Page 15 of Hooking Up

May the best man win.

Chapter Four

The pretty bartender pushed an ice-cold longneck in Quint’s direction with a wink. “Haven’t seen you in here, Cowboy.”

He tossed a bill onto the bar for the beer and hooked his finger around the bottle. “Just passin’ through.”

“With the rodeo? I see plenty of cowboy hats in here tonight.” She glanced around.

He nodded. “You ever rodeo?”

A high-pitched laugh escaped her, the sound putting him off as fast as a case of crabs. He turned from the bar before she answered, but she called, “Never rodeo’d but I ride the mechanical bull like a pro!”

He waved and headed deep into the crowd. Yeah, she was cute enough. If he got past her laugh, he could score her. Trouble was, since he’d set his sights on Bella, no woman was good enough.

After a long, tense drive with Carter at his side, he was ready to cut loose a little. He couldn’t really be angry with Carter, but he didn’t feel all that friendly with him at the moment either.

He passed his buddy’s table with a chin-nod of recognition. Carter returned it with a jerk of his head. Quint sauntered up to a few guys standing in a half-circle around the mechanical bull the bartender had mentioned.

“That thing looks rickety. I bet it breaks down in the first rotation.” The low twang of a true Colorado cowboy drew Quint’s attention.

He thrust his hand at Buck Calhoun. “Haven’t seen you in the past three towns. What the hell happened to you? We thought you fell out of rodeoing.”

Buck gave him a crooked smile and shake of his hand. “Nah, just a hiatus. Had to take care of family business. We’re back now and looking to win. Isn’t that right, Ash?” He thumped his own team roping partner on the shoulder, and Asher nodded agreement.

Quint looked closer at Asher. The man’s normally tanned face looked pale, and strain revealed itself around each eye in the form of dark shadows. Whatever that family business was must be on Asher’s end, because Buck didn’t look as affected as his friend. And the Calhouns were a tight group. Five brothers and a sister, all competing in different events. Rumor was they were trying to earn money to save their ranch.

Another guy in their ring hooted, and Quint turned his attention from the state of mind of his competitors to the mechanical bull. A spotlight lit the mangy leather hide covering the nuts and bolts of the bull.

“It’s time to spice things up here tonight!” an unseen person announced through the speaker system. The country music was lowered, and women flocked to the area, nudging each other to get in line.

Quint brought his beer to his lips. This would be fun. He was never one to turn a blind eye to a pretty girl, even if none of them matched up to Bella’s perfection.

“Best score of the night wins a Snappy’s Bar T-shirt and free drinks for the rest of the night!”

Loud cheers.

“Oh fuck no.”

Quint looked up to see Carter beside him, his face mottled red with fury. Following Carter’s gaze, he felt his throat close around the beer he’d just swallowed. A violent cough erupted from him as he set eyes on Bella right at the head of the line.

In skin-tight jeans and a plaid top knotted at her midriff, she was striking. Add that sliver of tanned belly and a hint of cleavage and she was walking sex.

And she was about to compete. Every man in the joint would be drooling over her, but that couldn’t happen. Quint didn’t have enough stamina to beat the shit out of every man here.

I’ll give it the old cowboy try, though.

He set his beer on a table behind him and folded his arms across his chest. Carter issued a low growl. “Dammit, this can’t end well,” his friend said.

No, it would endverywell, with Bella riding the bull with all the sex appeal of an exotic dancer. Which of course was the real problem. She was targeted enough without exploiting herself.

When she tossed her hair, laughing, Quint narrowed his eyes at her. She was a little too flushed, her eyes a little too bright.

“Is she drunk?”

“Tipsy, I’d say. Son of a bitch.” Carter’s jaw muscle worked as he looked on.

The muscles all the way down Quint’s spine tightened. If Bella wasn’t a hundred-percent in possession of her wits, she’d be hit on by more creeps than he’d be able to fend off.

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