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“Can I have a bottle of water, please?” she asked.
“Sure thing, doll.” Danny walked away.
Unable to resist, she peeked over at Draven and found him staring at the television. She took the few seconds to study him. His strong jawline was covered with a light beard. His hair had a sprinkle of grays blended into the dark strands. Her fingers itched to run through his hair. She bit her lip taking in his solid build underneath his t-shirt and jeans.
Lord, she had a problem. Here she was, ogling a man who probably wouldn’t even give her the time of day.
“You know it’s impolite to stare,” a deep, drawling baritone voice said.
Draven slowly met her gaze. Even in the low light of the Hen House, she was struck by his crystal-blue eyes. They were so clear they were almost iridescent. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity in his eyes.
“Oh, um, I’m sorry,” Cashea stuttered. He probably thought she had a few screws loose now. Sheblew out a deep breath and stretched out her hand. “Hi. I’m Cashea.”
He stared at her hand for a long moment. She almost pulled back, thinking he wasn’t going to shake it. Finally, his larger hand engulfed hers. His palms were callused, and her heart skipped a beat imagining his hands running along her skin.
“Draven.” He removed his hand and turned back away from her and lifted his drink.
“I know who you are,” she blurted out.
He glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow. She froze under his gaze that perused her body. Her nipples pushed against the material of her bra. She resisted the urge to shift her feet as he took her all in. She had chosen a summer dress with thin spaghetti straps and her worn-down pair of cowboy boots.
“Here you go, doll,” Danny announced. He set the bottle on the counter.
Cashea reached for her water, thankful for the distraction.
“Thanks, Danny, and can you do me one more favor?” she asked, giving him her winning smile. She tilted her head to Draven. “Put his next drink on my tab.”
“Sure thing?—”
“You don’t have to do that,” Draven interjected. He raised his hand and shook his head.
Danny paused, his gaze bouncing between the two of them. She reached over and rested her smaller hand on his.
“I want to. My brother was a Marine, too, but he didn’t make it home. So let me buy you a drink to welcomeyouhome,” she said softly.
Something passed through his eyes that she couldn’t read. For a moment, she thought he was still going to resist. Instead, he jerked his head in a nod.
“Thank you,” he murmured. He focused on her hand still resting on top of his.
She hadn’t even realized how close she had gotten to him. She slipped her hand from his and gave him a warm smile. It wasn’t often she brought up her brother to a stranger, but for some reason she’d felt the need to in that moment.
Danny slid a very generously filled glass to Draven and tipped his head to them before he walked away.
“I’ve heard about your father’s ranch and I wish my brother would have been able to go to a place like that. He would have loved it,” she said.
Her brother had loved nature and horses. Hewould have enjoyed being able to work a ranch with other former military. Sadness filled her heart, but Micah had died doing something he’d believed in. He’d believed in the freedom this country offered and wanted to help protect that. He had always looked out for the little man, and him going off to war was not surprising to their family.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Draven said. He finished off the drink he’d been nursing.
“Thanks, but there is to be no moping around. Micah would have my hide if he knew I was sad about him dying.” She chuckled. It had taken her a while to get to this point in life after her brother’s passing. But it was the truth. He would be pissed to know she was sulking over him.
Draven’s attention was back on the television screen. The other patrons around the bar hollered at one of the plays going down. Cashea wasn’t much of a football fan. She knew a few things from growing up and it always being on while her father and brother watched it. But she had never been one to follow the teams. She couldn’t tell you who any of the players were, much less which team they played on.
“Well, I guess I should be going. It was nice tomeet you,” Cashea said. She just hoped he didn’t think she was a weirdo. That’s all she needed.
A figure slid in behind her a little too close. Cashea stiffened.
“Well, look who it is,” a voice said.
