Page 24 of The Billionaire Land Baron

Chapter 7

Jake was getting pretty used to the front of Matt’s pickup. Today Shelby was in the center seat as they drove from the diner back to her house. It was a lot more comfortable than it had been shoved in between Matt and Slim. They were headed back to the Lucky Line after changing at Shelby’s. Just thinking about dancing in a bar made Jake’s palms start sweating. He hated dancing. And crowds. Shelby, on the other hand, seemed to have a manic energy and was practically bounding in the center seat between them, flipping back and forth between country stations and rock.

“You sure this is okay?” Jake said, pointing down to his worn jeans.

“Stop sounding so nervous. There’s no dress code. This is a honky-tonk bar. If you had a hat and boots I’d tell you to wear that, but since you don’t, this’ll do just fine. You’re going to stand out either way, City. People in a small town always notice strangers.”

“Stranger danger, huh?” Jake said. She giggled. “Why are you laughing?”

“You’re about as dangerous looking as a field mouse.”

“Huh. I’m not sure if I should be offended or not,” Jake said.

“Probably,” Matt said. He hadn’t spoken much on the car ride from the diner or now. He was wearing another flannel shirt, open over a tight white tank top and dark jeans that were faded at the knees. “Shelby doesn’t like nice guys.”

“Hey!” Shelby punched him in the arm. His hands didn’t move from the wheel.

“Try denying it. You’ve always liked the bad boys.”

“When have I dated a bad boy? I have had like one and a half boyfriends. Come on.”

“Okay, maybe you didn’t date them, but you like them. That guy Marcus? You know, the one who ended up in juvie? And then there was Demarius.”

“Oh. I forgot about him.”

Matt snorted and then went on. “You don’t ever like the nice guys. We have no chance.”

An awkwardness hung over the cab of the truck now. Jake found himself blushing, which was stupid because this had nothing to do with him. He was just listening to a conversation that felt way too private for the cramped cab of this truck.

But he couldn’t help wondering about what Matt said. Jake was also a nice guy. And he liked Shelby, even if he shouldn’t, considering the fact that he’d be leaving as soon as his car was fixed. It was also very obvious that Matt liked her, despite Shelby insisting they were friends. This might be a long night.

The Lucky Line looked like a big wooden barn out by the side of the highway leading out of town. There were hardly any lights and a gravel lot. When someone opened the door to come out for a smoke, light and music thundered out. Jake wished that he wasn’t stuck without a car. He wished that he’d said no. But he had a hard time turning down anything Shelby asked, no matter what it was.

Jake had to beat down nerves for every event he had to attend with Xander. And there were a lot of events, especially after Obsidian went public. High profile people, professional stylists (at Xan’s insistence), and hours of schmoozing. It simply wasn’t Jake’s scene, both because of the crowds and because of the particular rung on the social ladder. Jake had the money. But he never felt like he belonged.

The Lucky Line may have been more casual, but it was still a crowd of people stuck in one room together. From the moment he walked into the Lucky Line, Jake would have given anything to be stepping into a black-tie gala. Formal, but familiar. He felt a rising panic as they moved past the door.

Shelby grabbed his arm. He wasn’t sure if it was because she noticed his nerves, or just because. “Come on, City. Let’s put a little country in you.”

Matt trailed behind them like a chaperone and as they moved to the bar, Shelby slipped her hand down his arm and laced their fingers together. A flush hit Jake’s cheeks and he was glad for the dim lighting that hid it. He wanted to turn and check Matt’s face, but couldn’t do it. Did holding hands mean anything to her? Was it simply friendly?

There was a reason that the town of Lucky was enamored with Shelby. Her father made it sound like she fought off proposals left and right. She had a magnetism and a glow that lit her up like a Christmas tree. Jake felt like a moth to her flame. He’d given up trying to resist it. Whatever happened this week, he wasn’t going to fight it.

He wished that she wasn’t wearing the cowboy hat, which made it impossible for him to see her face because of their height difference. She curled her other hand around his bicep so she had his hand and his arm. He loved the feeling of her holding onto him. Didn’t mind that at all. It helped him ignore the room full of noise and strangers.

The room was dark and smoky with the sound of country music blasting and bodies already moving on the floor. Shelby pulled Jake to the bar.

“What’s your poison, City?”

“Water.”

She made a face and ordered a beer and a water, starting a tab. She pushed the water to him and took the plastic cup of beer, knocking it back in a long swallow. Jake’s eyes went wide. She was so tiny! She’d be on the floor if she kept going at that pace. As a few girls came over, Shelby let go of his arm and he turned his back to the bar, watching her. Matt stood next to him, frowning and sipping his own beer, more slowly.

“Does she always drink that fast?” Jake asked.

“No,” Matt said. “Only when she’s upset. But she won’t get drunk.”

Shelby dragged a pretty blonde over to the bar. “Jake, I want you to meet Gracielynn, my best friend in the whole world. Gracie, Jake.”

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