“Everyone loves Hank and Rachel’s parties,” Lisa said with a grin. Her car had died, and Joanna had offered to pick her and her two kids up for the party. Ben was okay with it, as he had taken off early to help his parents get things ready, though she wondered how he would have the energy. Neither of them had gotten much sleep. She’d caught a few hours after he left, and then had managed to get back to her apartment unseen, fortunately, as the bar was closed for the day.
She was anxious to see him again, and she wasn’t. Sex always changed things, except it hadn’t been only sex. They’d talked, shared and done things she didn’t usually do. Including falling asleep in his bed. There was something about sleeping with someone—sharing a bed—that was more intimate than having sex with them.
He’d made her feel everything straight down to her bones. After she’d seduced him right there in his dining room, they’d finally made it to his bed, and under the warm blankets it was as though everything tense or worried inside of her had evaporated.
She’d felt safe.
She was happy finally to be here at the party; it made her nervous to have Ben out of her sight for long periods of time, out of her protection. At least that’s what she told herself.
Taking in the dozens of cars and trucks parked along the roadside and several other people arriving on horseback, she was even more glad that she’d come. It was the weekend, which meant time off from the bar anyway. Her duty to watch out for Ben didn’t go away, but she was looking forward to this down time. Certainly no one would try anything in a large group of the Callahans’ friends—most of them Texans with guns. Monday would be soon enough for dealing with reality.
Joanna relaxed and checked on the kids in the back seat in the rearview mirror. Abe and Patsy sat quietly playing with some handheld game that had had them transfixed for the entire ride. Not a peep. Abe was seven and Patsy was four. They were polite, good kids, and Joanna, who hadn’t spent much time with children, found them agreeable to be around.
As soon as they were parked, Abe and Patsy morphed into banshees. They squealed with excitement as seatbelt straps were released, and they ran from the car as if it were on fire, launching themselves into the backyard crowd.
“They’re excited,” Joanna commented with a grin, watching them run.
“The Callahans always have special things set up for the kids. I haven’t had much chance to do things with them lately, I’ve been working so much. I hope that can change once I have my divorce settled, and now that we have you at the bar,” Lisa said, sighing.
Joanna nodded, guilt assaulting her. What could she say? Sorry, but this is just a temporary thing, and in a few weeks you’ll likely never see me again.
Her gun was in her bag at her side, which grounded her somewhat, but this was a party, and she wanted to enjoy it. She looked down at her white sandals, also Lisa’s, as grass tickled her newly painted toes, when her cell phone rang.
“You go ahead, I need to take this,” she said to Lisa.
“I can wait—take your time,” Lisa said with a smile, but Joanna could see the curiosity light in her eyes.
Answering the phone, she turned away and lowered her voice.
“Hi, Don. What’s up?”
“We have a report back on the stain on that shirt—it’s not Callahan’s, but nothing popped in the DNA database, and so it’s a dead end, except that it’s not his.”
“Anything with the gunpowder residue?”
“Only faint traces. Could have been from his own gun, if he was out shooting recently.”
Joanna nodded. “He does have a range out back. I’ll try to get a copy of his hard drive and emails, and maybe we’ll find something there.”
“Hold off on that. It’s risky—at this point, all we have is a guy with a bloodstain on his shirt, and there could be a hundred explanations for that. Did you ask him about it?”
She thought back to the moment when she was standing mostly naked in Ben’s house after making love, and shook her head.
“It wasn’t the right moment.”
“Well, back down for now, unless you have a stronger reason to suspect he’s in trouble,” Don said.
“Okay. That’s all?”
“Yeah. Have a good weekend, Jo.”
He hung up, leaving her wondering if she was imagining trouble where there wasn’t any. Maybe because she was lying to everyone around her right now, she just assumed they were lying to her, too.
“Ben is going to pass out when he sees you in that dress,” Lisa continued, “I’ve always loved it, even though I am a tad too short to wear it well. But on you…it’s perfect.” The soft yellow dress, one of Lisa’s that Joanna had borrowed, had a sweetheart bodice and full skirt. Not her usual fare—not by a long shot. At first, it made her uncomfortable, feeling overly feminine, but then she’d decided to wear it because it was so different from what she usually wore. Sometimes different was good.
“Thanks. Yours is gorgeous, too. It’s kind of nice to be out of my bar clothes,” she said.
“Thank you. Charlie bought this for me for my birthday. He saw me admiring it in a shop window, and went back to get it. It’s the most thoughtful gift I ever received,” Lisa said, sounding misty.
Joanna diverted the conversation before she had to deal with tears, even happy ones, something she definitely wasn’t comfortable with.
“I doubt Callahan will even notice,” she murmured as they walked closer to the house.
“Why did you call him by his last name?”
Because it’s how they always referred to him back at headquarters, Joanna thought, but couldn’t say that, of course. Actually, it had been a slip.
“I don’t know. Because he’s the boss, I suppose. It’s less familiar.”
“Huh. At this point, I think you’re getting pretty ‘familiar,’ if what I saw when I caught you two walking over to his place last night is any indication,” Lisa teased. “From the size of that doggie bag, seemed like you didn’t even wait for dinner.”
Joanna stuttered, unsure what to say, not wanting to lie to this woman any more than she already had, but also unsure how much to reveal. As she fought the indecision, Lisa let out a whoop that drew attention from a few of the other people in the front yard, and smiled widely.
“About time someone got under that man’s skin. He needs it more than I can say. I had a feeling about you two,” she said, smiling smugly.
“Well, don’t get too excited. It was just a …slip. I’m sure it won’t happen again,” Joanna said. “And please don’t tell anyone else, even Charlie, okay? I don’t want Ben thinking I told everyone.”
Lisa nodded. “Sure thing, hon. Take my advice, though, don’t get involved in any poker games tonight,” Lisa said with another chuckle as they started heading toward the backyard again.
Joanna hated that she had been read so easily, and that Lisa thought she couldn’t hold her own in a poker game. They wouldn’t even let her in on the games back at headquarters, where she’d cleaned too many of the guys out.
But she apparently wasn’t as good at this new game.
“Lisa, I can’t afford to lose this job, and while Ben is great, I’m worried about what he’d think if people found out.”
Lisa sighed. “I wouldn’t worry about that. Ben is a good man, Joanna. The kind that doesn’t come along often. And at least you won’t be wanting for a hat today.”
“What?” Joanna asked, confused.
“It’s kind of a tradition at this party. If a woman comes to an event without a hat, she’s intending to try to get one of the cowboys at the party to give her his, or she’s available for them to offer it.”
“Why?” Joanna peered up at the bright sky, squinting. It was hot, but there was plenty of shade and a light breeze. She had a hat, but it didn’t quite go with the dress so she had skipped it.
“It’s a way to let someone know you’re interested, to pair up for the evening, or maybe even longer. You’ll notice the only women he
re wearing their own hats are married or spoken for.”
“So if a guy gives me his hat, that means I’m their date for the party?”
“More or less, yes. Or you can try to steal it, which usually means, if he’s agreeable, that you and he might have a little fun after the party, too.”
Joanna knew that cowboys and their hats—and marshals and their hats, for that matter—had a long history with a lot of symbolic meaning. She knew hats could indicate everything from personal taste to income bracket to political leanings in some parts of the country, but mostly they were used to keep the sun or the rain off your head.
This was a new twist she hadn’t counted on and wasn’t sure what to do with.
They turned the corner of the big house into the yard where most of the partygoers congregated, and just as Joanna was about to reply to Lisa, her eyes locked on to Ben’s and she forgot what she was going to say.
Words were lost as she remembered that the last time she’d looked into those caramel eyes, he’d been deep, deep inside her.
“Yep, definitely stay away from the poker tables,” Lisa said humorously, patting her on the arm. “I’m gonna go find the kids and Charlie, and steal that man’s hat.”
Joanna looked back to where Ben had been standing, but he was gone.
“Well, aren’t you a picture,” someone said from behind her, a voice she didn’t recognize, and she turned to find a nice-looking cowboy smiling in her direction, holding two glasses of something cold. “But kind of a sad one, standing here all alone,” he said, handing her one of the drinks.
Joanna paused before accepting. As the guy handed her the drink, he pulled his well-worn dress hat off and placed it to his chest with a slight nod.
“I’m Andrew Meyers,” he said pleasantly, looking at her with a pair of sparking blue eyes that danced beneath a downright rakish lock of black hair falling forward on his forehead.
Joanna smiled as he replaced his hat. He was a bit young for her, but charming, and she had no doubt that he was used to bowling women his own age over with that smile.
“Joanna,” she said, being friendly—but not too friendly—and offering a nod back.
“Beautiful name. Are you new here? I don’t remember seeing you around.”
Joanna briefly filled in that she was a new Lucky Break employee, and they made casual chitchat for a while, though she wondered where Ben had gone. Was he avoiding her?
Andy, as a lot of young guys tend to do, started talking way too much about himself, and she smiled, nodded and finished her drink while planning a quick escape at the first available moment. She panicked as he took off his hat, and appeared to be asking her if she would like to take it.
She was rescued before she had to deal with an awkward refusal.
“Andy, I think Jill is looking for you,” a familiar voice said from behind Joanna, and she turned to see Ben approaching them.
Joanna quirked an eyebrow at Andy, trying not to smile. “Jill?”
“Girl I came with,” he said, smiling widely. “It’s not serious, though.” He had the audacity to wink at her before he tipped his hat again and turned to leave.
“Thanks, Callahan,” Andy added sarcastically.
“As if you stood a chance, anyway,” Ben joked back, laughing as the younger man went in search of his date.
“He’s a piece of work,” Joanna said with a chuckle. “Nice guy, but kinda full of himself.”
“He is a good kid, but he doesn’t get shot down much.”
Joanna peered at Ben teasingly, glad they had something to break the ice, someone else to talk about. “Were you worried I would fall victim to his rakish charm?”
“Hardly. I was more worried he would talk you to death,” Callahan joked. “And I didn’t want you accepting his hat without knowing the story on that.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry. Lisa filled me in on the whole hat thing.”
“Did she now?” he asked, tilting his head and standing a half step closer.
“Yep. If I take one, it means I want to hook up with that guy. If a guy gives it to me, it means I’m his date for the party, and maybe we can hook up later.”
“I see you have the basics down,” he said in a low tone, his eyes dancing as he lifted his hat from his head and put it on hers. “I’m glad you made it,” he added, his tone much warmer.
Joanna cleared her throat, trying to sound casual. His hat was a little big, but he tilted it back so that it was comfortable on her head. It probably looked ridiculous with her dress, but she didn’t care.
“Thanks for asking me. I haven’t been to a party in a while. Not such a nice one, certainly.”
He didn’t respond as his eyes drifted over her dress, which would have made her feel self-conscious if she hadn’t been equally wowed by his appearance in dress clothes.
He looked good enough to eat, as far as she was concerned, in the worn jeans and T-shirt he often wore at the bar—or in nothing at all. She would have thought that for a girl growing up in Texas with two older males in the house, a cowboy hat wouldn’t do a thing, but, wrong again.
His white dress shirt hugged his arms, and, set off with a simple crossover tie, accentuated the broadness of his chest; topped off with the tan felt Stetson, he was handsome times ten. He was still wearing jeans—but nice ones—and dress boots. He looked cool as a cucumber in the afternoon heat. Seeing him in his Sunday cowboy gear, hat and all, had gotten to her.
“That dress is beautiful on you. I’m surprised half the guys here didn’t try to pile hats on you,” he said, his tone low. “Though I’d have to hurt them if they did.”
“Thanks. You clean up pretty nicely yourself,” she said, meaning it, and then she took the opportunity that presented itself. “Speaking of clothes, I kind of ruined that shirt I tried to clean for you—I should probably just buy you a new one. Sorry about that,” she said, looking up at him from under her lashes.
“Not necessary. It’s no big deal, and was nice of you to try.”
“How did you end up staining it anyway? I noticed you didn’t have any cuts where it was ruined.”
Ben looked at her closely. “Why are you so interested?”
“Concerned. I care about you, and—”
Her words seemed to stop them both in their tracks. She knew she meant it—she did care about him—and suddenly felt cheap using that to get him to tell her something she wanted to know.
“It was no big deal. When I was on my way out for my run, I broke up a fight between two guys out back, and one of the guys had been hit in the face. When I helped him to his car, I guess he got that on my shirt is all.”
“Oh,” she said, smiling. “I feel stupid.”
“No need. I like that you were bothered enough to ask. I know after you’ve been with someone, um, less than trustworthy, things can make you wonder.”
“Like bloodstained shirts.”
“Yeah. Never be afraid to ask me anything like that up front. I should have told you anyway, but it didn’t seem important.”
They didn’t say anything again for several long moments, and Joanna could feel the heat building again, and not from the sun beating down. Don was right; she had immediately jumped to conclusions, and there had been an explanation after all.
“Your glass is empty. Let me get another lemonade for you,” Ben said in a very gentlemanly way.
“That would be nice,” she said, smiling at him from under the wide brim of his hat.
Rather than walking away he placed his hands on her shoulders, looking at her closely. The touch of his skin to hers made her close her eyes and wish more than anything that she could just be a regular woman, here to meet a guy at an afternoon picnic. But she wasn’t.
Kids’ happy screams and laughter echoed across the yard from where they were enjoying a bounce house and other fun activities. Joanna pushed back a strand of hair that kept escaping the braid that Lisa had woven for her.
It all faded to background as Ben’s lips
touched hers, softly at first and then more insistently, parting them and rubbing the tip of his tongue along them in a very erotic way. He didn’t pull her closer or deepen the kiss, but just kept tasting her until she put a hand to his shoulder, leaning back against the fence rail she stood beside, seeking more support.
He stopped, the breath he exhaled a little shaky, as well.
“I’ll go get that drink.”
“Maybe throw a splash of something stronger in there.”
“I’ll make it two, then,” he said with a wink, and walked away, allowing her the most wonderful view as he did.
Watching the kids play, the people standing around, smiling, talking, she couldn’t help but enjoy the moment. To enjoy Ben and the party. He was back in a few minutes carrying two large, icy glasses of lemonade. When she took a sip, she looked up with a laugh.
“Wow…what’s in this?”
“Just a splash of some really good tequila.”
“It’s delicious,” she said, taking another sip.
“I have to admit, all I want to do is get you somewhere alone and peel off that dress,” he said over the top of his glass, eyes hot.
“I—” She started to say something, though she had no idea what it was. He made her mind go blank when he looked at her like that.
“But I suppose we should join the party,” he said with a wicked grin. He took her hand, leading her over to the crowded backyard where a band was playing and tables of food were lined up with enough goodies to feed an army. The air was sweet and smoky with the aroma of barbecue drifting from the black pits behind the tables. Several men manned the grills with beers in one hand and forks and spatulas in the other.
Ben led her into the middle of it all, and within seconds, half the yard was dancing around them, preventing any more conversation.
Ben took her drink and deposited it with his on a nearby table, coming back to pull her up next to him. Joanna stiffened for a second, and he looked down at her.
“Don’t like to dance?”
She firmed her jaw, biting her lip. “Never really have had much chance, and I don’t think I’m very good at it. Maybe we should—”
“Just hang on, you’ll be fine,” he said, pulling her in and wrapping one of her hands in his, the other arm loosely around her back. There wasn’t anything overtly sexual or suggestive in his movements, but being so close sure made her think sexual and suggestive thoughts.
Straight to the Heart Page 10
