Wild Card: Boys of Fall (5 page)

Sadie, Oakley and Joel had come in their own car. Lorelie had been confused by why they’d left so early, and without her, but now it was obvious Sadie had been plotting with the other women in regards to her intervention.

As she considered their words, Lorelie was touched by how much her friends cared about her. Having grown up on a ranch, without a mother and surrounded by men and football players her whole life, it was nice to now have so much female companionship. It wasn’t something she’d ever missed simply because she didn’t know to. Now, she couldn’t imagine a life without her girlfriends.

In the days following Dad’s heart attack, they’d rallied around her, doing pretty much what they planned to do for Georgette. They kept her and Dad fed, cleaned up, and provided support so she didn’t fall apart. She wouldn’t have made it through those dark days without them.

Glancing at Glen, she wondered what he thought of their plans to help a neighbor. Even in their short acquaintance, she got the impression he had lived his life pretty much alone. She’d hate that type of existence.

“Wanna ride to the ranch?” Oakley offered to Lorelie. “I can drive you back in the morning to pick up your car.”

Lorelie shook her head. “No thanks. I only had two glasses of wine and that was hours ago. I’m okay to drive myself home.”

Glen was the next to rise. “Well, guess I’ll head back to the B&B. See you on Sunday, Butterfly.” He gave her hand a little squeeze. She liked that he was completely unbothered by the constant looks the guys on the porch were casting his way.

She said good night and watched him walk away, his truck farther down the driveway. She’d wondered whose vehicle it was when she’d parked behind it.

Lorelie felt a twinge of disappointment once he was gone. Tonight had been fun. Between Glen’s compliments and occasional “accidental” brushes and her attempts at finding her flirting wings again, she was sorry to see it end. It had been too long since she’d felt this…energized.

She did a mental eye roll.

Energized. Yeah right.

She was horny as fuck.

She considered going into the house to help the other women tidy up, but she was too content where she was. She was glad she’d stayed put when the voice she’d just started missing began speaking once again.

“Bertha won’t start.”

“Bertha?” Lorelie asked.

Wade shook his head. “Not a bit surprised, man. That truck needs to go.”

“Yeah. I know.” Glen didn’t look as bothered by his broken-down vehicle as she thought he should.

“I can give you a ride into town,” she offered.

Glen looked like he might have taken her up on the invitation, but Wade spoke first. “You can just crash here tonight, Glen. We’ll take a look at the truck tomorrow morning. See if she can be fixed.”

Glen nodded his assent, even though Lorelie could tell he was disappointed to refuse her. The idea pleased her more than she could say.

“Thanks, man.” Though he was speaking to Wade, his gaze remained on Lorelie’s face. That was when she realized he was feeling
energized
too. There was something hot and hungry and almost dangerous in his eyes. And despite her growing need, it provoked something she wasn’t used to feeling when approaching sexual encounters.

Nervousness.

God, she’d let herself get too out of practice. And she’d spent way too much time fantasizing about the singing cowboy. It was freaking her out a little.

“I guess I should go,” she said at last, when the silence lingered a touch long. She stepped off the porch.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Glen offered.

Lorelie didn’t bother to turn around to see what the other guys thought about
that
. She could feel their scowls and disapproval without the visual. Glen, lovely man, ignored it all as usual. The way he stood up to the guys was becoming a huge turn-on for her.

They walked down the driveway until they reached her car.

“If looks could kill,” he muttered.

“What?”

“How can you stand that?” he asked.

“Stand what?”

“Lori, it’s not normal for guys to be that protective of a grown woman, especially one who isn’t a sister.”

She considered his comment, and then discounted it. “Actually, you’re wrong. They’re my friends. It
is
normal for them to be protective.”

Her response didn’t seem to soak in, and again, she was struck by the fact that Glen really didn’t seem to get it. Did he even
have
friends? A family? A sister? She was fascinated, and suddenly interested in knowing everything about him. She might have to corner Wade sometime in the next few days and ask some questions.

“Well, then I guess I’ll just have to weather the dirty looks. Because I’m not staying away from you.”

His deep-voiced assertion had her panties going damp. “Oh, it’s not going to be just dirty looks. I think the guys are planning to set you up with some of the local women.”

“Like Stacy?”

She nodded.

“That’s not going to work either. Only found one butterfly in Quinn worth studying.”

She leaned closer. “You think you’re up to catching her?”

He chuckled. “I feel pretty good about my chances.”

“Cocky.”

He ran a gentle finger along her cheek. It sent a wave of tingly warmth flowing through her. “You okay to get home?”

“Yeah. Still coming by Sunday?”

He lifted her hand the way he had in the kitchen and placed a soft kiss on the knuckle. “Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

“Good. I’ll see you then.”

She got in her car and as she pulled away, she could see him standing in the driveway, watching as she left.

And just like that, her life got a lot less boring.

T
oby
: Trent try to contact you?

Glen: Couple of texts. Guess it’s safe to say the dust isn’t settling

Toby: Yeah. He’s still pissed. You reply?

Glen: No. Don’t have anything to say to the fucker

Toby: Keep it that way. Tonight is first show since the incident. Don’t want him distracted

Glen: Let me know how it goes

Toby: Yeah. Will do. Know you’re not religious, but prayers might help

Glen: Not enough praying in the world to help that asshole

Toby: Gotta go get my ulcer prescription refilled. Talk to you later

“
M
y night
just got a hell of a lot better,” Glen said with a grin. He had spotted Lorelie sitting with Charlene in a corner booth of Pitchers as soon as he walked into the bar.

Wade had texted earlier to apologize for Stacy not working out. Glen didn’t have the heart to tell his friend he’d clearly lost sight of Glen’s type, if he thought Stacy was it. Woman had been nice, but giggly in an almost silly way. It had been readily apparent that Buck was a much better match for her.

“Hey, Glen,” Lorelie said, scooting over to make room for him next to her in the circular booth. He was more than happy to claim the spot.

Wade appeared at the table with two beers, looking at Lorelie with surprise. “When did you get here?”

“Just a couple minutes ago,” Lorelie replied. “Charlene invited me to join y’all.”

Wade didn’t look particularly pleased to see Lorelie at the table, but he put on a good face and placed the bottles in front of Charlene and Lorelie. “Guess I’ll go grab a couple more beers from the bar.”

“Why do I get the feeling I crashed the party?” Lorelie asked.

Charlene rolled her eyes. “You’ll see in a minute.”

Glen got the impression he’d missed the point of that conversation, but he didn’t bother to press either woman for an explanation. He’d spent the better part of the day on the lake with Wade, Tucker and Carter, kicked back with a fishing pole in one hand and a beer in the other.

The soft rocking of the boat, the warmth of the sun, and the peace and quiet had worked its magic. He’d said his goodbyes with every intention of crawling into his bed at the B&B and falling asleep in front of the TV before the sun went down. Those plans changed when Wade texted to invite him to Pitchers.

He’d considered turning his friend down and riding out the wave of complete relaxation until tomorrow. After twenty-two years of perpetual motion, he was trying to get the hang of the slower pace of small-town living. He figured that concept would wear thin in a day or two, but until then, he was pretty happy to try his hand at a life of leisure.

Then he’d decided to rally, hoping Lorelie would be out as well.

Mercifully, he was rewarded for his efforts. Because it had been damn hard climbing off that bed and putting his boots back on.

“You got some sun today,” Charlene said, gesturing to his face. “Nice tan.”

“Gotta admit I’d never understood the appeal of fishing before. I get it now.”

Charlene gave him a confused look. “Wade said y’all didn’t catch a thing.”

Glen shrugged. “That’s not the point.”

Lorelie laughed. “You guys are all the same. Thank God the womenfolk around here aren’t relying on those fish to feed their families.”

Wade came back to the table with three beers and a woman in tow.

“Look who I ran into.”

Glen wasn’t fooled by his friend’s nonchalant tone for a second. And even if he had been, the exasperated looks exchanged by Lorelie and Charlene would have clued him in to the fact he was being set up again. He appreciated his friend’s efforts on his behalf—hell, he’d sort of encouraged him to try—but now that he’d seen Lorelie, Glen wasn’t interested in meeting anyone else.

And he’d tell Wade that, if the man wasn’t such a lunatic when it came to protecting his coach’s daughter.

“Hey, Ruby,” Charlene said.

“Ruby Daniels, this is my good friend, Glen Rodgers. Glen is a musician from Nashville. He used to play in my band, but now he’s playing for some upstart named Trent Maxwell.”

Glen was amused by Wade’s efforts to downplay Trent’s fame, but it was wasted on Ruby, whose eyes widened.

“Trent Maxwell? No shit! Damn, that’s one man I wouldn’t kick out of bed for eating crackers.”

Wade sighed quietly, but proceeded with his plan, gesturing for Glen to scoot over to make room for the woman.

Glen didn’t kick up a fuss because the action forced him to move closer to Lorelie.

Lorelie seemed to appreciate the tighter quarters as well. She pressed her leg against his and gave him a covert wink.

Wade dove back in. “Ruby is a big fan of country music. She was just telling me about her plans to hit the Brad Paisley concert in Dallas in a few weeks.”

Glen looked at Ruby, who didn’t appear any more interested in this setup than he was. In fact, she was scowling at some couple across the room.

“Brad does a good show. I think you’ll enjoy it,” Glen said, failing to come up with anything more exciting to say.

Ruby looked back at him when it became apparent she was expected to respond. “Yeah. I won the tickets from the radio station. I was actually considering selling them on StubHub. I could use the money.”

Wade continued undaunted, even in the face of imminent failure. “Glen’s headed to Vegas after this. You ever been, Ruby?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Hate slot machines. Talk about a time and money suck.”

Lorelie took a sip of her beer, but it was obvious she was using the bottle to hide her grin. Neither she nor Charlene made any effort to make this awkward situation less so. In fact, they were clearly enjoying it.

Mercifully, a slow song came on. “Oh,” Charlene said. “I love this song. Dance with me, Wade.”

For a second, it looked like Wade would actually turn his wife down. Then his friend’s brain engaged and he recognized his chance to cut his losses and escape. “Okay.”

He rose and took Charlene’s hand, leading her to the dance floor and leaving him alone with Ruby and Lorelie. Lorelie shifted away from him, filling the space Charlene had just vacated. That allowed him to move over as well. Ruby remained rooted to her spot.

“So how’s life, Ruby?” Lorelie asked. “Haven’t seen you much since the divorce.”

Ruby sighed, and then jerked her head to the couple sitting at a table on the other side of the room. “My ex is here with the hosebag.”

“Hosebag?” Glen asked.

“I left the jackass because he was having an affair with
her
.” Ruby pointed at the couple quite openly, not caring who saw the gesture. The hosebag glanced over and gave Ruby a dirty look. Ruby snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Damn. I’m sorry.” Once again, Glen was struck by a big case of “What the fuck, Wade?” In what world would Glen want to tangle with a recently jilted woman?

“I’m not sorry. Been the best four months of my life,” Ruby said, taking a big swig of her beer. “Married Earl when I was twenty. Missed kicking up my heels as a single girl when I was younger, so now I’m making up for lost time.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find out about the affair?” Lorelie asked.

It appeared they’d touched on a subject Ruby could sink her teeth into. She was suddenly all-in on the conversation, her face brightening.

Once she started telling her tale, Glen realized the woman was a born storyteller. “Earl wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and he wasn’t exactly subtle. Started dying his goatee and wearing tighter T-shirts. As if any woman in her right mind would find that attractive. That man had a beer gut back in high school, so when he decided he was going to start working out, I got suspicious. Then I realized the workout clothes were never hitting the laundry basket. One day, the idiot puts on his exercise stuff and has the nerve to ask me if I switched laundry detergent. Said his shorts were itching him. I told him I hadn’t switched laundry detergent,
he’d
switched Laundromats. Suggested he tell her to use Arm & Hammer.”

Lorelie laughed loudly. “Oh my God, Ruby. You’re a hoot.”

Ruby grinned, pleased her story was entertaining them. “Yeah. Last straw came when he started working early. Like I didn’t know he wasn’t meeting her for a quick screw in the backseat of his car. One morning, he comes in to kiss me goodbye and says he’s going to work. I told him if he considered that work, he obviously wasn’t doing it right. He left and I got up, packed my bags, and parked myself right outside the lawyer’s office, waiting for it to open, so I could file for divorce.”

Ruby told the story with such gusto, it was impossible to keep a straight face.

“Your life is a country song waiting to be written,” Glen declared.

It was clear she liked the sound of that. “Oh, I got a million more stories like that if you’re serious. We could fill an album.”

The three of them laughed as they brainstormed possible song titles.

“Hiya, Ruby.”

Glen glanced up when a stranger approached the table.

Ruby lit up when she saw the man. “Rodney Babcock. You old scoundrel. What are you doing in town?”

“Changed jobs. I’m a Quinn boy again.”

“I had no idea. Been in my own little world since leaving Earl.”

Rodney didn’t look surprised by the news. In fact, Glen thought he looked a bit like a man on a mission. “Yeah, a little birdie behind the bar was telling me about that. Was hoping I could come steal a few dances from you.”

Ruby was up and out of the booth in record time. “I’ll see y’all later,” she threw over her shoulder as she followed the tall cowboy to the floor.

“Ruby’s sweet on Rodney?” Glen asked.

Lorelie nodded. “They dated back in high school, but he moved to Phoenix for a job after graduation and she married Earl on the rebound. He moved back a few weeks ago. We think he found out Ruby was single again and decided he wasn’t going to miss his chance at scooping her up.”

“Who’s ‘we’?”

“Me and Sadie and Charlene and the rest of the girls.”

“Y’all are a pretty tight-knit group, aren’t you?”

Lorelie smiled. “Hell yeah. They’re my best friends. I love them.”

“Trying to figure out if I should be grateful or upset that you keep trying to sabotage all these hookups Wade and his friends are putting together for me.”

Lorelie feigned innocence, but he wasn’t fooled for a minute. “I don’t have a clue what you mean.”

“Wade wasn’t expecting Buck at the dinner party. And he wasn’t expecting you to be here tonight.”

“He wouldn’t have invited you out if he’d known I was coming.”

Glen realized that was true. “I’m going to have to give him a word. Tell him to back off on setting me up.”

“Thought you wanted to meet a pretty Quinn girl and have some fun?”

“Sadie’s been telling tales, I see. I already met the prettiest woman in Quinn.” As he spoke, Glen scooted closer to her. He was pleased when she moved toward him at the same time.

The music changed, a faster tune. Neither Wade nor Rodney were finished dancing with their girls. Then Glen recognized the song and groaned.

Lorelie didn’t miss the sound. “Big Trent Maxwell fan, huh?”

He lifted one shoulder, hoping to appear casual. The last thing he wanted to talk about tonight was the asshole. Part of him was afraid Lorelie would start waxing poetic over the idiot’s sexy eyes and chiseled jaw and dimples and whatever the fuck else women saw in the jerkoff, and Wade’s fantasies of her would be ruined forever.

“He strikes me as too pretty to be a country singer,” she said. “More the type to be in one of those cheesy boy bands. And what’s up with his voice?” She pointed one finger in the air, cueing him to listen to the song. “Seems like the studio takes a lot of liberties. Always covering up his actual singing with that fancy stuff.”

“That’s because he can’t carry a tune in a bucket.”

Her eyes widened and she laughed. “Seriously? That makes sense then. I guess. How does someone who can’t sing make it so big?”

Glen had never talked to anyone—with the exception of Wade, who’d been in the business and knew how it worked—about Trent’s lack of talent. In fact, it was highly unprofessional for him to continue this conversation.

Of course, punching his lead singer hadn’t exactly put him in contention for Employee of the Month.

Glen decided fuck it. Might feel good to get some of this pent-up Trent aggression off his chest. And Lorelie didn’t strike him as the type to sell his story to a tabloid. Something told him she’d be a good listener. Maybe even a sympathetic one. He wasn’t one to want pity, but he wouldn’t mind a little petting if it was Lorelie doing the stroking.

“He’s got the right look and he can shake his ass with the best of them onstage. The studio can fake the rest.”

“On the recordings, sure. But how can they fake it during concerts?”

Glen blew out a frustrated sigh. “Depends on the venue. Sometimes he lip-syncs, sometimes they turn his mic down low and mine up high. I drown him out.”

“No way.” She didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but he could see the wheels turning. When she finally did speak, she surprised him. Something very few people were capable of nowadays. He’d grown too jaded for shock.

“You must hate that.”

She hit the nail on the head. Despite his fascination for her, her words were surprising, considering neither of them knew each other very well.

“What do you mean?” he asked, wondering if she’d interpreted it the way he thought.

“You strike me as a serious musician, Glen. You don’t half-ass it and you don’t fake it. Why would you work for someone who does?”

Now it was
his
turn to go quiet. Mainly because he didn’t have a fucking clue why. Well, actually, he knew all the reasons he’d been telling himself lately. But he was almost embarrassed to say them out loud. They painted him in a shallow, mercenary light.

“He’s one of the biggest names out there right now.”

Lorelie didn’t respond to that, didn’t seem to consider that an answer.