Page 4 of Her Cadillac Cowboy
“What’s the catch?” There had to be a catch, a trick. No offer as good as Sampson’s came free.
“Well,” Sam said, “you’d have to stick for the entire week. But if you don’t like it after a week, I promise we’ll make other arrangements.”
Josh didn’t know what those arrangements might be. Regardless, his choices were few. Finally he’d nodded.
Josh stopped moving the broom. He needed to get out of here, and quick.
The work area was as clean as a construction site could get, and all tools and supplies were stowed away safely. Josh locked the door behind him headed for Clancy’s, scene of some of the most embarrassing and most joyful moments of his youth. His generation of Luville residents still used the place as their favorite hangout. Which was why he’d avoided it until now. He wasn’t the work hard, play hard, drink hard bull rider he’d once been. He didn’t mind that part of his past, but it was his past. Yet it had a strong pull as Josh pushed through the double swinging door and into the small foyer,
The bar, booths, dance floor and pool tables all looked the same. The only sign of progress was the seventy-two-inch screens lining the walls at ceiling height, a different sport showing on each screen.
“Joshie!” The high-pitched squeal could only belong to one person. Before he could locate her, he found himself engulfed in Lurlene Biggers’s arms. She’d been aggressive in her pursuit of just about every guy on the football team. Josh hoped she’d changed.
Ahem, nope, not if the way she stuck her tongue in his ear was any indication.
“Nice to see you too, Lurlene,” he mouthed the polite lie as he pried himself from her grasp.
“Say, Lurlene, honey, you haven’t forgotten you’re my date tonight, have you?” The voice was a low rumble and very familiar.
Josh looked around Lurlene and grinned. “Dan Firesong, as I live and breathe. What brought you back here?”
The tall Navajo shrugged.
“No, Dan, I didn’t forget you,” Lurlene purred. “I just haven’t seen Joshie in such a long time, I wanted to give him a good welcome back.”
Dan grinned back at Josh. “And was it good for you, Joshie?”
“Them’s fightin’ words. If you weren’t a Navy SEAL, I’d show you a lesson.”
Dan lifted his beer in acknowledgement. “Nice to know you’re smart enough not to take on someone bigger and badder than yourself.”
Josh set Lurlene out of the way and caught Dan in a backslapping hug. “Let’s not start a pissing contest. We’ve got some catching up to do.” They stepped back from each other at the same moment.
“Suits me,” Dan said and pointed toward the far side of the restaurant area. “We’ve got a booth over here.”
“But, Dannie, I wanna dance.”
Dan laid a quick kiss on Lurlene’s lush lips. “Well, you just go right along and do that, sugar. I see a whole long line of men at the bar just waiting to dance. Meanwhile, I’ll get caught up with Joshie here.”
Lurlene eyed Dan then studied the line of men, all pretty much staring at her generous curves with their tongues hanging out. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“You’ll be providing a charitable service if you dance with each and every one of those yahoos.”
“All right.”
Josh and Dan slid into opposite sides of a booth. Dan signaled the waitress for two more beers.
“That was a masterful piece of distractive strategy, Dan.”
“That’s what the navy paid me to do. That, and be one of the biggest, baddest mothers on earth.”
“Paid? Never say you left the SEALs.”
“Okay, I won’t say it, but it’s true nonetheless.”
“Why?”
“I’m needed at home.”
