Page 15 of Love You
Her eyebrows winged up. “Intrigued?”
“Yeah.” He watched her for a second. “You were nice to talk to, a good sounding board. And I seem to be the only person on earth who doesn’t make you nervous. What’s up with that?”
She thought about it for a while. He could see the wheels spinning in her head, probably looking for a pithy insult.
“Oddly, I feel supremely comfortable with you. Even though you’re Brad Pitt on steroids there’s something about you that puts me at ease. Call it a gift.” Judging by the red rash creeping up her neck, the confession had embarrassed her.
But the words made him feel good. “Thanks. I guess.” He should’ve left it alone but he couldn’t. “What about Lewis? He make you feel comfortable?”
She stared at the bottles on the back bar, getting lost in them for a moment, then said, “Lewis is Lewis.”
Before he could quiz her on what that meant, Boden brought their food. “Bon appétit.” He refilled their glasses. “I hear you all are in the running for a big corporate account.”
It didn’t take long for word to travel in Glory Junction. Some of the old busybodies had never recovered from Ma Bell getting rid of the party line so they’d taken on the chore of spreading news and gossip themselves.
“Maybe we’ll bring them in this weekend for lunch or dinner,” Win said. “We’re supposed to be showing some of the bigwigs the sights.”
Boden leaned across the bar. “There’s this dude in Nugget, a pro bull rider, who gives lessons. Why don’t you take them there?”
Nugget was about thirty minutes up the road. “What’s the guy’s name?”
“Lucky Rodriguez. He used to ride in the PBR. A world champion.”
Win looked at Darcy, who was already typing it into her tablet.
“Thanks. It’s a good idea,” she said.
Plus, Win had always wanted to ride a bull.
Rita Tucker came in the bar. Stevie Nicks’s “Stand Back” came on the jukebox and unfortunately, Rita did anything but. She came right up to Win and breathed ashtray breath all over him.
“Well? Have you made your decision about the calendar?”
“It’s been a day, Rita.” Jeez, the woman was higher strung than a racehorse.
“You’re our biggest draw. If you don’t do it I’ll have to go outside and get some real talent.”
Darcy snorted up her cola. “What about that new guy on search and rescue? He’s hot.”
Win shot her a look. “I’m not out yet. I’m just thinking about it, you know, in case I want to run for office someday. How do you think me standing with my junk on display would look to my constituents?”
Boden threw his head back and laughed. “Politics, huh? Yeah, I don’t see it.”
Why not? Win could shake hands and kiss babies with the best of them.
“Take it from me,” Rita said, “you don’t want to become a public servant. All anyone ever does is bitch. What do you think drove Pond Scum to steal?”
Before Rita, Carter Pond—not-so-affectionately known as Pond Scum—had been the mayor of Glory Junction. Then he was arrested on corruption and embezzlement charges.
“You should hold a contest,” Darcy told Rita. “Get some fresh blood in that calendar. I bet lots of men would compete to be Mr. December.”
“Hey!” Win poked his finger in the air at Darcy. “I haven’t said I won’t do it yet.”
She hitched her shoulders. “You could compete too.” And then her lips curved up in an evil smile. She was taunting him, that’s what she was doing.
Chapter Five
When Darcy got home that night there was a Mercedes-Maybach convertible in Nana’s driveway and that could only mean one thing. She girded herself and walked to the front door as if she were walking the plank.
