by Katie Lane
The book discussion continued. And while Luanne thought the heroine was stupid for leaving the butcher, most everyone else agreed she had guts to travel to another country by herself. Which started Suzie Dotson talking about her trip to Mexico and the bad case of diarrhea her husband got. After Suzie finished her story, Maureen asked who wanted blueberry crisp. Sadie, who had started the book club, hopped up to help her. She returned a few minutes later with two plates of blueberry crisp. One she handed to Emma and the other she gave Penny. Penny’s portion was twice as big with two scoops of ice cream instead of one. Even at book club, Sadie made sure she was well fed.
“Thanks, Sadie,” she said. “But this is a little much.”
“Nonsense. You’ve been working yourself to a frazzle lately and need the extra calories. You also need to quit worrying about everyone else and worry about yourself for a change. I can’t remember the last time you did something fun like go to the movies or dancing.”
“She’s right,” Emma said as she took a bite of her ice cream. “You worry about your sister, your nephew, and your daddy. And now you’re worrying about Lucas and Chester and getting their new house built.”
“With good reason,” she said. “Cru and his friends are willing to put up the money to rebuild Chester and Lucas’s house and we have plenty of volunteers for a house raising, but the two stubborn old men flat refuse to take any charity from anyone.”
“It’s hard to change stubborn men’s minds.” Emma gave her a pointed look. “And even stubborn women’s. You need to think about yourself once in a while, Pen. You’re all work and no play.” Her eyes lit up. “Hey, what about if we stop by Cotton-Eyed Joe’s tonight after book club. They have a new band playing with a lead singer who Mary Beth says looks just like a young Tim McGraw.”
Penny didn’t feel much like dancing. She felt like going back to the ranch and checking in on Chester and Lucas . . . and maybe Cru. But before she could make her excuses, Sadie cut in. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Emma. A couple of margaritas and some line dancing is just what Penny needs.”
With Sadie on Emma’s side, Penny knew there was no way to successfully argue. It was better to concede with stipulations. “Okay. But just for an hour.”
Emma took a big bite of blueberry crisp and smiled. “Of course we’ll just stay an hour.”
Cotton-Eyed Joe’s was always busy on Friday nights, but this Friday it was more crowded than usual. Penny and Emma had to squeeze their way through the crowd just to get to the bar to order a drink. On their way through, everyone and their brother stopped them to talk about the different names they’d come up with for Simple. Each one was more ludicrous than the next.
“Cowpoke, Texas?” Emma said when they finally made it to the bar. “Are you kidding me?”
“It’s better than Boss Hog or Tractor.” Penny glanced around. “This was a bad idea. Let’s come back tomorrow night when it’s less crowded.”
Emma swatted her arm. “Would you hush up? The more the merrier, I say. And it’s going to get even merrier when we get a drink.” She yelled to the bartender above the Florida Georgia Line song the band was playing. “Two margaritas, Davy!”
Penny tried to get the bartender’s attention to change the order, but he’d already walked away. “Darn it, Emma. You know what tequila does to me.”
“I sure do. I’ll never forget you ripping off your shirt and swinging it over your head when the Dallas Cowboys scored that touchdown. Every frat boy in the bar was praying ‘the boyz’ would score again so they’d get to see more of your ‘girls.’ You’re damned lucky the Cowboys were having a bad year. Of course, I wouldn’t have let you strip off more than your shirt and shorts.”
“Gee, thanks. You’re a good friend.”
“Damn straight, I am. You need to unwind a little and release that tight rein you keep on life. And if the only way to make that happen is to fill you full of tequila, so be it.” Emma climbed up on the bottom rung of a barstool and peeked over everyone’s heads before she climbed back down with a scowl on her face. “Mary Beth doesn’t know what the heck she’s talking about. The lead singer doesn’t look anything like Tim McGraw—young or old.”
Once they got their margaritas, they pushed their way back through the crowd looking for a table. Fortunately, Don Webber, who everyone called Duck, and his brother Rory had to leave because Duck’s wife had called and told him to get his butt home or else. So they gave their table to Penny and Emma.
“Poor Duck,” Emma said as they sat down. “The man can’t take a pee without his wife finding out and getting on him. Just because Brandy was homecoming queen, she thinks her husband should bow down and kiss her butt.”
“I don’t think Duck minds.” Penny took a sip of margarita. It went down nice and smooth. “Even after four kids, Brandy has a great butt.”
“And a great everything else.” Emma took a big drink of margarita. “Bitch.”
Penny laughed and nodded in agreement as she took another sip. “Although you should talk.”
“I don’t have a great anything. My boobs are too small and my butt non-existent.”
“Who cares about boobs and butts when you have mile-long legs and gorgeous blond hair?”
“I’ll concede the legs.” Emma grabbed a hank of her thick hair, which was pulled up in a ponytail. “But there is nothing gorgeous about this horse’s mane that frizzes up like a Brillo pad in the slightest humidity. I can’t even wear it down it’s so bad. I’m thinking about cutting it and dying it blue like Raynelle’s.”
Penny took another sip of margarita. “If you dye it blue and I dye mine silver we’d be all set for high school football season.” She pumped her fist. “Go, Spartans!”
“Go, Spartans!” Emma echoed before she waved down a passing waitress and ordered them more margaritas.
After two margaritas, Penny forgot all about going home. After three, she and Emma were having the best time ever. After four, they headed out to the dance floor where they danced three line dances—badly—and then attempted to two-step with Emma leading and Penny following. Which resulted in stepped-on toes and a whole lot of laughter. Guys tried to cut in, but Emma and Penny were having too much fun to let a man in the mix. Margarita-filled bladders finally broke up their dance party.
When Penny had trouble getting out of the bathroom stall, she realized just how drunk she was. “Friend! I’m locked in!” she hollered to Emma in the next stall.
“Don’t worry, honey. I’m a comin’.” The toilet next door flushed and suddenly Emma’s head appeared beneath the stall. She shimmed under like a soldier along the front lines, then grabbed onto Penny’s legs and pulled herself up. Once she was standing, they fell into each other and cracked up laughing.
“I think we’re drunk,” Emma said.
“I know we are. I told you we shouldn’t have had that last round of margaritas.”
“What do you mean? You bought it.”
“Oh yeah.” Penny giggled.
It took both of their alcohol-soaked brains to get out of the stall. After a water fight while washing their hands, they hooked arms and headed back to their table. On the way past the bar, Emma came to a sudden stop.
“I spy with my little eye a super hot bad boy that makes me sigh.”
Penny followed her gaze and saw Cru sitting at the end of the bar nursing a beer. His cowboy hat was tipped back, and his dark hair fell over his forehead in a cute, sexy way that sent Penny’s tummy to tumbling. Or maybe it was her heart that went tumbling because he looked so lost sitting there all alone. Just like a lost little boy in a bus station.
Like iron filings to a magnet, she moved toward him. When she was directly behind him, she placed her hand on his shoulder. Lucas had told her Cru had gotten his stitches out and was good as new, but she couldn’t help caressing the spot with her fingers. He turned, and she forgot all about stitches as she got lost in his spring-green eyes. Before she could find her way out, Emma stepped up.
&n
bsp; “So here’s the town hero.” She sent him a flirty smile. “I heard all about you saving Chester and Lucas from the fire, Cru Cassidy.”
“If I were a true hero, I would’ve kept a closer eye on Lucas and they’d still have their house.”
“On the bright side, at least you don’t have to worry about fixin’ the toilets anymore.”
A smile lit Cru’s face. A smile Penny hadn’t seen in what felt like forever. And it annoyed the heck out of her that Emma was the one on the receiving end of such beauty. Before she could stop it, the thought popped right out of her mouth.
“Why don’t you smile at me anymore?”
His gaze flickered over to her, and his smile faded. “Excuse me?”
“Smile at me.” She used two fingers to tip up the corners of his mouth. But as soon as she removed them, his lips drooped into a frown. As did his eyebrows.
“How much have you had to drink?”
“Too much, obviously,” Emma said. “Good God, Pen, would you stop mauling the man?” She winked at Cru. “What she’s trying to say is that your smiles are flat-out sexy, and we’d like to see more of them. In fact, have you ever thought about having a threesome?”
Even Drunk Penny knew that had crossed over the line. “Emma!”
“What? I wasn’t talking about in bed. I was talking about on the dance floor.”
Cru laughed. “No, I can’t say as I’ve ever had a threesome—in bed or on the dance floor. It’s certainly something I’d like to try, just not tonight. And from the looks of things, I don’t think you ladies should be trying it tonight either.” He glanced at Penny. “Did you drive here?”
“Yes,” Emma chimed in. “But don’t worry. I won’t let her drive home. I’ll call my dope of a partner to come get us. He’ll jump at the chance when he finds out I’m with Penny.”
A knot formed between Cru’s dark eyebrows. Penny reached out to smooth it away, but he caught her wrist and stopped her. “I’ll drive you.” Holding on to her wrist, he got up, and then he steered her and Emma through the crowd and out the door to his truck.
“Shotgun!” Emma yelled as soon as Cru pulled open the passenger door. Which left Penny in the back seat. Something she wasn’t real thrilled about. Nor was she thrilled when Cru buckled her in like a toddler.
“I’m not a kid,” she grumbled as he pulled the seatbelt across her lap. His gaze found hers as his hand brushed her hip.
“Believe me, I know that.”
Since she lived in town, Cru took Emma home first. On the way, Emma chattered like a magpie, leaving Penny to feel like a mute spare tire. “What happened to your fancy red car?”
“I traded it in for this,” he said.
Penny was surprised. She knew he’d gotten a new truck, but she hadn’t thought he’d traded in the Porsche for it. She’d thought he’d left the Porsche at Chester and Lucas’s.
“You traded it for this?” Emma said. “I like a big ol’ truck as much as any Texas girl, but a used truck sure isn’t worth a pretty candy-apple-red Porsche that could probably go from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye.”
“Sometimes going fast isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Cru said. “Sometimes it’s better to take your time.”
“I do love a man who knows how to take his time,” Emma said in a sultry voice, and Penny reached between the seat and the door and pinched her arm. “Oww!” She swiveled around and shot her a mean glare. “What was that for, Penelope Anne Gardener?”
“For ordering me that second margarita,” she lied.
“And here’s for ordering the third and fourth.” Emma reached back and pinched her leg. They got into a pinching war until Cru cut in.
“I hate to break up a good cat fight, but which house is yours, Emma?”
“The hot pink one. I made a little tiny mistake and ordered the wrong color paint for one of our customers. To keep Boone from finding out I had to act like the ten gallons of pink paint were mine. Thus, the Barbie Dream house.”
Cru laughed, and Penny scowled. She didn’t like Emma making Cru laugh. And she didn’t like him getting out and opening Emma’s door. Or taking her arm when she swayed—no doubt on purpose—and helping her up the path to her house. Once they got to the porch it was too dark to see what was going on. But Penny didn’t doubt for a second that Emma was trying to get a goodnight kiss.
She rolled down her window and stuck her head out. “Any time this week!” A few seconds later, Cru came down the steps of the porch. When he got into the truck, her drunk tongue wouldn’t be still. “So did you kiss her?” She thumped her forehead with her palm. Or tried to. She missed a little and hit her eye instead. “Stupid question. Of course you kissed her. You kiss every girl who comes within a mile of you.”
He did a U-turn and headed toward the highway that led out of town. “Not every girl. Just the ones who are willing.”
She snorted. “And every girl is willing, aren’t they? Of course they are. Who could resist your pretty green eyes and your dimpled smile and your teasing charm?”
“You’re drunk, Penny. It’s probably best if you don’t say anything that might embarrass you later.”
“You’re right. I am drunk, but I refuse to shut up. I’m tired of being sweet Penelope Anne who keeps her mouth shut and never speaks up for what she wants. Sweet Penelope who always takes the back seat.” She took off her seatbelt and crawled over the console.
“What are you doing?”
She ignored the question and fell awkwardly into the bucket seat with her boots still draped over the console. “Sweet Penelope Anne is taking what she wants.” She needed to shut up. She really needed to shut up. But instead she spoke the words she had no business speaking.
“Because no matter how hard I tried not to, I still want you, Cru Cassidy.”
Chapter Thirteen
Cru kept his gaze pinned on the highway and away from the sexy disheveled woman leaning so close to him that he could smell the tequila and lime on her breath. “That’s just the drink talking. You don’t want me, Penny.”
“Don’t tell me what I want, Cru. I’ve spent all of my life keeping my own needs and desire hidden so I wouldn’t rock the boat. After my mother died, I put on a brave face so no one would know exactly how hurt I was. When my sister and daddy fought over anything and everything, I became the mediator when I really want to just cover my ears and tell them to shut the hell up. And when Evie started liking you, I didn’t tell her that I liked you first. I didn’t tell her that you were mine before you were hers. But you were mine, Cru. You were mine the first time you rescued me.”
He should be shouting hallelujahs that a few margaritas had done away with the sister pact and he could finally ease the desire that had been riding him hard ever since he’d come back to Simple. But even with the sister pact out of the way, there was something else keeping him from pulling over and taking what was being offered. His conscience. Not only because Penny was obviously drunk and he’d never taken advantage of an inebriated girl, but also because in the last few weeks, he’d come to realize Penny wasn’t for him. He was big city. She was small town. He couldn’t stay put for longer than a few months at a time. She didn’t want to live anywhere but on her beloved ranch. He was an irresponsible playboy who cared about no one. She was a responsible do-gooder who cared about everyone.
Every ranch hand had a story to tell about her caring nature. She’d loaned Sam money to fix his truck when it had broken down. She’d stopped by the hospital every day to see Billy’s mother when she had cancer. She’d talked her father into hiring Raul and helped him and his family become American citizens. She’d hassled Cru every day about keeping his stitches clean and bandaged until he’d gotten them out and made sure Chester and Lucas drank plenty of water while they were working so they wouldn’t get dehydrated. It was like she felt responsible for the entire world.
And damned if Cru could take advantage of someone with a heart that big. Which was why he’d decided to keep his dista
nce from her. Penny deserved to be with someone as good as she was. Not an irresponsible drifter who had no intentions of staying. But it was hard to keep his distance when Penny had lost all her inhibitions. He almost jumped out of his seat when she pressed her finger to his bottom lip.
“Did you know, when I was a kid, I used to keep track of how many times you smiled? I wrote it down in my diary every single night. Along with everything you ever said to me. My goal was to get you to smile at least fifty times a day. I even bought a joke book to help me achieve my goal.” She ran her finger along his bottom lip. Cru instantly hardened beneath the fly of his jeans.
Damn. Why hadn’t he just let Boone drive her home?
He knew the answer. Jealousy. The same jealousy that ate through his gut every time Dylan or any other ranch hand got within a few feet of her. And he didn’t know where this jealous streak came from. He had never let jealousy affect him before and he had no business letting it affect him now.
Ignoring the desire pressing against his zipper like a sore tooth that needed filling, he removed her finger from his lip. “So that explains all those knock-knock jokes.”
“Knock, knock.”
He glanced over to see her watching him with sultry eyes. He swallowed hard and looked back at the road. “Who’s there?”
“Kiss.”
He knew where this was headed and refused to reply with, “Kiss who?” But that didn’t stop her from answering as if he had.
“Kiss me.” She leaned over and ran her tongue along his earlobe in a slide of wet heat that had him veering off the road. The truck flattened a good twenty yards of weeds and wildflowers before he brought it to a halt.
He turned in his seat to tell her this wasn’t a good idea, but as soon as he opened his mouth, her lips covered his. She tasted like tequila and innocence, a potent combination. At first taste, he felt as intoxicated as she was.
