She handed a cowboy his change and looked to the next customer. It was Cash. In all the mess of the day, she’d forgotten he was coming. His grin loosened the tightness in her chest, and she gave him a shaky smile.
He covered her hand where it lay on the bar. “You don’t look too good. You okay?”
Shaking her head, she clasped his hand like a lifeline to a sane world. “I have a headache. Today has been terrible, and it looks like I won’t get a break.”
He squeezed her hand. “No sweat. I’ll be here. You let me know if you need anything. I’ll be watching you.”
“You want a beer?”
He nodded.
After he left, the tight band of muscles around her head relaxed a little, knowing he was across the room. True to his word, each time she looked, he met her gaze and smiled.
Her headache pounded away. Her boss knew she was sick and said he’d ask one of the waitresses to finish at the bar as soon as they closed so Dallas could head home as quickly as possible. Break time came and, though she couldn’t take off, her boss stepped behind the counter so she could head to the restroom.
As she came around the bar, she looked up at Cash and froze. A curvaceous cowgirl with gorgeous blonde hair leaned down for a kiss and slid into his lap.
He turned his head and caught her shocked stare.
Dallas lurched into motion, heading to the ladies’ room. Who was this woman who felt so free with Cash that she plastered a kiss on his face and plopped into his lap? Was he seeing her too? Hurt and confusion made her already pounding head feel like it would explode.
Once in the ladies’ room and safely in the stall, she sat and closed her eyes, trying to make sense of what she saw. Then it hit her. What right had she to be shocked or angry? She did the same thing to Cash with Ethan. A sick feeling overcame her, adding nausea to the nearly blinding throbbing behind her eyes. God, help me make it through this night.
Cash met her on the way back to her bar. “Dallas, it’s not what you think.”
Without meeting his eyes, she held up her hand, the pain in her heart matching the pain in her head. “No. You have every right. My head’s killing me right now. I need to get back to work.” She pushed past him and got behind the bar, starting with the first of the long line of customers bellied up there.
Around one forty-five, when things slowed some, her boss came to relieve her, telling her to go on home and do something about her head. She slipped out without Cash noticing.
Lying in bed an hour later, filled with meds and an icepack on her throbbing head, she was unable to sleep. Now that she’d had a dose herself, she couldn’t bear what she was putting Cash and Ethan through. It wasn’t fair to them. How had she ever thought it was? She didn’t consider herself a cruel person, but that was exactly what this situation was. She had to stop. It wouldn’t be right to choose one man since she didn’t love either yet.
Though she knew letting both men go now was the only right thing to do, the hollow feeling in her chest disagreed. She hadn’t realized how much the two had filled her heart—with laughter, anticipation, joy. How could she bear no more nights on the couch listening to Cash’s deep sweet voice on the phone—no more cuddling on the lakeshore with Ethan? A heavy weight pressed her into the mattress. Hot tears welled under her closed lids. She had no choice. She’d break up with them tomorrow. She couldn’t hurt either man anymore.
Chapter Eight
Cash looked at his watch for the tenth time Sunday morning. Ten-thirty. Surely, he could phone Dallas now. He was beginning to think she wasn’t going to answer when she finally picked up. “Hey, this is Cash. Well, you know that. Listen, please hear me out. Last night—”
“It’s okay,” Dallas interrupted. “I was going to call you, but I was waiting for my headache medication to kick in.”
“Damn, your head’s still hurting?”
“Yeah, my headache usually goes away after I take something, but this time it hasn’t. Anyway, like I said, I need to talk to you.” She paused, not having expected his call, she hadn’t found the right words yet. “After last night—”
“Dallas, you don’t—”
“Cash, it’s okay. Just let me speak. After last night, I realized how unfair I’m being to you and Ethan. My reaction, which was uncalled for, by the way, showed me that I’m hurting each of you by dating you at the same time. In fact, it’s cruel. That’s not who I am. I have to stop seeing you both. It’s the only way to make this right.”
Cash was silent for a moment. “Dallas, I told you I’m dealing with this. Now, if you want to stop seeing the other guy because he can’t take it, then that’s up to you. But I’m okay. I care about you, and I want to see where this relationship goes.”
She sighed. This might be the last time she heard Cash’s voice. “Cash, I feel terrible about this.” She paused. “Look, my head is killing me. I can’t talk about this right now.”
“Okay. Rest. Take care of yourself, Dallas. But I’m not giving up. Don’t you do it, either.”
Her thoughts spun as she disconnected. What if Ethan
