Page 41 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
“Uh-huh. So I took it upon myself to bring the wine and just…” giggles erupted between her words; she was like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush and, this month at least, her crush was on him, “…stop in. I hope you’re not busy.”
“Actually, I am. A little busy.”
Her smile faded. “You are?” She made a point of running her gaze up and down his body, pausing just below the belt, which made him squirm. He was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt, no shoes. He probably looked like he was lying when he’d claimed to be busy.
“This is the best wine that the winery offers. It’s very good,” she promised in a singsong voice, stepping into his personal space.
Lawson’s gaze lifted as a Honda Civic slowed and pulled into his driveway. This was going to look bad. Two women with expectations. Once upon a time this would’ve been a fantasy for him.
Mel turned, following the direction of his gaze. “You have company.” She looked at him again, her expression not so bright. “Female company.”
If he wasn’t mistaken, anger sparked in her mahogany eyes.
From the corner of his gaze, he saw Julie get out of her car and head toward them. “I do.” He nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry, Mel.”
Mel’s voice rose. “You’ve been leading me on, Lawson Phillips. I thought we had something.”
No.No, no, no.He hated when a woman cried and this one was either going to pull a knife on him or combust into waterworks. Both equal forms of torture in his opinion.
Her voice cracked, shook. “Is this how you treat women? Are you going to do the same to this young woman coming to your home?” Mel asked.
He shook his head. “I interrupted your date with a sleaze. That was all, Mel,” he said slowly. “Bill Johnson isn’t good for anyone. I was just trying to help you, not lead you on.”
“And we saw each other again the other night.”
“Not intentional on my part,” he pointed out. “You showed up in the Veterans’ Center’s parking lot.”
“You led me on!” Mel turned and looked at Julie, who was standing beside her now, looking confused andso, so sexy.“Here!” Mel shoved the bottle of wine in Julie’s hands. “Be warned. He’ll break your heart, this one.” She turned back and glared at Lawson. “In a million tiny, little pieces,” she said, punctuating every word. Sniffling, but with no real tears, she marched back to her sporty red convertible in his driveway.
Julie’s mouth quirked on one side as she faced him. “Friend of yours?” she asked, handing him the bottle of wine as Lawson led her inside and closed the door quickly—before Stalker Mel could come back for more.
“Long story,” he said, hoping he wouldn’t have to explain.
“You’re going to break my heart into tiny little shards, huh?” She sat on the stool at his counter and stared at him.
“I’ll try not to. She was just—”
Julie held up a hand and smiled. “Relax. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
Lawson nodded, a slow grin forming on his mouth. “Okay, then. So, how about we forget about her and focus on us.” His brain stuttered on the last word. “Us” had rolled off his tongue too easily; he’d felt too comfortable saying it, and now he was suddenly uncomfortable. “Would you, uh, like a beer?” he asked, placing his hand on the refrigerator door. “I also have soda.”
“Just water,” she said behind him. “I’m easy.”
He glanced over his shoulder at her. The jokester in him wanted to counter that answer with “I’m hard” but he resisted because it’d only be a partial joke. Julie was dressed in fitted jeans and a short-sleeved yellow top that dipped low enough to put his imagination on overdrive. Lawson Junior could jump from limp to steel in two point five seconds if he wanted.
But Julie was here as his friend, he reminded himself. Just a friend.
“So, what movie did you bring?” he asked.
“When Harry Met Sally.”
He slid a bottled water onto the counter in front of her. “That’s not an old movie.”
She grinned. “Yes, it is. It was released almost three decades ago. And it’s a classic. I could watch it a million times. Have you seen it?”
He wobbled his head from side to side. “Parts. It’s about two friends who become lovers, right?” His gaze snagged hers, andoh shit,he was in trouble.
“And then they hate each other,” she said. “And then they love each other.” She cleared her throat. “Friends should never be lovers, though. It ruins everything.”
