Page 7 of Rough Ride

I shivered internally. Why did that work so damn well? Now I wanted nothing more than for Sawyer to come back and give me his number.

“What drink?” Eli muttered. “I didn’t buy him a drink.”

I picked up the empty whiskey glass. “Looks like you did.”

Eli leaned across the bar toward me. “Sawyer plays hard-to-get too, if it wasn’t obvious. Pretends to be all dark and brooding.”

“I don’t think he’s pretending,” Johnny murmured into his beer glass.

“Point is, that’s his game,” Eli insisted. “But I can tell it wouldn’t work on a woman like you.”

“Itdidn’twork on me,” I said, a little too defensively.

Eli gave me a knowing smile.

To change the subject, I asked, “Where in Colorado are you from?”

“Wow, stalker alert,” Eli teased.

“She saw our license plates,” Johnny said.

Eli spread his hands in annoyance. “You’re really killing the playful banter I’m trying to make with Sophie right now. It was starting to work.”

“It wasn’t working.” I pointed at his empty glass. “You want another?”

Eli ran a hand through his dark hair. “The only thing I want right now is your phone number.”

“Hmm. Sophie’s phone number.” I turned around and looked up at the drink board. “I don’t think we make that drink. Sorry.”

“That’s three swings and misses,” Johnny said. “Time for you to stop harassing the lovely lady at her job and head back to the dugout, slugger.”

Eli’s smile faded, and for a moment I felt bad for him. “You’re not harassing me!” I quickly said. “But I don’t date rodeo guys. Sorry.”

“So even if I win theentirerodeo,” Eli said, “you wouldn’t let me buy you a drink?”

I sighed. He was persistent, that was for sure. But it didn’t annoy me the way pesky customers usually did. It helped that he wasextremelyhandsome, with a smile that made me want to say yes.

“If you win theentirerodeo,” I said slowly, “I’ll let you buy me a drink.”

Eli clapped his hands together. “Hot damn, we’ve got a ballgame.”

“You’re not going to win,” Johnny said. “Chris Appleton won the big three competitions last year, and he’s definitely going to repeat.”

“Big three competitions?” I asked.

“Saddle Bronc Riding,” Eli explained, “Steer Wrestling, and Bull Riding. And yes,ChristinaAppleton won all three last year. But he got lucky. This year, I’m in my prime.” He patted his chest with his palm.

Johnny gave me an apologetic smile. “Please excuse this man, Sky Eyes. He’s filled with delusions of grandeur.”

“Delusions of taking Sophie out for a drink when I win.” He slapped down some money. “I’ll go ahead and close out. Better get home and get my sleep if I’m going to win. And since I’m in such a giving mood, I’ll cover Johnny’s drink, too.”

“You bought my three dollar beer,” Johnny said. “How generous of you.”

“I’m going to hold you to it, darlin’,” Eli said, pointing at me. “One drink when I win the rodeo.”

He flashed me a smile while walking backwards, then practically skipped his way out of the room. I admired histall, lean frame as he went, and couldn’t help but wonder how muscular he was underneath.

“He took your offer literally,” Johnny said.

---