“Babe, you’ve only got ten more minutes. You want it or not?”
She looks to the door and purses her lips, her expression matching my inner disappointment. “Just water tonight, thanks.”
I dig a glass into the ice.
“Make that two.” That familiar deep voice sends a shiver down my spine.
I lift my gaze. Wilder flashes me a crooked smile, with a quick glance at my friend. “Evening, ladies.”
Willow pulls up her hood, her eyes flashing with delight as she covers her chuckle.
I’m glad she finds my turmoil of emotions funny.
I set her glass down and swallow as Wilder takes an empty seat two down from her. “Lime?” I ask him, my voice stuck in my throat.
It’s a stupid question. Wilder doesn’t want lime, but I had to say something or he’d see right through my composure.
He keeps his gaze on me, that ghost of a grin still there. “No, thanks.”
I brush my wet hands down my apron just as another voice comes from behind him.
“Hope you got something stronger than that for me.”
I look up at the dark and handsome cowboy. “Dallas,” I breathe with a smile.
He steps between Wilder and Willow and reaches over to give me a hug. He looks good. A little tired, but good.
“What are you doing here?”
He jerks his head like he’s offended. “Hopefully, not drinking water. You come all this way for this?” he asks me.
“Not quite.”
“I’m here for the weekend with Ellie. Her grandmother is having a procedure at a hospital up here and they wanted to take Ellie around town, show her the sights.”
“How nice of you to bring her. What can I get you?”
“Whiskey, ne—” His eyes land on my friend, who’s had her head covered in that hood, swirling the small straw in her ice water. “Nice hoodie.”
Willow snaps her head up, meeting his eyes. A thick moment stretches, and it’s like the rest of the room doesn’t exist.
Willow lowers her hood and blinks. “Yeah, uh, it’s .?.?. my boyfriend’s. I wear his clothes all the time.” She shrugs, and I want to roll my eyes.
I get that my friend has sworn off men, but these white lies to repel the opposite sex are getting a little ridiculous.
Last week she told a guy she’s in a committed relationship with her cat.
Which would have been fine .?.?. if she had a cat.
“Is that right?” Dallas mutters.
I clear my throat. Grabbing Willow’s attention, I shake my head subtly and point to Dallas.
She rolls her lips and assesses him. “This is yours, isn’t it?”
He nods.
Then she leans her nose into him, ghosting it over his torso, then draws back. “Checks out.”
