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The pretty redhead behind the bar waved a hand in front of his face, diverting his attention from Ivy. “Cash or card?”
He held up his phone and paid using his digital wallet. With a nod of thanks to the bartender, he took his beer and moved to a vacant stool. Seating himself between two guys dressed just as country as Colton was in hats and boots, Hunter also positioned himself in the perfect place to keep tabs on the princess.
She was still speaking to the giant bouncer, who towered over her.
The guy pointed at something at the back of the room. Ivy bobbed her head and then threw him a little wave in farewell.
That wave.
Hunter could only call it…
No, he would not say it.
Cute.
Ugh. He needed to quit worrying about the princess.
He thought he could plant his ass on that barstool and make some friends, get them talking about people in town, maybe dig deep to find the dirt about who was targeting the Gracey Ranch.
But the minute Ivy broke away from her bouncer friend and stepped into the crowd, Hunter shot off the stool and tailed her.
Without so much as a glance his way, she strutted her sequined ass right past him. Three men rushed to make room for her at the bar.
Ivy slapped a hand down on the top in the most privileged move Hunter had ever seen.
The redheaded bartender spun around. She squealed and scrambled up and over the bar.
She landed as gracefully as a kitten on the other side, which earned a few whoops of amusement from the male patrons drinking their beer. But she didn’t pay them any mind as she threw her arms around Ivy.
They hugged, squealing in girly delight.
It seemed the princess was also Miss Popularity. She hugged the redhead with as much warmth as Hunter had seen her hug her own sister.
After a brief conversation, Ivy had a cocktail in hand and was moving toward the back of the room.
Hunter shouldered his way through the throng of people taking up every square inch of space, keeping an eagle eye on Ivy’s drink. The woman was oblivious to everything going on around her.
A man bumped into her.
Hunter’s molars gnashed together.
Goddammit, she’s going to get roofied.
When Colton invited him, Hunter had his doubts about letting down his guard and relaxing even a little bit tonight. That idea was definitely out the window.
Now he was officially on the clock, babysitting Forest’s little sister.
Colton appeared at his side, his gaze trained on Meadow where she stood a few feet away, talking to a group of ladies.
His buddy raised his voice to be heard over the driving beat of country music and the thump of boots on a wooden dance floor. “Forest was lucky as hell to have us.”
Hunter gave him a sharp look. “I’m not sure friendship is enough cause to watch over his little sister. Honestly, on the plane, I never connected who she was. I can’t even believe it’s the same girl from the photo. She must have been about twelve when it was taken.”
Colton eyed him from under the brim of his cowboy hat. “You saw that pic?”
“Yeah.” He looked over the heads of people between him and Ivy.
Men swarmed her like flies to honey, and no wonder. She was a fucking knockout. He’d place bets on the fact that every man in the joint wanted her.
