obvious he made her uncomfortable.
Guilt would do that. He couldn’t explain why he felt disappointed in her. If she was helping Matt Flemming, she wasn’t worth his attention.
“You kids have a good time,” he told them, his heartiness as fake as Matt Flemming’s geniality. Heleft with a last lingering look at Zoe and the tumble of hair she’d finger-combed into a semblance of neatness. It looked like she’d just gotten out of bed. No wonder she kept it in such a severe style at work—when he looked at that untamed fall of hair framing doe eyes and a softly curved mouth, work was the furthest thing from his mind.
He was lost in the image as he entered the back room and nearly walked right past his best friend.
“Hey, Jase. What’s the problem?”
Brandon Myers gripped an upright pool cue as he gave Jase a curious look. Jase shook his head. “Nothing, just preoccupied.” He looked at the young man with Brandon who was taking his shot at the balls, figuring him for a college student on summer break. Probably too green to be playing Brandon. “You taking advantage of this boy? Don’t let him hustle you, kid, he’s not as bad as he claims.”
“Neither am I.” The kid made an easy shot, sinking the ball.
“Don’t ruin my fun,” Brandon said. “Who’s that chick you were talking to?”
“What chick?” He said it just to give himself a couple of seconds to focus as the seductive image of Zoe slammed back in place.
“The hot redhead. She looks familiar.”
“Just someone who works up at the Alpine Sky. Name’s Zoe Larkin.”
Brandon’s eyebrow went up and he glanced in Zoe’s direction. “That’s why she looks familiar. I went to school with her older sister, Maggie.”
“Shit,” the kid muttered, stepping back with a sour expression. “Your turn.”
Brandon stepped to the table and looked over the scattered balls. Singling one out, he sighted along his cue stick. “You ever heard about the Larkin sisters, Jase?” He smacked the cue ball and watched it ricochet before clipping the four and knocking it in.
“Yeah.” Jase looked back at Zoe just as Matt leaned close and made Zoe laugh. His stomach tied itself in a tight knot. He turned to see Brandon studying him. “What?”
“Nothing.” He lined up his shot and gave the cue ball a hard tap. It smacked two other balls, sinking them both. The kid lost his confident look as Brandon prowled the table, considering the layout as he talked. “You got time to do some trout fishing tomorrow?”
“Sure.” Forgetting about the saloon for a few hours sounded fine.
“Good.” He leaned over the table, then gave Jase a hard look. “’Cause you and me gotta have us a talk.”
• • •
Matt’s gaze kept drifting back to Jase where he stood in the back room. “He doesn’t talk much.”
He didn’t have to—he got his point across. “Are you going to make him a new offer?” Zoe asked. If so, she was dying to know what he thought would tempt Jase.
“Not tonight. Tonight we’re just getting the feel of the place, trying to figure out what’s so special about the Rusty Wire that Garrett doesn’t want to sell.” His gaze slid to the dancers as the music changed from a rollicking, shout-along country tune to a much slower pop ballad. “Come on, let’s try out the dance floor while we’re waiting for our food.”
Before she could answer, he jumped up and took her hand, leading the way to a clear spot on the floor.She stepped hesitantly into position, left hand on his shoulder and right one waiting to clasp his. He took the hand she offered, sliding his other arm around her back and pulling her close. Her left arm folded awkwardly between them, and she moved it to the only comfortable position, draping it around his neck.
Her boss was coming on to her. Zoe couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t and couldn’t decide how she felt about it. By any objective standards, she shouldn’t be slow dancing with Matt Flemming,
Guilt would do that. He couldn’t explain why he felt disappointed in her. If she was helping Matt Flemming, she wasn’t worth his attention.
“You kids have a good time,” he told them, his heartiness as fake as Matt Flemming’s geniality. Heleft with a last lingering look at Zoe and the tumble of hair she’d finger-combed into a semblance of neatness. It looked like she’d just gotten out of bed. No wonder she kept it in such a severe style at work—when he looked at that untamed fall of hair framing doe eyes and a softly curved mouth, work was the furthest thing from his mind.
He was lost in the image as he entered the back room and nearly walked right past his best friend.
“Hey, Jase. What’s the problem?”
Brandon Myers gripped an upright pool cue as he gave Jase a curious look. Jase shook his head. “Nothing, just preoccupied.” He looked at the young man with Brandon who was taking his shot at the balls, figuring him for a college student on summer break. Probably too green to be playing Brandon. “You taking advantage of this boy? Don’t let him hustle you, kid, he’s not as bad as he claims.”
“Neither am I.” The kid made an easy shot, sinking the ball.
“Don’t ruin my fun,” Brandon said. “Who’s that chick you were talking to?”
“What chick?” He said it just to give himself a couple of seconds to focus as the seductive image of Zoe slammed back in place.
“The hot redhead. She looks familiar.”
“Just someone who works up at the Alpine Sky. Name’s Zoe Larkin.”
Brandon’s eyebrow went up and he glanced in Zoe’s direction. “That’s why she looks familiar. I went to school with her older sister, Maggie.”
“Shit,” the kid muttered, stepping back with a sour expression. “Your turn.”
Brandon stepped to the table and looked over the scattered balls. Singling one out, he sighted along his cue stick. “You ever heard about the Larkin sisters, Jase?” He smacked the cue ball and watched it ricochet before clipping the four and knocking it in.
“Yeah.” Jase looked back at Zoe just as Matt leaned close and made Zoe laugh. His stomach tied itself in a tight knot. He turned to see Brandon studying him. “What?”
“Nothing.” He lined up his shot and gave the cue ball a hard tap. It smacked two other balls, sinking them both. The kid lost his confident look as Brandon prowled the table, considering the layout as he talked. “You got time to do some trout fishing tomorrow?”
“Sure.” Forgetting about the saloon for a few hours sounded fine.
“Good.” He leaned over the table, then gave Jase a hard look. “’Cause you and me gotta have us a talk.”
• • •
Matt’s gaze kept drifting back to Jase where he stood in the back room. “He doesn’t talk much.”
He didn’t have to—he got his point across. “Are you going to make him a new offer?” Zoe asked. If so, she was dying to know what he thought would tempt Jase.
“Not tonight. Tonight we’re just getting the feel of the place, trying to figure out what’s so special about the Rusty Wire that Garrett doesn’t want to sell.” His gaze slid to the dancers as the music changed from a rollicking, shout-along country tune to a much slower pop ballad. “Come on, let’s try out the dance floor while we’re waiting for our food.”
Before she could answer, he jumped up and took her hand, leading the way to a clear spot on the floor.She stepped hesitantly into position, left hand on his shoulder and right one waiting to clasp his. He took the hand she offered, sliding his other arm around her back and pulling her close. Her left arm folded awkwardly between them, and she moved it to the only comfortable position, draping it around his neck.
Her boss was coming on to her. Zoe couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t and couldn’t decide how she felt about it. By any objective standards, she shouldn’t be slow dancing with Matt Flemming,
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