The Last Cowboy Standing by Barbara Dunlop Read Free Book Online

He took the stool next to her.
    “He’s barely said a word to me all night long. Honestly, the only person creeping me out here, is you.”
    “He’s known where you were every second.”
    She angled toward him. “First, I don’t believe you. Second, I’ve been talking with his bosses. They’re the ones who have his attention, not me.”
    Travis reached for a handful of the snack mix on the bar. “Keep telling yourself that.”
    “I will, thank you very much.”
    The waiter set her drink down in front of her and looked to Travis for his order.
    “Are you hungry?” Travis asked her. “Those little crab puffs and cheese squares didn’t do it for me.”
    “I’m not leaving yet.”
    “I’ll take a beer,” Travis said to the waiter. “Whatever you’ve got on tap.”
    “It’s by the bottle, sir.”
    Danielle couldn’t help but grin as she stirred the ice in her soda and lime.
    “Anything from DFB?”
    “Mountain Red?”
    “Sounds great.”
    The waiter turned to the glass-fronted refrigerator.
    “This isn’t a honky-tonk,” Danielle pointed out.
    “Are my country roots showing?”
    She realized how snobby she sounded. “An honest mistake. No big deal.”
    The waiter returned with an open bottle of Mountain Red and a chilled pilsner glass. Travis handed him a tip, and Danielle realized she was the one who lacked class.
    “How’s it going?” Travis asked her as he tipped the glass and poured in the amber liquid. It foamed slightly at the top of the flared glass.
    “They seem serious,” she answered, gazing at the bubbles in her own drink. “They know a lot about me.”
    “Yeah? All good?”
    She smiled to herself. “They think it’s good. They know what I did for Active Equipment and a few others, and they want me to head up a South American division.”
    She couldn’t help replaying the conversations in her mind. If Claude Hedley was to be believed, she’d be on the cutting edge of a global wave of interest. The earning potential would be massive, and she’d be in a position to set her own priorities and parameters.
    “You going to take it?” asked Travis.
    “I’m thinking about it,” she answered honestly. Then it suddenly occurred to her she was talking to a close friend of Caleb’s.
    She quickly turned to take in his expression. “But...uh...”
    He caught on quick. “You don’t want me to tell Caleb.”
    Her hand went reflexively to his forearm. “I’d never ask you to lie. But it would be better for me if you didn’t mention it to him right away.”
    He took a reflective drink of his beer. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
    “Thank you. I’m sorry to put you in that position.”
    “I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”
    “I really didn’t think this through.” Where had her common sense been yesterday when she’d mentioned this to Travis.
    “Unusual for you?” he asked.
    “Very.”
    “He’s coming over.”
    “Who?”
    “Randal. Who else.” Travis’s gaze went down. “You’re touching me, and he feels threatened. He’s about to stake his territory.”
    She immediately realized she hadn’t taken her hand from Travis’s arm. Then she realized his arm was warm, hot actually under her fingertips. He was solid, strong and alive. She didn’t want to pull away.
    “Don’t panic,” Travis muttered in an undertone. “But I’m going to touch your hair.”
    “Wha—”
    Before she could finish the word, he gently brushed the back of his knuckles along her cheek, smoothing her hair back over her ear.
    She froze, every nerve ending in her body focusing on the gentle touch. Pings of awareness and desire shot out, sending signals of desire to every corner of her body.
    “Dani,” boomed Randal’s voice. He wrapped a hearty arm around her shoulders and gave her a pat. “It looked like things went well?”
    Travis’s hand fell away. “Hello, Randal.”
    “Oh, Travis.” Randal pretended he’d just noticed him. “How’re you holding up