Rough Rider (Hot Cowboy Nights, #2)(83)

“Mierda!” Garcia lowered his spotting scope with a grin. “That thing’s a f*cking cannon. So, are we gonna take a taxi or do you wanna drive?”

*

“I don’t know why I let you drag me here. You know as well as I do that I’m gonna hate this place.”

Yolanda pouted. “C’mon, chica. When was the last time you had any fun? You’ve had your nose buried in your books for months, and now you’re gonna be working all summer in the middle of nowhere. Just give it a chance, OK?”

“There’s plenty of other places we could have gone besides a redneck club,” Haley groused.

“But this place has the biggest dance floor in California. Four thousand square feet to shake your booty.”

“You’re the dancer, not me.” The club scene wasn’t Haley’s thing. At all.

“Don’t be such a wet blanket. It’ll be fun.”

Haley cast a disparaging eye over the line of girls in their cowboy boots and ass-squeezing Daisy Dukes. “The place is a bit testosterone-challenged, don’t you think?”

Yolanda laughed. “Don’t worry about that. In a couple of hours, it’s gonna be swarming with horny marines.”

“Great.” Haley rolled her eyes.

“You’re the one who mentioned testosterone,” Yolanda said, grinning.

Although they’d been best friends since junior high school, she and Yolanda had vastly different priorities. Haley didn’t even try to keep up with her best friend’s revolving-door love life.

“Rarely.” Yolanda winked at her. “There’s a lot more to life than books, Haley, but don’t take my word for it. It’s time you discover for yourself.”

“What’s the point?” Haley argued. “I don’t have time to date.”

“Who says anything about dating?” Yolanda replied. “We’re just here to have a good time, right? It doesn’t have to lead to anything.

“Look,” Yolanda continued, “if you don’t want to be accosted by horny marines, just stay out on the floor. You don’t even need a partner. They play mainly line dances here, and most of those guys are too macho to line dance.”

“I’m just going to make an ass of myself.”

“It’s why we came early,” Yolanda countered. “So you can take advantage of the lessons. If you don’t catch on, no problema. They’ll mix it up later with some freestyle hip-hop. C’mon. At least give it a chance. It’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, barrels of fun,” Haley mumbled.

They moved slowly up the line.

The big, bald, unsmiling bouncer held out his hand. “ID.”

“You’d think they’d be a bit friendlier,” Haley groused as both girls fished out their wallets.

Yolanda presented her license and promptly received an over-twenty-one bracelet.

“Pay to the right,” he said. “Next.”

Haley received a scowl when she presented her ID. “Put out both hands.”

She complied and got a big black X on the back of each with a Sharpie. Great. If she wanted ink on her body, she’d have gotten a tat.

“We enforce the law,” he warned. “Try to drink, and we’ll boot your ass. Pay to the right.”

She stepped to the counter already feeling like a felon.

“Twenty bucks,” the cashier announced without even looking up.

Haley presented her debit card.

The woman shook her head. “Cash only.”

“Cash? Who carries cash anymore?”

“No cash. No entry.”

“Just a minute. Let me find my friend.” Haley searched the crowd for Yolanda, but she’d already gone inside.

“You’re holding up the line.”

“But I don’t have any—”

“I got it.” A soft, whiskey-smooth baritone sounded from behind her.

Haley spun around to meet a solid wall of chest. Her gaze tracked north of the button-down Western shirt to meet a pair of sky-blue eyes shadowed by a well-worn Stetson. Built like a rock, with dimples to boot, this tall cowboy stirred interest in places she’d ignored for a very long time. She’d never gone for that type before, but when he gazed down at her with a heart-skipping grin stretching his mouth… Holy cow…boy.

He stepped up to the cashier, flipped his wallet open, and handed the woman two twenties.

“I’ll pay you back as soon as we get inside,” Haley blurted. “I have a friend—”

Blue Eyes shook his head. “It’s no big deal. I got it. If it bothers you that much, you can pay me back later on with a dance.”

“Thanks for the easy terms, but I’m not much of a dancer.” Haley’s mouth stretched into an involuntary smile. He really was hot and a charmer too.

His answering smile morphed into a crooked grin revealing even white teeth. The night was starting to look up. Her gaze tracked to his blue eyes again. Way up.

“That’s a bit of a relief actually,” he said. “I manage a passable two-step, but that’s about the limit of my repertoire.” He nodded to the gap that had broadened between them and the door. “Wanna go inside now?”

Haley tensed under the sudden contact of his big, warm palm on her lower back. It was a light touch that still set every nerve ending on alert. Discomposed by her own response, she fought the instinct to pull away. Forcing a breath, she willed herself to relax, and let him guide her toward the door.