Sizzling Summer Nights. Debbi Rawlins
this was just what she needed to loosen up. What the hell, she didn’t know anyone here. Except Rachel. And now Jamie. Ah, and Nikki, sister-in-law number two, who happened to be the bartender at the moment. She was talking to Seth. Sure would be swell if she kept him distracted until Hannah finished making a fool of herself.
The music started. Hannah knew all the words to the song but she kept her eyes on the small monitor and started singing her heart out. It felt pretty good, just like the old days. Before she’d discovered that getting through college was the easiest part of life.
The guys playing pool in the back room left their game to stare at her. Even the waitress, carrying a full tray of drinks, had stopped between tables. People sitting with their backs to her twisted around in their seats, probably afraid it was a disaster drill. Hannah used to get that one a lot.
She refused to look at Rachel, though, or the cowboy. Heaven forbid, she might get nervous and start singing on key.
After the longest three minutes of her life, and likely everyone else’s in the bar, Hannah set down the mic. A brief crackle of static pierced the shocked silence.
Oh, what the hell.
She took a bow.
Laughter and applause broke out. She even heard some boot stompin’, courtesy of two pool players. God bless cowboys. She’d never cared for them before but might have to rethink her position.
Head held high, she walked back to the table and sat down, facing Rachel. “Happy?”
“You have no idea.” Her cheeks were almost the color of her auburn hair.
Hannah risked a peek at Seth. Huh. Had he turned around at all?
“Lady, you’ve got guts.” Jamie slid the fresh margarita across the table. “This is on me.”
“Thanks.” Hannah took a quick sip, realizing she should’ve asked for water, too. “Can you believe she made me do that?”
“Oh, please.” Rachel dabbed at her eyes. “Like you haven’t dragged me over the coals plenty of times.”
“Me? I would never!” The three of them laughed, then Hannah glanced over her shoulder at the pool tables. “Is there only one waitress?”
“I don’t know,” Rachel said. “What do you need?”
“Just some water.” Hannah rose, feeling a bit wobbly. Not from booze. She hadn’t drunk much. “Either of you want anything?”
Rachel’s cell beeped. “I’m good,” she said, her gaze on the phone.
Jamie shook her head. “Hey, ask Nikki if she’s closing tonight, would you?”
“Sure.” Hannah wove her way around the tables, grinning at the good-natured remarks about her performance, and headed toward Nikki, who was wiping down the bar near Seth.
“That was...pretty damn awesome,” she said with a laugh. “Had to be Rachel who got you up there.”
“Of course it was.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “I hope I didn’t chase away any customers.”
“Are you kidding? Everyone loved it.”
“Or they’re all in shock.”
Still laughing, Nikki tossed the rag. “Want another margarita? I’m buying.”
“No, thanks. Water would be great, though.”
Hannah couldn’t tell if Seth had even bothered to look up. Resisting the urge to check him out, she focused on Nikki’s glossy dark hair as she bent to open the small fridge. They’d met earlier at the Sundance just after Hannah had arrived at the ranch. Nikki was married to Rachel’s brother, Trace. Which reminded Hannah to chew out her so-called friend. Back in their sorority days everyone knew Rachel had brothers, but had she ever mentioned they were all hotties? And now all three were married.
Nikki straightened and uncapped the bottle. “Anything else?”
“Oh, yes, Jamie wants to know if you’re closing tonight.”
“Afraid so,” Nikki said, and set the water on the bar.
Thirsty from nervous dry mouth, Hannah reached for the bottle.
“How late do you stay open on weekends?” Seth’s voice was deep, gravelly and unexpected.
Hannah knocked the bottle over. Water shot out and splashed her on the chin before spilling across the scarred wood and down the front of her jeans. She and Nikki both went for the bottle. Nikki was quicker.
Luckily, Hannah wasn’t too wet and she didn’t think any of the spray had reached Seth.
She turned and met his hazel eyes. “Did I get you?”
“Nope.” He ran his gaze down the front of her blouse to her jeans and lingered on her hips. “You don’t look too bad.”
For a second she wondered how to take that, then got caught up studying his strong, unshaven jaw and the deep cleft in his chin. His lips were pulled into a thin line, and she realized he was fighting a smile. He had thick lashes as dark as his collar-length hair. He must’ve been wearing a hat earlier. It had left a ridge.
She hoped it was a Stetson.
“Oh...” She met those heart-melting eyes again. “It’s my turn to talk, isn’t it?”
* * *
SETH LANDERS HAD been wondering how he should go about getting laid tonight. Generally it wasn’t a problem for him. His luck ran better than most if anyone listened to the guys in the bunkhouse. The trick was finding a nice, willing woman here in town, someone who wasn’t a local so he’d be less likely to get himself in any trouble. That being his number one goal these days, he’d suffer through a few more weeks of abstinence if he absolutely had to. Hell, he hoped not.
“I’m Hannah.” She extended a slim hand that was still damp from the spill. Her skin was soft, pale, and she had a slight southern accent. Texas maybe. Her inflection reminded him of his old air force buddy from Houston.
“Seth Landers.”
“I know. I mean...” She glanced back at her table. “Rachel mentioned it. Rachel McAllister... Gunderson, actually.”
“Ah. She say anything else?”
“Hmm. Not that I recall.” Her gaze went to Nikki. “Do you have something I can use on the floor? A rag maybe?”
“Should I get the mop?”
“No, it’s just an itty-bitty spot, but someone could slip,” Hannah said, staring at her feet.
She was pretty. Brown eyes, brown hair, a heart-shaped face, nothing that stood out. But pretty all the same. Nice smile. Yeah, she had a real nice smile. If she weren’t drunk and a friend of Rachel’s, he would’ve gone for her.
The minute he walked in he’d pegged her as a guest at the Sundance. Before he’d moved back to help his brother run their family ranch, Seth had heard the McAllisters had opened a dude ranch separate from their cattle operation. What he hadn’t known was that their guests were mostly twenty-something women, a good many of them looking for vacation flings.
A couple of hired men had been scoring left and right, but Paxton and Joe had made a deal not to clue Seth in on their little gold mine. Then last week Joe had let it slip. Dumb greedy bastards. Seth had threatened them with a month of flood irrigation duty, a chore that made for endlessly long days. That would teach them. They’d be too damn tired to dip their buckets in anybody’s well.
He smiled thinking about the looks on their faces, even though they knew he never would’ve done anything like that. Guess it was easy for them to forget he was their boss. Up until seven months ago, he hadn’t been around all that much.
It bothered him to think about what a shit he’d been, sullen and uncommunicative,