Page 47 of Freeing the Wild
You almost made it to the NFL?
COWBOY
Who told you that?
Birdies.
COWBOY
Birdies are generally full of shit.
And cowboys are inherently modest.
COWBOY
Are you the Princess of Bluegrass?
I look around the bustling bar, mostly filled with women.
Right now, I’m the princess of the Horse and Barrel.
COWBOY
Stay away from any princes with shiny black pickup trucks.They’re the worst.
I smile and take my bottom lip between my teeth.
Got it.
I decide to toy with him just a little.
Motorcycles only.Check.
“She must be talking to her sister, smiling like that,” Ginger breathes out when she and Olivia arrive back at the table.
“Don’t you two have anything better to do than stick your noses in my business?”I flash them a teasing grin.I like these girls.Ivy has basically been my only friend since I entered the music industry at such a young age, and these two are just easy to be with.I only wish CeCe could’ve come, but apparently the second trimester resurgence of morning sickness doesn’t fit well with the sights and smells of the local bar.
As we dance, I feel the music begin to thrum through my blood and, by the time we take another break, I’m feeling tipsy and free.Just as we start to catch our breath, Cole comes sauntering through the door to pick us up.Only, to my surprise, he’s not alone.Walking in behind him in those damn Wranglers, heavy Kentucky cowboy boots and a flannel jacket is none other than Haden Westbrook.
Ginger snickers.“Well well well, Cassie, looks like your ride’s here.”
Son of a bitch.
The only thoughts I can string together are: a) that manlooks way too good for how much I have had to drink; and b) why is he here?
He pulls his jacket off and hangs it on the rack at the door.Our eyes lock across the room.My stomach drops as his gaze rakes over me.His black t-shirt hugs the strong muscled form of his upper arms, and images of him hovering over me flash through my mind, heating me from my toes up.A thousand drunk butterflies swirl in my stomach as his eyes stay on me as he stalks toward our table.
Just before the men reach us, Olivia leans into me.
“What was that about nothing going on again?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Haden
The last damn place I ever expected to end up at tonight was ladies’ night—Sangria Sunday—at the Horse and Barrel.But when Cassie’s words started coming through with some drunken mistakes, and she was firing off banter about finding some prick with a motorcycle to go home with, I decided to text Cole and feel him out.We made small talk for a few minutes about his upcoming wedding on the ranch and last night’s hockey game before he let it slip that he was picking up Ginger at the bar.I told him I had to head to town anyway and would meet him there for a beer.He thought nothing of it—it’s something we used to do before he attached himself at the hip to Ginger Danforth.But now that I’m here, watching the drunken little princess’ hips swaying on the dance floor while she sings every single lyric to every single song that’s played, I’m questioning whether I’m here to inflict torture on myself.As I watch the way her jeans hug her heart-shaped ass and thighs, and the way her perfect tits fill out that white ribbed t-shirt, I know there’s not a chance in hell she’s going home with anyone but me.
“So, you gonna tell me what you’re really doing here?”Cole asks as he sips his beer with a grin.His eyes stay fixed on Ginger.
