Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(95)

eye, and she shook her head to erase it.


Joely stared into her soda as she stirred the ice cubes. “There are a few single men.

If you don’t mind younger guys. Or cowboys. Not a lot of professional types.”


Ainsley wrinkled her nose. “I’ve had my fill of those types. The problem I discovered

with younger guys? They want marriage and a family.”


“You don’t?”


“No. I’ve never had that burning maternal urge.” She looked up, not knowing how

Joely would respond to that. Most women didn’t understand. They always claimed she’d

change her mind when she met the right guy. But she knew she wouldn’t. She’d accepted

that about herself. Why couldn’t everyone else?


“I hear you. I’ve lived in this area for twelve years. So if I’d taken up with the

first yahoo that asked me, I’d probably have kids by now. Probably be divorced again,

and a stranger to those kids since I work all the damn time.” Joely gestured to the

empty space between them. “This is the first time I’ve been out on a date in months.

”


Now that Ainsley thought about it, it was pretty bizarre, Joely just asking her out for

…holy crap. Had she said date? Was the doc…gay?


“You stiffened up, Ainsley, did I say something wrong?”


“You called this a date. It isn’t, right? Because you should know I don’t swing that

way.”


Amusement danced in her eyes. “No, it’s not a date. Freudian slip, maybe. I’m not a

lesbian. If I had to classify my sexuality, I’d say…celibate. And I’m damn tired of

it. You know what bites about being the only doctor in a rural area?”


“No, what?”


“That I have to at least pretend to have a moral code. If I worked in a suburban

hospital or practice, I could get away with having a different man or two in my bed

every week. Heck, I could have that every day. But here? I have to be Dr. Sexless and

Upstanding.” She cocked her head. “I haven’t heard you chiming in about forced

celibacy since moving to the sticks.”


“There’s something to be said for hook-up sex.”


“Now I’m really jealous. You’ve only been here a month and you’ve already got a

local hook-up whenever you want?”


“Joely?”


They both looked at the dark-haired woman at the end of the booth.


“Libby! What’s up?” Joely said, “Ainsley Hamilton, meet my friend, Libby McKay.

Ainsley is the president of the new bank.”


Of course this woman had to be a McKay. “Nice to meet you, Libby.”


“Likewise. Are you the one who’s responsible for Chase’s event this weekend?”


“I sure am. We hammered out the final details today with Settler’s First. How are you

related to Chase?”


“He’s my brother-in-law.”


Ainsley went very still. That meant this woman was Ben’s sister-in-law. Why that

freaked her out was totally stupid, because chances were very slim Ben was anywhere

around.


“Hey, Doc, good to see you.”


Then that deep voice that fueled her fantasies was right behind her.