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Authors: Elle James
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from his brothers.
“You know I could hold off making the repairs to her tire if you want to take a shot at asking her for a date,” Rider said.
“I’m not going to date her. She just broke up with her fiancé.” Kinsey finally moved, and Nash got a full view of the woman. She wore an Ugly Stick Saloon tank top similar to the ones the other waitresses did, and she’d changed into denim cut-offs that showcased long, slender, toned legs he could imagine wrapped around his waist. She’d combed the riotous curls and secured them in a French braid at the back of her head. He liked her better with her hair loose and crazy around her face. “I doubt she’s interested in starting another relationship so soon,” he muttered.
Rider’s grin widened. “So you admit it. You thought about it, didn’t you?”
“Not once,” Nash responded, refusing to give Rider the satisfaction of knowing he was right. Yeah, Nash had thought about asking her out. But the fact she’d run away from her own wedding should be a bright red flag where Phoebe Smith was concerned. She’d left her fiancé at the altar. If she’d done it once, she might do it again. Not that Nash would ask her to marry him. But she was interesting…and beautiful…
No. His fingers tightened on the bottle. Nash wasn’t interested in a woman who couldn’t make up her mind before such a huge event as a wedding. He almost felt sorry for the schmuck she left behind.
“Well, if you’re not asking her out, then I will.” Rider pushed to his feet and started for the bar and Phoebe.
Nash hooked his finger in Rider’s belt and yanked him back into his chair.
“Hey.” Rider glared at him.
With a nod toward Phoebe, who was lifting a tray full of beer bottles and whiskey shooters, Nash said, “Looks like she’ll be working for Audrey. Give her a break on her first night.”
Phoebe held the tray in front of her, the beer bottles teetering as she worked her way across the floor under the weight.
“Hey, Audrey, who’s the new girl?” a man called out.
Audrey smiled and shouted above the noise of the juke box and the men all talking at once. “Everyone say hello to Phoebe. She’s new in town and new to the Ugly Stick. Give her a big howdy.”
Cowboys raised their hats and everyone in the saloon shouted as one, “Howdy!”
Phoebe’s cheeks turned a bright red as she arrived at a table full of dusty men, fresh from the rodeo. One by one, she set bottles on the table. With only one left in the middle of the tray, she reached for it at the same time as one of the men pinched her ass. Phoebe jumped, squealed and lost control of the tray. The last full beer bottle slid sideways and tipped into the lap of the man who’d pinched her.
Nash was out of his chair and halfway across the room before he realized he’d even moved. But he wasn’t nearly as fast as Audrey.
She made it to Phoebe before Nash, grabbed the spilled beer off the floor, said something funny and had the entire table laughing. Then she wagged a finger at the cowboy and warned him to leave the new girl alone. Phoebe had enough to worry about.
The cowboy nodded, his face contrite under Audrey’s chastising. “Sorry, Miss Phoebe. It won’t happen again.”
His buddies roared with laughter and clapped him on the back.
Phoebe and Audrey gathered all the empty bottles and returned to the bar with no further trouble.
“Not interested, huh?” Beckett stood beside Nash. “You sure were up in a hurry. And I know it wasn’t for another beer. The bar is in the other direction.”
“Doesn’t mean anything. After rescuing her on the side of the road, I feel responsible for her welfare.”
“Yeah. And she isn’t cute enough to make you jealous of the guy who pinched her.”
Nash’s brows descended. “It’s sexual harassment.”
“And he apologized,” Beckett pointed out.
“Still, he bears watching.”
“He?” Beckett asked with an arched eyebrow. “Or she?”
Nash had enough
“You know I could hold off making the repairs to her tire if you want to take a shot at asking her for a date,” Rider said.
“I’m not going to date her. She just broke up with her fiancé.” Kinsey finally moved, and Nash got a full view of the woman. She wore an Ugly Stick Saloon tank top similar to the ones the other waitresses did, and she’d changed into denim cut-offs that showcased long, slender, toned legs he could imagine wrapped around his waist. She’d combed the riotous curls and secured them in a French braid at the back of her head. He liked her better with her hair loose and crazy around her face. “I doubt she’s interested in starting another relationship so soon,” he muttered.
Rider’s grin widened. “So you admit it. You thought about it, didn’t you?”
“Not once,” Nash responded, refusing to give Rider the satisfaction of knowing he was right. Yeah, Nash had thought about asking her out. But the fact she’d run away from her own wedding should be a bright red flag where Phoebe Smith was concerned. She’d left her fiancé at the altar. If she’d done it once, she might do it again. Not that Nash would ask her to marry him. But she was interesting…and beautiful…
No. His fingers tightened on the bottle. Nash wasn’t interested in a woman who couldn’t make up her mind before such a huge event as a wedding. He almost felt sorry for the schmuck she left behind.
“Well, if you’re not asking her out, then I will.” Rider pushed to his feet and started for the bar and Phoebe.
Nash hooked his finger in Rider’s belt and yanked him back into his chair.
“Hey.” Rider glared at him.
With a nod toward Phoebe, who was lifting a tray full of beer bottles and whiskey shooters, Nash said, “Looks like she’ll be working for Audrey. Give her a break on her first night.”
Phoebe held the tray in front of her, the beer bottles teetering as she worked her way across the floor under the weight.
“Hey, Audrey, who’s the new girl?” a man called out.
Audrey smiled and shouted above the noise of the juke box and the men all talking at once. “Everyone say hello to Phoebe. She’s new in town and new to the Ugly Stick. Give her a big howdy.”
Cowboys raised their hats and everyone in the saloon shouted as one, “Howdy!”
Phoebe’s cheeks turned a bright red as she arrived at a table full of dusty men, fresh from the rodeo. One by one, she set bottles on the table. With only one left in the middle of the tray, she reached for it at the same time as one of the men pinched her ass. Phoebe jumped, squealed and lost control of the tray. The last full beer bottle slid sideways and tipped into the lap of the man who’d pinched her.
Nash was out of his chair and halfway across the room before he realized he’d even moved. But he wasn’t nearly as fast as Audrey.
She made it to Phoebe before Nash, grabbed the spilled beer off the floor, said something funny and had the entire table laughing. Then she wagged a finger at the cowboy and warned him to leave the new girl alone. Phoebe had enough to worry about.
The cowboy nodded, his face contrite under Audrey’s chastising. “Sorry, Miss Phoebe. It won’t happen again.”
His buddies roared with laughter and clapped him on the back.
Phoebe and Audrey gathered all the empty bottles and returned to the bar with no further trouble.
“Not interested, huh?” Beckett stood beside Nash. “You sure were up in a hurry. And I know it wasn’t for another beer. The bar is in the other direction.”
“Doesn’t mean anything. After rescuing her on the side of the road, I feel responsible for her welfare.”
“Yeah. And she isn’t cute enough to make you jealous of the guy who pinched her.”
Nash’s brows descended. “It’s sexual harassment.”
“And he apologized,” Beckett pointed out.
“Still, he bears watching.”
“He?” Beckett asked with an arched eyebrow. “Or she?”
Nash had enough
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