Page 3 of Tempest

The waitress looked between the two of them and blinked when Ryan gave her his winning smile. The smile had gotten him out of more trouble than he could remember. “After our burgers, we’ll have a couple of hot fudge sundaes.” The woman walked away. Ryan turned back to Ivy and wondered if she had pulled her gun out. He was walking a thin line, and Ivy didn’t seem like the sort to give much slack. In fact, she appeared to be the type who gave no slack. Ever. Under any circumstance. But that’s what made this fun. He’d faced scary, nasty shit for over ten years, so how bad could this tiny woman from Texas be? Smiling, he remembered that she wasn’t his type. To hell with it. Maybe it was time to see if a smart, sassy woman was worth the trouble.

“Ryan, I’m going to tell you a little story. One I hope you pay attention to, because you’re playing it fast and loose. I’m giving you a pass because I figure what you’re doing has little to do with me and more to do with what’s going on in your life. Clearly, your need to eat a meal with me has nothing to do with my charm and wit. I haven’t shown you an ounce of it, so I figure you’re just like Jack Jr. from my hometown. He had everything going for him. A ton of girls were always falling all over him, but he never did anything about it. No, he got himself a crush on sweet Lilly. The reason he got himself so twisted up over her was that she refused his every advance. It was the chase that had ol’ Jack Jr. all hot and bothered. He couldn’t help himself. He wanted the challenge because his high-school glory days were over. All he had in front of him was life on his family’s ranch. As far as anyone could tell, he wasn’t much interested. But the challenge of Lilly kept him distracted, so he went after her with everything he had. At some point, she gave in and agreed to have dinner with him. Things went as expected, and Jack Jr. got what he wanted. Or what he thought he wanted. Lilly finally gave in because he’d done everything to win her heart. The problem was that he had no idea what to do once he got it. All he worried about was the chase.”

Pausing, she studied Ryan. He had a pretty good feeling there wasn’t a happy ending to this story. “So, what happened to Jack Jr. and Lilly?”

“Lilly was a smart girl. Always had been, always would be. She untangled herself from Jack, moved to Houston, and found a new life. A life with someone who actually was interested in her heart and not the challenge. She’s been married for a couple of years and has a wonderful life. Jack Jr. is still on the farm, chasing everything that runs away from him. He was never that bright, and that hasn’t ever changed.”

He got her message, and he didn’t care for it one bit. “I’m not asking for your heart, Ivy. I just want to share a meal.”

“Sugar, I’m not interested in anyone who doesn’t want my heart. I’ve been dating since I was eighteen and I don’t need any more practice.” Standing, she gathered her things. “Good luck, Ryan. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Turning, he watched her walk out of the bar. Draining his beer, he let out a sigh. Some of the things she’d said were true, and he knew it might be about time to figure out what he wanted. Hell, it was probably past time. First thing he should do was see about the job his friend Grady was offering. That might be a step in the right direction.

Laughing to himself, he realized he’d been right about shit happening in fancy bars. He’d just gotten hit by a freight train. But what a sexy freight train it was.

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