Inhaling sharply, Marshall rubbed his chin. “Let’s just go for a drink. I need my head screwed on straight.”
“That I can do.”
They arranged to meet in an hour, after Marshall had time to take a shower.
The air at The Dusty Spur had a sweet hoppy tang, and the moment Marshall entered the bar, he was comforted by the warm atmosphere and the familiar faces that surrounded him. Taking a seat at the bar, he scanned the room for…prospects?
He sighed.
Maybe a few beers would help it make sense. Ever since he saw Colette’s cookie tin on the desk in his office, he’d been completely out of sorts. She was on his mind more than was appropriate, and it had to stop now.
Startled by a familiar pat on the back, Marshall turned to Evan, who sat on the stool next to him. Evan had messy curly brown hair and a short brown mustache. His warm brown eyes sparkled with mischief, and he used them to his full advantage to charm the ladies.
“Hey, man. What’s the emergency? The fact that you called got me all worried.”
Marshall shook his head. “I know. I’m just realizing I haven’t gone out in a while. I need to have some fun.”
“You said you needed to get laid,” Evan added.
The bartender, who was pouring a beer from the tap, eyed Marshall curiously.
Marshall flushed, knowing everyone in town would be talking about how he’s looking to get laid if they weren’t careful.
“Keep your voice down,” Marshall warned. “What I meant was, it’s been a while… You know?”
Evan nodded. “You’ve come to the right place. Okay, so I’ve heard that Jessica’s cousins are in town.
“From Brantford?”
“You know it. Anyway, they’re twins.” Evan winked and waggled his brows, making Marshall scowl.
With a huff, Marshall suppressed whatever resistance was simmering inside his body and decided he needed to do this. Something. Anything that would distract him from his co-worker. Ultimately, she was off-limits for him. And Brantford wasn’t that far if he hit it off with one of the twins.
“Why do you look so…pained?” Evan asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
Marshall shook his head. “It’s nothing. It’s stupid.”
“I love stupid. Sometimes, the stupidest things are the most fun,” Evan said. “Hit me with it.”
Growling in frustration, Marshall decided this was it. He had to come clean. Who could he be honest with, if not with his best friend?
“We hired a new accountant,” he began. “She’s living in the guest house.”
Evan winced. “You lost me.”
“She’s…” Marshall rolled his eyes. “She’s hot.”
A grin spread over his friend’s face. “You want to bang the accountant.”
Marshall shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. She’s only here temporarily and we’re co-workers. Anything between us would be a bad idea. That’s why I need…a distraction.”
Playing with the end of his mustache as he hummed. Evan looked like he was thinking of a solution for Marshall. Perhaps coming to his friend was the right idea.
“Here’s what I’m thinking. You and I hook up with these twins here, because why not? And if that helps you forget the hottie staying on the ranch, great. If not, you bang the accountant. It’s a win-win.”
Marshall’s stomach sank. Evan made it sound so slimy.
He placed his hands on the smooth wood bar. “I’m not into sleeping around. I’ve done that enough in my life.”
