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Authors: Barbara Dunlop

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Contemporary Women

The Last Cowboy Standing (5 page)

BOOK: The Last Cowboy Standing
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“They weren’t really my type.”

“Beautiful, friendly and built isn’t your type?”

It was Travis’s turn to frown. “Charming,” he mocked.

“I think you’d better tell me a little more about this Vegas woman trouble. It’s obviously cramping your style. Which wouldn’t bother me much, except that it’s blowing back on me.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Uh-huh.” Corey’s tone was clearly skeptical.

“She’s hot, but she’s off-limits.”

“She’s married?”

“Not married. There’s a professional relationship to maneuver around. Two of them, actually.”

“Can you fix them?”

“Nope.”

“Then my advice to you is move on.”

“That’s what I’m doing.”

Well, he’d move on as soon as he opened Danielle’s eyes about Randal’s motives. Travis losing didn’t mean Randal got to win.

* * *

The conference’s windup golf tournament had finished, with Randal taking fourth place. Danielle suspected he could have done better, but he’d once confided in her that winning outright was a bad strategy for a young lawyer. In his estimation, it was better to be strongly competitive, but to let the senior people prevail, at least for a while.

The final dinner was in full swing, a gourmet buffet set up in the gardens of the hotel, the aromas of sage and rosemary from the steamer trays mingling with vanilla and cinnamon at the dessert display. White linen covered tables were illuminated by floodlights and torches.

At one of the many bars set up around the perimeter of the lawn, Danielle accepted another “superior court” drink. It was a special recipe invented by the hotel’s chief bartender for the conference. It was a surprisingly delicious concoction of fruit juices, crushed ice, tequila and liquors. It was the final night of the conference. She planned to take advantage of the pool deck in the morning while her colleagues all flew home, so a little indulgence in liquor tonight suited her just fine.

“Thank you, Caleb,” she muttered under her breath, toasting him in absentia. If he hadn’t requested a meeting on Thursday, she wouldn’t be in line for an impromptu mini vacation tomorrow.

Randal separated himself from the crowd, coming up beside her. “You didn’t golf?” he opened.

He’d changed into suit and tie since the tournament ended, and now looked urbane and confident with a three-olive martini in one hand.

“That’s because my golfing is not going to impress anyone.”

“Nobody cares how well you golf at these things.”

“Also,” she elaborated, “I don’t particularly like golf.”

She sipped the frozen drink through a straw, while her lightweight dress rustled against her thighs in the night breeze.

“It’s a great way to build relationships. Everybody who is anybody is out on the links at something like this.”

“I was happier chatting with Astra.”

Randal polished off the martini, exchanging the empty glass for a fresh drink as a waiter passed, taking an immediate sip. “Astra won’t get you a partnership. Besides, you can chat with Astra any old time.”

“She lives in New York.” It wasn’t very often the two women got the chance to see each other in person.

Randal frowned. “That’s not what these things are for.”

“You do realize that you care more about schmoozing and corporate climbing than most people.”

“I care more than you do,” Randal acknowledged. “But I don’t care more than most people. Honestly, Dani, sometimes you are so naive.”

“Naive? Are you serious?” She’d been called a lot of things in her lifetime, but never naive.

He took another sip of his drink, prompting her to do the same. The superior courts tasted best when they were ice-cold.

“You seem content to stand by and let people blow past you.”

“What people?” she challenged.

He made an expansive gesture with one arm. “These people. All people. Well, all lawyers.” He moved forward, dramatically lowering his voice, and she realized he must have had a few martinis before he got here. “You have a brilliant mind, Dani.” His gaze focused on the neckline of her black-and-blue dress. “You have the whole package.” He looked her in the eyes again. “But you seem singularly intent on wasting it.”

She was starting to get annoyed. “I’m not wasting anything.” She’d spent five years developing her knowledge of international law.

“When you hesitate. When Nester and Hedley make you a sweetheart of an offer, and you hesitate, do you know how that looks?”

“Like I’m prudent and conscientious?”

“Like you’re indecisive and ungrateful.”


Ungrateful?
Excuse me?”

His voice rose a little. “They’re the top law firm in D.C., probably the most prestigious in the country.”

“It’s still a big decision,” Danielle found herself feeling defensive. This time, she took a calming sip of her drink. Taste had nothing to do with it.

“What’s to decide?” he demanded.

She listed off on her fingers. “To leave my firm. To leave my city. To leave my friends.”

“You’ll make new friends.”

“I have some very good friends.”

“Male friends?”

She frowned. “Some. What difference does it make?”

Randal shrugged and polished off his drink. “That sounds like it might be a boyfriend.”

She pressed her lips together, thinking it was probably time to end the conversation.

“Is that what it is, Dani? You won’t come to D.C. because of some guy you’re sleeping with?”

“That’s none of your business,” Travis’s voice interrupted as he loomed up next to Randal.

Randal twisted around to face him, his jaw clamping down. “This is a private party.”

“Hello, Travis.” Danielle couldn’t help but feel grateful for his arrival.

“Hello, Danielle.”

Randal’s gaze darted from one to the other, settling on Travis. “How did you get in here?”

Travis kept his gaze on Danielle. “I flashed my belt buckle.”

She couldn’t help but grin.

“Everything okay?” Travis asked her.

Randal angled his body toward Travis. “That’s none of
your
business.”

“I’m fine,” Danielle quickly put in, at the same time willing Travis to stay put. She had no desire to return to her conversation with Randal.

“Are you hungry?” Travis asked, seeming to read her mind. “Can I get you a fresh drink?”

“We’re having a private conversation here,” Randal firmly stated.

Travis’s gaze slowly moved to Randal. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, maybe you want to do that in a less public place.”

Randal turned to Danielle. “Let’s go.”

She didn’t know how to react. She didn’t want to be rude to Randal, but she certainly didn’t want to leave the party with him.

“Aren’t there more people you need to see?” she asked, glancing around. Surely Randal wouldn’t give up an opportunity to schmooze.

“There’s something I need to ask you.” There was a determination in his eyes.

“Right now?”

“Right now.” He reached for her hand, twining his fingers around hers.

She automatically pulled back, and his hand came with hers.

Travis stepped forward, tone hard, words deliberate. “Let her go.”

Randal held his ground, glaring at Travis. Both men were still and silent for what seemed like a full minute.

Finally, Randal let go of her hand.

He turned to Danielle. “I’d like to speak with you.”

“Let’s do it later.” She wasn’t afraid of Randal, but his behavior bordered on the bizarre.

He stared at her for another long moment.

“Fine,” he ground out. “Later.”

With a withering look at Travis, he turned to stalk away.

“That was weird,” she couldn’t help commenting.

“You okay?”

“Perfectly fine.” She shook off her feelings. “You?”

Travis grinned. “I’ve been to plenty of parties that ended in fights.”

She shook her head at the ridiculous notion. “You weren’t going to fight.”

“He wasn’t going to fight. I would have.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Just from a different part of the country than him.”

“What are you doing here?”

Randal had been right on that count, this was a private party, only the conference delegates had been invited. She doubted very much that flashing a bull riding belt buckle would have got Travis past security.

“Hedley invited me. Probably thanks to your exaggeration of my family’s artistic and political success.”

“That’s how you play the game.” She glanced down and noticed her drink glass was empty.

Travis noticed, too, and took it from her, quickly flagging down a passing waiter and handing it off.

“Thanks,” she told him.

“Would you like another?” he asked.

“I think I will. Thanks to Caleb, I don’t have to go to work in the morning.”

“I was hoping to find you here,” said Travis as they moved toward a nearby bar. “I need your advice on something,”

“You mean you didn’t come to the party to mingle with lawyers and judges?” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Randal.

He was talking to one of the conference presenters. He glanced up, and their gazes met. She quickly looked away.

“As appealing as that sounds...” said Travis.

Danielle smiled at his sarcasm.

“I’m going to have to sign a contract on Thursday. I’m sure it’ll be a simple matter for you, but I need to make sure I understand the liability.”

She tried to switch to her lawyer brain, and quickly realized she was a little tipsy. “What kind of a contract?”

“Dune buggy racing.”

She rested her hand on the bar and turned to peer at him. “Excuse me?”

“For the bachelor party. Thirty or so guys are all going dune buggy racing. Either me, or the ranch, or maybe Active Equipment, needs to pay the bill and make sure our insurance covers the liability.” He switched his attention to the approaching bartender. “Can you give us two of those tall, frothy, orange things.”

“You probably want to ask me tomorrow instead,” said Danielle. “I’ve already had a couple of drinks, so I can’t guarantee the quality of my advice.”

He smiled at her. “Tomorrow’s fine.”

The bartender set the drinks on the bar top, and Travis handed him a tip.

“So, do you believe me now?” Travis asked as they turned away, heading in the general direction of the fountain pool.

“Believe you about what?”

“About Randal’s motives.”

“No,” she answered with confidence.

Nothing had changed.

“He tried to hold your hand,” Travis pointed out.

“He tried to get me away from you.”

Travis took a sip of the drink and grimaced. Then he held it up to the light, inspecting it. “Really?
This
is what you’re drinking.”

“Cowboy up,” she told him, using an expression she’d borrowed from Caleb.

“I think I’d rather come off a bucking bull.”

“Wimp,” she muttered.

“And why do you think he was so hell-bent on getting me away from you?” Travis asked.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed.” They came to an empty bench facing the gardens, and she sat down. “But Randal doesn’t like you much. And you’re not helping matters by being so sarcastic all the time.”

Travis sat down at the other end of the bench. “I don’t know if
you’ve
noticed, but I’m not trying to make friends with Randal.”

“Really?”
she drawled with exaggerated sarcasm.

“I’m the competition, and he knows it.”

“Oh, get over yourself.”

“I kissed you, and he didn’t.”

“I used to date him, Travis.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

Travis shifted on the bench. “I mean lately.”

“Okay, no,” she backpedaled. “He hasn’t kissed me lately. Not in five years, as a matter of fact.”

Travis took another, tentative sip of the drink, turning up his nose again. “Whereas, I kissed you last night. And he can tell it by my swagger.”

“That’s crazy.” She tried for a haughty tone, but her words came out breathy as memories of the kiss bloomed in her mind.

Her body’s reaction was nearly as strong as it had been in the garden, making her grateful to be in the middle of a crowd. Since, it was frighteningly tempting to do it again.

“What do you think he wanted to talk about?” Travis asked.

She pulled herself back from the unbidden fantasy. “He thinks I’m insulting Nester and Hedley by not snapping up their offer. He believes, and he’s right, that they’re the most prestigious law firm in D.C., and people would crawl over broken glass for the chance they’re giving me.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s right for you.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”

Travis seemed to give that some thought. “Did he have anything to do with you getting the offer?”

“He says not.” She took another drink.

“He also said he has a serious girlfriend.”

“We have no evidence to suggest otherwise.”

“Oh, yes, we do.”

She pinned him with a dubious stare. “You are by far the most clairvoyant cowboy I have ever met.”

“Doesn’t take a mind reader to see what that guy’s thinking.”

Before she could respond, a neatly dressed waiter appeared in front of them. “Kobe beef sliders?” he asked, holding a silver tray out to Danielle.

“Yes, please,” she answered, realizing she was hungry. She helped herself to a cocktail napkin and one of the mini burgers.

Travis took two.

“If I don’t eat something soon,” said Danielle. “You’ll have to pour me into bed.”

The waiter quirked an amused smile as he backed away, and she realized how the words sounded.

She glanced at Travis. “I didn’t mean...”

He grinned at her embarrassment. “I know what you meant.”

A second waiter arrived, this one carrying a tray of champagne. At his offer, Danielle held up her half-full superior court and shook her head.

“Any chance I can exchange this for a beer?” Travis asked.

“Of course, sir.” The waiter took his drink.

“Anything from DFB,” said Travis.

“I’ll be right back.”

“You’re very loyal,” Danielle couldn’t help but note as the waiter disappeared.

BOOK: The Last Cowboy Standing
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