Read Online Renegade Moon (CupidKey) by Karen E. Rigley, Ann M. House - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen E. Rigley, Ann M. House
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salad, potato salad, and a large pot of beans. She spotted a bowl of hot sauce and another bowl containing the peppers New Mexico was famous for, Hatch green chilies. Destiny watched the Montoya brothers, and Iris, scoop salsa onto their beans. The men also took several peppers apiece. Destiny was Texan enough to like hot sauce, but decided to forego the peppers. They returned to the table to find Lee swallowing the last of Destiny’s unwanted drink.
Destiny tried to tempt him with some of her food, but he only took one bite of brisket and refused more. However, he did want another drink.
When they finished eating, Eric gathered up his and Destiny’s paper plates and plastic utensils and disposed of them in the big barrel that was for that purpose. Martin took his own and, as though on second thought, picked up Iris’s. A cowboy invited Iris to dance, leaving Destiny alone at the table. A bit antsy that Jard might approach her again, she rose and walked outside onto the patio.
The evening breeze caressed her bare arms. She hugged herself and gazed up at the star-splashed sky. Leaning against one of the large stone columns encircling the patio, she inhaled the sweet night air. Thoughts of Eric, Martin, Iris, and Lee chased each other in circles through her mind. Maybe she’d get a few answers on her picnic with Martin. With that thought, she turned to go back inside.
At that moment, she spotted Eric and Glen King at one end of the patio, talking. Eric appeared angry. Glen King seemed to be trying to placate him. Destiny stepped back into the shadow of the column and watched. Eric emphasized a point with a chopping hand motion and strode inside. Glen stared after him, then stomped off around the corner of the building.
After a few moments, Destiny slipped back inside. Central air-conditioning was rare in this country, but it didn’t feel hot indoors. The Wagon Wheel sported a couple of evaporator-coolers, five ceiling fans, and made use of breezes with cross ventilation. In Austin, with its higher humidity, everyone would be sweltering. Destiny found more and more that she was enjoying this wild, rugged country. And maybe a certain wild, rugged Apache .
Lee was practically cross-eyed by the time she returned to their table. She heaved a disgusted sigh.
“Duncan is in no condition to drive, let alone take you home,” Eric stated.
“I’m all right,” Lee sputtered, his face reddening. “You might own the Bar-M, but you don’t own my date.”
“Oh, shut up, Lee,” Iris scolded, distaste clear in her voice.
Martin patted Lee’s shoulder. “Take it easy. We can drive you and Destiny both home in my Suburban. You can pick up your car tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Martin,” Destiny quickly accepted. She’d already decided she would insist on driving Lee home, then take his car rather than allow him to get behind the wheel. No more riding anywhere with Lee. Period . Phooey.
“You only drank ginger ale,” Destiny commented to Eric as they all made their way to a brown and tan Suburban with magnetic signs on the sides that said at the top, Double Bar-M Ranch , and at the bottom, Johnson City , Texas . Two bars and an M, the ranch brand, spanned the center of the sign.
“Remember what I told you about my father?” Eric reminded her quietly. Destiny nodded. “That’s why I don’t drink. I refuse to fuel the ‘drunken Indian’ stereotypes.”
Somehow it made her acutely sad that he’d been hurt, and she wanted to touch him so badly her arms ached.
“I didn’t notice you drinking anything but ginger ale, either. Why?”
“Don’t care for the taste of alcohol. Have not found one drink I like.”
Iris inserted herself between Eric and Destiny and clamped onto his arm, ending their conversation. “You’ve got to come to the condos to take Lee home anyway, so why don’t you, and Martin, too, of course, come up for a nightcap?”
“No, not tonight. It’s late,” Eric said. “How about you
Destiny tried to tempt him with some of her food, but he only took one bite of brisket and refused more. However, he did want another drink.
When they finished eating, Eric gathered up his and Destiny’s paper plates and plastic utensils and disposed of them in the big barrel that was for that purpose. Martin took his own and, as though on second thought, picked up Iris’s. A cowboy invited Iris to dance, leaving Destiny alone at the table. A bit antsy that Jard might approach her again, she rose and walked outside onto the patio.
The evening breeze caressed her bare arms. She hugged herself and gazed up at the star-splashed sky. Leaning against one of the large stone columns encircling the patio, she inhaled the sweet night air. Thoughts of Eric, Martin, Iris, and Lee chased each other in circles through her mind. Maybe she’d get a few answers on her picnic with Martin. With that thought, she turned to go back inside.
At that moment, she spotted Eric and Glen King at one end of the patio, talking. Eric appeared angry. Glen King seemed to be trying to placate him. Destiny stepped back into the shadow of the column and watched. Eric emphasized a point with a chopping hand motion and strode inside. Glen stared after him, then stomped off around the corner of the building.
After a few moments, Destiny slipped back inside. Central air-conditioning was rare in this country, but it didn’t feel hot indoors. The Wagon Wheel sported a couple of evaporator-coolers, five ceiling fans, and made use of breezes with cross ventilation. In Austin, with its higher humidity, everyone would be sweltering. Destiny found more and more that she was enjoying this wild, rugged country. And maybe a certain wild, rugged Apache .
Lee was practically cross-eyed by the time she returned to their table. She heaved a disgusted sigh.
“Duncan is in no condition to drive, let alone take you home,” Eric stated.
“I’m all right,” Lee sputtered, his face reddening. “You might own the Bar-M, but you don’t own my date.”
“Oh, shut up, Lee,” Iris scolded, distaste clear in her voice.
Martin patted Lee’s shoulder. “Take it easy. We can drive you and Destiny both home in my Suburban. You can pick up your car tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Martin,” Destiny quickly accepted. She’d already decided she would insist on driving Lee home, then take his car rather than allow him to get behind the wheel. No more riding anywhere with Lee. Period . Phooey.
“You only drank ginger ale,” Destiny commented to Eric as they all made their way to a brown and tan Suburban with magnetic signs on the sides that said at the top, Double Bar-M Ranch , and at the bottom, Johnson City , Texas . Two bars and an M, the ranch brand, spanned the center of the sign.
“Remember what I told you about my father?” Eric reminded her quietly. Destiny nodded. “That’s why I don’t drink. I refuse to fuel the ‘drunken Indian’ stereotypes.”
Somehow it made her acutely sad that he’d been hurt, and she wanted to touch him so badly her arms ached.
“I didn’t notice you drinking anything but ginger ale, either. Why?”
“Don’t care for the taste of alcohol. Have not found one drink I like.”
Iris inserted herself between Eric and Destiny and clamped onto his arm, ending their conversation. “You’ve got to come to the condos to take Lee home anyway, so why don’t you, and Martin, too, of course, come up for a nightcap?”
“No, not tonight. It’s late,” Eric said. “How about you
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