Rough Rider (Hot Cowboy Nights, #2)(17)

“I’m guessing the karaoke routine didn’t go over so well?”

“You guessed that right. We were ‘asked’ to leave, but Grady’d already had a few too many and wasn’t in any mood to cooperate.”

“No. I don’t suppose he would have been,” she said. “It seemed he was itchin’ for any excuse to brawl tonight.” She stepped closer, noting that Dirk had added a black eye to his prior battle scars. “Guess you weren’t so willing to go quietly either?”

He flashed a shameless grin. “It’s a cruel world. We low-life cowboys have to stick together.”

Janice couldn’t stifle a chuckle. “So where’s Grady now? Is he with you?” She looked over his shoulder but saw no one.

“Nope. He found other accommodations.” Dirk didn’t elaborate so she didn’t press. “Mind if I get out of the rain?”

“Sure. Sorry.” She stepped back, allowing him to enter the tiny confines of her living quarters.

He doffed his hat with a nod. “Nice digs.”

“Yeah, right,” she snorted. “Mind telling me why you’re here?”

He heaved a sigh that made him wince. “Had nowhere else to go.”

Janice flinched in sympathy. “Shoulder botherin’ you?” He still wasn’t wearing the sling.

“S’alright.”

“How about that hand?”

His left hand was wrapped but his exposed fingers looked like purple sausages.

“Not so bad.” He shrugged. “I mighta broke a coupla fingers but I don’t think it’s anything that won’t mend. It’s mostly my head now…and the damned ribs.”

“Your ribs? You didn’t mention those to the medic.”

He shrugged. “My lung didn’t perf, so there’s nothing he could have done anyway. I think they’re only bruised.”

“So what happened after I left?”

He dragged a hand through his dripping hair. “It was all a big to-do ’bout nothin’ really.”

“Oh, really?” She raised her brow in disbelief.

“Yeah. We barely got through the first verse when they cut the music and gave us the boot.”

“And then what?”

He looked abashed. “We didn’t just have to leave the party, we got kicked out of the hotel too.”

“Evicted from your room?”

“Yup. And there aren’t any others available in all of Casper.”

“I know,” she said. “It’s why I’m camped out here.” She paused to digest what he’d left unsaid. “So you and Rachel?”

He shook his head with a scowl. “We’re done now. Quits.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. History. Case closed.”

“It’ll blow over.”

“Don’t think so. It was her idea to boot us. Said she didn’t give a shit if I had a room tonight or not. Then I couldn’t even try finding anything outside of town because my * brother took my keys so I wouldn’t drive. My next move was to pilfer a blanket and pillow and camp out under the stars in my truck bed, but then it started pouring on me.”

“So you came here. How’d you do that with no wheels?”

“Walked.”

“Three miles in the pouring rain? No wonder you look like something the cat dragged in.”

“Can I crash for a coupla hours? Maybe just camp out in the backseat of your dually? All I need is to get warm and dry again.”

Janice’s mouth went dry as sawdust. Dirk Knowlton. Cold. Wet. Here. Now. Wanting a bed? She’d give her right arm to warm him up. Heck yeah.

Misreading her silence he mumbled a curse. “Sorry, Janice. It’s my damned head. I’m not thinkin’ right. It’s still throbbing like hell. Haven’t been myself all night. M’pologies for being such a dumb-ass and imposing on you—” He turned to the door.

“No! Wait. It’s not that.” She grabbed his sleeve. “I was just thinking of your injuries. You don’t need to make matters worse by sleeping all cramped up in the truck.” She gnawed her lower lip and then blurted. “Y-you wanna just stay here instead?”

“Here? That’s mighty generous but there isn’t a whole lot of room for both of us.” He glanced up at the gooseneck with a frown. “If you’ll just gimme a blanket, I’ll take the floor.”

“You don’t need to do that,” she said. “The bench here flips down over the table and converts into a single. It’s really narrow and not very comfortable, but still better than the truck. Warmer anyway. Besides you need to get dry.”

“You sure about this?” he asked.

“Yeah.” She smiled. “What are friends for? I’m sure I’ve got a shirt for you too.”

“Thanks, Red. That would be great.”

Red? The single syllable rippled warm and tingly, all the way to her toes. He followed up with a lopsided grin that stopped her in her tracks. She turned to the small cabinet that served a dual function as dresser and closet and shut her eyes on a sigh—but the same air stuck in her throat the minute she turned back around.

He’d shed the denim jacket. And the black tee. His bare torso with well-developed pecs and a mouthwatering six-pack greeted her. He was drying his face with his discarded shirt. Janice tore her gaze away and cleared her throat. “Here.” She thrust an extra-large Dixie Chicks T-shirt into his hands, a souvenir from their Top of the World Tour. “I—I can get you a towel too.”