Cowboys Like Us Read online

  THE RUSH OF DRINK ORDERS finally slowed, but when Caro returned to check on Logan, he’d hit the dance floor with Josie. He’d left his unfinished root beer behind, though, which meant he might be back. She felt a little jolt of excitement as she remembered the way he’d looked at her with obvious interest.

  And she’d looked right back. She had no business flirting with anyone right now, but those deep brown eyes temporarily made her forget her obligations. And that, she realized with a pang of guilt, was nice for a change. She just couldn’t let it get out of hand.

  Her grandma Bonnie, who had raised her, joyfully and without complaint, deserved all Caro’s free time. Caro had been a baby when her parents divorced, and Bonnie had welcomed her daughter and granddaughter into her house. When Caro was twelve, her mother had died in a blizzard on her way home from work. Grandma Bonnie’s strength had seen Caro through those dark days and taught her that a person had to be resilient to survive life’s tragedies.

  Her dad had started a new family by then, but Caro had never seriously considered living with him. She’d stayed with her grandma in the only home she’d ever known. Selling that beloved house so that she could afford assisted living in Jackson for the increasingly frail Bonnie had broken both their hearts.

  Caro visited her grandmother every day in hopes she wouldn’t feel abandoned, but she obviously wasn’t happy with the move, necessary though it had been. For the first time since Caro had known her, Bonnie had lost her resilience and optimistic outlook. Caro had to be optimistic enough for both of them.

  Lately Caro had done nothing but work and visit her grandma. No wonder she’d been bewitched by a heated glance. Besides, she’d been predisposed to find this ex-baseball player intriguing.

  Alex had warned everyone to tread carefully around Logan, whose wicked knee injury had ended his career and the dream he’d cherished from the age of seven. He’d made it to the big leagues and then to the Cubs, the team he’d always wanted to play for. Now he was done.

  Caro had never been able to resist a person in need of comfort, a trait she’d picked up from her grandma. Besides, Logan was gorgeous, the kind of gorgeous that made her think of hot nights on cool sheets. Good thing he’d be gone soon. Once Alex and Tyler left on their honeymoon, Logan would have no reason to stay.

  She filled several orders while Logan whirled around the dance floor with Josie, but somehow, about the time he returned to his root beer, she happened to be standing at that end of the bar. She hadn’t meant to.

  Oh, shoot, yes she had. He was the most exotic man to come her way in quite a while. Mostly she dealt with cowboys. Logan might be wearing the outfit and dancing the two-step like a pro, but he was no cowboy.

  Instead, he was a professional athlete from the big city. She didn’t know much about baseball, but she knew Logan was hot.

  He settled onto his stool and heaved a sigh. “That’s challenging.”

  “But you do it well.” The action of those tight buns on the dance floor had created a serious distraction from her bartending duties.

  “Close enough for jazz.” He took a long swallow of his root beer.

  “What does that mean?”

  He glanced up. “What?”

  “Close enough for jazz. I’ve never heard that before.”

  “Sorry. It’s something jazz musicians say, meaning that there’s a lot of improv going on when they perform.”

  She felt a little bit like a hick, but she was fascinated, nevertheless. Besides, if she kept this conversation going, she’d have an excuse to gaze into those brown eyes. “Chicago’s known for its jazz, I guess.”

  “It is. I don’t suppose that’s the kind of music you…”

  “Not normally, but I’m always ready to learn something new.” No, that statement wasn’t strong enough. She hungered for something new, something different. She’d lived in Shoshone all her life. Travel had been a luxury she hadn’t been able to afford beyond an occasional trip to Yellowstone.

  But this man, who’d jetted around the country for years, represented adventure beyond her wildest dreams. She found that irresistible.

  Picking up a bar rag, she began wiping up imaginary spills. “Shoshone must seem small to you after spending so much time in big cities.”

  “Actually, it’s a nice break. I can see why Alex is so crazy about the place. The Grand Tetons are amazing.”

  “I agree. They are. But I’m sure the Chicago skyline is amazing, too, especially at night.”

  “It is,” he said with a decided lack of enthusiasm.

  Damn. She felt like an idiot. Of course he wouldn’t want to talk about the wonders of Chicago and be reminded of losing the job he loved. “The Tetons are great, though. Wonderful for hiking. You should—” She groaned as she realized she’d made a mess of this discussion. “But you have a bad knee. You know what? I should just shut up.”

  He laughed. “It’s okay. I forget about my knee all the time, until I stay on it too long and it lets me know.”

  “Can you ride? Because you could take a horse up into the mountains, if it wouldn’t be too strenuous.” She’d bet he would look terrific mounted on a horse. Yum.

  “I’ll have to brush up on my riding skills, but I’ve been thinking about that. Do you ride?”

  “I know how, but lately I haven’t had the time.” She refused to allow herself to be resentful of her grandma, but still, a trail ride with Logan would have been fun.

  “Caro.” Steve, looking pale, appeared at her elbow. His short buzz cut was dark with sweat. The room was warm, but not that warm. “I hate to do this to you, but my stomach’s going wonky. Feels like food poisoning. I must have eaten something bad earlier today. In any case, I gotta go home.”

  She put her hand to her own tummy, which had immediately rolled in sympathy. “That’s terrible. Don’t worry about the bar. Just go home and get better.”

  “Thanks. I can take your shift tomorrow if you want.”

  “Only if you’re well enough. Get out of here, cowboy.” She sucked in a deep breath as Steve opened the hinged bar top and headed toward the back door. She’d counted on him to get her through this first big event, but she could manage, especially if the party started to wind down soon.

  But Murphy’s Law was working against her. The minute Steve left, the band took a break and wedding guests swarmed the bar in search of drinks. Fighting down panic, she squared her shoulders and grabbed an order pad. No way could she keep all those drinks in her head.

  “You handle the beer and wine. I’ll mix the drinks.”

  She looked up from the order pad and discovered Logan had joined her behind the bar and was already reaching for a couple of martini glasses.

  “No, you shouldn’t.” She put a hand on his shoulder—his very warm, very muscled shoulder. Instantly, that heat spread through her body. Whew. “You’re a guest. I’m sure Josie could—”

  “She’s the sister of the groom. She shouldn’t have to work tonight. Besides, I want to.” He set the glasses on the counter and gave her a quick glance before picking up a bottle of vodka. “It feels great to be useful for a change.”

  She couldn’t argue with that reasoning. Didn’t really want to, actually. If helping her would make him feel better about his lot in life, even for an hour or so, then she couldn’t deny him that. And she’d get the benefit of working side by side with the hottest guy in Shoshone.

  “Okay, then,” she said. “But only until it slows down.”

  “Right.” He picked up a martini shaker, flipped it high in the air and caught it behind his back.

  Someone in the crowd whistled.

  Logan winked at Caro. “You know, I’d forgotten how much I used to love this job.”

  Oh, baby. He was positively delicious, and Caro was the lucky girl who got to co-bartend with him for an hour or so. She would never wish ill on anyone, but in that moment, she was really glad that Steve had ended up with food poisoning.

  2

  BEFOR
E JUMPING IN TO help Caro, Logan had spent a couple seconds weighing the pros and cons. Josie had asked him to stay away from Caro, but then again, Josie hadn’t anticipated Steve getting sick. Logan had seen the panic in Caro’s eyes when the band had stopped playing and the surge toward the bar had commenced.

  Finally, deciding Josie shouldn’t have to worry about working tonight, and surely she’d rather have happy customers than obsess about Caro and Logan working together, he’d swung into action. He couldn’t pretend it was a selfless act. He’d told Caro the absolute truth—doing something useful felt fantastic.

  And yeah, the idea of being Caro’s heroic savior for an hour or so was very appealing. The looks she gave him generated a sexual buzz he hadn’t felt in quite a while, and he was enjoying the hell out of that.

  He promised himself that once the rush subsided, he’d retreat to the other side of the bar. Somehow, the rush never let up. Part of that could be his fault, because he hadn’t been able to resist showing off a little. Besides juggling the martini shaker, he’d built a few flaming drinks, which caused folks to order more so they could watch the process.

  And damn, he was having a good time. He was also impressing the girl. He’d caught her staring a few times, although she didn’t allow herself to be distracted from her work. For two people who’d never bartended together before, they managed with a minimum of bumping into each other.

  That was a good thing, because whenever he accidentally brushed up against her, he registered exactly how soft and curvy she was. That message went straight to his groin.

  She also smelled of lemons, which might be her perfume or might be the lemons she’d been cutting before he took over the cocktail part of the bar duties. Whatever the reason, the scent fit her personality, which was fresh, bright, and sexy as hell.

  Once in a while his knee gave him a twinge, but then he’d take his weight off his right leg and be okay again. He was grateful for that, because the party showed no signs of letting up, even after Alex and Tyler left in a shower of bird-seed. One o’clock came and went. Most bars closed then, but this one was owned by the sister of the groom, and she didn’t seem ready to kick people out.

  Caro slipped past him holding two brimming mugs of beer. “I’m worried about your knee,” she said.

  “Don’t be.” He garnished a cosmo. “I’m fine.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you.”

  “Working back here is a hell of a lot easier than dancing.” He delivered the cosmo and came back with a couple dirty glasses. “Besides, I’m enjoying the company.” He probably shouldn’t have said that, but it wasn’t as if he planned to ask her out.

  “Me, too.” She sent him a dazzling smile.

  That made him feel good, probably too good. He wondered what she had going on in her life that kept her from dating. She seemed like someone who was worth getting to know, on many levels, but they were too busy for him to ask any questions.

  Around two, the crowd finally began to thin, and Josie came to sit at the bar.

  “Can I get you something?” Logan asked.

  “No, thanks, but I owe you a huge debt for filling in tonight. I hope you haven’t stressed your knee.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I’d forgotten you used to tend bar, but Alex reminded me after he saw you back here flipping martini shakers around.”

  “I had fun.” Working in close proximity with Caro had been ninety percent of that fun, but he’d keep that fact to himself.

  “I could tell. Anyway, we’re all about to head back to the ranch, and most everyone else is ready to call it a night, too. Or technically, I guess we have to call it a morning.”

  Logan took stock of the remaining dirty glasses, popcorn baskets and crumpled napkins lining the bar and grouped on the tables. “It was some party, Josie.”

  “It was. Alex and Tyler deserved a blowout, so I’m glad we did it up right. When you’re ready, I’ll give you a ride back, along with my slightly toasted husband.”

  Logan gestured around the room. “Do we need to take care of the final cleanup?”

  “We probably should, at that.” Josie straightened her shoulders. “You’re right. I don’t want to leave this for the morning crew.”

  “Or you can let Caro and me handle it.” He made the suggestion casually, but there was nothing casual about his intentions. He wanted to be alone with the lovely Caro Davis.

  “I can do it, Logan,” Caro said immediately. “No worries. Go home and rest your knee.”

  “My knee’s fine.” Logan started gathering glasses. “I want to stay and help get this cleaned up. It won’t take long.”

  Jack Chance wandered over and hooked an arm around Josie. “Ready to take off?”

  “Not quite,” Josie said. “I really need to—”

  “No, you don’t,” Caro said. “Go home, Josie.”

  “I hate to leave you with this.” She surveyed the room. “It’s too bad that Steve—”

  “Well, he isn’t here,” Logan said, “and I’d really like to help out. Besides, maybe one of the fabled ghosts will show up.”

  “It could happen.” Josie looked perfectly serious. “I’ve often seen them after a bash like this.”

  “Ghosts or no ghosts,” Jack said, “I need to get my pregnant wife home. I have a suggestion. Let Logan stay and help, and then he can crash at Grandma Judy’s.”

  Josie turned to him. “I’m not sure about that, Jack. Do you think your grandmother will—”

  “She’ll love the idea. She’s always complaining that nobody uses her guest room. Let me borrow your pen, Caro.” He picked up a napkin from a stack on the bar and sketched a quick map for Logan. “Here’s where she lives. When we drop her off we’ll make sure she leaves a key under the mat. The guest room is down the hall to your right.”

  Josie took one last look at the debris left by the wedding guests and sighed. “Okay. There’s probably some fatal flaw in that plan, but I’m too tired to think of anything better, and I do hate to leave Caro alone with this huge mess.”

  “And the ghosts.” Logan tucked the napkin with the map into his pocket, and did his best to sound nonchalant when he felt anything but. He wondered if Caro was anticipating some alone time as much as he was.

  “And the ghosts,” Josie said with a smile.

  “Thanks, Logan.” Jack stuck out his hand and the two men shook. “I’ll drive in tomorrow morning and pick you up.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Josie said you’d like to stay on for a few more days and do some riding.”

  “I’d like that, but I’m a little rusty.”

  “Anybody with your athletic ability shouldn’t have any trouble.” Jack touched the brim of his hat with two fingers. “See you tomorrow.”

  “That was very gallant of you,” Caro said as the last of the wedding guests disappeared out the front door. “You must be exhausted.”

  He turned to her. “No more so than you, I’ll bet.” He took note of the wisps of hair that had escaped her ponytail and now curled around the nape of her neck. Any lipstick she might have applied earlier in the evening was gone. She looked infinitely kissable.

  Her hazel eyes were bright, as if she might be feeling some of the same excitement he was. “Yes, but I’m paid to do this. You’re not.”

  “You want to know something really sad? Getting paid isn’t an issue for me anymore. I’ve invested a good chunk of the money I earned while playing with the Cubs, and unless I start buying yachts and staying in hotels that charge several grand a night, I won’t ever have to work again.” That was all true, but he might have said it to impress her. Hell, sure he had.

  It obviously did, because her eyes widened. “But that’s not sad, that’s wonderful.”

  Her honest reaction demanded honesty in return. “You would think so, wouldn’t you? But in reality, it’s kind of depressing. I have no reason to go out and hustle anymore.”

  “You could do all sorts of volunteer things, ta
ke charge of some cause or other, travel—”

  “I could, and I probably will look into a charitable cause, but I’m not much of an administrator. That doesn’t get me excited. Helping people, yeah, I’d like that. But the thought of being the one in charge gives me hives.” He hadn’t meant to discuss this, but talking to someone who had no vested interest in his future seemed to loosen his tongue.

  “What a fascinating problem to have, deciding what to do with money and free time.” She walked over to the wall and put her hand on a bank of switches.

  “I suppose it sounds lame to call that a problem.”

  “Not if you’re used to being busy. Get ready. Bright lights.”

  He blinked. In the glare from the overhead lights the mess looked even worse. “This would be more fun with the lights off.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, a definite invitation in her eyes. “That’s true of a lot of things.”

  He met her gaze. He knew that look, and instantly his cock responded. Okay then. “Oh, I don’t know. Sometimes I like to see what I’m doing.”

  She turned back to him with a seductive smile. “Is that when you’re not very sure of yourself?”

  “On the contrary.” Lust was quickly obliterating the memory of any warnings Josie had given him. “The more confident I am, the more light I want on the subject.” He paused. “How about you?”

  She swallowed, and her cheeks grew pink. “Personally, I like to retain a little mystery.”

  “That can be exciting, too.” He’d instinctively drifted closer. If he kissed her now, they wouldn’t get any cleaning done.

  As if realizing the same thing, Caro cleared her throat and glanced away. “It’s getting late.” Pulling a plastic bin from under the counter, she lifted the hinged lid of the bar. “I’ll clear if you’ll wipe up after me.”

  He followed her out through the opening and got a grip on the bin. “I’ll clear and you wipe up. You’re the brains of this operation. I’m just the muscle.”