Page 7 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

“Then come sit with us.”

She glanced back at Tanner again, and he nodded. “You might as well make some more friends while you’re here.”

She slid down from her stool and followed Laney. When they reached the group of friends, Laney poked one of the guys in his side.

“Get down, squirt. This is Everly, she’s going to sit with us.”

Everly wanted to laugh. If Laney was addressing that guy assquirt, she could only guess that he was another brother. Tanner had said that these guys were his family, and only a sister would think of the burly cowboy who’d just got down from his stool for her as a squirt.

He smiled as he gestured for her to take the seat that he had just vacated. “Nice to meet you, Everly. I’m glad you decided to join us.” He rested his arm on the back of the seat beside her, which was occupied by a pretty blonde girl.

The girl smiled at her. “Hi, I’m Shayna.” She inclined her head toward the guy who was obviously her boyfriend. “This is Ty, he’s Tanner’s brother. It looks like you already met Laney, that’s her fiancé, Luke. Those two are Kolby and Callie.”

Everly smiled around at them. “Nice to meet you all. Thanks for letting me join you.”

Laney smiled at her. “Thanks for coming with me. I know this might seem a bit weird, but it was exhausting watching Tanner run back and forth trying to make sure that you were okay and hang out with us all while he has to work.”

Everly gave her a wry smile. “I appreciate you inviting me over, but I should probably explain myself.” She glanced over at Tanner. “I imagine that your brother’s in the habit of lining up his women for later. I’m not looking to be one of them.”

Laney burst out laughing. “Damn, girl! You can say that again.”

Ty grinned at her. “Since you’re putting it straight out there, we should probably explain ourselves, too. We’re not in the habit of inviting them to join us.”

She gave him a puzzled look, and Shayna leaned in closer. “You’re right about Tanner – the way he usually is with women – but that’s not what’s going on.”

Everly looked around at them. “I’m glad you don’t just see me as some tourist chick who’s hoping to spend the night with him, but … What exactlyisgoing on?”

Laney rested her arm on the back of Everly’s stool. “I don’t think any of us really know. All I can tell you is that there is something happening here. Tanner said that you’ve been stood up.”

Everly sighed. The situation wasn’t what they believed it to be, but she wasn’t sure that she wanted to explain just who had stood her up.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Shayna assured her.

“It’s not ...”

Laney met her gaze. “Tan said that you told him this guy’s the love of your life.”

Everly rolled her eyes. It was the truth, but not in the way any of them thought. She weighed her options. She could let them go on believing that she was pining for some boyfriend, or she could set them straight. They were all watching her expectantly. Shayna looked sympathetic, the guys and Laney were openlycurious, and Callie … Callie looked familiar for some reason, but Everly was fairly certain that she’d never met her before.

She smiled. She didn’t owe them a thing – she didn’t know them. But they were good people, that much was obvious just from the way they were treating her.

“I should probably explain that …”

“Hey,” said Ty. “You don’t need to. You can just hang out with us, make some new friends. You don’t have to explain a damn thing.”

“Thanks. But it wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t tell you what’s really going on. I didn’t lie to Tanner, I just … It’s… The guy who I was waiting for – who didn’t show? He’s my dad.”

Laney laughed. “Well, shit! Did you tell Tan that so he’d stop hassling you?”

“Not really. It’s not like he was hassling me. I mean, come on! It’s obvious who he is, he’s not going to be hasslingmelike that. He can have his pick of the ladies. I’m not down on myself or anything – it’s just that, well … I might as well say it; there’s no missing the fact that he’s a player, and there are a couple of girls in here who would be obvious playmates. It doesn’t take much to figure out that I’m not one of them.”

She didn’t get why they all grinned at her. Well, all of them except Shayna. She reached out and touched Everly’s arm as she asked, “What’s the deal with your dad?”

She shrugged. “I thought that I might get to see him while I’m in Montana. He said he’d meet me in here tonight.” She shrugged again. “I should be used to it. Iamused to it. It’s been this way my whole life.” She looked down into her glass, thenknocked back the rest of her wine in one go. “He is a good guy – a great guy. He’s just not cut out to be a dad. He’s never been a part of my life, but I was hoping that this time…”

“Does he live here?” Ty asked.

Before Everly could answer, Laney cut in. “Screw him! If he does, it’s probably best that I don’t know who he is.”

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