Bourbon Summer, page 17
He’d know what I sounded like when I came next to him in his bed.
Totally normal working situation.
“What if it wasn’t quite over yet?” he asked.
My hopes surged. This is it! screamed somewhere in my brain. He wanted to date me for real. The month with me had only shown him that he was ready to see someone again, and I was that someone.
I really liked him.
I wanted to find out where kisses like his could lead. I clutched my hands in front of myself. “What are you thinking?”
Tenor yanked the passenger door open. “Since you aren’t driving home tonight, I have a stop planned.”
That didn’t sound like I can’t live without you, Ruby. You’re my Goldilocks. Just the right woman for me. But I’d go wherever Tenor took me.
“Okay. Show me what you’ve got, Warhammer.”
Tenor
I drove toward my place but turned off on a rutted path between the trees. They were thinner on this side of the road as the foothills rose and dipped across the land. The trail didn’t quite extend to a creek that was mostly dry after the spring runoff.
When I reached a small clearing, I swung the pickup around. The box of the truck faced the best part of the view. During the day, it was breathtaking in a simple way. A slice of Montana that didn’t make it onto the postcards but was stunning all the same with its simplicity. Trees and rolling hills led to the mountains. Farther to the north was the back side of a popular ski resort, but here it was quiet. Peaceful.
Perfect for my last few moments alone with Ruby. When we returned to the cabin, she’d retreat to her room. I’d go to mine with nothing but memories of how that dress of hers swirled around her hips. How good she felt in my arms. The way she clung to me.
Ruby Casteel was a vixen who had no idea of her sex appeal. Had her douchebag ex been too wrapped up in himself to see it?
At least it hadn’t been Ruby getting her face plastered with cake after her vows. It hadn’t been her eyes filled with disappointment and betrayal. Cara must’ve told that dick she didn’t want a cakey mess on her big day and he’d ignored her.
The highlight of the night was that it hadn’t been Ruby in that fitted wedding dress, promising herself to someone forever. The relief cooling me all night was startling. Ruby wasn’t off the market.
In the morning, she’d be fully on the market. Back in the dating pool. She would return to Bozeman and our paths would only intertwine when it was about work.
Fuck.
“I’ve never been this far out of town,” she said, peering out the window at the darkness beyond. “The sky is so vivid.”
“The light pollution from the ranch doesn’t reach this far, and the clouds are clearing off.”
Her eyes shone in the dash lights. “Are we stargazing?”
The genuine excitement in her voice amplified my own. “Yeah. You said you never get a chance to.”
“No.” A line pinched in her forehead. “You remembered.”
I remembered everything about her. She liked fruity bourbon cocktails, no bitters—she frowned ever so slightly whenever she had to use bitters to make a drink. She preferred her books smutty and her reading private. She didn’t think she could dance, but she trusted the right man to lead her. When it came to food, she loved anything homemade, but not by her. And when she slept, fully relaxed after a climax, the world could disintegrate around her and she wouldn’t wake up.
I liked to study, and Ruby was my favorite subject.
She opened the door and hopped out, breaking my reflection.
Ruby was special, but I wasn’t the guy for her.
Except she seemed to like me. Appreciation filled her eyes when she checked me out. Her grin and excitement were real when we were together. And she got along with my family.
Why couldn’t it work?
Right, every breakup ever. In the beginning, I’d set out to prove to her that she hadn’t been the issue. When she attracted men who would trip over themselves to be with her, she’d see I wasn’t a catch. An older bachelor with board games in his pantry and a cabin built for one wasn’t a catch. The orgasms wouldn’t be worth it.
I climbed out in the dark, cool air.
“The Milky Way just opens up above you.” Awe filled her voice.
I had put it there.
From the back seat, I dug out a pad and some blankets, along with a small bin I’d stashed before we’d left for the wedding.
I juggled everything in one arm and dropped the tailgate. The moon was almost full, giving me enough light now to see a shadowed Ruby and her curious expression.
“You came prepared,” she said.
I spread out the foam pad I used for camping. Teller and I used to go more often. Then I flipped a blanket over it. “I didn’t think we would stay at the wedding that long and I didn’t want you to be let down by a boring night.”
“I’m certain no night with you could be boring.”
“Exhibit A: painting tiny models.”
She laughed. “You underestimate how much I love to read for hours on a comfy couch.”
I almost believed her.
“I’m glad I went to the wedding. That feels weird to say.” She leaned against the edge of the tailgate as I finished arranging the pad and blanket. “I got some closure I didn’t know I was looking for—from Crock as a whole. I don’t want anything to do with either of them and I have nothing to prove. Whatever they made me feel, it’s about them. Therefore, it means nothing. Yet, at the same time, it is because of Crock that I’m able to reach beyond the standard brand of Copper Summit. And because of you.”
“It wasn’t me. I just nudged the ball, so it was easier for you to get it rolling.” Would I feel the same if I went to Katrina’s wedding? Maybe. The urge to prove myself was still strong, and I’d sworn to leave it all behind. And if I had to see my childhood nightmare celebrate the beginnings of a happy life? If I had to cater to him in any way? No fucking chance. That guy had been a menace as a kid and as an adult. The only closure I could imagine was hearing he’d gone to jail for being an insufferable asshole.
Ruby was a better human than me.
“Want some wine?” I pulled the bottle out of the small cooler.
She hopped up on the tailgate to sit with her legs dangling down. “You brought wine?”
“Rhubarb wine. It’s from a winery in Miles City.”
“You go out of your way to buy Montana-made products, don’t you?”
“The people and businesses in the state have been good to us. I want to give back.” I used the corkscrew I had packed and opened the bottle. “The glasses are plastic,” I said as I poured and handed her a cup. “Didn’t want broken glass ruining our date. Our last fake date,” I amended before I could fool myself.
“Last fake date,” she echoed and held up her cup. We clicked them together for a dull cheers and exchanged smiles.
Fuck, I wanted this to be real. If it was, I’d down this wine and wait until she finished hers. Then I’d tip her backward and crawl on top of her, spreading those lush thighs of hers wide. I’d keep the dress on but slide it up her body until she was bared to me.
Lust kindled hot in my gut. I gulped half my wine.
The appreciative noise she made when she took a drink didn’t help my dirty thoughts. “You think of everything.”
It was one of my greatest faults. Too much thought, not enough sincerity. Wasn’t that what I’d been told before? I’d lost track of which woman had said that.
I climbed next to Ruby and we sat side by side, our heads tipped back to look at the stars.
“I was wondering how we do this,” she said quietly. “How are we going to fake break up?”
Goddamn fake breakup. “You can tell everyone whatever you want.”
She let out a delicate snort. “Why yes, we’re no longer seeing each other. He was a perfect gentleman, a fabulous kisser, and he could dance like a dream. But!” She clicked her tongue. “He can’t line dance, so I kicked him to the curb.”
I chuckled. “That’ll work.”
“I’m not throwing you under the bus,” she said in a serious tone. “You’ve been nothing but amazing.”
That hadn’t mattered before. “We just grew apart. You can blame the age difference or the fact that I’m your boss. You can let people assume whatever they want to.” Anyone in Bourbon Canyon who’d been around during that time with Katrina would realize I was the problem.
“Okay,” she almost whispered.
“You can still stay at Mama’s on Friday nights.”
She bumped my arm. “I promise I’ll be all right.”
She would be, but that also meant she wouldn’t be at my place. “If the weather gets bad, keep her in mind.”
“Sure.”
I recognized her stubborn tone. “I’ll pick you up and dump you on Mama’s doorstep if you think you’re driving in stormy weather.”
Her laughter rang through the night. “Okay, okay. I promise.” She gently kicked her legs. “I don’t work at the bar for a week and a half.”
Dismay filled me. Shit. The Fourth of July was this week. We only kept the bar open as a tasting room for the tourists who flowed through the area and came for tours and gift shop purchases during the holiday. The cocktail bar would be closed at night, then reopen the week after the Fourth to give the temporary employees plenty of time off.
“What are you going to do for the Fourth?” I asked.
“Ummm . . . soak up the AC and read. You?”
“I help with the parade. Tate does a float every year for Bailey Beef, and Teller and I arrange one for Copper Summit. Cruz and Lane are coming back and they ride horses behind the ranch float.”
“That sounds fun.”
“You should come down.” What was I doing? This was our last night. A clean break. “We can pretend a few more days. Unless you’re going to hang out with your mom.”
She blinked at me in the dark. “Even when my mom is in town and not off frolicking in some national park somewhere, we don’t do Fourth of July holidays. She always worked for holiday pay and either got a sitter or sent me to my dad. He never took me to the parade. Dad doesn’t have the patience for crowds of people.”
“Then come down. Hang out. You can get some pictures and we can pretend for another day.”
She smiled and I swear the goddamn stars twinkled brighter.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ruby
I perched on a camp chair beside Tenor. His frame was folded into a red chair, and he had his elbows on his knees. Next to him was Summer’s husband, Jonah. On my other side was Mae. Gideon and Myles were beside her. Like Tenor, the guys all wore boots, jeans, and a simple T-shirt. It was like I’d gotten plunked in the middle of a hot-country-boy photo shoot.
I wore another skirt. I wasn’t working the bar, but I couldn’t help myself. I got a few more days to pretend Tenor was my boyfriend. This was more of a fun day with a friend. Tenor had felt bad when he’d learned I was alone for the holiday. That was all.
Tate’s two younger kids were riding on the Bailey Beef float with his wife. Gideon had a ball cap pulled down low and he held Sawyer, their baby girl. Autumn rushed down the sidewalk and took the chair he’d packed for her and set up beside him. She beamed at her husband and kid. My heart wrenched. She looked so happy, so content. And the sizzling burn in Gideon’s eyes when he looked at his wife was straight out of one of my romance novels.
Then there was Myles. He was as smitten with his daughter and baby boy as he was with his wife. Wynter had been behind Autumn, but she didn’t sit in the empty chair next to Myles. She perched on his lap next to her daughter while holding a swaddled Devon. Myles wrapped a possessive arm around her hip while still clutching Elsa.
Tenor clapped his hands at Elliot. The boy reached across Jonah for his uncle. Tenor snapped him up and set him on his thigh. Elliot played with his hat, his round face full of concentration.
I was toast.
Wanting Tenor when he was a single man who was dedicated to his family was one thing. Starting to wonder what it’d be like to do more with him—like get married and have a family—was a dangerous road to go down.
He’d built his house to accommodate a bachelor. Not a family.
I wanted Tenor, but wanting everything with him, when he’d shown no signs of desiring any of that in return, only proved I wasn’t fit to keep pretending. I’d have fun today. Then I’d have to let reality bitch-slap me in the face tomorrow.
My phone started buzzing. I checked the screen. Mom.
There was the reality I needed. I was my own worst enemy at getting strung along. Even my parents had other people they wanted to hang out with.
The parade was set to begin in ten minutes. “Excuse me.” I rose. Tenor gave me a look that asked if everything was okay. I waved my phone. “Mom’s calling.”
He nodded as his nephew pried his ball cap sideways.
“Hi, Mom,” I answered as I scurried to the mouth of an alley that went behind the coffee shop. All the floats and emergency vehicles were lined up and waiting for the go-ahead a little over a block away.
“Hey, Ruby. How’s it going?”
“Good. I’m in Bourbon Canyon.”
“Oh.” She sounded surprised. “Is it getting serious with this guy?”
“No, but he knew I was alone for the holiday.” I hadn’t intended to point that out to Mom. She’d lived her life tethered to me, and I was an adult now.
“You need friends. And not Cara.”
I chuckled. “She’s on her honeymoon and I doubt she’ll be inviting me to house parties anytime soon.” Leave it to Mom to hit on the crux of my issues. I was lonely. I’d never had a big network. I needed friends.
I peeked out at the line of Baileys waiting for the parade to start. The other members of the family would wave to us as they coasted by in their trucks with the floats or from horseback. My empty chair waited between Tenor and Mae.
For once, I wasn’t so alone.
“Are you home?” I could get together with her tomorrow since I was leaving after the parade.
Unless Tenor asked me to stay longer.
“Actually, no. Daniel and I want to tackle the Pacific Crest Trail.”
“Oh, wow. Isn’t that the one from that movie?”
“Yes.” Mom’s voice pitched up. “It’s going to be epic. Just me and Daniel. If we come out of this still talking, it’s going to be amazing.”
Since Mom usually went on long trips just to shake a partner, it would be amazing. I wouldn’t worry about rushing home, then. “Well, be safe.”
“Did your dad get ahold of you?”
“Yeah. He wants to meet for some tennis.”
“He called me too, and I told him you’re seeing someone.”
I grimaced. “How’d he take it?”
“A little upset, but I didn’t give him any details. Told him it was new and you weren’t talking about much. I didn’t even tell him you’re spending a lot of time in Bourbon Canyon.”
“Thank you.” Dad was hard on the guys I dated. He said he knew what he’d been like and didn’t trust them with his daughter.
When I’d started dating my first boyfriend in college, Dad had somehow known about the guy’s juvenile record. He acted like I’d been writing the guy in prison and jumped him as soon as he got released. Before he’d met Brock, Dad had told me Brock’s parents were in financial trouble with their company and I’d better not marry him. The first time I’d gone out with Brock after a “break,” Dad had asked if I wanted him to slash Brock’s tires.
Sometimes, he could be a really good dad. Sometimes.
“He’s trying to recruit me for a doubles game,” Mom said. “Wants to meet your new man.”
Crap. Mom tempered Dad. He was on his best behavior around her. But there was no new man. “He wants to smear my new man’s face all over the tennis court.” I let out a long breath. How did I work around this? I needed to start laying the groundwork. If all else failed, I’d tell Mom the real story and she could help me fend off Dad. “If you’re going to be along, then I’ll ask Tenor if he’s up for it, but he’s pretty busy.”
So busy, and then it’d be too late. We’d have broken up. I’d make sure to sound regretful when I broke the news to my parents.
“Daniel and I won’t be back until the end of the month. Any time after that.”
I’d have plenty of time to come up with an innocuous reason why we hadn’t worked out. Dad might still demand to know who my guy had been, but I’d deal with that later. “Okay.”
“Sounds good, peanut. Happy Fourth!”
I slipped out of the alley. The beginning of the parade was approaching my group.
My group.
I loved hearing from Mom, but today, her call was a reminder that while she loved me, I wasn’t who she wanted to hang out with. Not unless I got a pair of hiking shoes and could keep up with her. I had tried once. I’d sworn I had developed asthma and couldn’t finish without an inhaler. Then I’d been convinced I’d had altitude sickness. It was why I was never invited now.
I tucked my phone away, glad not to be home alone while Mom and her boyfriend of the month ran off. Drums from the high school’s band filled the air. I stayed standing with everyone else until the flag passed, then I sat.
“How’s your mom?” Tenor asked. Elliot was back on Jonah’s lap and snoozing through the band.
“Planning an even bigger hiking trip.”
His mouth quirked. “Living the dream, huh?”
“Now that she’s able to.” I waved to Summer from where she was perched on the Copper Summit float by a set of mini silver stills. Copper-colored fringe lined the trailer bed. Jenna tossed out special gummy candies that looked like tiny bottles of bourbon. Teller drove the pickup, lifting his hand every few feet to wave.
