by Elle Linder
Even with plenty of space in the dining room for their party, Bruce, the cute and rugged bartender, seated them near the dance floor. Per Brice’s request. Julia had warned her, knowing she didn’t care for country music. But those feelings were gone after her sing-along in the car earlier in the day with some of country’s legends: Garth Brooks, Reba, and Carrie Underwood—even if the last one was newer to country music than the others.
“Will this table work for you, sir?” Bruce directed his question to Brice.
Lauren eyed him fondly. He never appeared stressed or tired, always hopping from one task to another effortlessly. She wondered, again, why he was still single.
“Is this your best table?” Brice asked, studying the long table. Lauren and Julia giggled as Bruce did his best to hold back a smirk.
“It is.”
“Then we’ll take it.” Brice nodded.
“Perfect.” Bruce laughed, passing out menus. “Where’s Luke?”
“Oh, he’s following behind us. He hitched a ride with Rick.” Julia raised her eyebrows meaningfully at Bruce.
“Is that right? Interesting.”
“Uh-huh. You remember my best girlfriend, Lauren?”
“I never forget a pretty face. How are you, Miss Lauren?”
“Aww, now aren’t you sweet?” Her cheeks warmed. Nobody had ever called her Miss Lauren before. “I’m great, Bruce. How about yourself?”
“I’m fantastic. Can I get you lovely ladies a drink?”
“Wine for me, thanks,” Julia replied.
“Um…” Should she order another cocktail like on the plane or go for a soda? Who was she kidding? She would need alcohol to get her through the ruckus of the locals.
“Something with Grey Goose again?” he asked.
Her insides cheered. He remembered. But did her excitement show on her face? With the way Julia stared at her with a dumb curl to her lip, Lauren guessed that it did.
“That sounds great. Screwdriver?”
“You got it.” He turned his attention to Brice and Heather. “How about you kids?”
“Mountain Dew!” they answered at the same time and then looked at each other with a ‘shut up’ expression. They cracked her up, but their cute and sometimes funny bickering wasn’t enough to make her wish she’d had a sibling. Being an only child was the way to go, in her opinion.
“So…you fancy Bruce?” Julia asked curiously. Not teasing, but she seemed intrigued.
“Fancy? No.”
“Aww, come on! If you find yourself a guy in town, you’ll visit me more often.”
“Nope, not happening, sweets.”
“Dang it!” Julia pouted. A second later her face lit up like a lighthouse, lighting the way for her lumberjack. Beside Luke was a man carrying a little girl. Lauren’s heart stopped at the sight of them.
“Hey, baby.” Luke greeted Julia with a kiss.
“Ulia! Ulia!” the little girl yelled, stretching her arms in Julia’s direction like her life depended on it.
What the hell?
“Hi, sweet cheeks!” Julia took the little girl in her arms and hugged her tightly. “Did you have a good nap?” The toddler nodded.
Lauren had heard of Brice and Heather’s little sister Izzy, but she hadn’t heard how close Julia was to her. And vice versa. The tender scene perplexed her. What was more confusing was the little girl’s daddy, who couldn’t seem to take his curious dark eyes off Lauren. He sat down across from her and stared.
“Hey, how’s it going?” He smiled wide, showing all his teeth. She liked it when men smiled freely instead of maintaining a stern, brooding expression to make them seem cool, strong, in control. But this guy…he had her shifting in her seat with her heart thumping on first glance, when most men bored her with the same-old, same-old vibe.
“Rick, this is Lauren Daniels, my bestie,” Julia said, introducing her. “Lauren, this is Rick Torres, and this little cutie is Izzy, his daughter.” Izzy looked up at Julia adoringly. It stirred an unfamiliar ache in Lauren’s stomach. In her uterus? She shook the absurd thought out of her head; it had to be indigestion.
“Nice to meet you, Izzy,” Lauren said softly to her as she sat comfortably on Julia’s lap.
“Hi,” Izzy replied with a shy smile. Her eyes were the color of sapphires and sparkled like the precious jewels. Loose brown curls with streaks of gold brushed the tops of her tiny shoulders. The child was majestic and clearly a blend of both parents, with golden skin like her daddy and blue eyes and light hair from her mommy. Lauren recalled Julia describing Renee to her—light blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. She didn’t see how Rick would be into someone like Renee…and, at the time, a married woman.
“So, you’re the infamous Rick?” She placed her elbows on the table and hid behind her shield of sarcasm. Any man who could turn her insides to jelly within five minutes was dangerous. “I’ve heard a little about you. Probably only the really important parts.”
“Lauren!” Julia shouted. Her embarrassment showed in her rosy cheeks. “We don’t talk about that,” she whispered in her ear.
Rick held Lauren’s gaze, unaffected by her attempt to throw him into a spiral of shame. “That’s me. And I’ve heard more than a snippet about you. Maybe we can compare notes.” He gave it right back to her, and she shifted in her chair again.
“I’m sure there is nothing I have that would interest you.”
“Oh, but I’m sure there is.” Rick leaned forward. “I hear you’re the female version of me. It’s intriguing to finally meet someone as ‘infamous’ as you.”
“One screwdriver,” Bruce announced, placing Lauren’s drink in front of her.
The distraction saved her before she made a fool of herself. All her quick-witted, snarky, wiseass responses were gone.
What is happening to me?
***
A little warning would have been nice so that Rick could have prepared himself for the gorgeous beauty who would be in front of him the entire evening. If Luke didn’t want him to get to know Lauren, then why let him sit across from her?
Probably because Luke had nerves of steel and an ironclad will that no one could penetrate unless he let them.
Rick was nothing like him in that department.
When Bruce arrived with the drinks, Rick saw the instant relief on Lauren’s face, and it thrilled him to know that he’d flustered her. It proved he hadn’t lost his Don Juan charms in the last few months. It was like riding a bike; you never forgot.
But there was something different about the prey in front of him, a protective shield of sorts he’d never noticed other women having. Usually, women were ready to bare their souls to him. Show their weaknesses, be damsels in distress. Lauren, on the other hand, appeared to be hiding her vulnerabilities, and that attracted him more than it should have. So he backed off, unprepared for the feelings that had awakened inside him.
Julia and Luke monopolized the table with stories while Rick only engaged minimally. He made sure to divert his gaze from Lauren so not to allude his true feelings, whatever they might be. Had Izzy sat with him, she would have been his distraction. But no, she stayed with Julia through dinner.
Bruce had taken away the empty plates and brought him another beer when suddenly the table cleared, leaving him alone with Lauren. He turned toward the dance floor to watch his daughter hop around, clapping her hands with Julia. He chuckled. “She’s so damn cute.”
“She’s adorable,” Lauren agreed. He didn’t move. Had he said that out loud? “How old is she?”
“She’ll be three in December.”
“Aww, a Christmas baby.”
“She’s definitely the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” He turned toward Lauren and found that her mouth was parted, her eyes glossy. It jolted him when she looked away.
An awkward silence filled the gap between them, leaving him at a loss for words.
The crowd on the dance floor cheered, steering his attention back to Izzy. It looked like some l
ine dancing was starting and just in the nick of time. Whatever weird shit was happening with him and Lauren had to stop. He’d given Luke his word that he would leave Julia’s best friend alone, and he had to keep his word this time. But he could already feel it would be the greatest challenge of his life as he continued to watch the fidgeting beauty out of the corner of his eye.
How would he make it through the next three days with her?
eight
A Dance and a Kiss
The silence between them was killing her. She wanted to know more about Rick. She wanted to hear his buttery smooth voice while being absorbed by his dark, intense eyes. But the ruckus on the dance floor held his attention, and Lauren was jealous. Pea-green with envy that a bunch of subpar country folk could steal him away from her.
Except she knew it wasn’t anyone else that held him captivated but his little girl, twirling around with Julia. And she was an adorable sight.
Lauren noticed a blur of movement behind Rick. She leaned a bit over to her right side for a better view, and right there, drooling like a rabid mutt, was Tiffani, daughter of the local philander, with quite a reputation of her own. Shit. Lauren had heard plenty of stories about both from Julia. One key detail stood out to her about Tiffani: she was relentless when it came to getting what she wanted.
At that moment, it appeared Tiffani wanted Rick. Double shit. If Lauren didn’t act quickly, she might…what? She ignored the gnawing in her gut, avoiding the truth. She was attracted to him.
I’ll help the poor guy out.
“Look out, Romeo. Vulture circling at your ten o’clock.” Lauren lifted her glass to her lips, sizing Tiffani up. She hadn’t changed much since the last time she saw her back in March. Unfortunately, the platinum blonde with bright aqua-blue eyes and a double-D bosom was still an effing bombshell. It didn’t matter that she appeared to be a total ditz. It was her drooling, panting, horny-ass behavior that men liked—the slut.
“Yeah, I get that all the time.” Rick’s cocky grin made Lauren tingle. Dammit.
“Do you? That’s nothing to be proud of,” Lauren quipped with annoyance.
Rick tilted his head with a look of confusion.
“Oh, come on,” she taunted, leaning forward. “There isn’t anything attractive about smeared flesh stretched along a highway.” Rick grimaced. “I don’t do homicidal meat picked to shreds with the remnants of spit on it.”
For a long beat, she waited for a response, but his blank expression revealed nothing. She found herself lost for words as he stared at her, which was a shock to Lauren; she always had something to say. The tension between them grew to a suffocating thickness in seconds.
“Interesting analogy. You are Julia’s friend from L.A., right? Her business partner?” Lauren’s eyes narrowed. Where was he going with this? “’Cause, from what I’ve heard, you’ve eaten a lot of sloppy seconds off miles and miles of highway. What’s one more?”
Her mouth popped open, dumbstruck by his response. No one had ever shut her down like that. She searched the corners of her brain, but before she could sling mud in the form of well, you slept with your best friend’s wife, Julia returned to the table.
A total godsend. After all, Lauren had slept with Trent. She wasn’t any better than Rick, and he had seemed to key in on it before Julia did.
“Everything all right over here?” Julia’s eyes darted from Rick to Lauren.
“Oh, yeah, everything is swell.” Lauren drained the last of her screwdriver.
“Yes, we were talking about all the road trips Lauren’s taken over the years.” Rick smirked, not letting her stupid analogy die. What was his deal?
“Road trips? She hasn’t taken any road trips since college.” Julia stared at Lauren, confused.
“Excuse me, I’ll be back.” Lauren dashed off to the bathroom. She needed to think, breathe, let the heat between her legs dissipate. Fortunately, no one was in the two-stall bathroom. She locked the door behind her. Now was not the time for her to deal with people.
She walked in a circle, breathing deeply with her hands clasped tightly together. Every so often she would throw her hands up in the air, cursing the gods.
“What happened to having a restful vacation? Huh?”
Three more days with Rick would torture her.
She stopped in place. Her reflection in the mirror wasn’t of a woman who felt cheap and degraded by a man. No, the small mischievous curl in her lip said, “Take your best shot.”
A firm knock at the door jolted her.
“Just a minute,” she answered. Two more firmer knocks echoed. “I said, just a minute!”
A long rhythmic pounding ensued.
Lauren unlocked the door and swung it open, but before she could enlighten the impatient patron, she was pressed against the door by Rick.
“Do not say another word,” he commanded with his hand over her mouth. “Just listen.” His dark eyes bored into hers. They weren’t sending off seductive vibes, they were serious.
She nodded. He moved his hand off her mouth, and she tried to relax.
“What happened back there…you can’t tell Julia.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That whole string of innuendos about vultures, sloppy seconds, and you being easy.”
“Oh. That. Well, if the truth be told, I am easy…when I drink.” He cocked his head at her, like he didn’t believe her. “What? Don’t pretend you’re surprised. Luke’s filled you in or else you wouldn’t have questioned whether I was Julia’s business partner or not.”
“I was being an ass.”
“And you’re not usually an ass?”
“No, I am. But I shouldn’t have been to you.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re Julia’s best friend, and she’s marrying my ex-best friend.” Lauren shrugged. “Don’t you pretend like you don’t know what happened between Luke and me.”
“I know.”
“I’m trying to restore our friendship. If he finds out how crudely I played with you back there, he’ll go ballistic.” Rick pulled back from her. “So, I apologize for my rude behavior.”
The sincerity in his eyes did her in, in the worst way. This couldn’t be happening. She liked him.
“Apology accepted.”
“Thank you.” He released a deep breath of relief.
“So, you were playing with me back there?” She pressed her lips together, trying to hold back a flirty smile.
“Yes, and it was quite stimulating,” he teased her with a sexy grin.
Her chest rose and fell, in sync with her pounding heart. Kiss me. Kiss me now.
“Now, you go back first. I’ll wait a minute and then follow you out.”
“Okay,” she agreed disappointedly.
Rick opened the door, staring at her with a look of desire. What was the rush? Couldn’t they have a moment of kissing first? She walked out, and the door closed behind her.
Lauren placed her hand over her stomach to calm the heat burgeoning in her core. Why didn’t he kiss her? Was she not his type? Not possible, she was every guy’s type. A low, frustrated growl rumbled in her throat as she waltzed out of the hallway and right into a smirking elderly woman.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
“I should say not. You looked deep in thought and flushed. Is it about a fellow?”
Lauren forced a laugh. “No, no, no! It’s…the effects of the heat and booze.” Just then, Rick existed the women’s bathroom and bumped right into her. His hands gripped her waist to keep her from falling into the woman.
And her skin sizzled at his touch.
“Oh, shit,” he blurted.
“Riiight, heat and booze will do it every time.” The old woman cackled while walking into the bathroom. Lauren could hear her continue to laugh inside, clearly enjoying her own sick amusement at the situation.
“What happened to the plan? You should be at the table,” Rick said with a slight hint of pa
nic in his voice. “Dammit, now Luke is looking this way. Let’s go.”
Lauren followed him to the table, stupefied.
“What was that about?” Julia had a curious glint in her eye.
“Nothing.”
“Uh-huh.” Her right brow arched, which always meant we’ll talk later. “I hope Louise didn’t bother you. She’s a nosy one.”
Great.
Luke did not take his eyes off Rick. Perhaps Rick was right in keeping their crude banter a secret from him. Lauren would hate to be the cause of more stress to their relationship.
Rick stood abruptly, surprising her. If he made an impromptu confession to Luke in front of her and Julia, she would die. “I’m going take Izzy back to the resort. It’s been a long day for her.”
No, don’t go.
“Yeah, I caught her rubbing her eyes a few times when she was dancing with Heather.” Julia stood from her chair and collected Izzy’s toys off the table. “She sure loves to dance.”
“She does. Thanks for everything.” Rick turned toward Lauren. “Good night.”
“Good night.” She smiled a little too flirtatiously, judging by Luke’s furrowed brow. Rick turned to collect Izzy from Heather on the dance floor.
“Hey!” Luke called in a gruff voice. Rick turned slowly to look over his shoulder, and Lauren shared the anxiety she could see on his face. “Don’t forget, birthday pancakes at my place at eight.”
“Right, we’ll be there.” Rick nodded.
“Can I get you guys another drink?” Bruce cleared the empty glasses from the table. He always seemed to appear out of the blue during a tense moment. Bartender’s intuition? “I see the kids drained their glasses as usual.” He laughed.
“I’m good,” Luke answered, “but I’ll take the check now.”
“Sure thing. I’ll be back.” As quickly as he’d appeared, Bruce was gone.
Her gaze returned to Rick, who was talking to Heather. What was he saying to her?
“Baby, you’re a natural with kids,” Luke complimented Julia.
“Thank you. But we aren’t having this conversation,” Julia said softly, cupping his cheek.
“And when you do have this conversation, can I be present?” Lauren teased. “Luke will need someone backing him up.” She winked at him.
