AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The candle on our table danced and swayed. Behind me, I sensed the bar door open with a new customer. Pippa’s bright-blue eyes lit up, and she squeaked.
“Whoa. Stand aside, boys. I think we have a ten.”
A ten was the veggie burger I was currently savoring, which was where my focus remained. Pippa was always vigilant for a possible hookup. Abby and I were a little more reserved.
But the candle flickered, as did the fire in the hearth. And, huh. Something inside me quivered in the same way.
“Ooh, la la. Where did this guy come from?” Pippa gushed.
Abby scowled, then did a double take. “Not bad — if you like hair cut like that.”
“I like, I like!” Pippa chuckled.
I could already picture him. A tall, built, cowboy type. Maybe a tall, built, lumberjack type. Or a tall, built, athlete type…
Yes, there was a clear pattern when it came to Pippa’s man hunts.
I wasn’t convinced, but I did turn for a peek. And, oh.
Oh.
Wow.
I meant, er…not bad.
Mystery Man stood at the door. Strong jaw, I noticed. Strong shoulders. Heck, strong everything, all looming a couple of inches over the man closest to him. Brown hair curled to just under his ears, a shade darker than mine. His comfy, fleece-lined denim jacket sported a tear on one sleeve. The guy would have fit in perfectly with a construction crew — the kind that inspired Diet Coke ads.
Hollow, brownish-green eyes swept the scene before he stepped to the bar. Whoever he was, the guy moved like a cat. Or better yet, an assassin.
Pippa wiped her mouth, threw down her napkin, and stood. “I’ll be back, girls. I’ll be back.”
“You’d better,” Abby warned. “It’s all fun and games until the morning after.”
“Having a drink with a guy doesn’t mean I’m spending the night with him,” Pippa protested, sashaying away.
I believed her. Pippa liked to flirt, but I wasn’t aware of her really fooling around with anyone since breaking up with the love of her life. She claimed to be over him, but I doubted it.
Abby watched her go, frowning. “Ever worry she’s too much like Mom?”
I worried constantly — and not just about that. Ranch finances were just as high on my list. Our great-aunt had sold us the ranch for a song before moving to Palm Springs, but we struggled to keep the place up, what with taxes, maintenance, and routine operating costs. Developers kept knocking on our door, but we refused to sell.
Abby and I were hashing out ideas when Pippa returned and plopped into her chair. “Huh.”
“No luck?” I asked.
She shook her head, dumb struck.
Now, that was a first.
As was my strange sense of relief. Apparently, Pippa wasn’t Mystery Man’s type. So, who was?
As I peeked over at him, the candle flickered, just like that undefinablesomethinginside me.
Chapter Two
NASH
The waiter thumped a glass on the bar. “One water. You sure you don’t want a whiskey with that?”
