Flirting With Disaster (20 page)

Peyton stared blankly at the saloon doors
that continued to swing back and forth until they stopped. Finally,
her attention swept to Madison. “Jesus Christ.”

“
Nope. Just a pissed off
Reid Tanner. Drink?” She didn't dare glance around again. “And
where is Naomi?”

“
Her babysitter called.”
Peyton notched her thumb toward the back. “She's on the phone in my
office. Her cellphone's dead.”

“
Oh.”

At least leaving her alone with Reid hadn't
been some misguided set-up. She continued to ignore the stares even
though she had a great view of the room facing the mirror behind
the bar.

Many people she recognized sat in the glossy
wooden tables that were littered around the room. Whenever her gaze
caught on one of them, they'd pretend to read something on the
chalk boards that hung on the brick walls. Given the boards had
list of beverages and funny sayings the reaction was plausible.

Almost out of her line of sight, a long
booth, decorated with leather and accentuated with silver buttons,
were the town's gossip-hounds—Tessa and Amy. They had a direct view
of Reid marching in with her over his shoulder like a sac of
potatoes. Once her mother heard their version, Madison would never
hear the end of it.

She glanced up at the exposed beams in the
ceiling and sighed. Thankfully the dim light kept the emotions
playing across her face to herself. She balled her hands to hide
their shaking.

“
Here ya go, hon,” Peyton
said.

Madison didn't give the condensation on the
glass time to moisten the wooden counter. She finished the drink in
one long gulp.

“
Another?” Peyton
asked.

She let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Until
you have to carry me out.”

“
Sure thing.”

And she did. If not for Peyton's
brother—guilty by association—the woman would have made the perfect
best friend.

End of Excerpt

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