by T. J. Kline
“Aw, isn’t that cute, Dallas? Little Miss Second-Rate thinks she has a chance with David Greenly.” Delilah moved toward Alicia, her cat eyes narrowing as she stalked closer. “I heard he was slumming tonight.”
Alicia wasn’t sure what drove Delilah to make her life hell but she wished she’d find a new hobby. Dealing with her was becoming exhausting. “Don’t worry, Delilah, you still win that title. You’re still the first choice when a guy wants to slum.”
The corner of Delilah’s eye twitched and Dallas gasped, covering her mouth in shock but not before Alicia saw the smile she tried to hide. Alicia hadn’t expected her comment to hit its mark, especially after some of the other barbs she and Delilah exchanged in the past. Knowing it did only made her feel immature and uncomfortable. This wasn’t a real date. David hadn’t asked her; Chris had conned them both into coming. Provoking Delilah would only make her go searching for answers and that would surely backfire but Alicia wasn’t sure how to backtrack and diffuse the situation.
Delilah glared at her and pointed a manicured finger in her face. “Look, we both know you’re nothing but a fraud. Just because you got lucky with a horse that can run doesn’t mean you can keep up with the big girls. Go home, clean houses or stalls, whatever it is your parents do, and leave it to the real cowgirls to get the job done.”
“Delilah,” Chris drawled, looping an arm over her shoulders. “Are you still mad because Ali beat you out for the rodeo queen title?” He clicked his tongue against his teeth, a sympathetic look on his face. “That’s probably because even the judges could see she’s one hundred percent woman and everything about you is fake.” His eyes skipped from her blond extensions to her ample breasts.
Alicia’s mouth dropped open in shock. Dallas looked like she wanted to run and hide while Delilah’s face turned color, her lips parting in fury. “I . . . you . . . hmph!” She shoved Chris away from her and stormed away.
“Don’t be too mad,” he called after her. “It’s not Ali’s fault she’s smarter, prettier, and can ride better.”
Delilah looked back at him, her eyes narrowing in fury as she flashed her middle finger at him. Alicia couldn’t stop the appalled laughter that bubbled up from her chest.
“I can’t believe you said that!”
Chris shrugged and rolled his eyes, unapologetically. “She deserved it. I’m tired of watching her prance around every rodeo like she owns it. Just because her father spoils her doesn’t give her a right to expect everyone to bow down to her.” He looked around. “I can’t believe David left you to deal with her alone.”
“He’s in line.” She pointed him out. “And I was doing fine.”
Chris snorted. “Yeah, looked like it.”
Alicia pressed her hands together over her heart and gave him her best damsel-in-distress voice. “Thank you for the sarcasm, oh knight in shining armor.” What made him think she needed his protection? “I’ve been dealing with Delilah since high school. I know it’s hard to believe but, so far, I’m still breathing and my reputation is intact. I’d say I’m doing just fine. Without your help, I might add.” Chris looked properly contrite so she dropped it.
He jerked his chin toward his friend. “So, what do you think of David?”
She grinned and shook her head as he changed the subject, blatantly trying to pump her for information. “You just don’t give up, do you?”
Chris gave her a guilty grin. “Not until I get my way.”
“And you called Delilah spoiled?” She shrugged her shoulders, unwilling to give in so easily or give him the answer he wanted. He was already too confident. “He’s okay, I guess.”
“What do you mean ‘okay’? David’s . . . oh, I see, you’re screwing with me now.” He frowned at her, his deep blue eyes narrowing.
“You’re really not good at this matchmaking thing,” Alicia pointed out, bumping his shoulder with her own “You’re supposed to be subtle.”
He sighed in resignation. “Yeah, not my strong suit. I’m usually the set up not the one doing the setting up.” He sipped the amber liquid in his cup.
“Why the big push to get us together? I haven’t even talked to you since your sister’s wedding. For all you know, I have a boyfriend.”
He shot her a look of disbelief, looking down his nose, and she hid the stab of pain in her chest. What made him so sure she didn’t?
“Sydney would’ve told me.” He shrugged. “And there’s not really a hurry. I just hate to see him so serious all of the time. He’s so focused on the prize at the end of the road he’s forgetting to enjoy the ride.” A blond with breasts spilling over the top of her peasant blouse walked by and winked at Chris, his eyes following her movement. “And the perks that go with it.”
“Chris, you’re a pig,” Alicia scolded, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head with disapproval. “And I’m nobody’s perk.”
“That’s not what I meant and I’m not a pig.” He turned back to her, slightly offended.” I just appreciate beauty when I see it. Like you.” His gaze heated as it slid over her, making her stomach flip awkwardly. Chris finished his beer and tossed the cup into a nearby trash can. He reached for her hand. “Come dance with me. That’s a swing I hear playing and you were always a great partner.”
Alicia held her hands out. “Oh, no, you don’t! It’s been a long time and you only liked dancing with me because I was light enough for you to toss around like a rag doll.”
“Exactly,” he agreed, dragging her out to the dance floor, not giving her another chance to refuse.
The music was fast, a blaring rockabilly rhythm that had Chris twirling, twisting, and spinning her until she gave up trying to figure out which direction was up. A crowd began to surround them, giving them room to dance and cheering them on. She’d forgotten how much fun she had dancing with him. He was a strong lead and she never had to think with him. He was always in the right place at the right time to catch her, no matter where she ended up. When he spun her back against his chest and reached for her hands, her body responded without even thinking. Curling her hands into his, he slid one arm to her lower back and the other under her knees, flipping her into the air and backward over his arm, catching her effortlessly while the crowd cheered. As the strains of the music slowed, Chris spun her back against him and dipped her.
She stared up at him, her dark eyes locking with his deep blue, dizzy from the exertion and trying to regain her focus. Her heart thudded heavily against her ribs, feeling like it would burst. She expected him to lift her to standing again but he continued to stare down at her, his eyes going dark and languid. His fingers at her lower back were against her skin and she could feel the heat burning into her, scalding her and making shivers of delight course up her spine.
She was breathless but, suddenly, she wasn’t sure if it was from the exertion or the way he was looking at her. She was the first to break the silence, unable to hold his smoldering gaze any longer without melting in his hands. “Um, Chris, just how long are we going to stay like this?”
The look in his eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual grin and impishness. He bent toward her and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, causing her heart to plummet to her toes, before lifting her upright and taking her back to where David waited for them as if nothing had happened.
WHAT IN THE hell was that?
Chris wasn’t sure what had come over him. One minute he was flirting with some blond walking past him, the next he was kissing Ali on the dance floor. Of all the women he could kiss tonight, she was the last one he should even consider locking lips with. Here he was pressuring David to ask Ali out and then he kisses her, in front of everyone. What kind of friend was he? He wasn’t even sure what had possessed him to do it. He had to get it together.
Damn it! Ali seemed awkward as well, pulling her hand away from his as he walked her back to David, and tucking it into her pocket. He had to do some damage control otherwise this was going to get messy. This was exa
ctly why he’d avoided her for the last two years. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship. What was he thinking? He caught the look of surprise on David’s face as they headed toward him and quickly decided to play it off as a joke.
David eyed him curiously but refrained from commenting, turning his attention back to Ali and handing her one of the cups he held. “I see I missed all the fun.”
“Thanks,” she said, taking the drink. “I think I better sit down. I’m dizzy now.”
David arched a brow and Chris could read the unspoken question in his eyes. He shook his head slightly, letting David know they could discuss it later. He wasn’t about to try to explain his actions right now. Not when he wasn’t even sure what to say or what had just come over him. He had to get away from them. Looking around and spotted one of the women he’d been flirting with earlier today standing near the band.
“Thank you for the dance, Ali, but I’m off to enjoy a few of those perks we talked about.”
He knew the comment made him sound like a jerk but he didn’t want her to get any wrong ideas about why he’d kissed her. Especially when he found himself wanting to do it again and was trying to keep himself from letting his mind stray out of the friend zone.
She laughed at him and his heart skipped. He wasn’t sure if it was the sweetness of the sound or the relief that she wouldn’t let his mistake affect their friendship. “You’d better be careful, Chris, or one of these days you’re going to fall for one of those buckle bunnies and she’ll break your heart.” She poked a finger against his solid shoulder.
“Unless he catches some disease first,” David muttered.
Chris ignored the insult and winked at Ali, giving her a cocky grin. “It’ll never happen. It’s not in my DNA to fall for anyone.”
He realized the honesty of the statement after it slipped out and felt momentarily depressed by the truth of it. Chris saw a flash of sadness in her eyes but it was gone quickly and he almost convinced himself he’d imagined it. His words hung heavily in the air between the three of them, like a wet blanket, and he wasn’t sure how to lighten the mood again until a busty brunette bumped into the back of him, knocking him forward and nearly spilling the three beers she carried. She apologized and giggled as she righted herself.
Chris laughed, relieved to have an interruption. “Duty calls.” He turned to follow the brunette, grateful for the excuse to leave. “Hey, honey, need some help carrying those?” Chris asked as he disappeared into the crowd.
“I can’t believe no woman’s ever filed a paternity suit against him,” David said as Chris hurried into the crowd after the brunette.
Chris moved far enough that he was out of earshot but could still see Alicia and David through the crowd of dancers. He tried to pretend to listen to the brunette, but he’d already forgotten her name, his eyes strayed to Ali as David took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. As the band struck up a slow country ballad, Chris watched them sway to the music, David’s arm curled protectively around her minuscule waist. Ali looked up at him and smiled brightly, her brown eyes lighting up with delight at whatever he was saying. Chris could see it in her face, could tell David interested her, and they seemed to be having a great time together. So far, he’d even seen David loosen up and joke around with her, something he rarely saw, especially at rodeos where he was all business. This was exactly the effect he’d been hoping Ali would have on David. It was what he wanted, so why did he feel like slamming his fist into someone’s face?
He saw David tighten his hold on Ali and she tucked her head into the curve of his shoulder, under his jaw, closing her eyes. Chris watched as her fingers trailed over the nape of David’s neck and his heart dropped to his toes. He wasn’t sure where this jealousy was coming from but he was going to get rid of it the only way he knew how—with a distraction, any distraction, and he needed it right now.
He’d been too busy watching Ali and David to notice the brunette had already moved on but Chris spotted two girls standing off to the left side of the stage, eyeing him like sugar addicts would a piece of candy. “Howdy, ladies,” he drawled. “Would one of you like to dance?”
“Me!” A leggy blond shoved past her friend in an attempt to move closer to him. She slipped her hand into his and he led her to the dance floor.
Now this was the type of woman he was comfortable with. Nothing serious, no emotions, and no one got hurt. His eyes slid over several faces on the dance floor until he spotted Ali with David again and clenched his jaw, tripping over his own feet. Chris didn’t want to think about Ali anymore. She conjured up too many images of marriage, kids and his future. Better to let her play house with someone who wanted the same things, someone more like David. He was a man she could count on.
Chapter Four
* * *
CHRIS SAT ON his gelding, Jaeger, nursing his hangover as the bright light of day pierced the dark sunglasses he wore. He cupped his forehead in his hand, rubbing his temples, trying to will the headache away. The next thing he knew, his head dropped forward with a jerk as he nodded off with the sound of the announcer beating against the sides of his throbbing brain. He cringed as his horse stamped a foot, jarring him, as he tried to remain as still as possible to keep the pounding to a minimum.
“Cool it, Jaeger,” he muttered as if the beast could understand him.
“Yeah, Jaeger.” David sidled his mount next to Chris’s. “Your master is grouchy because he had far too much to drink last night and had to sleep in the backseat of the truck so he didn’t embarrass himself.”
“Shut up, David.”
“I see you woke up on the wrong side of the truck this morning.” He laughed at his own joke before stretching his arms toward the sky and yawning loudly. “Not like the bed in the extra bedroom. You were right. Dinner at Ali’s house was a great idea after all.”
Chris glared at his best friend before remembering he couldn’t see the daggers he was shooting at him from behind the dark glasses. He didn’t usually drink so much but when feminine distractions didn’t work to take his mind off Ali and David, he turned to drink.
And when did David start calling her “Ali”? That had always been Chris’s nickname for her. No one else called her that. How close did David and Ali actually get last night?
“You’re a dick.”
David chuckled quietly. “I know. Make sure you’re ready. We’re up in a few minutes. We need this win.”
“Yeah, yeah. You just worry about your own loop, not mine.” He wasn’t in any mood to deal with David’s rediscovered sense of humor. “What’s got you in such a good mood this morning anyway?” He regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth.
David looked at his saddle and adjusted his reins, unable to hide the grin that spread across his face. “You mean, besides a comfortable bed, a filling breakfast, and a pretty girl giving me a kiss this morning for good luck?” He shrugged. “I guess nothing.”
“I thought you didn’t care about dating, that it was a waste of your precious time?”
“I’ll admit it. Ali wasn’t what I expected.”
Chris took off his sunglasses and handed them to the cowboy opening the gate for them. “Then maybe you should be thanking me instead of giving me a hard time.” He shot a sidelong glance at David, still grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Ali kissed you, huh?”
He looked over at David suspiciously. Maybe he was just screwing with him? Chris hadn’t missed the funny look David gave him after seeing him on the dance floor with Ali; maybe this was his way at getting back at him. Or testing the waters to see if Chris was interested in Ali for himself? The thought struck him in the chest. He wasn’t, was he?
Chris didn’t want to even begin to think about why he felt a knot of dread forming in his gut any more than he wanted David to suspect his jealousy. It was irrational so he stuffed it deep within but it chewed at the edges of his mind. Ali wasn’t the type of girl to kiss a guy right after meeting him. At least, she hadn’t been before. Mayb
e she’d changed in the past two years since he’d spent any significant amount of time with her. People could change and not always for the better. Chris clenched his jaw, trying to focus on the task at hand. He didn’t have time to be worrying about Ali.
Easing his horse into the chute, Chris turned Jaeger so he could back the gelding into the corner. He casually flipped the loop over his wrist and slid the eye of the rope forward until it felt right. Jaeger’s hind end tucked under him as Chris adjusted his reins, shortening them. He looked over at David who waited, watching for Chris’s nod, with his rope at his hip. Chris tipped his chin down at the chute operator just before the steer burst through the gate, jerking the barrier rope free as it passed. Jaeger came out of the gate quickly, eating up the ground with his long stride as Chris swung the rope over his head. He let it fly as he came alongside the steer and watched it hit the tip of a horn before slipping off and circling in front of his horse.
How could he have missed? He never missed.
The crowd’s groan echoed across the arena. Chris quickly rewound the rope and set his loop again, swinging over his head as David kept the steer running straight. This time, it circled the steer’s horns cleanly and he twisted the rope around the saddle horn, turning Jaeger sharply to the left. David was already in place and immediately caught both heels. He looked toward the clock as the announcer called out their time: 9.6.
This was definitely going to keep them out of the money and knock them down a few places in the overall standings. He braved a glance at David. His face was a dark mask of fury as he refused to look at Chris. Clenching his jaw so tightly it caused his teeth to hurt, Chris headed to the back of the arena with the steer as he watched David ride out.
