Page 175 of Ride a Cowboy

“Yeah. You are. So dance with me.” Sterling lifted her arms, making it impossible for Daniel to refuse.

He accepted her invitation and led her out onto the floor. “How do you figure I’m winning Sienna over? She’s danced with three different guys tonight and flirted with at least half a dozen more.”

Sterling glanced over at her cousin briefly, then lifted her gaze to him. “She’s in freak-out mode.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I can only guess you got too close, so now she’s initiating a full-out retreat. Jade said you two seemed pretty chummy the other night at Spurs. And you showed up here together.”

Daniel grimaced. “She’s been avoiding me since we walked in the door.”

Sterling nodded. “So I noticed. You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

It was the first time anyone had come straight out and asked the question. “Yeah. I am.”

“I think she’s starting to feel the same way about you.”

Daniel glanced over in time to see Sienna laugh at something Mark said, her hands clinging to the other man’s shoulders a bit too tightly. “I can see that.”

His tone was pure sarcasm, but Sterling didn’t take offense. “We’ve spent years telling Sienna she should date other guys, not to settle for her first love. Now she’s taken our advice, but she’s falling for the second man. If one guy wasn’t enough, what makes two the magic number?”

He shrugged. Sterling’s comment sounded logical in his head, but his heart wasn’t interested. “I have no idea what makes it right. It just is.”

Sterling paused, studying his face. He wasn’t sure what she saw written there, but she dropped her arms. “Okay. So I was wrong. You should go with your instincts.”

He wasn’t sure what to make of that. His impulse had been to beat the hell out of the guy Sienna was dancing with. Surely her cousin didn’t intend for him to do that. Fortunately, the song ended.

Sienna glanced around the room, smiling when she found him. He let the fact that she was looking for him soothe his anger.

Sterling excused herself as Sienna approached.

“Hey,” she said. “It’s almost midnight. You having fun?”

He nodded stiffly, struggling to find his voice. His temper was too close to the edge. He tried to count to ten, tried to take Sterling’s words to heart. Both things failed when Sienna pointed out a blonde in the corner, suggesting that he ask her to dance.

It was the last straw.

“Come with me.” He wrapped his arm around her waist tightly, despite her desire to shrug him off.

“Daniel,” she said in a hushed, annoyed tone. “Let go of me.”

“No.” He continued to propel her forward until they reached the hallway. There was a coat closet on the left, a women’s bathroom on the right. It was too close to midnight. Too many of the older people would be searching for their coats, ready to take their leave, and there was another bathroom. It made the decision easy. He needed time.

Spying a broken, old-fashioned drinking fountain, he reached for the Out of Order sign taped to the front. Change came slowly to places like Compton Pass. The fire hall had been built well over fifty years ago and was badly in need of an overhaul.

He pushed her toward the bathroom and slapped the sign on the door. Luckily, the tape was still sticky. It opened as Hope emerged, her gaze widening when she spotted Daniel and Sienna.

Daniel pointed down the hall. “Direct people to the other bathroom, Hope.”

Hope’s gaze took in the sign, then she nodded.

“What the f—” Sienna didn’t have time to finish her statement as he shoved her inside. The last thing he saw before he closed and locked the door was Hope’s astonished look dissolving as an amused smile crept to her lips.

“What the hell are you doing?” She started to push by him, intent on leaving. He pressed her back until her thighs hit the sink.

“I’m having a hard time keeping track of my date tonight. Decided it might be easier if I kept her in a contained place.”

She glowered at him. “I’m not a fucking dog you can put in a cage. Let go of me.”

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