“You remember me, how nice,” she said.
I took an involuntary step back as she stalked toward thebar like a cat that had memorized every human pressure point. She hopped up on a barstool and slapped her hand on the wooden top. Her pink hair was bright enough to cause retinal damage against the warm wood and stone backdrop.
“Alright, Cowboy. Let’s have a chat.”
“I don’t think we need to,” I said as I shook my head.
“Oh, we need to. We absolutely need to. I have questions.”
Of course she did.
“All right, I’m listening,” I said, out of pure resignation, like I was in a hostage situation. She raised one perfectly sharp eyebrow.
“You answered her phone.”
“Oh god,” I muttered and rolled my eyes, wishing I’d stayed in bed this morning.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” she said, loud enough that the bartender polishing glasses at the far end suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. “You answered her phone and told that unhinged ex of hers, and I quote, “If you ever come near my woman again, I will bury you so deep in the mountains not even the coyotes will find your body to eat off your decaying flesh.”
“That was situational.”
“That was Cowboy Daddy energy,” she countered.
I blinked. “Cowboy Daddy energy?” Not actually sure, I wanted to know what she meant.
“Yes. Alpha male, testosterone, cowboy toughness, territorial claiming. That whole vibe you have going on.” She waved vaguely at all of me. “The boots. The shoulders. The broody, damaged, divorced man energy. It’s sexy.”
“I’m not broody.” It was about the only thing I could argue about, because the rest was true.
She laughed. “Sweetie. I’m sure you brood in your sleep. In fact, I guarantee it.”
I rubbed my jaw, trying very hard not to let this tiny pink menace get under my skin.
She leaned over the bar and narrowed her eyes at me. “Here’s what we’re not gonna do. We’re not gonna pretend you didn’t scare the shit out of Tessa by making her see you as someone she might not quite hate as much as she thought.”
“I was just trying to help.”
“She called me crying.” Her face changed from fierce protector to concerned best friend.
My chest tightened. “Is she alright?”
“Oh, now you worry.”
“From the moment I let her know about Ray, I worried about her.” There was the revelation I’d tried to push down. I was worried about Tessa. There wasn’t a reason for it. She was capable and smart, but she’d worked her way into my iron heart.
Dani froze. Her eyes softened in a way that made me deeply uncomfortable. “See,” she said quietly. “That right there is the problem. You care about her.”
“I don’t see how that’s a problem,” I said as I turned to the beer tap and grabbed a mug. Having this conversation needed a drink.
I slid the beer toward her, and her brows furrowed slightly as she stared at it.
“On the house,” I said as I poured one for myself. Having a beer at noon wasn’t something I usually did, but this was an extenuating circumstance. “Follow me.”
“Are you going to hit me over the head and toss me in one of those beer vats?” She asked as she trailed along behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and shook my head.
“You and Tessa lived together too long, she asked me the same thing, exactly.”
“We like true crime,” she said easily. Well, that explained it all then, didn’t it?
