Cash chuckled. “Now that’s a bit too big of a word for a humble cowboy like me.”
“Humble?” Whit burst into a fit of laughter. “So that’s what you’re calling yourself nowadays?”
He scoffed, mimicking offense, but there was no hiding the playful glint in his hazel eyes. “Miss Quinn, tell them they’re wrong.”
I grinned and gently patted his arm. “I wish I could.”
He scoffed, more of that mock disbelief escaping him. “Y’all are mean.”
We all laughed as another newcomer approached the bar. “Hey ya, Cash.”
“What can I get you, sugar?” Ollie asked.
“Coors, please.” He glanced at us only a moment before setting his gaze straight ahead, like he was nervous or something. He even fidgeted with something in his pocket.
He was older—like, as old as, if not older than my dad—but that didn’t do anything to diminish how attractive he was. Short, wheat blond hair mostly hidden beneath a white straw cowboy hat. A fit build, and an impeccable sense of fashion. Even amidst this sea of money at this event, everything about him screamed wealth—from his fitted navy sports coat, his pale pink button up peeking out from beneath it, to his heavily starched jeans, and a pair of cowboy boots that were probably made out of some exotic animal. Maybe snakeskin or crocodile.
“Who is that?” Whit breathed, quiet enough that the man hadn’t heard her.
My gaze whipped to my best friend then back at the cowboy. There was a youthfulness to him, making him seem younger than his years. All around he was incredibly attractive, but he was easily a good twenty-five years older than Whit, and that was being generous.
Ollie handed him a cold beer with a wink, before aiming her attention back our way.
Cash’s gaze turned quizzical as he glanced between Whit and the newcomer. “That’s my Uncle Goodie. Why?”
Whit smoothed out her black, body-hugging gown and stood a bit taller, her gaze flicking to the older cowboy once more. He noticed her stare and fumbled with his beer, on accident knocking it over on the bar top.
“Oh, shit!” he exclaimed, trying to mop up the mess with napkins. His gaze flicked back up to Whit and the look ofsurprise, then downright bafflement that crossed his face was the most wholesome thing I’d ever seen in my life.
I swear I heard her murmur under her breath, “He’s so cute.”
Okay, was I, like, in the Twilight Zone, or something?
Without another word to any of us, Whit moved toward the man. “Hi there, I’m Whit. Wanna buy me a drink?”
The man opened and closed his mouth once, twice, glancing between Cash and Whit, almost like he couldn’t believe what was happening. “I um… I…”
Cash flashed his uncle a sly grin and nudged him with an elbow. “Well, order the girl a drink, Goodie. Damn.” He glanced at Ollie and tipped his hat to her, something flickering in his light gaze. “Have a nice night, Miss. Lovely party, Quinnie girl.”
“It’s Ollie, not miss,” she clarified as he walked away.
He turned back to wink at her. “See you around, Miss Ollie.”
And then he left. Past Ryder and Maverick and the rest of their party. Past his girlfriend. He kept walking, disappearing into the mass of people. I glanced at Ollie, noting the intrigue in her mismatched eyes.
“Well, that was interesting,” I said, blowing out a breath.
Ollie pegged me with her intense gaze and I shivered under the weight of it. She could be terrifying sometimes. This…this was one of those times. “What are you talking about?”
“I think he likes you.”
She huffed. “That’s not hard. He likes anything with a pretty face and a pussy.”
Thank God I didn’t have a drink or it might have come out of my nose or something. “Ollie!”
“What?” She shrugged, brushing her midnight waves back over her shoulder. “It’s true. I am fully aware of his kind. Always on the hunt for his newest catch.” Even as she spoke, she watched the place where he’d disappeared.
“But…do you want to be caught?” I asked hesitantly.
