Senada sighed and headed toward the two men. “One of those nights.”
Resisting the notion of Senada getting between two angry men, Troy held up his hand. “No. Give me a minute with ’em.”
He walked toward the men. “Excuse me,” he said, but both men ignored him. The middle-aged man was still going a mile a minute, and Troy, unfortunately, didn’t have a clue what he was saying. The man finally ended by shoving Juan.
Juan said, “Sí.”
The other man threw one punch, then another. Troy stepped forward and took the next one on the cheek.
“Troy!” he distantly heard Senada call.
Troy shook off the pain. Swearing, he pushed the man backward until he was pinned against the wall. “Nita,” was all the man said brokenly. “Nita.”
Juan came up beside Troy and swiped at his bloodied nose. “It’s okay. You can let him hit me. I got his daughter pregnant.”
Troy swore again. “Outside. We’re taking this outside.” He pointed toward the door.
Senada appeared at his side. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, let me get this taken care of.” Troy wrinkled his cheek and winced. He was going to have one helluva bruise.
“You need some ice?” she persisted.
“Maybe later.”
“You should have let me handle it.”
Troy tossed her a dark look. “The bruise’ll look better on me.”
Twenty minutes later, he’d negotiated his way through a convoluted discussion in Spanish spat out accusingly by Nita’s father and translated by an inebriated Juan. When he was certain no one was going to get killed, Troy sent both men home. By the time he returned to the bar, his cheek was throbbing. Tonya gave him beer, an ice bag and a look of sympathy.
In a darkened corner, Troy slumped in a chair wondering what had possessed his brothers to send him down here. Why was he staying? If he wasn’t taking abuse from Senada, he was asking for it from her customers, and suffering from lack of sleep in that horrible motel. Any man in his right mind would chuck it all and leave.
Troy glanced up at the sound of Senada laughing with a cowboy customer. Sin was flirting. No news flash there.
The cowboy was kissing her hand. And Troy, who had never had a jealous moment in his life, wanted to rip the guy’s lips off.
Chapter Five
An hour later, all the customers were gone and it was closing time. Senada bent down and peered at Troy’s swollen cheek. Wincing, she put the ice bag back on. “You look terrible.”
“Thanks,” he said dryly, still irritated with his feelings of jealousy but lapping up every second of her undivided attention.
She frowned and pushed his hair back from his forehead. “You should have let me handle it.”
“We already discussed that.” The woman had wonderful hands, he thought, wonderful. “I didn’t want you to get in the middle of that. You might get hurt.”
She blinked at him. “Protective? Is this the infamous Pendleton protective streak?”
“Not really,” he said with a shrug. “Logical move. I’m bigger than you are.”
“But I understand Spanish.”
“I don’t like the idea of you on the floor.”
Her lips twitched. “Pendleton protectiveness. I can’t remember the last time a man was protective of me. What a novelty.”
“Glad I brightened your day,” Troy said in a dark tone.
Senada giggled. “Oh, and believe me, you did.”
“Who were the friendly cowboys in the back?”
Her smile faded and her gaze slid from his. “Just some guys from the Circle K. They like to flirt.”
“Uh-huh. The Circle K a big cattle ranch?” He watched her closely.
She stroked his hair back again. Her scent seemed to permeate his pores. The touch of her hand was distracting. She was distracting.
“Yeah, I hear it’s pretty big.” She cleared her throat. “I hear the owner just got married.” Her eyes narrowed, then she seemed to shake off her pensive mood. “The foreman from the Circle K said the ranch is holding a big barbecue. He invited me to come.”
Troy felt another surge of something ugly in his blood. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” She gave him a considering look, and it was as if something clicked between them. “Wanna go with me?”
Fighting a rush of pure pleasure, he paused. “When?”
“I think it’s next weekend,” she said. “Of course, you might not still be in town.”
The dare in her voice dug into his nerve endings. “I’ll still be in town, and I’ll go with you.”
“You’re acting like someone died,” Senada said to Troy as they walked through the housewares department at the local store.