Here Comes Trouble by Becky McGraw Read Free Book Online Page A

firing squad," he
told her with a laugh.
    "I doubt that, but at least you don't have to
fight off Dr. Octopus and them at the same time."
    "Yeah, that's something...wanna dance?" he
asked then glanced over at Joel, before looking back to her. "Or
are you here with someone?"
    "Um, yeah...Solly this is Joel Rhodes, my new
boss. Joel, this is Solly Redmond, a friend from the ER," she
introduced.
    Joel held back a growl when Solly dropped his
arm around her shoulders and reached across her to extend his hand.
"You're a smart man to hire this one...she's a damned good nurse,"
Solly told him and squeezed her shoulders.
    For a second, Joel contemplated whether to
shake his hand or not. Seeing his other hand was on Terri, Joel
wanted to break his fingers. Reining in the impulse, Joel took his
hand and shook it firmly. He didn't hear any bones crunch, so he
figured he must've managed to go easy.
    A two-step song came on and Terri squealed,
then downed the rest of her martini. After wiping her lips she
looked over at Joel with a smile and said, "You don't mind if I
dance a couple with Solly, do you? I won't be long."
    "Food's gonna get cold," Joel grumbled and
took a long drink of his beer.
    "One dance then," she said with a wider grin
then slid off of the bar stool. The top of her head barely reached
the man's chest, but he quickly tucked her under his arm and walked
her toward the back of the bar where a small dance floor was set
up, leaving Joel staring at his beer.
    Against his better judgment, Joel turned on
the bar stool to watch them dance. A glutton for punishment is what
he was. The man pulled her against his body, her arms slid around
his neck, and Joel's stomach clenched in a sick knot. This wasn't
the first time they had danced together he quickly realized when
Solly spun her in circles and executed complicated moves which she
was perfectly in tune with as they strolled around the
floor.
    That song ended and another began and they
moved to the middle of the dance floor. Solly pushed and pulled her
away then pulled her to him, before throwing her around like she
was a rag doll. Jitterbug took on new meaning watching those two do
it. Terri was grinning from ear to ear, evidently having a
ball...with another man. Her laughter rang out across the bar and
when it reached his ears Joel flinched and turned back toward the
cheeseburger that Jerry had just delivered.
    He was sure Terri had other men in her life
since their time together a year ago, he'd certainly had women, he
just hadn't thought about it. And he hadn't thought it would bother
him...but Joel was definitely bothered. His main goal right now was
to finish his damned cheeseburger as fast as he could, down the
rest of his beer and get the hell out of here.
    He'd spend the night in Dallas, and drive back
to Amarillo tomorrow. Hopefully, by the time he got back home,
she'd be settled into the bunkhouse and he'd only have to see her
occasionally. The less time he spent with her the better. He had no
idea why he stopped in Henrietta to check on her to begin with. He
could have made it to Dallas and loaded the truck already, but he'd
stopped here instead to see if she needed help.
    Joel was lying to himself though, he knew
exactly why he stopped. He needed a pep talk, and he knew Terri
would give it to him unvarnished. He was going to have to see Karen
in Dallas, and it was the first time since he'd left her over a
year ago.
    But Terri was otherwise occupied, too busy for
him. With her outgoing and straightforward personality, not to
mention her cuteness, he imagined she had men lined up wanting her
attention. He was just one of many, and he didn't like
it.
    A year ago, he'd basically told her she would
be one of many, that he wasn't looking for a relationship. Right
now, he was feeling like she must have been then, and he didn't
like it, but he still couldn't offer her a relationship. Joel was
never going there again...and now she worked for him. That would be
the extent of