True Love at Silver Creek Ranch(70)

But it was a little harder to watch the women begin to gather, like they were seagulls, and he was the only snack food on the beach. Amber was a couple years older than Nate, divorced with three kids of her own, but she haunted the bar looking for the next guy. Nicole was a year or two younger than them, and had been in the 4-H club with Brooke, relentlessly cute and cheerful, and knew just how much cleavage to show to hook a man’s interest. Then darkly exotic Shannon, way too young for him, arrived to the women’s admiration party, moving sultrily to the music, as if she’d lure Adam to dance.

“Hey, babe, who you looking at?” LeVar asked, craning his neck to follow her line of vision.

“A guy who works as a hand for us. He’s just out of the Marines, and the ladies are welcoming him tonight.”

She thought about what it would be like if Adam were her date. Maybe he would have taken her dancing, and she’d let him lead her anywhere he wanted to go.

But it was Shannon who was pulling him into a corner to dance, and Brooke lost track of him in the crowd. A good thing, because she was worried her lustful look might give her away.

“Wow, this guy plays an impressive game of pool,” LeVar said excitedly.

It was her turn to follow where he pointed, and she saw a slim man playing pool with a prosthetic arm. He’d had a special piece made for the end to rest his pool cue on.

“Scott Huang,” she said. “We go to the same church. I wonder how good he is at pool.”

“I’ll let you know.”

LeVar walked away from her to get a closer look, without asking if she wanted to go. She had no problem with that.

And then she saw Adam standing alone, watching the disabled vet play pool. His expression was so impassive, it was a little scary.

She approached him and nudged his arm. “Scott’s pretty good, isn’t he?”

Adam nodded and glanced at her while taking another sip of beer.

“He works for Outdoor Tours here in town. They do everything from take guests on rugged cross-country ski weekends, where you camp outdoors, to fly-fishing weekends in the summer, where guests are catered to like royalty. His specialty was rock climbing.”

Adam studied her. “Why are you telling me this?”

“You looked interested. It took him a while after the Army, but he found himself again. He’s an incredible skier, and he still leads mountain-biking expeditions. There’s lots of stuff he can do. You know that veteran’s housing project I mentioned? He’s the next recipient.”

“Hey, babe!” LeVar suddenly called as he worked his way back across the room.

“Babe?” Adam whispered, amusement laced through his voice again.

Without glancing at him, she murmured, “Maybe a little sexier than ‘boss.’ ”

“So I should use ‘boss’ at more intimate moments, is what you’re saying.”

“Shh!” But she wanted to laugh.

When LeVar arrived, she introduced them, and they shook hands. For the next ten awkward minutes, the discussion ranged from the pool tournament, to the plumbing and ranching businesses, to the Denver Broncos. Not the Marines, of course.

LeVar finally glanced over his shoulder toward the pool table. “Next game’s up. You want to go watch, babe?”

He started away, and as Brooke politely moved to follow him, Adam whispered, “I think he forgot your name.”

She bit her lip as another bubble of laughter threatened to erupt.

Two hours later, when a winner had been declared and her feet were killing her, Brooke politely declined LeVar’s offer to walk her to her car—and his cell-phone number. As she was donning her coat beside the front door, she saw a poster she hadn’t noticed before. In bold colors it said, “Come to the December 8 town council meeting. Stand up for freedom in America. Stand up for Freedom of Choice, of Business.” And in little letters at the bottom, “sponsored by the Valentine Valley Preservation Fund committee.”

Great. She was going to have to attend.

After Brooke had gone, Adam thought how hot she’d looked, her dress hugging every curve, but no hotter than she looked first thing in the morning going out to feed cattle.

Guess he found her hot no matter what.

He extricated himself from the tavern without a woman on his arm and started to drive home. He passed the house being renovated for Scott Huang. And I thought I came home with scars.

Brooke’s jeep was already in the yard when he arrived, but she didn’t come to him. He missed her, and knew it wasn’t just about the sex. He was feeling more for Brooke than she wanted him to feel, but he didn’t regret it.





Chapter Sixteen





Late the next afternoon, before he could change his mind, Adam drove into town and stopped at the house renovation project, a two-story cottage with dormers jutting from steep gables and decorative trim along the front porch. Scaffolding was built along one wall as people worked on the siding. Several pickups and minivans lined up along the curb. When Adam knocked on the front door, a middle-aged woman on the scaffolding ducked her head beneath the porch roof to look at him.