hand but did
n’
t let go.

“
Beau, I thought you were out of town tonight
.”
She spoke to Kessly
n’
s victim as if she were
n’
t there.

“
Decided to get home. I have work to do tomorrow
,”
he replied stiffly.

“
I thought you might call me when you got back to town
.”

Kesslyn got the feeling she was intruding on a private conversation. She tugged her hand out of his grip and squeezed herself against the wall so she did
n’
t touch him as she passed in the narrow hallway.

“I’
ll just be going.
I’
m very sorry for hitting you with the door
,”
she apologized and hurried away. She stopped at the bar to pay her tab and was almost to the door when the hottie in a suit caught up with her.

“
Hey there, darli
n’
, you leaving so soon? I thought I might get a dance, you know, to make up for my injury
.”
He pouted and pointed to the bruise forming on his temple. The big striking man actually poked out his lower lip and pouted.

Kesslyn giggled again
.“I’
m really very sorry, sir
.
”

“
Beau. The nam
e’
s Beau
,”
he introduced himself and took her hand. He did
n’
t shake her hand. He just held it, stroking her knuckles with his thumb.

“
I heard
.”
She looked past him to Gossip Girl, who was staring a hole through Kessly
n’
s head
.“
I do
n’
t think your girlfriend would appreciate me monopolizing your time, Beau
.
”

“
Who, Luann? She ai
n’
t my girl
.”
He shrugged
.“
She just wants to be. Can you blame her
?”
he asked with a cocky grin and gestured at his glorious form. She was so stunned by his arrogance that her mouth fell open. He laughed out loud
.“
Kidding!
I’
m just kidding. Come on, girl. Just one dance
?”

His smile was straight and white. His brown eyes danced with challenge, daring her to take him up on the offer. His hand was extended and waiting for her to take it. Kesslyn put her hand in Bea
u’
s huge paw. His fingers wrapped around hers, and his grin broadened. He tugged her back toward the dance floor. It felt like every eye in the room was on them. She imagined Gossip Girl, Luann h
e’
d called her, was making a new round of phone calls in the bathroom since she could no longer be seen in the bar room.

The song playing was about being old enough to know better, but still too young to care. It was fast paced, and Kesslyn hoped her inebriated feet would cooperate. Beau spun her around, and they were off into a quick two-step. The familiar moves she danced so many times with her dad came back to her like riding a bike. She laughed and enjoyed the dance, smiling widely when Beau sang along and performed some fancy moves sh
e’
d never seen her daddy do. It was freeing to just relax and enjoy being a stranger in a strange place. This stunning man did
n’
t know her at all, but he wanted to. She could tell by the way he touched her everywhere possible and the way he danced a little too close.

The music changed and a slow song began. Bea
u’
s pleased grin was heart stopping. He pulled her into his arms, wrapping himself around her. The brush of his long legs against hers and the solid bands of his arms around her were an aphrodisiac. The man could move too. She loved a man who could dance with confidence.

****

The hot redhead was a damn good dancer. Beau loved to dance, and it was nice to find a partner who could keep up with him on the floor. He pulled his sweet armful in tight. She was tall enough for him to kiss without bending himself in two and a beauty to boot. She had the kind of curves a big man like him adored. She was shapely and sexy as hell, but not too delicate. He hated feeling like he might break a woman if he let his passion have free rein. But that was putting the cart a bit before the horse. She had
n’
t even given him her name yet. He thought h
e’
d picked up an accent over the loud music during their short conversation.

“
What does a man have to do to learn your name, darli
n’?”
He gave her his best shucks-m
a’
am-I-do
n’
t-mean-no-harm, Texas gentleman smile. She looked a little stunned and blinked a few times before she answered.

“
Kesslyn. My name is Kesslyn. I
t’
s nice to meet you, Beau
.”
A pink stain spread over her lovely cheeks as she blushed under his stare.

Damn, he was glad h
e’
d decided to join the after-party at Hooligans instead of heading home after the reception. She had to be the sweetest thing h
e’
d ever seen. And that was definitely an accent. Northeastern if he thought correctly
.“
Wha
t’
s a little yankee like you doing around these parts
?
”

“I’
m not a yankee
.”
She frowned and got even cuter. Damn
.“I’
m from Maryland. Tha
t’
s south of the Mason-Dixon Line
.
”

“
Oh, well, pardon me, m
a’
am. Wha
t’
s a not-quite-but-nearly-a-yankee doing in Walker Creek, Texas on this fine Saturday night
?”
he rephrased, but that did
n’
t seem to appease the woman.

She paused for a little too long before answering
.“
My rental broke down up the road. I
t’
s at the garage.
I’
ll be leaving town as soon as i
t’
s running again
.”

And was
n’
t that a damn shame. Beau had been hoping his little yankee was new in town. H
e’
d followed her down the hall and walked into that damn door on purpose. Sh
e’
d thrown it open though, and caught him off guard, hitting him in the face instead of the shoulder like h
e’
d hoped. All in an effort to get a shot at that hot ass before any of the other cowboys in town set eyes on her.

“
Yo
u’
re breaking my heart, darli
n’
. I thought I was falli
n’
in love
.”
He sighed dramatically.

“
I bet you say that to all the girls
.”
She giggled and smacked his arm.

“
No, m
a’
am. I have never told a woman I was in love, or falli
n’
in that direction
.”
He smiled, but the truth of the statement struck him
.“I’
ve only ever loved one woman. And she raised me, so deserves my unending love and affection
.
”

He held Kesslyn close, and they swayed to the music for another song while they chatted about inconsequential things like the heat in Texas compared to the humidity in Baltimore. Beau could
n’
t relate, having never been that far northeast. She steered the conversation away from anything too personal. The excitement of finding such a lovely lady in such an unexpected place turned to regret. Beau was seriously attracted Kesslyn and wished he had the opportunity to know her better. He should have just gone home after the reception.

Kesslyn yawned widely, covering her mouth. She stepped back out of his arms, and he knew it was time for goodbye.

“I’
m really sorry I hit you with the door, Beau
.”
She stroked the little bruise forming on his brow.

“
I
t’
s nothing. Really
.”
He shrugged it off.