Chapter Six

The knowing Flo cast a suspicious glance, first to Charli and then over her shoulder at Grant. He tried to discreetly adjust himself behind her and prayed the older woman wouldn’t notice the bulge in his pants. Charli half turned and he couldn’t believe how cool she appeared. Nothing like the woman who was all for doing it up against the wall with him five seconds ago.

She grabbed the housekeeper’s arm with both her hands. “Flo, I’m so glad you’re here. I think there’s something wrong with Grant. He’s flushed and hot and he’s not breathing right. I think he might be running a fever.”

Flo’s gaze flew to Grant and concern filled her dark eyes. “He doesn’t look right, does he?” She pushed into the bathroom and pressed her old wrinkled hand to his forehead. “He is hot!”

Grant caught Charli’s smirk behind Florence’s back but what was he going to say—” Of course I’m hot, look at her!” He could only imagine the housekeepers tongue lashing he’d get if she got wind that he was getting hot and heavy with Charli Boyd in the hallway.

Flo pressed her hand to his chest. “Sit down here on this stool and I’ll get a cool cloth and some aspirin.”

Charli looked completely at ease and he was amazed at her acting abilities.

But which was the act? The scene in the hall or this one? Was she glad they’d been interrupted?

Flo bustled about the bathroom and Charli tipped her head to stare back at Grant. Her eyes danced with laugher as she leaned against the doorjamb watching.

“I hope it’s nothing I did,” she said. “Maybe my custard turned in the heat.”

“Oh sweetie, I’m sure it’s nothing like that. He probably got overheated and should have lied down before it got the best of him.”

“I did try to get him to go to bed, Flo.”

Grant choked and gasped.

Flo slapped a cold wet washcloth on his face and pushed his head down. “You feeling faint? Put your head down between your legs.”

“I tried to help but he wouldn’t listen to me.”

Grant lifted his head and Charli blew him a kiss behind the housekeeper’s back. She pushed away from the doorway. “Do you think I should walk him over to his place so he can lie down?”

Grant glared at her although part of him was still worked up enough to want to be alone with her. If she walked him to his place, he wasn’t going to be responsible for what would happen.

“He’ll be fine, Charli, just needs some time in the air conditioning. He’ll be calmed down shortly. Don’t you worry. You’re such a sweetheart to care so much.”

“That’s me, Flo, a regular saint.” She winked again at Grant and then flounced away, her skirt swirling behind her.

He groaned and Flo slapped some aspirin in his hands. “You take these and drink that whole glass of water. You might be on the verge of dehydration. I keep telling you men, not so much beer in this heat.”

Fleeing to the kitchen, Charli poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher in the refrigerator. Her hands trembled and she pressed the cold glass to her forehead.

Well, that hadn’t gone as planned. Charli closed her eyes. She’d only been going to pick on him a bit—see if she could push him in to talking to her about Abigail. She took another drink of water. If he was dating this other woman like he insisted he was, then he wasn’t very devoted. Of course, if the other woman was married, like she suspected she was, then Grant had no reason why he had to be true to her. She swallowed hard and set the empty glass on the counter.

She never expected the explosion of passion that just happened. Something about him really got her circuits firing. It had been a long time since she lost her head when a man kissed her, but she’d definitely lost her head today. What if Flo hadn’t interrupted them? Even she didn’t think fooling around in the hallway was a good idea. She smirked. They should have moved into the bathroom and shut the door. Her stomach ached with unfulfilled desire and her legs were weak. Her only consolation was knowing that Grant was suffering just as much as she was.

“You okay?”

Charli glanced at Sara as she walked in the back door.

She smiled brightly. “Yeah fine, why?”

Her friend opened the refrigerator, pulled out a baby bottle and moved to the microwave. “You disappeared pretty quick. I wasn’t sure where you went.”

She glanced down the hall, wondering if Grant was going to rejoin the party or sneak away. “Just in here putting some things away.” Moving to the table she picked up the stacked pile of dessert dishes and began to load the dishwasher. Looking at her friend again she frowned at the dark circles under her eyes. “You look tired.”

Sara nodded, pulled the bottle out of the microwave and shook it up. She squirted a few drops onto her wrist. “Yeah, it goes with the pregnancy territory.”

Flo walked into the kitchen. “Are you putting that baby’s bottle in that microwave again?” She slammed her hands on her plump hips and glared at Sara.

Sara rolled her eyes. “It’s fine, Flo. I checked and shook it up; no hot spots.”

Flo snatched the bottle from her hand. “Nonsense. You don’t know that for sure. Heating bottles on the stove was good enough for you kids and it will be good enough for your babies. Now sit down; you look pale.” She set the bottle in the sink and in a few seconds had a pot of water heating on the stove. “First Grant then you; I sure hope there’s nothing going around.”

Charli slipped out the door while the two women argued. Her head was still spinning and her body was on fire from the hall scene. The last thing she needed to do was stick around and have Flo suddenly decide she was sick as well.

****

Grant sipped his second beer a lot slower than the first. It was only Thursday night, but the LoneStar was packed. After a quick survey of the room to ensure himself that the devil’s daughter wasn’t there, he relaxed. Ever since the party last weekend, he’d managed to avoid Charli completely. He made sure he was out of the office before she arrived in the morning and stayed away all day. Fortunately, most of his appointments could be handled on-site. He’d even made a house call for a sick barn cat. Anything to not have to work with her.

Leaning back, he listened to the band and reveled in a night completely off. He and Beth had an arrangement with the clinic over in Clear Wind to help one another out from time to time. He’d contacted them today and arranged for the other animal clinic to take his calls tonight and tomorrow. He was going to enjoy some beers tonight and then leave tomorrow morning for a long day away. He needed to get off the ranch. He planned to simply get in his truck and drive, maybe to Dallas or Houston.

Sara’s voice rose above the crowd and he turned to watch her and Buck walk in hand in hand. He grinned and lifted a hand to wave them over to his table.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Sara asked, sinking to the chair across from him as Buck moved to the bar.

“Nothing. A quiet night.” He lifted his beer and sipped again, reminding himself to slow down.

Sara brushed her hair back. “Quiet? I can barely see the band through all these people.”

Grant shook his head and leaned across the table so she could hear him. “Quiet as in I’m not on call. I can have a couple beers and not have to worry about driving out to someone’s ranch.”

Sara nodded then smiled at Buck as he set a ginger ale in front of her. She wrinkled her nose. “I try to pretend it’s a beer.” She lifted the soft drink to her mouth and took a long drink.

Grant watched as her husband slid his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair.

“I promise I’ll bring you a six pack as soon as this one is born.”

Sara leaned into him and smiled. “I’ll drink ginger ale the rest of my life if it means we get to have more like Beau.”

Grant leaned forward and poured himself another beer from the pitcher. “Who’s with him tonight?”

Sara shook her head. “He’s at Grandma and Grandpa’s. I swear Flo and Sammy have a new lease on life since he was born.”

“Flo said we needed to get out and be alone together.” Buck smirked. “She went on about how we have to make sure we focus more on each other.”

“Hell, we work together all day,” Sara said with a smile.

“And sleep together all night.” Buck grinned, dropping a kiss on her neck.

Grant watched the two, feeling a pang of envy. They were truly the happiest married couple he’d ever been around. That’s exactly what he needed, too. Someone who would look at him the way Sara looked at her husband and who he knew would be there for the traditional better or worse, sickness and in health, etc. Not a here today, gone tomorrow, thanks for the good times redhead.

“So what’s going on with round-up this year? Are you ready to go?” Grant asked them.

“As ready as we’ll ever be I suppose,” Buck replied. “Got all the regulars and the new guys hired on. Should go smoother than the spring one.”

“That’s because I’ll be back,” Sara commented.

Buck winked at Grant. “That’s right, the boss will be there. You know if she’s not around we just goof off and no work gets done.”

Sara elbowed him in the ribs and Buck laughed.

“So you’re going to camp out there and leave the baby with Flo?”

Buck and Sara exchanged a confused gaze “We’re not sure.”

Grant got the impression that the subject had been discussed before. “ What if you switched off and one of you went out and the other stayed behind and then switched?”

Sara turned to Buck but the other man shook his head firmly. “No way. I’m not doing that for six weeks straight. We’d never see one another.”

She shrugged. “I think we’ve decided that we’ll head out on Sunday but then I’ll come back on Wednesday and Buck will stay on until Friday.”

“There’s a lot to think about with the baby now, huh?”

Buck drained his beer. “Tons, but it’s worth it.” He pulled at a strand of Sara’s hair and she gazed up at him warmly. “We’ll figure it out one way or another.” He winked at Grant. “Of course, if the little woman knew her place, we wouldn’t have to have this conversation.”

Sara grabbed the big man’s ear, yanking hard until Buck yelped. “Say it again, tough guy.”

Buck stood up, effectively loosening her grip on him. “Come on woman, dance with me.” He took her hand and turned to Grant. “It’s the only place where she lets me lead without complaining.”

Grant smiled and watched them join the throngs of other couples on the dance floor. Teddy and his band slipped into a slow ballad about long time lovers and Grant turned his attention away from the floor.

He couldn’t help but think about Charli. What was she doing tonight? He didn’t really know what she did in her spare time on the ranch. She and Sara were good friends so he knew she spent a lot of time down at their house, but what about nights like tonight? He couldn’t picture her sitting home reading a book or watching old movies on TV.

The song ended and he was thinking about leaving when Teddy suddenly began to sing an old Travis Tritt song. The lyrics, T-R-O-U-B-L-E made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He whipped his head toward the door. Sure enough, Charli Boyd sauntered through and waved to Teddy.

She was dressed fairly conservatively in blue jeans, a dark T-shirt, and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked almost innocent—almost.

Charli caught his stare and nodded, but rather than head towards his table like he figured she would, she turned to the man behind her. Their neighbor, Cole Pritchard, took her hand and led her right to the dance floor. She slipped into the other man’s arms and the two began to two-step.

His guts twisted, watching the sexy redhead smile at the rancher and laugh as Teddy finished off the song that seemed to be written with her in mind.

Grant slowly sank back to his chair as he watched Charli walk across the dance floor to the stage. Teddy leaned down to talk to her. In a few seconds, she was back with Cole and dancing another two-step. They danced close to Buck and Sara and the two women chattered.

He grimaced and lifted his beer again. What was with these feelings of possessiveness he had towards her? There was absolutely no way he was going to indulge in a fling with her; he’d already made up his mind, so why this urgent need to get her away from the other man?

Cole’s hands spanned Charli’s waist and Grant glared, keeping his gaze on them to make sure the other man’s touch didn’t get too intimate. He knew exactly how she felt in his arms, could imagine the scent of her filling his nostrils. Her breasts were outlined by the simple T-shirt and he watched carefully to make sure she wasn’t pressed too close against Cole as they danced.

All of a sudden she cocked her eyebrow and a smirk lifted her lips. She’d caught him staring and even that didn’t stop his gawking. She pressed two fingers to her lips and blew him a kiss. White scorching heat raced through him, reminding him of the embrace in the hallway.

He took a long drink of his beer as Buck and Sara returned to the table. Try as hard as he could though, he couldn’t stop from sneaking glances back at the dance floor.

Charli’s body moved to the rhythm as if it was one of the instruments. Her hips rolled, her legs swayed and she shimmied in such a way that seemed as if the music was inside her.

Grant shifted in his chair and glared as Cole smiled as if she was a goddess. He knew Cole. The other man had dated Beth for a time and Grant knew he was a church-going, decent man, but he also knew better than anyone that no man was safe around the devil’s daughter. If Charli cast her spell, the poor rancher would fall as hard as anyone else.

He should cut in. Not because he wanted to dance with Trouble, but to save Cole.

Fortunately, before he had to rescue his neighbor, the music ended and they stepped off the dance floor. Cole said something to her and she nodded before the man walked towards the restrooms. Grant shifted his gaze and Charli smiled, tucked her hands in her back pockets and sauntered towards him.

Once she reached his table, she slipped into the chair next to him. Her thigh pressed against his. Hauling her into his lap and kissing her senseless crossed his mind, but he fought to appear unconcerned that she’d joined their table.

She winked. “Hey.”

“Did you just get here?” Sara asked the other woman.

“Yeah. Did you hear Teddy’s song? He thinks he’s pretty funny playing that every time I walk in.”

“Is that why he does that?” Buck frowned.

She shook her head and laughed. “Did you think it was just a strange coincidence, big guy?”

“Hell, what do I know. I don’t pay any attention to what he’s playing or when. I just like the songs, like this one. Come on.” He grabbed his wife’s hand and they went back to the dance floor, leaving Grant alone with Trouble.

“So you’re harassing poor Cole tonight are you?” He took a long swig of his beer.

Charli slid her hand over his leg. He jerked from her touch and she laughed.

“Are you jealous?” she asked.

“Nope, just amazed at the number of men you cast your net over.”

“I didn’t come with him if that’s what you’re implying or worrying about. I ran into him in the parking lot on the way in.”

“I didn’t ask, did I?”

“What do you care anyway?” Her eyes went cold as she gazed at him in challenge. “Shouldn’t you be here with your girlfriend? Where is she anyway?” She twisted her head back and forth as if looking for someone.

“This isn’t her type of place.” He finished off his beer and reached for the pitcher.

“You better watch out, Doc. You’re drinking awfully fast.”

“This is only my third beer,” he said.

“I meant you’re drinking it down fast, it’ll go to your head.”

“Better it than you,” he muttered.

She laughed and her hand slid back to his thigh. She squeezed.

He wanted to move away but found himself frozen in place by her touch.

“What happens if you drink too much and can’t go out on a call that comes in?” She picked up his beer.

Grant stared as her red lips sucked the liquid from the rim of the mug. His groin jerked in response. After a time, she handed it back to him.

“Clear Wind Critters is handling the calls.”

She furrowed her brows. “How come?”

He shrugged. “I needed a day off. I can’t work twenty-four-seven you know.”

“I thought you lived for that.” She took another sip of his beer.

“Do you want one of your own?” He grabbed it out of her hands.

“Nope. Don’t like it,” she said.

“Then why are you finishing mine?”

She leaned towards him. “I like the taste of you on the glass.”

Grant frowned even as her words caused his stomach to lurch with desire. “You’re something else, Trouble. You really are.”

“You are too, Doc. Remember the other night in the hallway?”

“What happened in the hallway?” Sara asked taking a chair.

Grant glanced at the two women as Buck motioned that he was going to the bar for another round. He should follow the other man but he was too afraid of what Charli would tell Sara. Why it mattered, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to leave the two alone to discuss him.

“We had sex up against the wall,” Charli stated.

Grant’s jaw dropped.

Sara’s green eyes went as wide as and her mouth, then she waved her hand and laughed. “You had me for a minute there. If it was Teddy, well that’s another story, but not Grant.”

Grant frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sara glanced at Charli and then back. “Don’t sound insulted. We both know you’re not that kind of guy.”

“She attacked me,” he said without thinking.

Charli and Sara both burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Buck set a beer in front of Grant, alongside a fresh soda for his wife and a glass of amber liquid for Charli.

She picked it up. “I was telling Sara that while everyone was outside at Cord’s party, Grant and I were going at it in the hallway outside the kitchen.”

Buck laughed. “Hey, all right!” He tapped his beer bottle against Grant’s.

About to deny it yet again, his attention was caught by the amber liquid Charli lifted to her mouth. There had to be three shots in the tumbler she tossed down.

She met his look of shock. “What?”

“How do you do that?”

She shrugged. “I like it, especially the good stuff that Bill saves just for me.” She waved over at the bartender.

Grant followed her gaze and watched Bill wave back, the man’s face revealing a hint of red. He looked back at the troublemaker next him. “Is there anyone you don’t wrap around your finger?” he asked.

“Just one.” She tipped her head, her eyes dancing with delight.

“Grant, you should dance with Charli,” Sara said.

“I don’t feel like dancing.” The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself on the dance floor with her. She had him in such a state of arousal all the time. Everyone would know he was close to being another one of her conquests.

“That’s what I thought.” Sara laughed “What?” Grant frowned.

“You two didn’t do anything during the party. If you had, you’d want to dance with her and get her back home, alone.”

“Maybe I already got my fill of her.” He chugged the rest of his beer and set it down with more force than he intended.

Charli laughed. “Or maybe you’re afraid you’ll lose control and jump my bones right on the dance floor.”

The two others joined her laughter.

“Oh yeah?” He stood so suddenly he knocked his chair over.

The women’s eyes widened but he was determined to end their amusement at his expense. He grabbed Charli’s arm and tugged. “Let’s dance.”

“I love a man of action,” she teased, as she stood and took the hand he held out.

Grant laced his fingers through hers, trying hard to ignore how right her hand felt in his. For whatever reason, she got under his skin and it wasn’t just her teasing. There was something else about her that got to him in a way no other woman did. He alternated between wanting to run as far away as he could get and wanting to take her to bed.

He neatly turned her into his arms and she tucked her head against his. They danced in silence. Grant couldn’t focus on anything except the way she felt against him and how much better she’d feel if they were in his bed. All of a sudden her body began to shake and he glanced down to see her laughing. “What?”

“It’s kind of funny no one believes you’d do the nasty against the wall with me.”

He shook his head. “That wasn’t a very smart move on either of our parts.”

“Oh, come on, Doc. Don’t tell me you’d lost your head so completely that you would have let that happen. Not responsible, mature you.”

“You make being mature and responsible sound bad. I was wild during my younger years too, but most people grow up.”

“I have a hard time picturing you ever out of control, Doc.”

“Yeah, well, I was. I’m not proud of it, but as I said, it’s in the past.” He couldn’t imagine now partying all night and making it to class the next day and doing great on exams. How he’d managed it, he had no idea. He’d been so insane with freedom, so excited to be away from the control of his father that he’d gone overboard more than once.

“I bet.” She sounded like she didn’t believe him at all.

He shrugged. “Whatever. If Beth was here she’d tell you. More than once she had to help me home from an all night party.”

Charli patted his shoulder with her hand. “It’s okay, Doc, I believe you, honest.”

Her tone told him she was only placating him and it annoyed him. “I could out last even you.”

“Hmm.”

“You doubt it?”

“I do,” she nodded, her eyes twinkling.

“Okay, Miss Smart-mouth. I bet that tomorrow morning when the sun comes up, I’ll still be wide awake and dancing and you’ll be passed out.”

“Anyone can stay up all night, even you.”

He stared at her, not even knowing why he was doing something so stupid. “Drinking. All night, drinking and dancing.”

She wrinkled her brow and tipped her head. “You’re saying you can drink me under the table?”

“That’s right, party girl. I will match you drink for drink, dance for dance, and you’ll collapse before me.”

“You’re going to make this bet interesting I hope, worth my while and all?”

Over the music, Teddy spoke into the microphone. “Hey, Charli baby. Is that guy giving you a hard time? Because if he is, I’ll come down there and cut in.”

“Nah, honey,” she called back over the band’s softly playing music. “He’s fine. We’re just making us a little wager.”

Grant realized as she spoke she was going to share this with everyone in the bar. Fine. Her defeat will be her embarrassment come tomorrow, he mused, confident in his ability to outlast her.

“Well now, you got our curiosity up. You gotta tell us,” Teddy yelled back.

“Doc here thinks he can outlast me tonight.”

A unanimous chuckle went up through the bar.

“We bet that he’ll still be standing come sunrise and I’ll be the one passed out.”

From the back of the bar someone suggested where she could pass out and she laughed.

Charli had a laugh that was infectious and Grant found certain parts of his body drawn to the sound which only served to strengthen his resolve.

“What’s the bet, honey?” Teddy called back.

She shrugged. “We haven’t figured that part out yet.”

They continued to dance through the entire exchange as suggestions flew like birds around them. “Okay, okay. I got it,” she said.

The bar seemed to pause to listen to her.

“If Doc passes out before I do, he has to cook me dinner.”

“Ahh Charli that’s no big deal,” Teddy yelled.

Charli winked at Grant and smiled that smile he hated. The same smile that he was afraid would one day bring him to his knees.

“Naked,” she finished.

The bar roared and clapped.

Grant’s body instantly ignited even as his face burned.

“Okay, Doc? You have to cook me dinner completely naked if you pass out before I do.”

“Fine.” He barely moved his lips as he agreed to her crazy wager. “And me? What do I get if I win?”

The suggestions were pretty risqué and Charli laughed at all of them, even seeming to consider a few. Grant leaned towards her, not wanting the entire bar to hear him. “If I win, you back off and leave me alone for the rest of your stay.” He watched her face, half-thinking she’d think he was kidding. Instead, the sparkle left her eyes for a moment before she regained her composure.

Grant held her stare. Around them, the other patrons complained that he hadn’t shared his wager.

Charli tossed her red hair. “Fine, Doc. If that’s how you want it. I pass out before you and I back off and stop bugging you.” Her voice was loud and clear and the boos and hisses rose up from the crowd.

The music had ended but neither spoke as they made their way back to their table. To seal the deal, Grant went to the bar and purchased the special whiskey Bill kept for the redhead.

Setting it down with two glasses, he passed it to her. “Let’s go.”

“Okay, but I’m not just going to sit here and drink, I have to keep moving around.”

“Whatever you gotta do, darlin’. The only rule is no passing out. First one asleep loses.”

“Wait.” Charli held up her hand and Grant raised an eyebrow.

“Who’s going to drive me home once I can’t drive?”

Several hands went up and calls of designated driver rang throughout the bar.

“Don’t worry, Red,” Teddy called from the platform. “I’ll drive you both home.”

Charli nodded. “Okay.” She lifted the glass and tapped it on Grant’s. “May the best woman win.”

She lifted the whiskey to her lips and tossed it back.

Grant lifted his and tried to do the same but choked. It burned like hell. He hated whiskey no matter how smooth. A glass of water was pressed into his hand and he drank the entire thing. Warmth rushed through him and his head felt a bit woozy for a minute. His vision cleared just in time to see Charli pouring another shot for each of them.