Taming the Montana Millionaire by Teresa Southwick Read Free Book Online Page B

loyalty.
    Since no wall separated the restaurant side from the bar side, she was glad that Roy’s back was to it. Over the original bar from the 1880s saloon was a picture of owner Lily Divine wearing nothing but gauzy fabric strategically placed to keep her from being completely indecent. There was a better than even chance the teen had seen nude female pictures before, but it wasn’t happening on Haley’s watch.
    She would have fed these two at her house, but cold cereal and toast were not the sort of comfort foods to inspire a troubled teen to loosen his tongue. Breakfast here whereshe worked was the plan because she’d heard that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.
    Marlon chose that moment to shift and brush his shoulder against hers and the resulting heat shooting through her made her wonder if the saying was true. Not that she wanted his heart—she didn’t. She wasn’t even sure she liked him, let alone trusted him. Besides, something bothered her about his explanation for not having a car. And why was he really helping at ROOTS?
    But none of those questions stopped the heat from pooling in her belly when he brushed against her again. He smelled good, clean and manly. After they’d arrived this morning he’d gone upstairs to his apartment to clean up. She hadn’t expected him to come back, but he’d surprised her. The two guys had eaten a full breakfast—eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes—but she’d lost her appetite the moment Marlon slid into the booth beside her.
    The waitress on duty stopped by the booth with a pot of coffee in her hand. “I hope you enjoyed your breakfast?”
    â€œBest pancakes I’ve ever had,” Marlon said.
    â€œEverything was really good, Shirley,” Haley added, glancing at the teen who didn’t look up. When he ordered coffee, she’d started to overrule him as being too young. Marlon touched her thigh, just a warning gesture that trapped her protest in her throat. She would never be sure whether she let it slide because being a guy Marlon knew more about guys, or simply that the sizzle generated by his touch zapped it from her mind.
    Shirley Echols was a green-eyed redhead who’d grown up in Thunder Canyon. She went away to college, but came back every summer to work. Holding up the coffee pot she said, “Warm up?”
    Haley shook her head as her two companions slid their mugs closer for refills, then remembered that this was theother girl’s last day. “It’s been great working with you this summer.”
    â€œYeah. Me, too. I’ll miss you.”
    â€œWhere are you going?” Marlon asked.
    â€œBack to college. UCLA. Senior year, finally.”
    â€œIt’s a great school,” he said approvingly. “And Westwood is a nice area. Close to L.A., Hollywood, Santa Monica. The ocean. Some happening places.”
    â€œI know.” Shirley slid him a flirty little smile.
    Haley was suddenly less concerned about losing a coworker and covering those shifts than the fact that she didn’t like the way Marlon was returning the smile. It could be that a sense of nagging envy was responsible. The two of them shared knowledge of a place Haley had never been and had no expectation of ever going. She was a hick who’d never been out of Montana and had no business wondering if the way to Marlon’s heart was through his stomach. Or anything else about him, for that matter.
    But darn it, what she was feeling seemed a lot like jealousy. Not that she’d had much experience with the emotion what with her lack of any dating history, but she couldn’t deny that resentful pretty well described the knot in her stomach. She wasn’t proud of it, but wouldn’t deny it, either.
    She might be a hick, but she was a polite hick. “Good luck with your last year of school.”
    â€œThanks.” Shirley started to walk away then said over her