Fallen Too Far (Rosemary Beach #1)(28)

His easy smile disappeared and a serious expression took its place. "No," he replied, stepping back to head for the driver's door. I felt like a complete jerk. I should have just said thank you and overlooked it. Why did I have to be the one to remind him of his own rules?

Once we were inside the Range Rover Rush cranked it up and pulled out without a word. I hated the silence. I'd made it awkward. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude."

Rush let out a sigh and his shoulders eased. Then he shook his head. "No. You're right. I just don't have any female friends so I'm not good at balancing what I should do and what I shouldn't."

"So, you open doors for your dates? That's a very chivalrous thing to do. Your mother raised you right."

I felt a twinge of jealousy. There were girls out there that got that kind of treatment from Rush. Ones that he wanted to take out and be more than friends with.

"Actually, no I don't. I... you... you just seem like the kind of girl who deserves to have her door opened. It just made sense in my head at the moment. But I get what you're saying. If we're going to be friends I need to draw a line and stay behind it."

My heart melted a little more.

"Thank you for opening it for me. It was sweet."

Rush shrugged and didn't say anything else.

"We need to pick Bethy up at the club. She'll be at the office back behind the clubhouse at the golf course. She had to work today. She's showering and dressing there."

Rush turned toward the country club. "How did you and Bethy become friends?"

"We worked together one day. I think we were both in need of a friend. She's fun and free spirited. Everything I'm not."

Rush let out a laugh. "You say that like it's a bad thing. You don't want to be like Bethy. Trust me."

He was right. I didn't want to be like Bethy but she was fun to be around.

I sat quietly while Rush messed with the very expensive and complicated looking stereo system. We drove the short distance from his house to the country club. "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder began to play and it made me smile. I almost expected to hear some Slacker Demon.

When the Range Rover came to a stop outside the offices I opened my door and stepped out. Bethy wouldn't be looking for this ride. She'd be looking for my truck.

The office door swung open and she sauntered out in a pair of tiny red leather shorts, a cut off white halter-top, and white leather boots up to her knees.

"What the hell are you doing in one of Rush's rides?" she asked, all smiles.

"He's going with us. Rush wants to check out a honky-tonk too. So..." I trailed off and looked back at the Range Rover.

"This is seriously going to cramp your chances at picking up a man. Just saying," Bethy said as she walked down the steps and did a quick look at my outfit. "Or not. You look hot. I mean, I knew you were gorgeous but you look really hot in that outfit. I want me some real cowgirl boots. Where'd you get those?"

Her compliment was nice. I hadn't had girlfriends in so long. When Valerie had been killed the girls we'd been close to kind of faded out of my life. It was as if they couldn't be around me without remembering. Cain had become my only friend.

"Thank you, and as for the boots, I got them for Christmas two years ago from my mom. They were hers. I had loved them since she bought them and after she got, after... she got sick... she gave them to me."

Bethy frowned, "Your mom got sick?"

I wasn't in the mood to put a damper on things tonight. I nodded and forced a bright smile. "Yeah. But that's another story. Come on let's go find us some cowboys."

Bethy returned my smile and opened the back door on my side of the Range Rover. "I'll let you ride up front because I have a sneaky feeling that is where the driver wants you."

I didn't have time to respond before Bethy had hopped up in the Range Rover and closed the door behind her. I climbed back inside and smiled over at Rush who was watching me. "Time to go get our country on," I told him.

Chapter Thirteen

Bethy had given Rush directions to her favorite honky-tonk. It was forty minutes outside of Rosemary. Not exactly surprising. The only country in Rosemary was the country club and that wasn't anything close to what we were walking into.

The bar was large and completely made out of what looked like wood planks. Apparently, it was famous. Probably because there weren't many of these kind of places in this area. Bright florescent beer signs graced the walls outside and inside. Miranda Lambert's "Gun Powder and Lead" was pumping out of the stereo when we walked inside.

"They have live music in about thirty minutes. That's the best time to dance. We have plenty of time to find a good spot and drink us some tequila shots first," Bethy yelled over the noise.

I had never had tequila shots. I hadn't even had beer. Tonight that would change. I was going to be free. Enjoy the night. Rush moved in behind me and his hand settled on my lower back.  This was not a friendly position... was it?

I decided against correcting him in here since I'd have to yell over the music. Rush led us over to an empty booth that was further back from the dance floor. He stood back and let me slide in. Bethy slid in across from me and Rush sat down beside me. 

Bethy shot him a frown.