Page 11 of Love You
He was sort of a health nut, she’d noticed, living on green smoothies, acai bowls, and trail mix. It was nice to know that even he had moments of weakness. When she didn’t make a move to eat any of his offerings, he fed her a mouthful of funnel cake.
“Come on, Darce, live a little.”
“So good,” she said in between bites. Deep-fried stuff was her soft spot, though she had a healthy appetite for anything sweet. And fattening. And she sort of liked the idea of him feeding her, even though they were probably making spectacles of themselves.
Win stuffed a few nacho chips in his mouth and washed them down with beer and she was loath to admit that she liked watching him eat. There was something unabashedly masculine about it.
“Shit,” she said as a flash of something familiar crossed her periphery vision, then made his way across an adjacent box to get to her.
“Darcy, is that you?” Lewis stood over her in a pair of pressed jeans, a pearl-snap shirt that looked straight off the rack, and a string tie. Who wore a string tie to the rodeo, for Chrissake? He took in their array of junk food and sneered.
“Hi, Lewis. What brings you here?” The dust and animals had to be wreaking havoc on his asthma.
He pointed across the arena at one of the bucking chutes that held a large banner with the Snyder Real Estate logo on it. “I’m a sponsor,” Lewis said proudly, and suddenly seemed to notice Win.
Win rose, stuck out his hand, and introduced himself, only to be interrupted by the opening chords of “God Bless the USA.” Darcy hoped it would be Lewis’s cue to leave but he stood there, looking ridiculous in his Woody fromToy Storygetup.
When the song was over Lewis turned his attention back to Darcy. “Why haven’t you returned my calls and messages?”
“Things have been busy at work.”
Win looked from Darcy to Lewis, clearly curious. There was a long, awkward pause and the announcer heralded that the bronco-bucking event was about to start. Darcy craned her neck past Lewis’s shoulder at the ring, feigning huge interest in the hopes he would take a hint and skedaddle.
He didn’t.
“How do you two know each other?” Lewis waved his hand between Win and Darcy.
Darcy started to say they worked together but Win cut her off at the pass.
“We’re engaged,” he said, and she watched Lewis jerk his head so fast that she thought it would snap off. Win draped his arm over her shoulder. “Yep, we’re living the dream.”
She tried to kick him in the shin but he inched his leg away. Win had good reflexes, she’d give him that.
“You didn’t tell me you were engaged.” Lewis actually looked hurt, which made Darcy want to tell him the truth, though being Win’s fiancée, even if it was only for a few seconds, made her feel vindicated for all the nights she’d slept alone.
“It just happened,” Win said. “Saturday night she surprised me by coming over in the middle of the night and—”
This time she managed to land the toe of her tennis shoe in the middle of Win’s calf. His boot had probably protected him from the brunt of it but he got the message loud and clear.
He winked at Lewis and said, “Well, you know how it is.”
No, Lewis didn’t. He was as dense as he was frigid.
“When’s the wedding?” he asked, his expression glum.
“Uh . . .” Darcy stammered, and Win deftly came to the rescue.
“Winter,” he said. “A destination ski wedding for two hundred in St. Anton, Austria.” Whoa, scary how that had just slipped off his tongue. Who knew Win Garner was such an accomplished BSer? Either that or he’d given a great deal of thought to his dream wedding. Doubtful.
“But you don’t ski,” Lewis said pointedly to Darcy, who felt her cheeks heat. The farce was getting out of control and it would be Darcy who wound up with egg on her face. No one like Win married someone like Darcy. Of all people, Lewis had to know that, had to know he was being played by a guy who played for a living.
“I gave her lessons last winter,” Win said, and Darcy shot him a death glare. Enough was enough.
“Huh.” Lewis tilted his head. “Coordination has never been one of Darcy’s strong points, has it, Snookums?”
Win’s brows shot up and his lips curved in the corners as if to say,Snookums? Really?
“Well, it’s been great seeing you again, Lewis. But they’re getting ready for calf roping and it’s Win’s favorite event. Isn’t it, hot buns?”
