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“So now you’re ganging up on ave Will expressed more than words She’d surrendered the battle but not the war When it caround She’d castrate that colt herself—or shoot him if she had to—before she’d let any harm come to Erin
A strained silence fell over the table Knowing she’d caused it, Tori sed the subject “So I’ve heard ru around, Beau”
He shrugged, looking a bit uncomfortable “Till the roundup’s over, at least But I’m only on leave from work I haven’t quit”
“You ht as well hand in your notice tomorrow” Will carved a slice off the turkey roast and laid it on his plate “You know you’ll end up staying”
“We’ll see”
“What’s to decide? You belong here We need you Enough said Anybody else want more turkey?” He carved three more slices and left them on the platter The silence had descended once more Tori could feel the tension between the two brothers creeping upward like the red line on a pressure gauge Was it about to explode?
Bernice, ever the wise one, rolled her eyes and gazed up at the brass chandelier that hung over the dining room table Her round, rosy face was a mask of innocence “My, hasn’t it been a lovely day,” she said “Do you think it’s too early to put out the tomato plants?”
Lute sat at a table in the Blue Coyote, sipping a Corona and feeling like a man He’d been half afraid to believe the fifty-dollar payment from Slade would be there But when he’d worked up the nerve to approach Stella, she’d given him a friendly smile and handed him a plain white envelope Inside he’d found the cash—tenties and a ten
He’d planned on saving most of it for the down payment on a car But his first paycheck fro in for another week, and this was like foundhere with a decent beer in his hand and cash in his pocket
It was a quiet night, even for a Wednesday There were no aze followed Jess as she wandered a the patrons happy She looked pretty tonight, he thought Her clean, shiny hair curled around her thin shoulders, softening the sharp lines of her face Her jeans were stylishly ripped—distressed, was that what they called it? Through the thready holes, glints of tanned skin triggered a light, pleasant buzz of arousal And she earing those little pink boots he found so hot
“Hi” She paused at his table “Can I get you anything else?”
“Maybe” He reet off tonight?”
Her gaze flickered “About ten We close early on weeknights”
Lute did a quickhiht, so he’d have soet it before Burger Shack closes at ten-thirty I can order ahead if I knohat kind you like”
Her eyes lit in a surprising way “You’re asking me out on a date?”