overreaction but she was alone and you got to overreact when some creep attacked you.
Clean and warm, she crawled between her sheets and left her bedside lamp burning. But as she lay there, it wasn’t Alex she thought of, or Shane, it was Kyle.
-52-
Giving Chase
He’d been so gentle with her, so kind and funny and considerate. On top of being marvelously handsome, he was such a beautiful person on the inside. She really liked his company.
For long moments, there with her eyes closed, she imagined that his attentions that evening had been more than a man helping out a woman in distress. He’d seemed attracted to her but that couldn’t be right. It was absurd enough that Shane was attracted to her, there was simply no way that two Chases were interested in her. And anyway, she was dating Shane, she should be thinking about that.
Yeah.
Maggie had to admit that she was slightly bothered by the fact that Shane hadn’t really checked in with her after the incident at The Pumphouse. Not that night when he was supposed to have taken her out and only one brief phone call in the week after. It was an effort but she reminded herself that they were just casual and that she’d be a broken hearted fool to get attached. That way lay pain and anguish.
So she’d told herself until Friday night. She and her friends sat at their normal Friday night table, drinking beers and talking when she saw Shane walk in the front door. Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled at him. A smile that quickly faded when she saw he was with Kendra Fosse.
Tall, blonde regal Kendra. Maggie turned back to the table quickly.
“What?” Liv looked toward the door. A frown marred her face when she sighted Shane and Kendra. “Maggie, I’m sorry, hon. Don’t worry about it. I was thinking that we should go and kick up our heels at the Honky Tonk tonight. What do you say?”
Dee nodded, standing up and throwing some money on the table.
“Sounds good, I haven’t danced in forever. Let’s go!” She tugged on
-53-
Lauren Dane
Maggie’s arm and got a smile and an eye roll. Still, she thought it best to leave and allowed them to pull her out the front door.
In the back room, Kyle saw Shane’s entrance with Kendra and Maggie’s reaction and subsequent retreat. “You are some piece of work, Shane,” he murmured as Kendra walked past them to hit the ladies’
room, probably to apply more hairspray.
“What?”
“What? Jeez, you said you were going out with Maggie, right?”
“Yeah? So? It’s not like we’re serious. I like her and all but I’m not planning to marry the girl.” Shane’s voice was gruff. Kyle knew it was just to hide how freaked his brother was about being hurt again like he’d been with Sandra. But at the same time, it was bullshit that his brother protected his heart by being an asshole.
“I never made promises, Kyle. Stop making me out to be the bad guy here. I honestly didn’t remember about her being in here on Fridays until I was already through the door. I’m not trying to hurt her.”
“Oh, okay. I was under the impression you had a thing for Maggie.
My bad. I didn’t know she was just the next in a long line of women you toy with and move past because, god forbid, you actually allow yourself feelings about any of them.” Scowling, Kyle took his shot.
Matt snorted in disgust at his oldest brother. “I think I’m going to go.
I’m meeting the guys over at the Honky Tonk.” He finished his soda and stalked out.
“Wait, I’ll come too. Friday night’s a good night at the Tonk. Lots of lovely ladies to dance with.” Marc followed with a laugh, pointedly ignoring his oldest brother.
Kendra came back and draped herself over Shane’s arm, looking bored. “Are you going to play pool?” she asked, a tiny bit of a whine in her voice.
“Yeah, you want to play?”
-54-
Giving Chase
She looked horrified at the very idea. “No, why would I want to do that. The sticks are used by everyone.
Clean and warm, she crawled between her sheets and left her bedside lamp burning. But as she lay there, it wasn’t Alex she thought of, or Shane, it was Kyle.
-52-
Giving Chase
He’d been so gentle with her, so kind and funny and considerate. On top of being marvelously handsome, he was such a beautiful person on the inside. She really liked his company.
For long moments, there with her eyes closed, she imagined that his attentions that evening had been more than a man helping out a woman in distress. He’d seemed attracted to her but that couldn’t be right. It was absurd enough that Shane was attracted to her, there was simply no way that two Chases were interested in her. And anyway, she was dating Shane, she should be thinking about that.
Yeah.
Maggie had to admit that she was slightly bothered by the fact that Shane hadn’t really checked in with her after the incident at The Pumphouse. Not that night when he was supposed to have taken her out and only one brief phone call in the week after. It was an effort but she reminded herself that they were just casual and that she’d be a broken hearted fool to get attached. That way lay pain and anguish.
So she’d told herself until Friday night. She and her friends sat at their normal Friday night table, drinking beers and talking when she saw Shane walk in the front door. Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled at him. A smile that quickly faded when she saw he was with Kendra Fosse.
Tall, blonde regal Kendra. Maggie turned back to the table quickly.
“What?” Liv looked toward the door. A frown marred her face when she sighted Shane and Kendra. “Maggie, I’m sorry, hon. Don’t worry about it. I was thinking that we should go and kick up our heels at the Honky Tonk tonight. What do you say?”
Dee nodded, standing up and throwing some money on the table.
“Sounds good, I haven’t danced in forever. Let’s go!” She tugged on
-53-
Lauren Dane
Maggie’s arm and got a smile and an eye roll. Still, she thought it best to leave and allowed them to pull her out the front door.
In the back room, Kyle saw Shane’s entrance with Kendra and Maggie’s reaction and subsequent retreat. “You are some piece of work, Shane,” he murmured as Kendra walked past them to hit the ladies’
room, probably to apply more hairspray.
“What?”
“What? Jeez, you said you were going out with Maggie, right?”
“Yeah? So? It’s not like we’re serious. I like her and all but I’m not planning to marry the girl.” Shane’s voice was gruff. Kyle knew it was just to hide how freaked his brother was about being hurt again like he’d been with Sandra. But at the same time, it was bullshit that his brother protected his heart by being an asshole.
“I never made promises, Kyle. Stop making me out to be the bad guy here. I honestly didn’t remember about her being in here on Fridays until I was already through the door. I’m not trying to hurt her.”
“Oh, okay. I was under the impression you had a thing for Maggie.
My bad. I didn’t know she was just the next in a long line of women you toy with and move past because, god forbid, you actually allow yourself feelings about any of them.” Scowling, Kyle took his shot.
Matt snorted in disgust at his oldest brother. “I think I’m going to go.
I’m meeting the guys over at the Honky Tonk.” He finished his soda and stalked out.
“Wait, I’ll come too. Friday night’s a good night at the Tonk. Lots of lovely ladies to dance with.” Marc followed with a laugh, pointedly ignoring his oldest brother.
Kendra came back and draped herself over Shane’s arm, looking bored. “Are you going to play pool?” she asked, a tiny bit of a whine in her voice.
“Yeah, you want to play?”
-54-
Giving Chase
She looked horrified at the very idea. “No, why would I want to do that. The sticks are used by everyone.
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