Page 19 of The Trouble With Attraction (Rock Canyon, Idaho 6)

Chapter Nine

Gracie was still stewing about Eric’s arrogant assumption that he was God’s gift to women the next weekend. Gemma was out of town at a book conference in Vegas and the last thing she wanted to do was head to Buck’s alone.

The bell above The Local Bean’s front door jingled and in walked Officer Quinn Morgan.

Gracie perked up a bit. Quinn was new to Rock Canyon, a big city cop in a small pond, and she liked the way he looked in that dark blue uniform. His blue eyes were pale, and his black hair in a short, military style, drawing attention to his resemblance to Matt Bomer.

“Well, hey there, Quinn. Something I can get for you?” She leaned a bit on the counter, glad she’d worn her push up bra under her simple v-neck t-shirt.

Quinn flashed that beaming white smile of his. “Large coffee with room, please.”

“Light, medium, or dark?”

“Medium.”

“Hmmm, can’t handle the hard stuff, huh?” she teased, grabbing a large cup.

“Not this late in the day.”

She set his coffee on the counter, and gave him her signature through the lashes look. “And when does your day officially end, Officer Morgan?”

“Six. Why, you got something on your mind?”

“I was thinking if you aren’t busy we could do a little dinner and dancing.”

Quinn handed her a ten dollar bill with a smile. “Sounds good, but I’m not much of a dancer.”

Gracie gave him his change with a wink. “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll show you all the steps I like.”

* * *

That night, Eric was filling up a pitcher of beer for Annabelle Dentin, and thinking seriously about asking her out. Annabelle was curvy, sexy, and liked classic cars as much as he did. She also didn’t make him lose his shit at the slightest provocation. He liked that in a woman.

The place had been filling up steadily, getting ready for the live band to take the stage. Buck’s had offered live music since it had first opened and a lot of musicians had gotten their start on those wooden planks.

Eric glanced toward the door and back to the beer he was pouring…only to do a double take. Gracie had just walked through the door with some pretty boy, wearing a slinky buckskin dress that left most of her back and shoulders bare. The guy was guiding her through the crowd with his hand on her skin, and the blood started drumming in Eric’s ears.

Damn her. Couldn’t she take her dates somewhere else? He was getting damn tired of her flaunting dudes in his face.

“Juan, I’m going to go take their order.”

Juan glanced at him in surprise, probably because Eric never left the bar to take an order. Eric set Annabelle’s pitcher on the counter and took her five absently as he went around the edge of the bar. Putting on his best neutral face, he stopped next to their table with a pad and pen.

“Good evening, folks. What can I get you to drink?”

Gracie shot him a suspicious look, but her date just smiled. “Hey man, I’ll take a Bud. What do you want?”

“I’ll have a Lemon Drop,” she said.

r /> “You sure you don’t want to stick to beer tonight, Gracie Lou? You know how you get when you’ve had a few.”

“Thanks, Eric, but I’m an adult and can decide what I want to drink.”

“Just saying, this guy seems like a good one, and you don’t want to scare him off by coming on too strong.”

“Fuck you,” Gracie said.

Pretty boy’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

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