Page 4 of Tempting Fate
“Yeah, so what’s your point?”
A server came to the table. No one Raylene knew, thank God.
“You want coffee, a cocktail, or a glass of wine?” Gabe asked her.
A vodka tonic.She sat on her hands so they wouldn’t shake.“Coffee’s good.”
Gabe got coffee as well, and a plate of sourdough bread and butter for the table. The waitress quickly returned with their order and left a carafe of piping hot caffeine in the middle of the table.
“How much did Logan pay you to be my minder?”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “Ah, Ray, you really have to work on your self-esteem.”
She couldn’t help herself and flipped him the bird. “Seriously, I don’t need a keeper.”
“What, you don’t like my company?”
She was probably the only woman on God’s green earth who didn’t. Though to be truthful, he was funny. And good-looking, if you liked muscular men hopped up on cockiness and attitude. She’d had enough of those to last her a lifetime.
“I don’t mind the accent,” she said. “The rest of you, I could take or leave.”
“A: I don’t have an accent, you do. B: Logan didn’t pay me.” His lips curved up. “He threatened to break my legs if I didn’t keep an eye on you.”
She shook her head and emptied a couple of packets of sugar into her coffee.
“According to Logan, and town gossip, you’ve got quite a history here. You mind filling me in? I’d like to hear your side of it.”
“Uh, no.” She sipped her coffee while he stared at her with those chocolate brown eyes of his, waiting for an answer. It wasn’t any of his business. “People here are batshit.”
He leaned closer to the table. “People around here?” He lifted his brows in a not-so-subtle jab at her own sanity. “I know you tried to screw Logan out of his inheritance, and there’s something about you having a drunken meltdown at the Gas and Go the last time you visited town. ‘Do you know who I am?’” Gabe laughed. “Please tell me you didn’t really say that to a cop, Ray.”
“Did you suggest coffee to torture me?” Raylene didn’t want to talk about it. She’d spent the last couple of years trying to forget the things she’d said and done.
“Just trying to figure out what went down.”
“Well, don’t.” She reached for a piece of the sourdough and shoved it in her mouth. If he was buying, she was eating.
Someone got up and put a few quarters in the jukebox and an old George Jones song came on. George had always been one of her dad’s favorites. He’d played “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Why Baby Why” so many times Raylene knew them by heart. He might’ve been a son of a bitch, but he’d always had good taste in music.
The door swung open and the only person who could make this day any worse strode in. He took off his hat and searched the dining room, skimming over her. For a second, she thought she was safe. Then, just as quickly, they locked eyes and she felt a trickle of sweat roll down her back.
She calculated how fast she could get to the door without causing a scene and took a deep breath.
“Stay cool.” Gabe put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ve got you covered.”
Chapter 2
Gabe had heard twenty different versions of the story, each one more elaborate than the next. Despite its many configurations, he’d basically discerned the general gist. And it wasn’t good. By all accounts, Raylene Rosser was a wackjob. But she was also his best friend’s half sister. Gabe and Logan had been through thick and thin together. BUD/S training, two wars, and too many tight situations to count.
So when Logan asked him to look after Raylene during the wedding festivities, he reported for duty. No questions asked. That didn’t mean he was siding with her against his new neighbors. All it meant was that he’d give her a broad back to hide behind when things got socially dicey.
And things had just moved to DEFCON 1.
“Kiss me,” he whispered.
“Are you out of your mind?”
He’d only said it as a joke to defuse the situation before she made it any worse. Already people were starting to murmur among themselves, obviously anticipating a showdown. Lucky Rodriguez stood there, still as a statue. Gabe couldn’t tell if Lucky was planning to kill Raylene or was simply stunned to see her, though it was no secret she was in town.
