Playing With Fire (Tangled in Texas, #2)(37)
“No problem,” I told him, bewildered by whatever came over Emily. “I’ll be right back.”
Chapter Eight
Inside the musty-smelling barn, I’d just found a small bucket when Cowboy’s voice sounded outside the door. Not ready to face him alone, I panicked, hurried into the nearest horse stall that was filled with a few hay bales, and ducked down to keep from being spotted. Thankfully, the stall sat against the back wall in the center of the room, leaving me a clear view of almost the entire barn.
My plan was simple: wait for him to leave, then do the same.
Through the narrow slats on the stall gate, I watched in silence as Cowboy stepped inside, followed seconds later by three shadows that turned out to be Jake, Ox, and Judd.
“Should’ve known you guys would follow me in here,” Cowboy griped, clearly still upset. “It’s not like you sissies have anything better to do than harass me.”
He kicked a metal pail that clanged against the stall I was in. Startled by the loud sound, I jumped as the silver bucket shot out a few feet away from the gate and knocked over several wooden-handled shovels leaning against the wall.
Jake, Ox, and Judd stood in the barn doorway giving Cowboy a slow clap for his bad aim. I couldn’t help but grin.
“You guys are dicks.”
“Aw, come on, Cowboy. We’re just playing around,” Ox said. “Besides, when the hell did you ever start looking at Bobbie Jo like that?”
Judd chuckled. “Yeah, you looked like you wanted to rip her clothes off.”
Not looking the least bit amused, Cowboy whirled on them. “You sick sonofabitches! That’d be like me screwing my own sister,” he snapped, throwing his hands in the air. “And for your information, you bunch of nitwits, I wasn’t looking at her. I was looking at… Aw, shit. Forget it.”
Even though it made sense that if Cowboy hadn’t been looking at Bobbie Jo, he would’ve been looking at me, Ox and Judd didn’t catch on. I mean, obviously he wasn’t referring to Emily. At least not while Jake stood there. But leave it to the FBI guy to be the only one to pick up on it.
“Anna?” Jake asked, raising an eyebrow to his friend. When Cowboy didn’t answer, Jake laughed. Loudly. “Really?”
I ground my teeth together, offended by his question. Thanks a lot, Jake.
Then he added, “I mean, she’s a cute girl and all. But since when did you become a sucker for a woman with a brain?”
That comment had me biting my lip and stifling a laugh.
Cowboy shrugged, but still didn’t say anything.
Jake shook his head and grinned. “All right, Cowboy. Spill it.”
“Spill what?” Cowboy asked, shifting uncomfortably.
“I want to know what’s going on with you and the woman who dresses like a grandma.”
I cringed. This was precisely why people shouldn’t eavesdrop.
Then Jake said, “You’ve been behaving strangely today and I’m betting it has something to do with Anna. You started acting funny the moment she showed up.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cowboy said.
Jake sighed. “Don’t play f*cking games with me. Or with Anna, either. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Cowboy leaned back, hooking one arm over the top railing of a nearby stall, as he gave the others a cool look. “I’m not interested in playing games with anyone.”
“But you’re interested…in her?” Jake asked, his expression souring.
“So what if I am? You got a problem with that?”
I blinked rapidly and felt my heart rate speed up.
“I do if you’re leading her to believe that whatever’s going on between you two will be a mutually monogamous relationship.”
Cowboy shoved off the stall, shuffled a few feet away, and kicked at a clump of mud mixed with hay. At least I thought it was mud…until the barn’s pungent odor of manure worsened. Then he spun around to face Jake, irritation lighting up his face. “I guess this is your way of telling me to leave Anna alone…all because you don’t think I can be faithful to a woman.”
Jake shrugged, unaffected by Cowboy’s temper. “Just looking out for her best interests.”
“And that isn’t me, right?”
“Damn it, Cowboy. Anna’s not like other girls you’ve chased. She’s always been so sweet and innocent and…naive. From the looks of her, I don’t think any of that has changed. I just don’t want you to do anything to disrespect her.”
Sweet and all, Jake, but you could’ve left off the part about me being naive. Jeez.
“So what you’re really saying is you don’t want me to soil her reputation. Why the hell would I do that?”
Jake gave him a get-real look. “If she takes a bath with a dog, he’s not going to dirty only his half of the water.”
Cowboy’s face reddened and anger flashed in his eyes. He took three large strides and got into Jake’s face, making my eyes widen. And Jake didn’t back down. Ox and Judd shifted closer to the faced-off pair, as if they were readying themselves to break up a fist fight.
“When the f*ck did you get so self-righteous, you bastard?” Cowboy snarled. “If it wasn’t for Emily, you’d probably be out at the bar right now looking for some action.”