Patrick slid an arm around Lucy’s shoulders so she stood side by side with him. “He said it was an important call. Maybe it was an emergency.”
Lucy looked like she was struggling with her emotions as she looked up at him with what Gwen recognized as a stiff upper lip. “Doesn’t matter. And you shouldn’t make excuses for him. He’s just a rude jerk that stomps all over people. I hear all the time about what a great guy he is, how wonderful he is, how he worked so hard on his beekeeping business, how caring he is. Well, to me, he’s just a jerk. A big, stupid…” Her chin trembled and Patrick tilted her head to his shoulder. “Jerk.”
“I know,” Patrick replied softly.
Lucy looked up at him. “Do you think he’s okay?”
Gwen covered her response by turning to reach for her margarita. Boy, talk about a mood shift.
“He’s had several beers. I’ll go check.”
Lucy looked even more worried. “We should take his keys.”
Patrick nodded consolingly, evidently used to these exchanges. “You stay in here. I don’t want you out in the wind and rain.”
Lucy took her seat and watched the tall man as he stalked toward the front entryway. She continued watching even after he disappeared from sight.
Gwen patted Lucy’s shoulder comfortingly. “Maybe he was waiting on a business call or a family member called. It’s probably nothing major.”
Lucy let out an exasperated sigh. “I just wish I knew what was bothering him.” She looked at Gwen and smiled. “Thank you.”
Gwen nodded and the conversations continued on around them but Lucy still kept an eye on the door.
Julián invited Gwen out onto the dance floor as Gloriana’s “Can’t Shake You” began to play.
Julián kissed her forehead as he pulled her close and said, “Now this is more my speed.”
“Mine too.”
She breathed in the combination of his aftershave and his own unique masculine fragrance as she rested her head on his chest. Warmth pulsed inside her and the heat spread in a languorous wave to her pussy as his cock hardened against her. She rubbed lightly against him. “Julián?”
“Yes, love?” He gazed down at her, his handsome face framed by his black felt Stetson.
“Thank you for my Valentine’s Day gift. I love this dress, and the boots are…it’s so much.” She wondered how much of his savings he’d had to exhaust to buy it all but wouldn’t have messed up his gift by asking. “My greeting cards for the two of you seem paltry by comparison.”
Julián shook his head and the serious look in his eyes told her that he didn’t see it that way at all. “I didn’t expect a gift in return. I wanted to give you something that you’d love, and when Rosemary showed me those boots, I wanted to give them to you, no strings attached. The look on your face when you opened the box was priceless. Worth every penny I spent. And you can stop worrying about the cost.”
“Why? Did you rob a bank? Win the lottery?”
He shook his head. “Nope. You just stop worrying. And you’re very welcome. I’ll always treasure my first Valentine from you.”
“First? You’re thinking it’s not the only one?” They hadn’t discussed her leaving in March hardly at all in the last month.
“I hope it’s not the only one.” The sincerity in his voice sent a wave of longing to pierce her heart.
Her eyes went a little blurry as she looked up at him and offered him what she could. “No matter where I am, Julián, I’ll send you a Valentine every year.” In her heels, she didn’t have to stand on tiptoe to receive his kiss as they danced. She wished the dance could go on forever but the song finally ended and Julián walked her back to the table.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask her handsome cowboys to take her home and celebrate Valentine’s Day with her between them when her attention was drawn to Lucy and Patrick.
Lucy blotted at Patrick’s drenched shirtsleeves with a bar napkin. “What do you mean he won’t come back inside? This night out was all his idea.”
Gwen and Julián joined Chris and listened to Patrick. “I found him sitting in the truck with the door open even though it’s pouring rain outside. I took the keys from him.” He placed the key ring in Lucy’s hand.
“Was he planning to just leave us here?” Lucy asked, incredulity obvious in her tone as she looked down at the key ring.
“No, at least I don’t think so. I think he was trying to decide what to do. He looked…”
“Looked—what? He looked like what?”