Page 4 of Combust
The Hair of the Dog was the first place on his way into town that advertised food and beer at decent prices.
Sure, the weathered, fake-saloon exterior of the club appeared to have been stolen from the set of a Hollywood Western. The weathered old wagon wheels mounted on either side of the door were a nice touch. But a crowded parking lot on a Friday night was promising.Somethingmust be good here to bring the locals in.
He’d caught the mouthwatering fragrances of browning beef and smoky, tangy, BBQ pork as he turned his battered pickup truck into the big gravel parking lot. That had solidified his decision to stop here.
It had turned out to be a good choice. The service was friendly, and the food was cheap and tasty. Beer was real good and also cheap, thanks to the Halloween Happy Hour. At least that what the banner hung above the long, polished wood bar said.
The live music wasn’t bad, either, even if most of the band looked young enough not to have to worry about shaving.
After twenty hours behind the wheel, Cade badly needed this break. After dinner, he’d scout around for a place to crash tonight that wouldn’t dig too deeply into his wallet. If worse came to worst, he could always sleep in the back of his truck. It had a camper shell, which made it luxurious compared to some of the places he’d been forced to bunk down.
Tomorrow, he was supposed to meet up with his new boss over breakfast. They’d talked over the phone, but they both agreed that nothing took the place of a face-to-face meeting, especially between shifters.
If Cade didn’t screw up this interview, then there would be a cabin waiting for him at the ranch, and three square meals a day, on top of his paycheck. It was a pretty sweet deal. He hoped the cabin wouldn’t be too drafty, what with winter coming on, and that the roof didn’t leak.
Meanwhile, the people-watching was mighty interesting, especially since it was Halloween and a lot of folks were wearing costumes. Plus, true to what he’d been told about Bearpaw Ridge, at least half the people crowding this place were shifters of one kind or another.
That was noteworthy. In his experience, shifters didn’t care to share their territory with other shifters. That was doubly true when the other shifters weren’t their own kind.
As Cade chewed, washing down bites of tender, well-seasoned steak and a buttery toasted roll that tasted freshly-baked, he found that he couldn’t keep his eyes off a dark-haired woman sitting at one of the small tables ringing the dance floor.
It appeared she had a date, though. Guy looked like a real stuffed shirt. Cade knew the type. This dude was practically strutting while sitting down.
Cade forced his attention back to his sandwich and the mountain of fries.
So far, so good.Maybe this would turn out to be a decent gig. If not…well, he could move on. He always did.
Despite his best efforts, his eyes kept returning to the woman. He couldn’t help it. There was something about her that tugged hard at his interest.
He watched with as they had some kind of brief, intense exchange.
Then she got up and headed for the door.Well, damn.Judging by her expression, Cade was willing to bet that her date with Stuffed Shirt Dude hadn’t gone well and she was calling it quits.
Good.He grinned into his beer, then reminded himself that he couldn’t afford to get involved with one of the local girls. He was here to work, not play.
Still, he couldn’t help watching her luscious, heart-shaped ass sashay out the door. Her snug jeans flattered her generous curves. She’d be a soft, warm armful on a cold winter night, that was for sure.
Shoulders back, shoulder-length dark hair falling in a shining mass that made him itch to run his fingers through it, she radiated a confidence that held his eye until the door closed behind her.
If I see her around, I’ll ask her out.The thought came unbidden.
He contemplated his hand, still wrapped around the beer bottle, his skin knotted and shiny with old scar tissue.
Yeah, right. As if someone like her would ever want these pug-ugly hands running over her soft, perfect skin…
Movement caught his eye.
Cade glanced up just in time to see Stuffed Shirt throw a twenty on the table and stalk out of the door.
Trouble,his bear-half rumbled silently. It was never far from the surface, which had caused Cade no end of trouble during his teenage years.We must protect the woman.
Cade agreed whole-heartedly. Something in Stuffed Shirt’s expression, predatory and furious, made Cade’s gut tighten.
He slipped out of the booth, dropped a few crumpled bills next to his half-eaten basket of fries, and tailed Stuffed Shirt into the club’s parking lot.
Chapter Two - Bear-Knuckle Brawl
Cade emerged from the Hair of the Dog in time to hear the woman snap, “Let go of me!”
