Page 27 of Cowboy Friend Zone for Christmas

Flint caught their attention by standing and waving with both hands, beckoning them toward a table on the right. Ames was seated beside Laura, one of the lovely elves from Santa’s Toy Factory. Flint had managed to snag the chair between her and her sister, Lucy.

That figures! Maybe it was youngest brother syndrome or something, but he’d always been especially skilled at being the center of attention.

Lucy was talking animatedly with both hands, leaning around him so she could maintain eye contact with her sister. Flint winked knowingly at Nash as he sank back into his chair between the two lovely women.

“Like King Solomon and his harem,” Noelle snickered in a low voice.

Nash snorted. “Yeah, Flint’s not very subtle.”

“What took you so long?” Flint grumbled a few good-natured insults at Nash as he led Noelle to the table and pulled out one of the empty chairs for her. They seated themselves across from the others.

Laura and Lucy Lee eyed the newcomers expectantly, their gazes briefly flitting to his bionic arm before moving to Noelle. The petite Asian sisters looked enough alike to pass as twins. The only reason Nash could tell them apart was because Lucy’s hair was dyed a translucent shade of blonde. It bore the faintest hint of violet.

“Thanks for joining us.” Laura tossed back her much darker, shoulder-length locks, giving Ames a quick glance from beneath her eyelashes. “It feels like we’ve been trying forever to set this up.”

“We appreciate the invite.” Ames’ tanned features reddened again, probably at the memory of Flint referring to it as a date. “Hopefully, Flint will quit crabbing about how long it’s been since the last time he ate chicken and waffles.”

Laura gave a musical laugh and leaned his way conversationally. “I just thought it would be nice to hang out with some other newbies in town. As pretty a place as Pinetop is, everybody else seems to be a twig on some mile-long family tree. In comparison, we feel like…I don’t know. Transplants, I guess?”

Nash exchanged a surprised look with Noelle, since they’d been having almost the exact same conversation outside. When he tuned back into the conversation at the table, he found Flint trying a little too hard to show his appreciation for the Lee sisters’ invitation.

“Anytime we’re not in the rodeo ring,” he announced grandly. “We’re good for coffee breaks, ice cream breaks, breakfast, lunch?—”

“Yeah, yeah! We get the idea. You’re desperate,” Ames cut in sarcastically.

Flint whipped off one end of his paper straw covering and puffed it in his direction, catching him smack on the forehead.

Ames half rose from the table. “Why you little?—”

Lucy raised her hands in warning. “If you guys keep this up, we’re gonna have to switch spots.”

Flint grinned and gave her a two-fingered salute.

Though Ames lowered himself back into his chair, he pointed with two fingers to his eyes and the same two fingers at Flint as a warning.

In response, Flint lifted his soft drink and gave it a noisy slurp through the straw he’d unwrapped.

Lucy took a seat and nudged him with her shoulder to shut him up.

He slurped again for good measure.

She demurely reached for her straw, dunked it a few times in her water, then lifted it with a finger over the top to seal in a narrow sleeve of water. The next thing Nash knew, she was zinging the straw’s icy contents in Flint’s direction.

His youngest brother was too surprised to duck. His expression, as he stared down at the damp droplets on his t-shirt, was priceless.

Ames laughed the loudest. “Think you finally met your match, bro!”

Flint made a big show of wiping off his shirt, borrowing Lucy’s napkin in the process.

She managed to get her hand beneath his on the napkin in her effort to stop him. Waggling his eyebrows playfully at her, he subsequently used both her hand and her napkin to dab at his shirt.

“Jerk,” she hissed, but she was laughing when she said it.

Nash liked the fact that she seemed to understand Flint was only horse playing. Yeah, he might have a little growing up to do yet, but he was a cowboy with a heart of gold. If the Lee sisters were truly looking for friendship, Flint would be as faithful as a puppy dog in that arena.

“This is nice,” Laura sighed, folding her hands and glancing happily around the table.

“Nice?” Ames growled out the word. “Maybe without that joker in tow.” He jammed a thumb in his youngest brother’s direction.

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