The Last-Chance Maverick

by Christyne Butler

He groaned. “Please tell me you’re screwing with me.”

  Eli grinned. “She was hoping you’d bring the lady home for a visit.”

  Not likely. He’d returned from a business trip and walked in on her entertaining a fellow dancer—a ballerina—in her apartment. Hey, he was all for a person being true to themselves, but he wasn’t going to be her stand-in. Especially after the way she’d hinted about the two of them getting married. “I haven’t dated Nadia in a year. That was over before I left for Brazil.”

  “Whatever happened to that sexy architect from your office I met when I visited a few years back? Before Nadia?”

  Yeah, getting involved with a coworker he’d collaborated with on a couple of projects, moving their relationship from the office to the bedroom had been a mistake, too. He didn’t realize that until she decided to move up in the world and left him to marry a partner in a rival company, when he made it clear that he and marriage were not a good fit. Not anymore. “I wasn’t rich or famous enough for her.”

  “Well, I guess mom’s just getting antsy for one of us to finally settle down,” Eli said. “Again. You’re the only one who’s tried the marriage bit. As much as she and dad were against you becoming a husband while still in your teens, I think she’s ready now for some grandchildren to spoil.”

  This time the memory flashed in Jonah’s head before he could brace himself.

  The pregnancy test found in the trash. His joy at becoming a father after what he’d thought had been four years of wedded bliss. Lisette’s stunned silence. His mistake in thinking her reaction was because he’d ruined the surprise.

  Yeah, she surprised him all right—

  “Hey, you okay?” Eli clicked the bottom edge of his bottle against Jonah’s, pulling him from the past. “You grip that beer any tighter and it’s going to shatter in your hand.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.” He must be. He hadn’t thought about that night in a long time. It was almost like it’d all happened to someone else. Someone he used to be. He forced his fingers to relax. “It’s been a long few days. Months, actually.”

  “Well, you’ll get a good night’s sleep tonight. Back in your childhood bedroom.”

  Same room, but thankfully the furniture had been updated. There was no way he’d be comfortable in a twin-size bed. “Very funny.”

  “So, I’m guessing you decided not to kick Vanessa out?”

  After the way her eyes lit up and hearing the excitement in her voice as she described the cabin, Jonah knew he couldn’t ask her to leave. It wasn’t her fault he’d come back assuming the place would still be empty. “The subject never came up, but no, I don’t plan to ask her to move.”

  “She got to you, huh?”

  “What’s her story?” Jonah avoided his brother’s question with one of his own. “What do you know about her?”

  “Not much.” Eli shrugged. “I hadn’t met her until Mom had her over for dinner one night back in August and announced she was renting your cabin. I didn’t even know she was an artist until you mentioned it. She’s nice, always with a smile on her face and rarely at a loss for company, from what I’ve heard. But hey, my days usually run twelve to fourteen hours taking care of the ranch. I don’t have time for much else, which should show my brotherly love in saving your butt tonight by coming here. Why are you asking?”

  “No reason. Just curious about who’s living in my place and who I’ll be working with for...well, for however long it takes her to paint a mural.” Jonah tipped back his beer for a long swallow.

  “Maybe you should ask Derek. Seeing how he promised to teach her to ride a horse. Convenient, huh?”

  The cold liquid caught in the sudden tightening of his throat. Jonah tried not to cough, but failed and did his best to hide it as he wiped at his mouth. “Derek’s chasing after her?”

  “You know our brother.”

  Yes, he did. Derek had been popular with the ladies ever since he’d figured out the difference between boys and girls somewhere back in elementary school. Derek did his share of chasing, but usually it was the ladies who went after him, most winding up with nothing to show for their trouble but good times and a broken heart when they got too serious.

  A fire burned in his gut at the idea of Derek messing with Vanessa that way and damned if he knew why. He’d only met the woman today. Just because she’d stirred his curiosity, among other things, didn’t mean anything.

  Neither did the sparks that crackled between them the moment he’d taken her hand this morning. Maybe he’d just been alone for too long. There hadn’t been a woman in his life—or his bed—in a long time. Hell, there hadn’t really been anyone since his ex-wife destroyed their marriage eight years ago and just about destroyed him along with it.

  “Boy, you really must be tired.”

  Jonah blinked, realizing he’d been so lost in his own thoughts he’d missed whatever his brother had said. “Yeah, I am. You must be, too. Maybe we should head home.”

  “Oh, don’t leave now.” A soft feminine voice spoke. “The party’s just getting started.”

  Jonah and his brother turned in unison and found three ladies standing there. His gaze immediately went to the brunette with bouncy curls who stood head and shoulders taller than the two petite blondes flanking her.

  Vanessa.

  She reached for the glasses on the table, handing one each to her friends. Keeping the wineglass for herself, she sent him a wink over the rim when their eyes clashed. A quick glance at all three ladies’ slightly disheveled appearances and apparent thirst at how they finished off their drinks, made him realize he and Eli had taken their table while they’d been on the dance floor.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to steal your seats.” His brother quickly came to the same conclusion and slid off his stool, but instead of stepping away—as in heading for the exit—he just moved to make room. “It’s pretty crowded tonight. Do you mind if we share?”

  “Only if you’re buying the next round.” One of the blondes spoke while the other giggled.

  Yeah, actually giggled.

  Vanessa smiled, remembering what it felt like to be barely legal enough be in a bar. Not that at twenty-six she was that much older than her new friends, but there were many times she felt much older than her actual age.

  And woefully out of shape.

  Grabbing at the front of her sweater, she yanked it back and forth, enjoying the slight breeze against her heated skin. Thursday nights were busy here at the Ace and the dance floor was crowded. She was finally getting the hang of the steps, dips and sways that went along with country line dancing, but boy, she wished she’d thought to change her outfit before coming tonight.

  She had, in fact, almost stayed home, but then she’d seen the reminder on her calendar and once again thought about the list.

  Number sixteen: learn how to line dance.

  She’d arrived early but the bar had filled up quickly, so she’d offered to share her table with the two girls she’d just met tonight who managed somehow not to look the least bit sweaty or have a lock of their flowing golden manes out of place.

  “Of course, I’m buying.” Eli readily agreed and offered to escort the ladies to the bar. He started to walk away, but then stopped and pointed back at Jonah and her. “No need for introductions, right? You two remember each other?”

  She sidled a look in Jonah’s direction. Oh, yes, she remembered him.

  In fact, Vanessa hadn’t been able to think about much else but Jonah Dalton all day, even when she should’ve been concentrating on the design for the mural that after much more prodding from Nate and Callie was back on.

  “Yep, I think we’ll be fine.” Ignoring the stool he’d vacated the same time as his brother, Vanessa moved closer to the table and set her empty glass down. “Hello again, Mr. Dalton.”

  �
��Please, call me Jonah.”

  There they were again. She’d thought she’d imagined the tingling that felt like a thousand tiny pinpricks dancing along her skin at the smooth tone of his voice the few minutes they had talked this morning, but now he’d only spoken four words and they were back. Like gangbusters.

  Maybe she should just peel off this darn sweater. It’s not like she didn’t have anything on beneath it. In fact, she wore a double-layer tank top—

  “What can I get for you at the bar, Vanessa?” Eli asked. “Another glass of wine? Maybe a bucket of ice water?”

  His question caused her to stop her frantic moves, her hand now still against her chest. “Oh, an ice water would be great. Just a glass.”

  Eli smiled, then looked at his brother. “Jonah? Another beer?”

  “Yeah, sure. Why not?”

  Hmmm, four more words but with an edge to them this time. Eli and the girls disappeared into the crowd. Vanessa leaned against the table, elbows propped along the edge and her beloved bracelets jangling as they landed on the smooth surface. “So, are you having fun...Jonah?”

  “I’d rather be in bed.”

  Five words this time and boy, the heat level rose again. That’s it. She straightened and eased behind Jonah, as he stood between the table and the back wall, one hand already under the bottom edge of her sweater. “Do you mind?”

  “Mind what?”

  He started to look back over one impossibly wide shoulder, but she nudged him forward with her elbow. “Just give me a minute, I need to...”

  A quick tug and one arm came free. After a tussle with both her bracelets and oversize hoop earrings, she deftly pulled the garment over her head. The cool air lapping at her damp skin felt wonderful. “Ah, so much better.”

  Running her fingers through her hair would be a lost cause, the wayward curls did whatever they pleased, but she did it anyway and then adjusted her bra straps to make sure they didn’t show.

  “Are you finished back there?”

  The confusion laced in Jonah’s question made her smile. That and the fact he was still using five-word sentences.

  “Thanks for being my screen.” She stepped back around to the table, laying her sweater over the closest stool. “I don’t think anyone noticed.”

  Ha! Now she’d done it. Twice!

  “Noticed what?” Jonah asked, looking at her. His gaze stilled, locked somewhere around her mouth before it slowly traveled the length of her body.

  The slow appraisal caused those pinpricks to rise into goose bumps along her bare arms. She quickly blamed it on the bar’s air-conditioning, but her girly parts enjoyed his perusal so much her toes curled inside her favorite suede ankle boots.

  “You—ah, you changed.” Jonah’s words came out in a low whisper. He lifted his beer to his mouth, ready to tip it back, but then noticed the bottle was empty and set it back down.

  “Actually, I just took off a layer.” She tugged the edges of the tank top down over her hips, but it barely covered the pockets on her leggings where her phone, driver’s license and cash were safely tucked away. “All that dancing made me hot.”

  “Yeah, I can see that.”

  Vanessa smiled and leaned against the table again. “Hmmm, I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment.”

  Jonah started to reply, but before he could, Vanessa’s gaze caught on something—or should she say someone—on the other side of the room.

  Without stopping to think about what she was doing, she laid a hand over Jonah’s and said the first thing that popped into her head. “Hey, architect, want to be a hero?”

  His gaze dropped to their hands for a moment, and then he looked at her again. “Excuse me?”

  “There’s a cowboy—tall, big shoulders, plaid shirt—heading this way.”

  Jonah quickly looked around the bar. “You do realize you’ve just described about every man in here?”

  “This one’s wearing a hat like your brother’s...I know, a lot of men are, but he’s standing on the other side of the third pool table and stealing glances at me with a determined look on his face.”

  This time Jonah glanced to his left and Vanessa watched as the two men made eye contact. Oh, boy, she hoped this was a good idea.

  “Is that bothering you?” He turned back to her.

  “Well, ever since I told him I don’t kiss on the first date, he’s been angling to get me to go out with him again.”

  Jonah’s hazel eyes darkened. “For a second date?”

  “Third, actually. I didn’t kiss him the last time, either,” she hurried to explain, wanting him to understand. “I just wanted to get to know him a bit better, but no sparks, ya know? I told him it would be better if we were just friends, but the guy won’t take no for an answer.”

  At that moment Eli returned, setting two beers and her glass of ice water down with a noisy clank before pushing their drinks across the table. “Your friends decided to stop by the ladies’ room—drinks in hand—so who knows if we’ll see them again. Hey, look at you. Getting more comfortable?”

  “Much.” Vanessa reached for her glass, enjoying a long sip of the cool liquid. She didn’t know if her throat was so dry because of the dancing or this crazy idea of hers. “Oh, I so needed that.”

  Jonah took a long swallow from his beer. “Yeah, me, too.”

  “So, what do you say?” She set the glass back down, and gave him a gentle squeeze. “Help a girl out?”

  Eli’s gaze bounced back and forth between them, before it landed on her hand on Jonah’s wrist. “Ah, did I miss something?”

  “I just need a favor from your brother.”

  “Jeez, I’m the one who bought the lady a drink.”

  Jonah shot his brother a dark look, then turned to her again. “What do you want me to do?”

  Now that he was agreeable, Vanessa realized she was at a loss for ideas. Boy, what else was new?

  Was it enough they were standing here, practically holding hands? Maybe she should slide a bit closer? Press up against his shoulder?

  Biting down on her bottom lip, she tried to come up with something when the jukebox switched songs and a classic country music ballad came on.

  “Dance with me,” she said.

  This time Eli laughed. “Oh, you’ve picked yourself the wrong rescuer, Vanessa. If there’s one thing Jonah doesn’t like to do, it’s dance.”

  Okay, maybe it would be enough if she just stood next to him. Surely, her admirer wouldn’t cause any trouble if it was clear she was here with someone else, and now that Eli was back...

  “How presumptuous of me. I’m sorry.” She released her hold, her fingers lightly sliding back across his skin. “I guess I’ve got to learn that I can’t assume every man in town is a cowboy or likes to two-step. Never even thought—”

  Jonah surprised her by capturing her hand in his. “Come on, let’s dance.”

  Chapter Three

  Jonah ignored the shock on his brother’s face, especially when it morphed into a smirk. He instead concentrated on the surprise—turned delight—on Vanessa’s. Her asking him to dance was just another way she’d surprised him since she’d walked up to their table tonight. Her table. Hell, since he’d walked into his resort and found her standing there.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  He shot a glance at Vanessa’s admirer, who looked vaguely familiar and was heading their way. Releasing her hand, he gestured toward the already crowded dance floor. “After you.”

  She rewarded him with a bright smile and then turned on one heel of those sexy boots. Moving in close behind her as they maneuvered around the tables, he placed a hand at the small of her back. Her top felt slightly damp and the heat of her skin easily melted through the soft cotton material to warm his fingertips.


  Damn, there went those sparks again, just like the glowing spatter from a welder’s torch to steel, these figurative sparks would burn just as easily of he got too close.

  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

  His brother was right. Jonah had never been a big fan of dancing and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d done any two-stepping, slow speed or otherwise. And since she’d stripped off that sweater and wore nothing but a flimsy tank top that showed off toned arms and sexy cleavage, how was he going to hold her in his arms and not—

  They reached the parquet floor and instead of waiting for an opening crowded outer circle of couples, Vanessa moved into the fray, spun around and assumed the position.

  He moved in, placing one hand just beneath her left shoulder blade and lightly took her right hand in his. Two quick steps, one slow and—

  “Oh!” Her booted foot knocked right into his. “Sorry about that.”

  “That’s okay. It’s takes a few minutes to get into the swing—” She did it again and ending up bumping into the couple behind her when she tried to back away and find her rhythm at the same time.

  “Sorry about that, folks,” he said to the man when he turned and glared at him over his shoulder, then focused again on his dance partner. “Vanessa, do you know how to two-step?”

  Her nose scrunched up. “Not really. I’ve been watching the couples when I’m here at the bar and I want to learn, even though it’s not on my—” She stopped and bit down on her bottom lip for a moment. “I’ve been concentrating on line dancing.”

  Jonah glanced to his left and found the center of the dance floor filled with couples, but moving much slower. He stepped out of the ring of couples and pulled Vanessa in closer.

  “Hey, what are you doing?”

  “Dancing.” He turned to face her again, this time sliding his hand to the small of her back, holding her in place—much closer this time—as he started to move in an unhurried circle. “Isn’t that what this is called?”

  “Ah, yes.” Her stiff posture relaxed as she smiled, moving her hand up to circle his neck while aligning her body with his from his chest to his knees. “I believe it is. You know, I always wondered why couples would gather out here in the center of the floor and slow dance.”