Page 8 of Five Mountain Daddies

But after a few minutes of chatting with Maggie, a man steps up to our table. He looks like he’s James’s age, with dark scruffy hair and a clean-shaven face. He’s handsome, incredibly handsome actually. He’s not quite as rugged as James, but there’s something about him. He has a pair of simple glasses on, which make him look sophisticated, although he’s wearing a simple pair of jeans, boots, and a cardigan overtop of a button-downshirt.

“Excuse me,” he says, making eye contact with me. “Are youLondon?”

I’m surprised. I don’t know this guy, although I wish I did. “Uh, yeah, I’mLondon.”

He grins. “I’m Ryan Coleman,” he says. “Friends withJames.”

“Oh, wow, hi,” I say, shaking his hand. He lingers a second, looking me up and down in a brazen kind of way. Normally that might make me think twice about talking to him, but he’s so confident and handsome that he gets away withit.

He lets my hand drop. “He told me you’d behere.”

“Did he really?” I ask, a flutter in mychest.

“Sure. We own this place together, along with three other guys. You’ll meet them eventually too.” He looks over at Maggie, finally realizing she’s there. “And who’s yourfriend?”

“Maggie,” she says,smiling.

“Good to meet you.” He shakes her hand briefly and turns back to me. “Listen, why don’t I introduce you to theguys?”

I glance at Maggie and she just gives me this huge grin. Clearly Ryan’s coming on to me, although I don’t know why. Maybe James has something to do with it, but for whatever reason, I don’t question it. Maybe I’m just so bored with my life here, or maybe I just want a taste of something exciting. Either way, I nod my head, and Ryan whisks me away, out across the crowdedroom.

We end up at a table behind the DJ, tucked back with the machines. Three guys are sitting here, all the same age, all handsome ashell.

“This is Henry,” Ryan says. A man with dark eyes and darker hair nods to me, a little smile on his full lips. “And these are Wyatt and Caleb.” Twins grin up at me, light hair, tan skin, mirror images of each other, both of them strikinglygorgeous.

“Nice to meet you all,” Isay.

“James told us a lot about you,” Henry says. “Everythinggood.”

“Very good,” the twins bothecho.

I smile at them a little uncertainly, but Ryan steps up to the table, and I join him. I start drinking my wine as the guys ask me questions about myself, making jokes, and it takes me a few minutes to realize that they’re all flirting withme.

Four handsome, older men, and they’re all clearly hitting onme.

“So how did James drag you out here?” Ryan asks me. “Did he bribe you orsomething?”

“No,” I say, laughing. “There’s not a whole lot going on in Leadwood, youknow.”

“Girl has a point,” Henry says. “Although we were just saying how lame this party is until you showedup.”

“I don’t think this is lame,” Isay.

“Sure it is,” Caleb says, and Wyatt agrees withhim.

“We do what we can,” Ryan says. “But you know how it is. Leadwood andall.”

I laugh a little bit. “I think this is pretty great. Do you do itoften?”

Henry shrugs. “Only when we feel likeit.”

“Or when there’s a good reason,” Ryan says, eyes staring at me, and for a second I think he meansme.

Suddenly, the twins stand up. “Let’s go dance,” Wyatt says, or maybe he’sCaleb.

“Er, dance?” I saystupidly.

Caleb, or maybe Wyatt, laughs at me. “You know how to dance, don’tyou?”

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