She hadn’t noticed the good-looking cowboy’s arrival. The drunk’s head smashed sideways into the top of her car. The cowboy’s punch landed perfectly, and he shoved the other man to the ground, saying, “Go sleep it off in your truck before I call the police.”
The drunk got up, staggered to a Ford dually pick-up parked a few vehicles down the lot, and got in.
Dallas rubbed her arm where the man had held her and stared at the cowboy. “Were you following me?” Still angry at the unfaithful cretin at the bar, she didn’t come off as thankful as she should be.
“Nope. I’m parked over there, too. I was out here getting some fresh air when that bozo grabbed you. Figured you needed help.”
“Oh.” What a relief. He didn’t seem like a stalker, either. “Well, thanks. Wish employees didn’t have to park all the way back here.” Reluctantly, she reached out her hand. “My name’s Dallas, by the way.”
“Cash Powers. Pleased to meet you.” His clasp was gentle.
“I need to call my mom. That’s why I came out here. My daughter’s been sick, and I’m worried about her. So...” She glanced at her car door and back. “Thanks again.”
Tipping his hat, he backed up a step, turned around, and walked toward the front of the building.
Dallas narrowed her eyes. He was so darn good to look at, but that didn’t matter. Experience proved her decision to keep men at a long arm’s distance was the right one. Sliding into the seat, she locked all the doors before dialing her mother’s number.
AT TWO-THIRTY IN THE morning, Cash drove through the darkness with his totally hammered friends, Jesse and Boone. He knew before they left home that his hands would be at the wheel, making sure they all got back safe to Howelton, so he drank very little at the club.
Boone turned thirty-three that day and figured it was a great idea to get roaring drunk. Obviously, Jesse agreed with him. They’d both given Cash hell all night because he didn’t dance and hunt up women the way they did. That just wasn’t Cash’s style anymore. He learned the hard way that party girls weren’t good wives. Misty, his ex, had made him miserable before they divorced. That was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.
Cash reached over and shoved Jesse, who slumped in the passenger seat. His friends frequented The Cowboy and should know something about the employees. Especially the pretty ones. “Hey, you know anything about that girl bartending tonight over by the front door? Blonde hair and blue eyes?”
Jesse picked his head up and stared blearily at Cash. “Yeah ... Dallas. Don’t get your hopes up. She don’t date guys from the club. Word is she’s got a kid. What I hear, she only works weekends.” He leaned his head on the side window and closed his eyes.
Cash pursed his lips. What Jesse said made sense. While she waited on customers, Dallas smiled but didn’t flirt like a lot of bartenders did. It had been a long time since a woman had caught his attention. After his divorce, he’d kind of lost interest in women. He tried so hard to make his marriage work, despite the fact that he knew before their first anniversary that Misty was the wrong woman for him. What first attracted him to her in college turned into major problems as his wife. Accepting full responsibility for his poor choice, he did everything in his power to be a good husband. Her long absences from home and, finally, the knowledge that she was sleeping around had ended their marriage after four long years.
There was something about Dallas, though. It could be her fresh, girl-next-door looks, or her genuine smile, or maybe it was the confidence in the way she moved and talked. He didn’t know what it was exactly, but Dallas was different. He wanted to find out more about her. She didn’t date guys from the club? He smiled. He’d see about that.
ETHAN KEYS STRODE TOWARD the break room, eager for his first cup of coffee. His $850 Brunopasso Espresso machine heaved its last splat of coffee this morning. He frowned. Could he stomach break-room coffee now? Women’s voices carried down the hall. One of them sounded like Dallas.
A few steps from the door, he overheard her say, “One punch, and he knocked him silly. Then he threw him on the ground. Thank God he was there. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Mandy, one of the paralegals, nearly swooned as Ethan walked in.
“A handsome cowboy came to your rescue. Wow! It’s like the movies.”
What? A cowboy rescued Dallas? Hold on there. He’d had his eye on Dallas for ages. No way was some cowboy horning in on his turf.
“Hi, ladies. What’s up?” He moved over to the coffee pot and sighed sadly as he filled his mug with something very different from what his Brunopasso made him.
Mandy put her arm around Dallas. “The most handsome man in The Last Cowboy Standing rescued this damsel in distress Saturday night.” She went on to give him all the details.
Ethan frowned. “Were you hurt? That sounds awful.”
Dallas shook her head and rubbed her arm. “Just a few bruises. Thank God Cash was outside getting some fresh air, or I don’t know what would have happened.”
Though thankful the cowboy had been there to help Dallas, he didn’t care one bit for the excitement in her eyes when she talked about this Cash fellow. Working so closely with her for the past three years gave Ethan a proprietary feeling about Dallas. Dammit, he needed to do something about this cowboy business.
If the coffee was as bad as he thought, it would need lots of help to be palatable. He took his time adding cream and sugar to it.
Mandy started back to her desk.
When Dallas followed, he called to her. “Dallas,
