“Well, your father isn’t from our generation,” Ryan announced. “He doesn’t understand friendships between guys and gals. We can say stupid things, but that doesn’t mean we’re looking to bed a woman.”
“So you guys aren’t mad that I got Joe fired?” she finally asked while feeling a nervous pang.
“Mad?” Pete practically cried out. “Mad at Joe. If we’d caught him coming on to you, he’d be hanging from the nearest tree.”
“By his nuggets, no less,” Ryan added.
“I’ve personally seen you handle the guys without anger or complaint,” Pete announced. “I’ve seen the guys get a little friendly with an innocent hug, and I’ve seen you deal with them. It’s always been ‘problem solved’. Joe must have crossed one hell of a line for you to report him to your father. Knowing him the way we do, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise. We told him to mind his manners around you, but he didn’t listen. I’m sure he got exactly what he deserved.”
“I’m glad I came out here today,” she remarked and felt herself relax. “I’ve been fretting that you and the other wranglers blamed me for Joe. Especially with my father ordering me to stay away from you guys.”
“I’m sure he’s just being overly protective of his little girl,” Pete replied. “I’m sure I would too. Honestly, Devon, you’re safer with us than anywhere around here for miles. We’re practically family, and the guys miss you something terrible.”
“Well, we don’t miss you on poker night,” Ryan announced and smirked. “With the way you cheat at cards and all.”
Devon playfully glared at him. “I never cheated at cards,” she announced. “You guys are just terrible poker players.”
“Hang out with us a while,” Pete announced cheerfully. “We need some stimulating conversation around here. I can’t handle any more boring conversations with some of these guys.”
“Okay,” she replied cheerfully. “Just for a little while. I don’t want my father catching me. I don’t feel like getting into another fight with him right now.”
Devon spent the rest of the day with the ranch hands tending to the herd, keeping strays from wandering off, and having a good time doing it. She couldn’t deny she missed being a wrangler.
Chapter Seventeen
The tavern was moderately crowded as it usually was on a Saturday night. Devon and Ivy entered, paused by the main door, and looked around. There were already several drunken men hanging around the bar while trashy looking women made their plays. They spotted Ross and Tony in the back playing pool. Ross’ laugh was unmistakable and traveled despite the crowded room and loud music. Ross saw them and signaled to a table near the jukebox. Devon and Ivy approached the table and sat down. Ivy looked around the room with disappointment.
“One of these days, I’d like to head to the resort clubs and have some real fun,” Ivy announced with a huff. “I’m getting bored with drunken farm boys.”
“So you’d prefer drunken businessmen for a change of pace?” Devon teased.
“At least the music would be better,” Ivy remarked while listening to the same country songs blaring from the prehistoric jukebox. As she scanned the bar with a bored sigh, her eyes suddenly lit up. “There he is! I can’t believe he’s here!”
“Who?” Devon asked while looking around the crowd for whatever handsome devil Ivy had her eyes on.
“Burt Danson,” Ivy gasped while grabbing Devon’s arm. “He’s the one who’ll be hiring the actress for the soap opera. We have to go over there and socialize.”
Devon again scanned the room until she found the man in question. Burt Danson was a heavyset man in his forties with slicked back hair dyed excessively dark. He wore a flashy gold watch and a thick gold chain. He was quite possibly the least attractive man Devon had seen in a long time. He sat at the bar alongside Paula Jarred. Paula was now a bleached blonde, who dressed the part of a low budget porn star. Excessive substance abuse had physically taken its toll on her. A thick layer of makeup was all that kept her from looking like death warmed over.
“Paula,” Ivy scoffed while glaring through narrow eyes. “She’s making moves on Burt.”
“Apparently,” a woman announced from nearby, “she had the same idea we had.”
Devon and Ivy turned to see Tamara Little standing near their table. Tamara maintained her attractive appearance over the last seven years. Her strawberry blonde hair seemed a little more strawberry than blonde, suggesting she may have changed hair color. Tamara placed her drink on their table and collapsed in the vacant chair between them.
Tamara’s eyes remain fixed on Paula. “That girl has no shame,” she scoffed. “She’ll sleep her way right into that job.”
“You know about her auditioning for the soap role?” Ivy asked with surprise.
“Of course,” Tamara replied while sneering. “I was there when she slinked in. She looked like an overpriced streetwalker.”
“You auditioned for the job too?”
Tamara gave Ivy a humored look but withheld her laugh. “Nearly every woman under thirty in this town applied for that job,” she informed her.
All three looked back at Paula as she clung to Burt’s shoulder with her breasts pressed against his arm. They appeared to be having an intimate conversation. Burt seemed to be enjoying the flirtatious company as well.
“But ultimately, it’s not who you know,” Tamara informed them while indicating the couple, “it’s who you blow.”
“It’s hard to believe you two were once friends,” Devon remarked.
“That was a long time ago,” Tamara remarked. “It was nothing for her to get me into trouble. I despise the bitch.”
“We can’t let her sleep her way into the job,” Ivy informed Tamara. “We need to do something.”
“Like what?” Tamara remarked while snorting a laugh. “You see her crawling all over him. He’s under the hypnotic spell of her slutty wiles.”
“We should invite him over,” Ivy suggested.
“Ivy,” Devon groaned, attempting to nix the idea. She knew her friend was fiercely competitive and it wouldn’t end well.
“It’s worth a shot,” Tamara agreed. “Two on one. We might get him away from her.”
“I’m sure two on one is exactly what he has in mind,” Devon muttered.
Neither woman heard her or at least they didn’t acknowledge the comment. Devon groaned as the two women headed toward the bar to steal Burt away from Paula.
§
Several minutes later, Paula watched and silently seethed as Burt joined Tamara, Ivy, and Devon at their table. She glared at her brother, who was slumped on the bar alongside her, and slapped his arm startling him.
“What are you hitting me for?” he demanded in a slightly drunken tone.
Joe was possibly good-looking at one time, but he lacked personal hygiene possibly since he’d lost his job a month ago. His dirty blonde hair was more dirty than blonde and hadn’t been properly combed in days. His facial stubble didn’t know if it wanted to be a beard, and his clothes were dirty and wrinkled, possibly suggesting he had slept in them more than one night.
“Those bitches stole my ticket out of this hellhole,” she exclaimed to her brother. “Go over there and do something!”
Joe glanced across the tavern as if he hadn’t even been paying attention to what had happened over the last twenty minutes. He snorted a laugh and minded his beer.
“No way,” he announced and took a large swallow of beer. “I don’t get involved in catfights, and I want nothing to do with Devon Vincent.”
“Why not?” Paula demanded in a near temper tantrum. “She’s the bitch who got you fired.”
“She’s also the bitch with an influential father roughly the size of a brick shithouse,” Joe informed her. “I touch her; he kills me. If he doesn’t, her hot-headed brother does. Notice the pattern? Both stories end up with me dead. No girl is worth dying for.”
“You’re pathetic,” Paula scoffed and leaned heavily on the
bar. “I’m going to get even with them if it’s the last thing I do.”
Joe eyed his sister then motioned to the bartender. “Stan, we need a few shots over here.”
Stan laughed and poured them each a shot from a special, unmarked bottle. The contents of the shot glass were clear, indicating it might be homemade moonshine. Paula frowned and accepted the drink. Joe smiled and extended his shot glass to her. They clinked glasses then drank them down and slammed the glasses on the bar. Joe lit a cigarette and took a drag from it before Paula snatched it from him for herself. Joe frowned and lit another cigarette for himself.
“I don’t know why you’re getting all bent out of shape about this acting job,” Joe remarked and eyed his sister. “You said Jamie auditioned for it.”
“So?” Paula demanded.
“So,” he announced and attempted to straighten, although he was limited by his unsteadiness. “There’s nothing you’re willing to do for this job that Jamie hasn’t already done. You know how she is when she wants something. She always gets what she wants no matter who she has to maim along the way.”
Paula shifted uncomfortably. “I wish you wouldn’t say things like that,” she muttered and took a long drag from the cigarette then blew smoke out above her head. She glared at her brother. “Just once, I’d like to even the score with Jamie. Getting that role on the soap opera instead of her would do it.”
Joe groaned and guzzled several swallows of beer before looking at her. “The only way to beat Jamie is to off Jamie,” he remarked.
Paula frowned and indicated the shot glass to the bartender. “Not really my thing.”
“Then stop fighting that blonde demon,” Joe announced firmly.
She shook her head and sighed. “You don’t know how close to a demon Jamie actually is,” Paula huffed.
“Actually, I do,” Joe remarked nearly sedate and eyed his sister. “You don’t want to cross her or you’ll end up dead too.”
Paula shot a surprised look at her brother as her eyes widened. “I told you to keep quiet about that stuff,” she gasped in a loud whisper. “If anyone ever finds out about that--”
“Relax,” Joe snorted and took a large swallow of beer. “No one will hear it from me.”
Chapter Eighteen
Devon sat at the table wishing she were anywhere but there as her friend and Tamara entertained Burt. Burt ate up the attention and laid on the charm. Devon couldn’t even stomach listening to the man speak. Her initial take on the slimy producer was a self-absorbed narcissist who intended to use his position to take advantage of as many women as possible. She didn’t understand how Ivy didn’t see it. What concerned her more was that maybe Ivy knew and was playing the game anyway.
Tony and Ross had returned to the table from their friendly game of pool, eyed Devon demandingly, and indicated those sitting at their table taking their seats. Devon frowned and shrugged. Both men rolled their eyes and headed for the bar. Devon attempted to focus her attention anywhere but on the two women flirting with the unattractive man. She caught a glimpse of Paula sitting alongside Joe while casting hostile looks at their table. Devon eyed Joe, felt immediately repulsed, and looked away.
She wished the man would fall off the face of the earth. She knew he secretly blamed her for her father firing him. It would be humorous if it weren’t so gut-wrenching. How was it possible that Joe kissed and groped her while he had her cornered in the horse barn, yet he thought she was responsible for him losing his job? Devon still blamed herself for how poorly she handled the incident. She’d been raised around ranch hands and skillfully handled their harmless flirting amazingly well.
When Joe cornered her, she froze. His hands were on her, and she couldn’t keep him from pawing her, something none of the guys had ever done before. Despite that she secretly wanted to kill him, she felt helpless to stop him. If her brother hadn’t come to the barn looking for her, she wasn’t sure what would have happened. She was so upset; she couldn’t even tell Martin what happened in the barn. Later, she gave the tamed down version to her father and brother, which cost Joe his job.
Even though her father had done the right thing, she ultimately resented him because of his reaction. He seemed more upset by having to fire one of his best wranglers than by the incident itself. Insisting she stay away from the ranch hands after that left her feeling he blamed her for Joe’s inability to control his sexual desires. He wanted her to avoid the ranch hands, and she was no longer allowed to work the cattle.
Devon snapped out of her own thoughts when she heard Ivy giggling like a schoolgirl over something the slimy producer had said. She couldn’t believe Ivy’s flirtatious behavior around a man she obviously didn’t find the least bit attractive. How far did her friend intend to take the flirting for some stupid job? Burt leaned on the table and cast his beady eyes upon Devon.
“I don’t believe you auditioned for the soap role,” Burt announced while mastering the quick once-over in an almost casual manner.
“I’m not an actress,” Devon bluntly informed him without interest.
He waved her off. “There’s nothing to it,” Burt announced. “You memorize a few lines while pretending to be someone else. You’re an attractive girl. You should audition. I’ll have my secretary set it up.”
Devon managed a smile although it possibly came off as more of a sneer. “No, thank you,” she replied. “I’m not interested in an acting career.” She eyed her friend and raised her brow. “Or any of the ass kissing that goes with it.”
Ivy became uncomfortable and immediately shifted. She wasn’t nearly as flirty after the comment. Burt was only momentarily set back but resumed his sleazy charm without hesitation. He placed his hands on each woman’s thighs and shifted looks between them.
“What do you say we go back to my suite at the resort?” he announced while grinning. “There’s a sunken hot tub in the living room and champagne chilling in the frig. We can discuss the soap opera role and have a few laughs.”
Ivy shifted uncomfortably and cast a look at Devon. “I can’t,” she announced. “I have to give Devon a ride home tonight.”
He shrugged then grinned. “Devon can join us,” Burt announced. “The more the merrier.”
“No,” Devon sharply corrected while raising her brows demandingly as she glared at him. “Devon can’t join you. She’s not into sleazy perverts.”
Ivy immediately shifted in her chair but didn’t defend Burt from the accusation. Burt put on a false smile, but he was obviously annoyed with Devon for calling him out. He looked at Ivy.
“Friends like that one will only hold you back,” he announced while sneering. “I’m sure she can find another ride home. Are you joining Tammy and I in my suite or not?”
Ivy removed his hand from her thigh and stared into his eyes. “She’s not holding me back,” Ivy remarked, although not nearly as boldly as she could have. “She’s saving me from myself.”
Without further comment, Ivy stood and approached Tony at the bar. She said something to him, and he joined her for a slow song on the dance floor. Burt shook his head with a look of annoyance then glanced at Tamara and resumed his sleazy smile.
“I guess it’s just you and me, Tammy,” he announced and placed his arm around her while leaning closer.
Tamara stared at him a moment and practically shivered from what she must have seen in his eyes. She pushed him away from her and raised a cocky brow in response.
“It’s Tamara,” she snarled and moved her chair away from him.
She casually leaned on the table with her head propped on her fist and avoided looking at him. She suddenly seemed bored. Burt stared at her with surprise then glared at Devon.
“Well, my dear,” he scoffed. “I think you’ve missed your calling as a cut-throat talent agent.”
Burt stood and left the table. He headed back to the bar and joined Paula and her brother. Tamara cast a quick glance at the bar and watched the scene unfold. He placed his arm around Paula’s wai
st, whispered something in her ear, and she was immediately crawling all over him once again as if nothing had ever happened. Tamara straightened, drew a deep breath, and eyed Devon.
“I wish we were friends years ago,” Tamara announced bluntly.
Devon couldn’t help but laugh. “Why? You need someone to hold you back in life?”
“No, I could have used someone like you to save me from me a long time ago,” she replied.
Ivy returned to the table with Tony and Ross in tow. They no sooner sat down when they saw Paula leaving the tavern with Burt. The sleazy couple couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. It was close to repulsive. All five watched their lusty exit.
Ross shook his head. “Guess we know who got that job.”
“Don’t be so certain,” Tamara announced. “Jamie’s full of surprises herself. She’s not going to let Paula beat her at her own game.”
Chapter Nineteen
Loud moans were heard from the black, luxury sedan parked off to the side of the moderately dark, tavern parking lot. The music from the tavern mostly drown out the sounds of pleasure coming from the back seat, although the rocking car could be seen several yards away. Two country boys headed from their pickup truck toward the tavern and passed by the car with the front windows open, allowing the female moans and male grunts to be heard clearly. Both men in their mid-twenties peeked into the back of the car as they passed then exchanged grins and laughed.
Paula straddled Burt while facing him as she bounced up and down with purpose on his lap. He groaned loudly while clutching an exposed breast in each hand leaving her shirt bunched up beneath her arms. With the familiar grunt followed by a loud groan, Paula leaned forward and kissed him passionately. As she pulled back and met his gaze, he grinned while pleasantly exhausted.
“I think I’ll be seeing more of you at the resort over the next few months,” Burt announced then chuckled.
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