Miss Firecracker (15 page)

“Remember you asked for it,” Big Kenny snarled.

Blake would’ve laughed if he hadn’t felt like crying. Or if he hadn’t been bracing himself for the impending ass kicking from Willow’s larger-than-life father. “Bring it on.”

But the big man just sighed. He clapped Blake on the shoulder so hard Blake winced. “Boy—I mean, Blake, is it?” Blake nodded. “Sit yo’ ass down.” He signaled to Dave. “Give us a bottle of Jack, two shot glasses and then scram.”

Dave complied and then they were alone.

Big Kenny poured them each a shot. They didn’t toast. But Blake knew drinking protocol: Keep up with Big Kenny, shot for shot, no matter what. He apologized to his stomach lining and knocked the first one back.

“Since Will ain’t gonna tell me nothin’, I’m asking you to explain everything.” Big Kenny looked over his shot glass. “Everything G-rated that ain’t gonna make me kill you on the spot.”

So Blake started talking. He kept talking until he had to reach behind the bar for a glass of water. When he finished, he realized Big Kenny’s expression hadn’t changed the entire time. Crap. He finished his shot and cringed when Big Kenny poured him another.

“Lemme see if I have this straight. She was so damn glad to get rid of that title she got shitfaced right afterward. She got belligerent. You kept her out of jail and she spent the night with you—”

“Nothing happened.” That night, but he doubted Big Kenny would appreciate the clarification.

“And while you’d basically protected her from herself and from the other perverted men looking for a drunken piece of ass, she was working off her damages and the two of you became…friends.”

“Yeah.”

“She thought you were just a bartender.”

“I am a bartender,” he pointed out.

“At one point you told her you’d been employed in the construction business.”

“Also the truth,” Blake said. Hell, was Big Kenny going to go over every tiny detail of their conversation? Probably. Probably it wouldn’t be wise to suggest they move on to coming up with a solution to the situation with Willow rather than rehashing the problem.

“So she thought you were an unemployed carpenter who was stuck slinging drinks.”

“Yep.”

“But at no time during the four days you spent with her did you tell her that you were a sheep rancher?”

“Nope.”

“Why the fuck not?”

Blake swallowed another shot. “Do you know how many Wyoming sheep fucker jokes I’ve heard in my lifetime? Christ. For the first time ever I didn’t have to explain what I used to do for a living isn’t who I am.” He looked over at Big Kenny. “I didn’t lie: I just didn’t think it mattered. I especially didn’t say anything after Willow told me her theory on people who raise barnyard animals.”

Big Kenny nodded. “Saved me a bundle she wasn’t a horse fanatic like some of her friends when she was growing up.”

“I imagine.”

“So when Will found out about your shepherding past, including the fact you don’t hafta work because you’re loaded—”

“Loaded is stretching it,” Blake replied dryly.

“Boy, I have a pretty fair idea what Wyoming ranch land is worth. Loaded ain’t far off, is it?”

“I’ll get by.”

“Still, she got pissed off?”

Blake nodded.

“Man. That don’t make no sense.”

“Willow thought I’d played her. She tossed out this wild theory I was pretending to be down on my luck, hoping to earn her sympathy so she’d hire me. Then I could learn everything about your construction business to better compete with Gregory Construction.”

Big Kenny gave Blake a menacing look. “Is that true?”

“Far from it. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing with my life on a day to day basis, let alone long term.”

“Why’s that?”

Blake briefly closed his eyes. “I’ve been pretty fucked up since my dad’s stroke.”

“Shit. That sucks.”

“Yeah. I miss working with him, but I don’t miss the work, which makes me feel guilty because ranching was his life. He wanted it to be mine. And being a rancher is all I’ve ever really known. For the first time in my life I have the money, the time and the freedom to do whatever I want and I can’t decide what to do with any of it.

“So I came here, hoping to straighten some shit out. And I met her.” Blake swallowed a shot. “Of all the gin joints in the world, she had to walk into mine.”

No surprise Big Kenny’s face held a blank stare.

“I’m crazy about her. I’ve never met anyone like her. I like that she makes me laugh almost as much as I love to hear her laughing. Sounds insane. I’ve known her a total of four days.”

“I proposed to her mama four hours after we met.”

“No shit?” Blake said, hating his words were starting to slur.

“No shit. I saw her in that hot little cheerleading outfit and I was done for. We had big plans. Move to one of the coasts. Live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. See the world. We couldn’t wait to get out of Nebraska. ’Course, my senior year in college I wrenched my knee and couldn’t go pro.”

“Go pro?”

“Pro football after college. I played linebacker for the Cornhuskers.”

That explained a lot.

“We moved back here. I didn’t want to at first but it wasn’t like either of us had any other place to go. I took over my dad’s construction company, figuring I’d stick it out a decade or so and we’d move on to bigger and better things. Then Barbie and me started havin’ kids.”

Barbie. That explained a lot about Willow’s mom too.

“We’ve been here thirty years.”

“Regrets?”

“Nah. A man can’t live in the past.”

“So you understand why I wanted to put my past behind me and live in the now?”

“I believe I do.”

“Think you can help me convince your daughter—”

Big Kenny raised his ham-sized hand, cutting him off. “Huh-uh. You’re on your own with her.”

“Great.”

More shots were poured and consumed.

Finally Big Kenny spoke. “Much like your dad, I thought I’d pass the business on to my son.” He scowled. “That boy…well, he never showed the interest in the construction biz that Will did. I never pushed my son to join the business or made him feel he didn’t have a choice about what to do with his life. But Will? She wanted it. I’m damn proud of her. It ain’t an easy road she’s taken. I just want her to be happy.” Big Kenny turned on his barstool.

Here it comes, Blake thought blearily.

“So the question is, do you got what it takes to make my Will happy?”

“Yessir.”

“Prove it.”

“How?”

Big Kenny propped his elbow up on the bar and gave Blake a nasty smile. “Let’s arm wrestle.”

Blake muttered, “I am so fucked.”

B
lake West woke
up and realized covering his head with a lacy pillow did not muffle the pounding inside his skull.

He shifted slightly on the damp sheets. The pillow tumbled away. A shaft of sunlight nearly fried his retinas. He squeezed his eyelids shut and muttered, “I’m in hell.”

“A hell of your own making you stupid jerk,” an angry female said, way too close to his ear.

Willow.

Wait. Willow was…here?

Wait. Where
was
here?

Blake jackknifed, twisting toward the voice he thought he’d never hear again, especially in bed.

Ooh big mistake.

Sharp pulses lanced his brain like pointy metal spikes. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

“Serves you right. What were you thinking getting popped with my dad?”

“I’m thinking I was a lot nicer to you when
you
woke up with a hangover.”

“Now see, there’s another obvious difference between us.”

Despite the ache behind his eyeballs, he peeled his eyes open, one squinty lid at a time. Such a sight for his poor sore eyes. Beautiful Willow. Less than two feet away. Scowling at him.

He grinned. He couldn’t help it. He’d take her scowling. He’d take her any way he could get her.

“My Gawd. Even hungover you’re leering at me.”

“Darlin’, I always leer at you.”

She snorted. “What goes around comes around I guess. Except you’re not wearing a sash,
darlin’
.”

Blake looked down. Yep. He was buck-ass nekkid. Then he noticed the floral sheets. And the sweet lime scent surrounding him. He realized he was in her bedroom.

Time warp. How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered, besides the confrontation with Willow, was sitting at the bar drinking and then…

His lungs seized up. Sweet Jesus. Willow’s father had shown up mad as a nest of hornets. They’d talked. They’d yelled. They’d done a billion shots. And then he’d admitted how he felt about Big Kenny Gregory’s baby girl. Probably in graphic detail. Damn. He was lucky he wasn’t in traction. With blackened eyes. And broken teeth. He had the oddest urge to pat his groin to determine if he’d been castrated.

“Sucks, doesn’t it?”

“What?”

“Having a complete mental blank about your previous night’s activities.”

Blake drawled, “Okay, Miss—”

“Don’t say it. Don’t even think it,” she warned.

“Fine, Miss-I-got-cherry-bombed-one-freakin’-time, cut to the chase. How did I end up naked in your bed?”

“You really don’t remember?” she said with a silken purr. “All you did? All you said?”

“No. But if you weren’t bein’ such a beautiful distraction I—”

Willow briefly placed her finger over his mouth. “Ah. Ah. Ah. Don’t go there. That sweet talkin’ mouth of yours ain’t gonna get you outta trouble this time.”

“Did my sweet talkin’ ways convince you to kiss and make up with me last night?”

“Nope. But it was hard for me to say no after you stripped to nothing but those sexy dimples.”

“Ah, hell, Willow, I hope I didn’t—”

“Let me finish.” Willow angled over him. “I prefer the man who demands I mount up and ride him like a stallion to be sober, not babbling about liking me more than his dog, or swearing he’d keep me happy between the sheets forever, or confessing he doesn’t care that I’m a better carpenter than he is.”

Aghast, he groaned, “
I
said all that?”

“Yep. After my mom and dad left.”

“Your dad was here?”

“Who do you think carried you up to my bedroom?”

“Big Kenny did? I thought he hated my guts.” Blake’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m pretty sure he tried to kill me with Jack Daniels last night.”

“Nah. He doesn’t get drunk as a skunk with guys he hates. He just pounds the snot out of them.”

“That’s comforting.”

“You were both pretty far gone by the time he called my mom to come pick you both up at LeRoy’s.”

“Why both of us?”

“Evidently he thought you and I needed to talk, so he brought you here.”

“Did we talk?”

“No. Buddy, you passed out.” She locked her gaze to his. “So tell me… Did you really arm wrestle my dad?”

A fuzzy memory teased the edges of his mind. “Maybe. Probably.”

“He said you arm wrestled for…me. Like I was a prize at the fair or something.”

Her hurt tone meant he had to do some major damage control. “Aw, you are the fairest prize I could ever hope to win, Willow Gregory.”

“Sweet talker, but keep going.”

“I remember trying to explain to your father why I wanted to throttle you and kiss you. Often at the same time. I guess he understood.” Blake frowned. “After that, it’s a blur.”

“According to Dad, you beat him at arm wrestling.”

“Huh. I wish I remembered.”

“FYI, he never forgets. And he never loses.”

“He had nothin’ on me last night because I had nothin’ to lose and everything to gain by winning.” Blake caught her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know.”

“I wasn’t playing you. I’m not that kind of guy.”

She blinked at him.

“Please. Hear me out. I wasn’t trying to mislead you. I just… I’ve been damn confused ever since my dad’s stroke.”

“You don’t have to do this now, Blake.”

“Yeah, I do. Since selling the ranch I’ve felt…displaced. I didn’t know where I was going. Or what I was doing. Or if what I’d done for the last fifteen years of my life was pointless in preparing me for what comes next.” He smiled tentatively. “Then I met you. I was totally unprepared for you, sunshine.”

Willow didn’t say a word.

“These last four days have been amazing.”

“For me too.”

“You know I’ve gotta ask…why? I know why they were unforgettable for me, but why for you? Especially when yesterday afternoon you accused me of lying to you.”

“I was mad. But I shouldn’t have said that… I…I’m sorry.”

“Was what happened between us amazing for you only because the sex is so incredible?”

“I’ll admit that’s part of it. I’ve never…clicked with anyone the way I have with you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I liked working with you in the bar. I liked talking to you. You make me laugh. You make me feel like I
am
a sexy beauty queen. You make me hot.” She smiled. “You make me dinner.”

Blake laughed softly.

“You make me feel all those things plus a whole lot more. After I took off and calmed down, I realized I didn’t want…”

His hopes sank. “Didn’t want what? Me?”

“No!” Willow inhaled a deep breath. “I didn’t want you to leave. I want more than four days to get to know everything about you, Blake West.”

“Thank God.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Does that mean you’re okay with me sticking around Broward and tending bar part-time at Dave’s until I figure some things out?”

Her shocked expression was priceless. “Really?”

“Yeah. Think maybe you could help me find a place around here to rent?”

“You could live with me.”

Blake shook his head. “I appreciate the offer. But I wanna do this right, Will. What’s started between us is too important to screw up. Seems I’ve been waiting for a woman like you my whole life.”

“You’d better define
woman like you
,” she teased.

“A perfectly sweet, perfectly hot, perfectly nice woman.” He touched the curve of her jaw. “I’m crazy about you.”

“I’m pretty crazy about you too.”

The moment floated between as sweetly as a promise.