The line, p.12
The Line, page 12
“It’s a bar, yeah, but it’s totally low-key, and Cody said he was going to go. You could ride with him.” Leo seemed hopeful.
I wanted us to be friends, and it wasn’t like he was asking me on a date. He was just trying to be friendly, and if Cody was going, I could tag along with him. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I hadn’t left the farm in the weeks since I’d been here. I hadn’t even wanted to, but I guessed some time away would do me good.
“All right.” I nodded at Leo. “Sure. Sounds like it’ll be fun. I’ll hitch a ride with Cody.”
I flinched when I heard another slam. This time, it sounded like it was right outside Beauty’s stall.
Leo looked towards the sound, confusion furrowing his brow, before glancing back at me. “Awesome. I’m excited. See you tonight, Everly,” he said, giving me that same nervous smile, leaving me and Beauty alone.
I had to admit I was excited to get out tonight and hang with Cody. I thought about what I was going to wear and how I was going to do my hair. I wondered if Cole would be there. I wondered if he would be alone.
Low-key, my ass. I stopped dead in my tracks when I entered Jack’s. It was most definitely a bar and there wasn’t a damn low-key thing about it. And I was underage. Good thing Cody knew the bartender. It was loud and beyond packed. It was a Friday night, so I’d expected it to be crowded, but I honestly hadn’t thought that this many people lived in the small town of Canton.
Everyone was wearing cowboy hats and boots. Voices were loud, and the alcohol was flowing. Dark paneled wood covered the walls and the floor. A few people milled around the old jukebox in the far corner and by the bar, but for the most part, people were doing some very fancy-looking line dances on the dance floor. I had never danced in my entire life. I hadn’t planned on drinking, but alcohol was looking better and better at the moment.
“Sugar, you gotta keep moving your feet to actually get into the bar,” Cody said behind me.
I glanced at him and rolled my eyes before looking back at the crowd. “I think I’m gonna need a drink.” I wasn’t old enough to drink, but Cody was.
He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to him. “Come on. I gotta show off my sexy-as-hell date. How else am I gonna get the attention of every hot man here?”
I laughed, hoping that Cody was right and I did look sexy. I’d pulled out an old, white second-hand sundress Momma Lou had found me at Goodwill. It had spaghetti straps and a high waist, and it fanned out into an A-line skirt. It stopped right at my knees, and I’d paired it with my trusted brown boots. Very little makeup and silver hoop earrings had completed my look. I’d left my hair down because Cole liked it like that, and I was hoping I’d run into him. On the way out, Cody had grabbed the hat Cole had given me and placed it on my head. “Perfect,” he’d said, dragging me out the door.
Cody slowly walked me over to the bar, his arm resting languidly around my rigid shoulders. “Relax, baby girl,” he muttered under his breath so only I could hear. He ordered two shots of some kind of whiskey and placed one in front of me. “This should take the edge off.” He brought the glass to his lips.
I picked the glass up and studied it. It didn’t seem like too much, so I tossed it back, mimicking Cody. It burned like the damn dickens. I coughed a bit, and Cody rubbed my back.
“All right there?” he asked, chuckling.
“Yeah,” I croaked out, already feeling warm from the liquor.
I gazed around the bar with pretend nonchalance, but Cody wasn’t the least bit fooled.
“Looking for your Cowboy?” he questioned, a knowing smirk on his lips.
“No,” I lied and shrugged. “Just checking out the atmosphere.”
“Bullshit, baby girl, but I don’t blame you. I’d be looking for his hot ass, too, if I didn’t already have my eye on that one over there.”
The bar was a big square in the middle of the room, and Cody motioned his head to a bartender serving the other side. As if he knew Cody was staring a hole through him, the bartender turned our way and…
“Wow,” I breathed.
Emerald-green eyes set in a tan face danced as he shot Cody a wide smile. Gorgeous, deep dimples bracketed his pearly whites, and a bit of his thick, brown hair hung over one eye. He was wearing a tight, white T-shirt that showcased his very impressive muscles, and I spotted what looked like the outline of a nipple ring beneath his practically see-through shirt. He winked at Cody and turned back to his customer on the other side of the bar.
“Goodness.” I fanned myself as I admired the bartender’s ass in his tight Wranglers, because while I was in love and totally devoted to my cowboy, I was not dead.
Cody cleared his throat with an embarrassed cough and stared down into his drink.
“Oh my God. Are you embarrassed?” I shoved my shoulder into his.
He glimpsed up at me, his cheeks pink.
“You are,” I said in awe. “You’re totally embarrassed. Well, now, I gotta know. Who is this man who can embarrass the unembarrassable?”
Cody smirked. “I’m not embarrassed.” He pulled at his collar awkwardly and peered at the bartender through hooded eyes. “And that gorgeous man across the bar is the one and only Beau Williams, star quarterback in high school, firefighter by day, bartender by night, and my best friend since I was six years old.”
I placed my palm to my chest. “You’re cheating on me?” I gasped in mock horror. I was shocked, but not because Cody had another best friend. The fact that he so obviously had a crush on him was shocking. I couldn’t blame him though; the man was beautiful. “So is he—”
“Nope. Straight as an arrow our whole lives,” Cody finished.
I frowned and poked my bottom lip out. “Well, that blows.”
“And not in the good way,” Cody said, frowning.
I scooted closer to Cody and rubbed his back. “So, nothing’s ever happened with you two?” I asked genuinely concerned. It seemed like he had deeper feelings than friendship for Beau.
Cody spotted Leo across the bar and gave him a nod. “Something happened a couple of weeks ago when we were drunk and I’ve been avoiding him ever since. It’s weird now, and I’m not ready to talk to him about it yet.”
“What the what? And you didn’t tell me? What the hell happened?” I needed all the damn information now.
The time for information had passed though, because Leo and a few guys who helped around the farm crowded us, shaking hands, bumping fists, and all the other general macho shit that guys did when they saw each other.
Leo claimed the stool to my right because Cody was on my left. “What do ya think of Jack’s?”
I raised my eyebrows and gave him a pointed look. “It looks like a bar, and not a low-key one.”
He looked a little sheepish, and I felt bad for giving him a hard time.
“Yeah,” he said. “I may have bent the truth a little, but I wanted you to come out with us.”
I smiled and nudged him with my shoulder. “It’s cool.”
“Can I get you guys something else to drink?” Beau asked, standing there in all of his movie-star-looking glory. He was still sporting that dimpled grin.
I examined Cody, who was staring into his drink again.
“Ryder,” Beau said, at Cody. “Haven’t seen you around lately.” He’d said it casually, but I’d heard the undertones of accusation.
Cody finally looked at Beau before staring at the bar again. “Yeah, man. Sorry. Been busy at the farm.” He fidgeted with his empty glass. “We’ll take a couple more shots of whiskey.”
Beau turned around to make our drinks.
Under the bar, I pinched Cody’s leg. “Ryder?” I mouthed, my eyes large and round, because I wanted the story behind that nickname.
Cody rolled his eyes at me just as Beau sat our drinks in front of us. I thought Beau missed our interaction, but turned out I was dead wrong.
“Cody’s always liked to ride. Ain’t that right?” he asked, scowling over at Cody. Once again, his statement was loaded with accusation.
I made big eyes at Cody again because, now, I was more than intrigued. I wanted all the details.
Beau leaned over the bar and flashed me his show-stopping smile, and I couldn’t help but grin back at those dimples and dancing eyes.
“I’m Beau, by the way. You must be Everly.” He took my hand and brought it to his lips before pressing a slow kiss to the top.
He placed my hand back on the bar and bit his lip giving me those dimples, and I was pretty sure I heard every pair of panties in the bar hit the floor. I blew a breath out, picked my shot up, and downed it. Holy moly. Beau was a smooth operator. Cody didn’t stand a chance.
“Ryder’s never had good manners, but I’d say it’s gotten worse lately, not returning my calls or introducing me to his pretty lady friends and all,” Beau said, casually wiping the bar, but there was not a damn thing casual about his comment.
Cody’s eyes were narrowed on Beau.
I gave Beau a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Beau, but I think we’re gonna need a couple more shots.”
“No problemo,” Beau said, giving the top of Cody’s head one more glance before going to get our drinks.
I rubbed Cody’s back and pulled him in for a side hug. “You okay?”
“I don’t know,” he grumbled, pulling his hat off and running his hands through his hair.
My heart went out to my boy. I’d never seen him so stressed, so serious. We needed more alcohol STAT.
Two shots later, I was surprisingly only feeling slightly buzzed. Beau came over every now and then and threw a few comments Cody’s way, which only served to make my friend want to pull his hair out. Cody brooded on his stool, hardly saying a word most of the night, and I spent the next couple of hours fending off advances from Leo.
I should have stayed home. My shoulders slumped when I thought about how I hadn’t seen Cole all night, and trust me, I’d been looking for him—nonstop. Home. I didn’t know when I’d come to think of the big house as home, but somehow, over the past few weeks, that is exactly what I’d thought of Preston’s and the people who inhabited it. Home.
Leo made one final attempt to get me on the dance floor, to which I responded with a polite, “No, thank you. I have to use the restroom.” And I did, so I didn’t feel bad about blowing him off.
When I stepped off my stool for the first time that night, I realized one important thing: I was completely drunk. Like, fall-on-my-face drunk. One step off my seat and my body registered every bit of alcohol I’d poured into it.
My vision swam, and I teetered on my boots all the way to the bathroom, praying that I made it there without making a spectacle of myself. I peed for what felt like ten minutes and then checked myself in the bathroom mirror. Red eyes and smudged mascara stared back at me, and I spent the next five minutes trying to scrub the black from beneath my eyes. I wasn’t very good at it because…drunk. Fuck. I splashed cold water on my face a couple of times. I was going to feel like absolute hell tomorrow. And I really only had my socially awkward self to blame. And Cody. And Leo. Bastards.
I stumbled out of the bathroom and back into the noise of Jack’s. Cody was gone from his station at the bar, and Beau was gone too. That left Leo sitting there, nursing his beer. I’d hit my limit with him and his flirting for the night and thought some fresh air might do my alcohol-riddled brain good, so I stepped outside and leaned against the building for a minute. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, hoping that I didn’t get sick.
The air smelled like pine trees and something else familiar, so I took another deep breath.
Smoke.
Leather.
Galloping horses in my chest.
I cracked one eye open and smiled. “Cole.”
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” I said, feeling like a stalking fool.
This town was safe, but I couldn’t help my protectiveness when it came to Eve. I’d been watching her most of the night, her sexy ass perched between Leo and Cody in that dress. God, that dress. I’d never seen Everly in anything other than jeans and tanks, and that dress had almost sent me stomping across the room and throwing her over my shoulder. I wanted to take her home so only I could see how gorgeous she was. I wanted to strip her to her panties and taste every inch of her peaches-and-cream skin.
And, now, she was being fucking cute. She was leaning against the wall, one eye cracked open, an adorable Goddamn grin on her lips. One I wanted to kiss right the fuck off.
Popping her other eye open, she ran one finger down the middle of my chest. “I’ve been looking for you, Cowboy.”
“You have, huh?” I arched a brow. I was calling bullshit.
She’d spent the entire evening chatting with Leo. She hadn’t been flirting though. I was paying special attention. I sat in the corner, making sure that fucker didn’t put his hands on my girl. I’d have killed him. I’d heard him in the barn today, asking my Eve out. Reining my temper in had always been hard for me, but hearing him practically beg her to come out tonight and then her saying yes? Well, I’d lost it. I’d slammed a few things around but managed to keep enough control not to stomp in there and demand that he never speak to Everly again. That’s what I’d wanted to do, but I’d still been angry from my talk with Everly while riding. It hadn’t been the time for more confrontation.
“Mmmhmmm,” Everly hummed. Then she stepped forward and buried her face in my shirt. “Fuck. You smell good,” she mumbled into the fabric of my shirt.
Her hot breath was warm through my T-shirt. She kept her face planted between my pecs and breathed in deep, and I chuckled.
I couldn’t resist wrapping my arms around her and pulling the rest of her body into mine. I shook my head. “Still cussin’ like a sailor, huh?” I asked, laying my chin on the top of her hat and taking her in too. Eve smelled damn good, too.
She laughed. “Still loving it,” she accused in her singsong voice, gazing up at me.
I did love it. I fucking loved everything about her.
Her eyes were on mine, her lips mere inches from my own. I pushed the brim of her hat up so I could really see her baby blues. She ran her soft hand down the side of my face.
“You, Cole. You are the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.” She slurred a bit, and I tried not to laugh because she meant it.
Fire burned in her blue orbs. I didn’t want to diminish that fire, but this couldn’t happen right now. Not yet.
“Alrighty, baby. I think it’s time to get you home.” When I stepped back out of her grasp, she fell forward a little, so I grabbed her arms and righted her. “I better find Cody and let him know that I’m taking you back to the farm.”
She giggled and blushed. “Noo. You can’t bother Cody right now. I think he’s somewhere talking with Beau,” she whispered.
Placing her away from me against the wall again, I said, “It’s fine, baby. He won’t mind. He’ll be worried if I don’t let him know.”
“No!” she yelled. “You don’t get it. They’re talking.” She started whispering again. “You know?” She winked real slow. “Talking.” Her eyes got big.
I was looking at her like she was crazy. “Beau and Cody are”—I made air quotes with my hands—“talking?” I asked, making sure I was understanding what she was telling me.
She nodded, her eyes still big, her face serious.
“Wow. I didn’t see that one coming.” I was stunned. Those two had been best friends for as far back as I could remember. Was something going on with them?
“Me either,” she whispered, shaking her head. “But I wish I could.” She blushed again, and I shook my head, smiling at her antics.
“Well, come on.” I grabbed her hand, pulling her towards my truck. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt their talk.”
“I would,” Everly said, giving me a wink and waggling her eyebrows. Fucking adorable, this girl.
“Enough outta you. Behave,” I warned, narrowing my eyes playfully.
She pouted while I practically dragged her to the truck. “I’m sick of behaving, Cole. I wanna have fun.”
I opened the door to the truck and lifted her in, ignoring her comment. Because I was sick of behaving too. In fact, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the bad things I wanted to do to her. She scooted back in the seat and her dress rode up, revealing the tops of her tan thighs. I groaned as I closed her door. I didn’t think my dick had ever been this hard in my life.
I got in the truck and cranked it up. Everly’s eyes were closed, her head resting back against the seat. I moved closer to her on the bench seat and reached across her to grab the seat belt behind her head.
“God, it smells like you in here,” she breathed across my face.
I swallowed hard. I wanted her. I wanted her so damn badly that I felt like I’d die if I didn’t have her pussy around my cock right that moment. But now wasn’t the time. She was drunk. And Eve was right—I had shit to get straight with Marla and Grey. I couldn’t put it off anymore, and I couldn’t be mad at Eve for having called me out on my bullshit.
I snapped her in, moved back to my side of the truck, and willed myself to calm the fuck down.
I was backing the truck out of the parking lot, but I didn’t miss the way Everly’s hands grabbed the bottom of her dress and eased the hem a little up her thighs.
“I’m so hot,” she groaned. “It’s hot in here, and it smells so good.”
The woman was going to fucking kill me. I adjusted my cock and cracked the window on her side. “That should cool you down.” I cracked my own as well, hoping it would cool my ass down, too. After grabbing her hands with one of mine, I stilled them in her lap. If that skirt rode up one more inch, I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions.
Her eyes on me, she smirked. “Aww. Don’t be a fuddy-duddy, Cowboy.” She pretend pouted.
