“I didn’t use all the hot water, I swear.”
“I know that. I need to talk to you about something. So after you’re decent”—she gestured to the towel—“come into the kitchen because we have to talk. Make it snappy. Time is wastin’.”
He slipped on a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He’d plugged his dead cell phone in before hitting the shower and quickly checked his messages.
Three. From . . . Riss? What the hell?
The first was a selfie of Riss and Jade in a bar.
His stomach cartwheeled at seeing Jade’s sweet smile. She just did it for him. On so many levels.
He squinted at the next shot. Jesus. Was that a picture of Jade’s ass? He enlarged it. Oh yeah. Jade’s ass in tight jeans with sparkles on the butt that just made him want to sink his teeth into that curve below the pocket.
But why had Riss sent him a picture of Jade’s backside? Judging by the way Jade stood, she had no idea her friend was secretly snapping pics of her butt.
In the third pic, a guy had his hand on Jade’s shoulder. The time stamp on that one was half an hour ago.
Tobin texted: Where are you?
RT: The Prickly Cactus . . .
Garnet appeared outside his door. “Tobin, I really need to talk to you.”
“Make it fast, Miz G. I’m on my way out.”
“Jade called me.”
Tobin whirled around. “When?”
“Earlier. She’s out with Riss and she told me not to wait up.”
“Christ.”
“She’s an adult entitled to her fun. Heaven knows I resist when anyone tries to end my good times. I just worry because she’s never had much use for a pixie dust night.”
He remembered the one time he knocked back a few pixie dust shots. Or maybe he should say, he didn’t remember—the next morning he woke up naked on his deck with a sunburn in places the sun don’t shine. Ever since that incident, the Mud Lilies referred to a night out making questionable decisions a pixie dust night.
“So I need a huge favor.” Garnet twisted her gnarled fingers. “Make sure Jade is all right.”
“How, Miz G?”
She blinked. “By spying on her, of course.”
“Not happening. I’ll check on her to make sure she’s not doin’ anything illegal like some people who tend to get carried away on pixie dust nights. But whatever else she’s doin’? Ain’t your business. Got it?”
“I hate when you shoot down my ideas with logic.”
Tobin smiled. “I know. You’ll be all right by yourself? I probably won’t be back tonight.”
“Where are you goin’?”
To get a tiger by the tail.
His grin told her that wasn’t any of her business either. “Have a good night.”
She stomped her foot. “Dadgummit. You oughta be taking me along.”
“Nope.” He touched her nose as he walked past her in the hallway. He could only handle one Evans woman at a time.
Tobin made a call as soon as he turned onto the main highway.
Ike picked up on the second ring. “T, what’s goin’ on?”
“Riss and Jade are drinking at the Prickly Cactus.”
“Are you kiddin’ me?”
“Not even a little.”
“Hang on.” Ike muffled the phone but Tobin still heard some background noise. “I’ve gotta go, sugar.” Then thirty seconds later, he heard, “On my way.”
“See you in a few.”
Tobin had worked himself up pretty good by the time he’d reached Rawlins.
Ike leaned against the side of the building, looking disheveled. “Hey.”
“You been in there yet?” Does Jade have some asshole’s hands all over her?
“Nope. Waiting for you.”
“Let’s go.”
“Ah ah ah. Not so fast. You lookin’ for a fight?”
Tobin shook his head. “Doesn’t mean some dumb fuck won’t give me one.”
Ike muttered something about dental insurance as Tobin brushed past him.
The look on Tobin’s face kept the bouncer from stopping either of them.
The music wasn’t overly loud yet. There weren’t as many people inside as he’d imagined, and most of them waited at the bar. Tobin scanned the tables for a sign of her.
Bingo.
His elation at seeing Jade didn’t extend to the half dozen guys hanging around the table. If the bar area wasn’t so swamped, he might have ordered a beer and observed the situation for a bit before approaching.
Instead he marched right up to her, inserting himself between her and the guy about to lose his fucking hand for putting it on her.
When Jade saw him, she smiled. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“I was in the neighborhood.”