No Strings Attached (Last Hope Ranch Book 1) (4 page)

Sally figured she didn’t have a prayer of people forgetting this rumor anytime soon. She noted Aimee’s SUV and Liberty’s truck and knew her friends were inside waiting for her. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her keys and bag, and walked in to face the proverbial music, with her head held high.

***

Rein glanced at Clay. “You’re sure you don’t want to come on back to the ranch? Wyatt’s making his famous chili, and if Gracie behaves, we might get in a game of poker.”

Clay watched his friend load the last of his tools in the lockbox in the back of the truck. He reached inside the cab of his truck and slipped a relatively clean sweatshirt over the shirt he’d been working in all day. He’d gotten used to the altitude of the mountains finally, far removed from his Texas roots or even California, where he’d lived for a short time with his sister. But the air had turned colder as the sun started to set—colder as in the Polar Vortex variety. “Might join you later. I told Tyler I’d meet him for a beer over at Dusty’s.”

Rein grinned as he yanked open the driver’s-side door. “Be careful. I hear the girls are meeting there tonight to discuss this year’s bachelor auction.”

Clay frowned. He hadn’t lived in this area for too long, and frankly, he didn’t know how much longer he’d stick around. But being single, his interest was piqued. “What’s that all about?”

Rein shrugged into his
Carhartt jacket. “Every spring the town’s Chamber puts on what they call the Montana Buckle Ball. It’s normally held at the high school gym. I went one year, but Wyatt and Dalton could never be convinced.”

“Convinced… of what?” Clay flipped through his wallet to check his finances for the evening.

“To take part in the bachelor auction. They get five or so single guys in town, dress them up, and auction them off to the highest bidder for a date.”

Clay glanced up.
Was he serious?

Rein continued, “The proceeds from the bids go toward charity. One year it was the End of the Line fire department; another it was the Billings Children’s Hospital. I heard they were talking about the recipient being the Billings Women’s and Children’s Shelter that Ellie just opened this past year.  Heard she was already running out of room in that big old house we helped her with. That lady does some amazing work down there.”

While Clay agreed, and he’d happily offer a donation to Ellie for her shelter, he knew how to say no. “Thanks for the two-minute warning. Might be a good idea for Tyler, though. Seems like he’s kind of ready to settle down.”

Rein scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I tried to find a way to hook him up with Sally.”

Clay nodded. “Yeah, I heard something about that.”

“You did?” Rein asked.

“Pretty much the whole town knows, bro.” Clay smiled. Did the guy really not get how fast news like that can travel in a small town? “Sally didn’t seem too keen on the idea when Dalton asked her about it.”

His friend sighed. “Yeah. I’ve known Sally a long time. She and I tried dating once or twice.”

“And?” Why this bit of information should interest him, he didn’t know, but it did.

“Didn’t really work out. We decided we were better off as friends,” Rein answered.

His reply dredged up a few questions in Clay’s mind, but he thought it best to let them slide. “Well, listen, I better head out. See you later?”

Clay wasn’t thrilled about the idea of being in a crowded room of potentially drunk folks tonight. Most of his weekend nights had been spent down in his cabin, parked on his couch watching old movies or practicing his shooting skills in Call of Duty. Still, Tyler had asked him and so he stuffed his keys in his pocket and sauntered up to the door.

Despite the no-smoking sign on the door, it was clear that at one time it’d been allowed. The musty odor of stale smoke seemed infused in the rough-hewn floors, and walls. Clay had come up to Dusty’s a couple of times with Dalton. He liked Dusty. Seemed like a nice guy. Treated everyone the same.

“Hey, Clay, good to see you. The place is pretty full tonight.” Dusty leaned against the end of the bar, talking to Clay as though he was the only guy in the place. “If you’re looking for Dalton, I haven’t seen him.”

Clay scanned the room, and while he told himself he was looking for Tyler, he knew that was a lie. His gaze landed on Sally Andersen seated in a booth at the end of the room. She was with Liberty, Aimee, and Angelique and a young woman who’d pulled up a chair at the end.

Not that he cared. His gaze zeroed in on that insanely red hair she had wrapped up in some clip, a few corkscrew tendrils falling gently around her face. Travesty for hair like that to be held prisoner in a hair clip. She glanced over. He was pleased when her eyes met his. He felt a sucker punch to his gut and forced a quick smile.

“Clay!”

He glanced with half-interest toward where he’d heard his name being called. There was Tyler, hand raised, waving him to a table. He checked only once as he wove through the crowded tables to see if Sally was watching, but she’d gone back to her friends.

“Hey, glad you could make it. I was about to order.” Tyler caught the attention of a waitress.

“Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Dixie, and I’ll be serving you tonight.” She looked at both men, and her gaze lingered on Clay. “What can I get you, cowboy?”

“You have any specials tonight?” Clay asked, avoiding how the woman was eyeing him.

“Dusty’s burger is on special. Comes with one side. Draws are only two dollars if you order the burger.”

“Sounds good,” Tyler answered. “Bring me a Guinness stout.”

“I’ll have the same,” Clay responded, handing Dixie the menu.

She took both menus and smiled at Clay as she left.

Tyler, looking a tad nervous, leaned forward. “Hey, did you hear about Sally?”

Lately, she seemed to be popping up in his life. Even so, he’d never been much for small town gossip. He’d grown up in a sleepy little town down in Texas, the kind of place where you never locked your doors. Which is how his dad had been found sleeping with one of the waitresses of the Dairy Sweet—when her husband came home early from his night shift at work. That pretty much changed his life. He and his sister wound up in a trailer court outside of town. She used to clean people’s houses for a living, take in ironing. He’d hated it. “Nope.” He scanned the room, hoping that Tyler would sense his disinterest.

“Rumor has it that she’s looking for a baby daddy.”

What the fuck?
He had to hold back from grabbing Tyler by his plaid snap shirt. “Man, did you just hear yourself?”

Tyler put his hands up in defense. “Hey, I didn’t start it.”

“I thought Sally was your friend,” Clay challenged him with a pointed look.

“Well, she is.” Tyler appeared to get the idea he might have been talking too loud. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “If Sally wants a baby, that’s cool. I understand she just doesn’t want a husband to go with it.”

Clays gut clenched. “You know that doesn’t sound like Sally. Come on. I hope you’re not perpetuating this kind of crap, because that’s what it is, crap.” Clay looked over at Sally and watched as she listened attentively to Aimee explaining something. Yeah, she was too smart to even think of such a thing. Not having a dad, even as old as he was, was a bitch.

“You’re the only one I’ve said anything to about it. Thought maybe she might have mentioned something to you, is all.” Tyler looked up and beamed at Dixie as she placed their food and drinks on the table.

“You boys let me know if you’ll be needing anything else.” Dixie offered Clay a wink. Tyler had already dived into his food.

“Where’d you hear this?” Clay asked after taking a healthy drink of his beer.

“Over at Betty’s the other day—at breakfast with some of the guys in town.” Tyler took a minute to chew his food and swallow. “We were talking about the Buckle Ball and how Sally’s in charge of that this year.”

“Yeah, I heard something about a bachelor auction,” Clay remarked.

Tyler nodded. “Exactly. Then Sam says that Wyatt came in the other day and sort of let it slip that she was thinking of starting a family.”

“That doesn’t mean a thing. Women talk about that stuff all the time.”

Tyler tilted his head. “True, but Wyatt said that Aimee was concerned because Sally had mentioned using unconventional methods.”

Clay chuckled. “Last time I checked having sex was kind of the conventional method.”

“If you’re not smart, or if you want a kid bad enough. But there was nothing said about being interested in anyone—you know, in a romantic way.”

“Maybe she’s going the artificial route,” Clay offered as a way to detour his mind from imagining Sally in a tangle of sheets, her red hair spilling over the pillows.

Tyler took another bite of his burger and seemed to ponder that. “Possibly. But that costs a lot of money, and with all the stuff she’s doing on the house, seems a bit improbable.”

Clay wasn’t sure how to respond. It wasn’t his business.

“Hey, I’m going to go over and say hi. You want to come?” Tyler was halfway out of his chair.

“Nah, you go on. I’m good.”

Clay dug into his meal, trying to ignore how it bothered him that Tyler had slid into the booth next to Sally after Aimee excused herself to make a call. He chided himself that it was the only seat available. But he found himself thinking about what Tyler had said and the way Tyler’s shyness around Sally had seemed to suddenly disappear. Clays gaze was steady on Tyler as he casually dropped his arm over the back of the booth behind Sally’s shoulders. The cute blonde, seated in the chair at the end, seemed quite focused on Tyler. But what the hell did he know about the women around here… about women, period. He’d
thought
he knew the woman he was once engaged to… three weeks after he arrived stateside, the Army flew her out to Boston where he was recuperating. He hadn’t gotten his new leg yet. One look at that and she was history. She mailed the ring to him a week later.

He shook his head to dispel the memory. He had no business traveling down that road again. He finished his beer and was debating a second burger when Tyler returned.

“Just thought I’d be neighborly.” Tyler settled in his chair.

“You want another beer? I’m buying.”

“Sure,” Tyler said with a shrug.

Sally, and her entourage met Aimee at the front of the bar. They paid their tab and left. Clay breathed a little easier.

“That blonde, did you see her? She’s Angelique’s new assistant over at the satellite clinic. Her name is Kaylee.”

Dixie stopped at the table. “You boys need anything?”

“Two more beers and another burger.” Clay said. “You want another?” He pointed to his dinner partner.

“Just the beer. I’m good.” Tyler had barely started his meal when he went to flirt with Sally.

“So, this Kaylee? Is she around for a while?” Yeah, he was baiting the poor guy.

Tyler looked up in surprise. “Yeah, she’s moved into an apartment over Betty’s diner. Temporary, until she can find a place.”

Tyler stuffed a fry in his mouth and eyed Clay. “Why do you ask?”

Man code for:
hands-off
. Clay smiled. At least his focus wasn’t on Sally. That somehow made Clay feel better. Not that he was interested. Yeah, that was a load. She was a good-looking woman, no doubt. And after the things they’d said to each other last fall, he was pretty sure that he had no chance in hell coming within ten feet of Sally Andersen unless it was to work on her house.

He happened to look over just as Sally dropped her wallet in her purse. She looked up and he let his gaze linger a little longer than necessary. She blinked, ducked her head, and hurried out the door.

“She sure is hot.”

Clay’s attention snapped back to Tyler’s. He was about to take another bite of his burger. “Who is?”

Tyler frowned. “Kaylee, of course.”

Clay was grateful when Dixie brought his beer and more food to occupy the thoughts running through his head.

He left the bar after Tyler wanted to play a round of pool with some guys from north of town. He nearly skated his way to the truck. The snow was coming down fast and heavy, and had quickly blanketed the parking lot and the streets. He made a quick stop to fill his truck and pick up a few groceries for the weekend. There were a couple of good wild card games on this weekend that he wanted to see.

He picked up some cornbread mix, some soup starter, fresh veggies, and some chicken breasts, his mouth watering at the scent of his mom’s recipe of chicken soup cooking on the stove. On a day like today, that soup meant he was home, where it was safe and warm. Julie, his older sister, hadn’t transitioned to life in the trailer very well. She chose to be gone as much as possible, it seemed. Clay would watch his mom cook amazing comfort food dishes with what they had. He’d even helped her plant a small garden along the edge of the trailer home. Clay grew large and strong, excelling in nearly every sport throughout his school career. He attended college on academic and sports scholarships, but never lost his love for cooking, and it came in handy on game days when he’d cook for the team, impressing his teammates with his down-home culinary skills.