Rough Rider (Hot Cowboy Nights, #2)(25)

“What time is it?” she asked.

Dirk glanced at his watch. “Six fifteen. Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll take you to breakfast. You got plenty of time.”

She regarded him with uncertainty. “But I need to head out to Thermopolis soon, and Grady’ll be here any minute. He’s riding with me.”

“Doubt that. He’s more’n likely passed out. He was pretty wasted last night.”

“You never said where he went. Weren’t you both kicked out of the hotel?”

“He crashed with a friend,” Dirk said carefully.

“A friend, eh?” She cocked a brow. “And there wasn’t room for you too?”

“It would have been a bit crowded,” he replied.

She opened her mouth again and he raised a staying hand.

“Look, Red. There’s no point in giving me the third degree. I don’t pry into Grady’s personal business, and he don’t pry into mine. You want pancakes or eggs?”

Janice’s stomach gave a loud growl and she colored as deep as her hair.

He laughed. “Pancakes it is.”

“Make it a full stack.” She grinned back. “I’m starving.”

“Let’s go then. There’s a decent diner just a little ways down the road. Do you mind driving? I don’t have my truck. I’ll give Wade a ring and see if he’ll meet us there so I can get it back.”

“No, I don’t mind driving.”

“Good, then I’ll just go ahead and unhook the trailer while you dress.”

He’d just grabbed his hat and shoved it on his head when a knock sounded on the door.

“Grady!” Janice cast a panicked look at the door and then back to Dirk.

“It’s all right, Red. I’ll handle it,” Dirk said smoothly. He grabbed her discarded clothes and stuffed them into her arms. “Just step back into the bathroom and get dressed, and no one’ll be the wiser.”

“But. How will you explain—”

He propelled her firmly toward the bathroom door. “Said I’d handle it.”

The knocking grew more insistent. “Janice? You there?”

Dirk flung the door open. “Mornin’, Grady.”

Grady’s mouth dropped open “What the f*ck you doin’ here?”

Dirk shrugged. “Lookin’ for you.”

Grady’s bloodshot eyes narrowed. He shoved past Dirk. “Oh yeah? Then where’s Janice?”

“Getting ready. Since you weren’t here yet, I offered to buy her breakfast. Wanna come? Looks like you need coffee.” His gaze raked over Grady, taking in all the evidence of last night’s dissipation. “Lotsa coffee.”

“You ain’t lookin’ so hot yourself, Pretty Boy,” Grady growled.

He looked around the room, his eyes lingering on the unmade bed. Dirk tracked his gaze, hoping they’d left no evidence from the night before. He suddenly thought of the condom. Shit. He hoped he’d disposed of the thing. He had no recollection.

“Did you f*ck her?” Grady demanded.

“Have a little respect, *. This is Janice you’re talking about.”

“Respect?” he persisted. “All right, did you f*ck Miss Janice Combes?”

“No, I didn’t f*ck her,” Dirk lied through his teeth. “I told you I just got here.”

“How? I didn’t see that piece of shit white Ford.”

“’Cause Wade still has my keys. I couldn’t get him on the phone, so I walked.”

“You walked.”

“Yeah. I got two good legs last time I looked, and it’s only a coupla miles.”

Dirk hoped Grady wouldn’t ask where he’d slept last night. He was damned if he could come up with anything plausible. But then again, Grady’d drunk so much the night before he probably wasn’t even aware of the storm.

“Why’d you come?” Grady continued his interrogation. “What did you want me for?”

Dirk’s mind scrambled for another answer. “I’ve had a change of plans.”

That one was true enough. Lots of things had changed overnight. He’d planned on spending the summer campaigning with Rachel, but now that was shot to hell—along with the entire relationship. He still didn’t know what to think of that. Hadn’t even had enough time to properly digest it. Last night he was pissed as hell, but now in the light of day he only felt strong resentment coupled with vague confusion.

He still didn’t know what had compelled him to Janice’s door—he’d just found himself here. He couldn’t deny that sleeping with her had been a much needed balm after getting dumped, but it was a lot more than that. He liked Janice. A lot.

She was so different from Rachel, so easy to be with. She didn’t place demands on him—even after what happened last night. He really didn’t know what to think about that yet. By the way she’d avoided his gaze, she didn’t either. He needed time to get it all sorted out—to get his head straight. Maybe she understood that too.

“I’m not dropping out of the circuit,” Dirk suddenly declared, wondering if the head injury had scrambled his brains after all. But the notion of Janice traveling alone with Grady stuck in his craw. “You still need a buddy, don’t you?” he asked.