Page 117 of The Games We Play
Rhodes sighed, reached into the waistband of his jeans, and pulled out a wad of cash. After dropping every last dollar into the bucket, he removed the cowboy hat he’d borrowed from Boone, swiping at the sweat on his brow before raking a hand through his damp hair, and slapping it back on.
“These ladies from the crochet club keep grabbing my ass,” Logan said, sliding in beside Rhodes and looking both exhausted and vaguely traumatized. “I can feel their little handspinchingme.”
I barked a laugh, and so did Rhodes.
Logan dropped a few more bills into the bucket with a shake of his head. “This better get Penny back on your side.”
“Yeah,” Rhodes added, smirking. “I still don’t know how the three of us got roped into your fuck-up.”
I had the best damn friends a man could ask for—something I maybe hadn’t always appreciated the way I should have. Watching them strut around this bar, getting harassed bywomen twice their age while flaunting their ranch-built bodies? Yeah, I was damn lucky.
“I’ll buy you all a round for your troubles,” I offered, smirking.
“Cheap bastard,” Logan muttered, resting his forearms on the bar.
I chuckled, tugged the cigarette from behind my ear, and turned to light it. A few quick drags, and I exhaled into the air, letting the nicotine settle the restless hum beneath my skin.
Boone was the next to join us, squeezing into the service space and leaning a hand on the bar as he scanned the crowd.
“I’m pretty sure Aspen’s enjoying this way too much,” he said, nodding toward the girls at the far end of the bar.
All three of them—Aspen, Theo, and Ellie—looked right at us, winked, and blew kisses.
“She is,” I said. “I brought them their drinks earlier. Pretty sure I saw a tally sheet in front of them.”
If I had to guess, one for every time one of the guys was hit on by someone.
“Where’s Penny anyway?” Logan asked, glancing around.
I shrugged.
I hadn’t seen her in a while, if I were being honest. She’d been working the room like a pro. She was handing out raffle tickets at the door, checking in on tables, laughing, smiling… making sure everyone felt seen.
But now?
I stood on my toes, scanning the crowd, but between the crush of bodies and the sea of cowboy hats, spotting her was impossible.
“You know what you need to do,” Rhodes said, shooting me a look.
I tilted my head. “What?”
“Get on that bull.”
“Oh, hell no,” I said immediately, taking a sharp inhale off my smoke.
“Rhodes has a point,” Boone chimed in, nodding. “You want to make a statement? Prove something? That’ll do it.”
“Damn right,” Rhodes said, slapping a hand against Boone’s chest. “Didn’t you pull that move with Aspen?”
Boone grinned. “Worked like a charm.”
“Let’s go!” Dudley’s voice cut through the noise behind me. I spun to find him grinning like a devil, motioning for me to move. I flipped him off, and he blew me a kiss in return.
I turned back to my friends. “You guys need more shots?”
They all groaned and nodded in unison.
As much as I didn’t want to get up on that bull and make a spectacle of myself, I knew I had to. They were right, it was time to make myself a spectacle in the name of impressing the girl.
