Debbi Rawlins – Come Closer, Cowboy (страница 3)

“No.” Mallory pressed her lips together to stop a curse. Even though she’d heard Sadie cut loose on a cocky young cowboy at the Watering Hole.

“That might not be a bad thing,” Sadie said. “I’m guessing you’ll have all you can handle tonight. Who have you got coming in?”

“Elaine. She’s the only waitress I hired.”

“Oh, honey, my place is half this size and I have three gals. You’ll be plenty busy, I can guarantee you that.”

“My old bar was about the size of the Watering Hole and I worked mostly by myself. Pouring, serving, you name it. But I’m pretty quick.”

Sadie gave her a dry look.

“No offense.”

She just smiled.

Mallory guessed the woman was about the same age as her mom. But Sadie had done more for her in the past three weeks than Mallory’s mother had seen fit to do in the twelve years she’d bothered to stick around.

“Sadie, have I told you how much I appreciate what you—”

“Yes. About a hundred times. Now hush.” Sadie gestured at the floor. “Lord knows how you put a little gleam in that pine but it won’t last long. Have you noticed some of the boots on these cowboys? I had to put down heavy-duty mats.” She snorted. “They wouldn’t stop three seconds to stomp off the dry mud.”

Mallory grinned. “I bet you didn’t let them get away with that.”

“Hell, no. I refused to serve them.”

“Now, I sure hope you’re not talking about me, Mayor Thompson,” Mike said, coming from the back room with a loose stride and an easy smile.

Sadie turned to look at him. “Don’t you Mayor Thompson me, young man. Sorriest decision of my life, running for office. I should’ve let that old windbag Leland keep the damn job.”

“Then where would we be? He would’ve shot down the Hollywood people. You’re helping the town make some money without letting it be overrun.”

“You two might be the only folks who believe that.”

“Lots of people are on your side, Sadie.” Mike unbuckled his tool belt. “It’s the naysayers making all the noise. Nothing new there. I need to grab some lunch. You wanna come, Mallory? I know you haven’t eaten.” He glanced at Sadie. “You, too. I’m buying.”

Mallory pressed a hand to her nervous tummy. “No, thanks.”

Mike looked as if he was about to argue, then reconsidered. “Sadie?”

“No, but I’ll walk you out. I’ve got a meeting in five minutes.” She studied Mallory. “At least let Mike bring something back for you. The day is just gonna get crazier.”

“I know, but I have a hundred new glasses to wash and stack,” she said, ripping open the box sitting in front of her and grinning. “I’ve gathered enough wool for now.”

Sadie laughed. “Then we’ll just get out of your way,” she said and prompted Mike to go ahead of her. As soon as he turned for the door, she glanced back and mouthed, “He’s single.”

And sweet as pie.

So Mallory had heard. From Louise, who owned the fabric and craft store, along with her friend Sylvia. Also from the Lemon sisters, twins in their eighties, who were as cute as could be...when they weren’t arguing.

She pulled out a set of glasses and got another glimpse of Mike before the door closed. He was tall, good-looking and the most easygoing man she’d ever met. He owned a ranch but when times had gotten tough, he’d picked up carpentry jobs to make ends meet. Recently he’d gone back to raising cattle full-time. Yes, she was paying him for the work, but he was doing her a favor.

Mike really was a terrific guy.

He just wasn’t Gunner.

2

AT 6:00 MALLORY opened the heavy wooden doors of the Full Moon Saloon. She was officially open for business and damned if Sadie hadn’t been right. A dozen people were already waiting on the sidewalk.

Mostly cowboys, three of them chatting up guests from the Sundance dude ranch. She didn’t know that for a fact, but the women who tended to stay there were pretty easy to spot.

“Come on in,” she said. “Your first drink is on the house.”

A couple of energetic hoots made her smile as she stepped out of the way. They wasted no time filing inside, so she started for her post behind the bar while checking out the footwear. The men’s boots were clean—some looked new. All except for the short dusty cowboy who ignored the women and went straight for a barstool.

Yep, he would be the one who screwed up her floor.

Elaine was already filling pitchers with beer by the time Mallory got herself stationed by the bowls of garnish. The lemons and limes were cut into wedges. Sadie warned she’d go through the limes quickly. As for the olives and cherries, Mallory stocked only a couple bottles of each.

Although she really hoped she wouldn’t need them. Beer and shots had been the staples at the Renegade. Gin and tonic, rum and Coke, the obvious drinks were no problem. But her knowledge of fancy cocktails was shaky at best.

“Who wants pitchers?” Elaine yelled so loud, Mallory nearly jumped out of her jeans.

Several hands went up.

Mallory had wondered how the waitress had taken orders so fast, not that she minded the casual approach. It was comforting, actually. If she closed her eyes she could’ve been back home. After Elaine loaded her tray, Mallory took over the tap and filled a mug for the guy sitting at the bar.

“Hey, cool name. I love Full Moon Saloon.” A petite blonde walked up and leaned against the bar as she studied the bottles of liquor on the shelves behind Mallory.

She still wasn’t sure about the name. Days after she’d come up with it and tested it on Ben and Sadie, Mallory had recognized the subconscious link to Gunner. To that fateful night. She’d specifically remembered the moon was full because of her desperate attempt to explain her stupid error in judgment. Lots of crazy stuff happened on nights with full moons. Ask any cop.

“Let’s see...” The blonde leaned closer, squinting at the bottles of flavored tequila. “Do you have Jell-O shots?”

Mallory held in a groan.

“Oh, for God’s sake, this is our first night. Give us a break,” Elaine said as she returned to fill more pitchers. “Order a real drink.”

The blonde’s eyes widened.

Mallory had to look away. With her fickle mood, if she started laughing there was no telling when she’d stop. Of course she’d liked the thirtysomething waitress—that’s why she’d hired her. But she liked Elaine twice as much now.

“You must be related to Sadie,” Mallory muttered under her breath while reaching around Elaine for her order ticket.

She grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Yep.”

“Um, excuse me,” the blonde said, and feeling duly ashamed—the woman was a customer, after all—Mallory gave her a smile. “Could you define ‘real drink’?”

Mallory tried not to look at Elaine. She really did. But their eyes met, briefly, and that was all it took. A laugh tickled the bottom of her throat as it forced its way up. For crying out loud, she wasn’t the giddy type. Exhaustion and nerves were to blame.

She had to get a grip. Another dozen or so people had entered the bar. They would never catch up if she didn’t put an end to this foolishness.

“How about a margarita?” Mallory asked the blonde who was looking impatient.

“Frozen?” she asked with a hopeful smile.

Mallory sighed. “Sure,” she said and nodded at the cowboy with the filthy boots, who was motioning for another beer.

For the next two hours, she and Elaine were so slammed they didn’t have time to look at each other, much less speak. Good thing. If Elaine had a moment to think she’d probably quit. And Mallory wouldn’t blame her. Every time the door opened, Mallory cringed. She sure didn’t need any more business tonight. Or any other night until she hired additional help.

Ten minutes and a dozen margaritas later, she took a quick gulp of cold water and straightened her back. She’d been hunched over the blender for most of the evening. Why had she suggested a margarita? Of course it became the popular choice of the night. For the women mostly. Thank God for beer-drinking cowboys.

Using the back of her wrist she pushed the hair off her face. So much for her nice, neat ponytail. She looked up just as the door opened and saw it was Ben and Grace. Awesome. Mallory had no qualms about putting Ben to work until they were caught up. She liked his girlfriend and might’ve hit her up, too, but Grace was the sheriff. Asking her to serve drinks didn’t seem kosher.

Mallory caught their attention and motioned them over. Ben responded with a nod. The smile of relief died on her lips when she saw the dark-haired man directly behind them. Her heart jumped wildly.

Gunner?

Couldn’t be.

Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely breathe. The glass she was holding almost slipped through her trembling fingers before she set it down.

How was this possible? He knew Ben, sure. Probably better than she did. They’d worked together sometimes and occasionally drank at the Renegade. But they were both loners and to call them friends would be a stretch. Or that’s what she’d thought.

Dammit. She didn’t need this, not now. Not ever.

They were making their way through the crowd, lingering here and there, when someone stopped to chat with Ben or Grace. But Gunner, from the second his eyes found hers, hadn’t looked away once. He just kept staring, his mouth curved in a tight smile that lowered her body temperature by ten degrees.