“Shouldn’t have been so far away then.” He grinned and cocked his head. “Come on, everyone’s waiting for you.”
I nodded and picked up my glass, turning to follow JD through the busy crowd to his table.
“There a reason we’re here instead of the usual place?” I asked, moving between bodies.
“Yeah, we’ll get to that,” he replied.
We passed a busy table filled with city folk out on vacation, and I shook my head in irritation.
Then I heard her laugh.
It cut through everything—music, chatter, the clack of pool balls. It was sharp and bright, like someone striking flint. I turned before I could stop myself.
She was leaning over a pool table, lining up a shot. Boots dusty, jeans hugging long legs, a plaid shirt tied at her waist like she didn’t have time for anything fussy. Her hair was sun-streaked and tied on top of her head, but loose strands had fallen around her face that looked like they’d smell of hay and summer. And her eyes, when she straightened and glanced my way, were storm-grey. The kind of eyes that didn’t just look at you. They judged you, and right now she was fucking judging me like I was the shit on her cowboy boot.
I chuckled when she looked away.
She wasn’t a tourist, that much I was certain of. Definitely local. But I couldn't remember ever seeing her around here before.
“Who’s that?” I nodded toward her.
JD followed my gaze and snorted. “Oh, hell, don’t start already.”
“Start what?” I asked.
“How’d you do that?” he asked with a shake of his head.
“Do what?”
“Notice the only person in a busy bar you don’t immediately recognize.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You think she’s the only one I’ve noticed in this bar? I thought you knew me better than that, Prez.”
“My bad,” he replied. “Well, that is Rowan Hale, and she doesn’t like bikers. Doesn’t like anyone telling her what to do. Doesn’t like a whole bunch of stuff and she especially won’t like you.”
“You’re killing me, Prez. She doesn’t even know me yet.” I threw him a sideways glance and smirked.
“Uh-huh.” JD didn’t sound convinced.
“Never even seen her around here before,” I said, still watching her.
“Her parents owned the Hale Ranch. She doesn’t normally come into town. Prefers to keep to herself—especially right now.”
“Sounds ominous,” I said.
“That’s a big word for you, Tex.”
“Fuck you!” I barked out on a laugh, and JD laughed back.
I squeezed past a couple of men, and their beer slopped over the sides of their glasses, nearly spilling on me. They grumbled and turned around, looking like they wanted to throw down until they turned and saw me and JD. Then they muttered their apologies and held up their hands as they backed away.
JD glared after them before continuing across the bar.
I wasn’t sure how I’d ever missed a woman like Rowan. I’d never even heard her name mentioned before. A womanlike that, in a town like this, was not the type I would have missed easily. I scowled, not liking the idea that I didn’t know something, or someone, like her.
“We’ll get to it—and her.”
My interest was officially piqued now.
