Page 28 of Whiskey and Wildfire

The moment he saw me, his smile faltered and was replaced with a look of fear. It lasted only a second before he covered it up once more, heading our way.

“I know we haven’t met yet,” Lucas said, holding out a hand to shake. “But I’m Lucas. Beau’s boyfriend.”

“Oh right,” he nodded, shaking his hand while avoiding eye contact with me. “He talked about you quite a bit on the trail.”

“He spoke well of you too,” Lucas replied. Then his grip tightened, and he pulled Dakota in. “I also heard you think my friend here is a mess.”

My heart stopped and Dakota immediately began sweating bullets.

Dakota’s eyes widened in panic as he glanced between Lucas and me. “I... uh...” he stammered, clearly caught off guard.

The woman behind him cleared her throat softly. “Kota, aren’t you going to introduce me?”

Dakota seemed to snap out of his daze. “Right, sorry. This is my mom, Diana. She’s visiting for a few days.” He turned to Diana. “This is Logan, the ranch owner’s son, and his friend Lucas.”

Diana smiled warmly. “It’s nice to meet you both. I’ve heard a lot about you, Logan.”

I felt my cheeks flush. “Oh? All good things, I hope.”

Before Diana could respond, Lucas interjected, still holding onto Dakota’s hand. “So, about what you said to Logan...”

Dakota’s face paled. “Look, I didn’t?—”

“Lucas,” I hissed. “Drop it.”

He grinned, a mischievous spark in his eye. “On one condition,” he said, glancing over at Diana. “You let me treat youmom to some real Texas barbecue and you two go out for the night.”

My heart nearly stopped in my chest. Dakota had a similar reaction judging by the way the color drained from his face. However, I did not miss the sudden connection between Lucas and Diana. In an instant I saw their minds connect, fully understanding one another without ever having spoken before. It was kindred spirits if I ever saw it.

“That sounds lovely,” she replied, agreeing to dinner with a total stranger. “I didn’t know Dakota was dating, but I’m glad to hear he’s getting out there and having fun. I’m just here to visit, not to get in the way.”

“Mom, you don’t have to?—”

“Oh hush,” she grinned, giving Lucas a wink. “I’ll be fine. You boys have a good time.”

“Six o’clock sound good, ma’am?” Lucas asked.

“Perfect,” she nodded. Then she looked at me, that familiar mischievous glint in her eye that Lucas always had. “And you can pick up my boy at six fifteen.”

All I could do was nod, knowing from her tone that I had no choice in the matter. Neither of us did.

Chapter 11

Dakota

No matter how many times I tried to talk my mother out of her weird date with Lucas and Beau, she wouldn’t hear of it. She’d just flash me that mischievous smile of hers and tell me how cute she thought Logan was. She knew she was meddling, and I wasn’t happy about it. However, I did my best to swallow my anger, keeping it pressed down like I always did where she was concerned. But she didn’t understand the position she was putting me in. I could barely resist Logan as it was.

“Well, it looks like my ride is here,” my mom said as she glanced out the front window of my cabin. “That Lucas sure is a handsome fella.” Then she gasped. “Oh my god… is that Beau?”

I didn’t need to look out the window to know. Nobody else got that reaction. Blond hair, stunning blue eyes, and a physique made of marble topped with a cowboy hat always awed people. He was gorgeous, to be sure, but I couldn’t help feeling a little jealous too. No one ever reacted to me that way.

“Yeah, that’s him,” I sighed. “And remember, he’s gay and taken.” I paused. “And half your age.”

“Well, that’s not a very nice thing to say to your mother,” she shot back, face still pressed to the window.

“Doesn’t make it less true though.”

There was a knock at the door, which I had to answer because my mom had to rush to the bathroom to make sure her hair was all in the right place. Apparently, she wanted to impress those boys, though I couldn’t figure out why.

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