as bad as he was. Hank had hated the time he’d spent working for him and now that he’d been fired, he hated the rancher even more. Humiliated, he kept drinking and planned just how he was going to get even.
Sally had been waiting on Hank since he’d come in several hours earlier. She’d heard the talk about him losing his job and had recognized immediately that he was in one ugly mood. She’d made it a point to stay away from him except to serve his whiskey, for she knew from experience Hank would look for a fight when he got this drunk.
As Sally made her way toward Hank’s table to get him a refill of whiskey, she noticed the good-looking stranger who’d just walked into the saloon.Tall and darkly handsome, the new man stood out in a room crowded with drunken, rowdy, unwashed ranch hands. She offered him a quick smile but kept moving. She’d definitely find the time to see what he wanted as soon as she could, but right then she had to get Hank’s drink to him before he started trouble.
“Here you go, Hank.”
“ ’Bout time you got here,” he snapped.
“Wanted to make sure it was just perfect for you,” she purred, trying not to sound irritated as she set the tumbler of whiskey before him. “You look like you could use some fun, Hank.”
“There’s only one thing I want to do,” Hank snarled.
“What’s that?” she asked, believing he was going to say he wanted to get bedded that night.
Hank looked up at her. “I want to get even with Jack Anderson for what he did to me.”
His expression was so full of hate, Sally found herself feeling very uneasy around him. “Well, for right now, drink up, and enjoy yourself.”
She moved away, hoping to get a chance to flirt with the new fella, who was making his way up to the bar.
Dan had taken a quick look around the saloon and then gone to the bar to order a shot of whiskey.
“You’re new in town, aren’t you?” the bartender asked as he set the tumbler on the bar and filled it with a generous amount of liquor.
“Just rode in this afternoon. Nice town you’vegot here. Seems real peaceful,” Dan said, pushing the money for the drink across the bar to him.
“You want trouble, just show up on payday weekends. Things can get a little wild then, but you’re right—for the most part it’s pretty quiet here in Sagebrush, and we like it that way.”
“That’s good to hear,” Dan said, and he meant it. In the years he’d been on his own, he’d moved around a lot. He’d been in some real bad places and he’d met some real bad people. He’d been through hard times, but he’d managed to survive by working hard, learning how to use a gun, and watching his own back. He knew no one else was going to do that for him. He had to take care of himself.
“You need anything else, just yell. My name’s Wayne.”
Dan just nodded to him as he lifted his glass to take a drink. He was ready to settle in and relax for a while.
“You got everything you need, handsome?” asked a saloon girl as she sashayed up next to him. She leaned back against the bar to give him a full view of the low-cut bodice of her dress and smiled brightly.
“Now that you’re here, I do.” He returned her smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“I’d like that a lot.”
Dan signaled Wayne, and the bartender moved back down to the end of the bar to see what he wanted.
“Give the lady whatever she wants,” Dan said, paying him.
“I do like the way you think.” She gave him a look full of promise.
Wayne poured the drink and was about to move away to take care of his other customers when Jack Anderson walked into the saloon. The hair on the back of Wayne’s neck rose. Considering the mood Hank was in, this was trouble. He just hoped the former foreman stayed so busy drinking that he wouldn’t notice Jack at the bar. Wayne wanted to avoid any kind of fight between the two men tonight.
“Evening, Jack,” Wayne said, keeping his voice down. He set about pouring the
Sally had been waiting on Hank since he’d come in several hours earlier. She’d heard the talk about him losing his job and had recognized immediately that he was in one ugly mood. She’d made it a point to stay away from him except to serve his whiskey, for she knew from experience Hank would look for a fight when he got this drunk.
As Sally made her way toward Hank’s table to get him a refill of whiskey, she noticed the good-looking stranger who’d just walked into the saloon.Tall and darkly handsome, the new man stood out in a room crowded with drunken, rowdy, unwashed ranch hands. She offered him a quick smile but kept moving. She’d definitely find the time to see what he wanted as soon as she could, but right then she had to get Hank’s drink to him before he started trouble.
“Here you go, Hank.”
“ ’Bout time you got here,” he snapped.
“Wanted to make sure it was just perfect for you,” she purred, trying not to sound irritated as she set the tumbler of whiskey before him. “You look like you could use some fun, Hank.”
“There’s only one thing I want to do,” Hank snarled.
“What’s that?” she asked, believing he was going to say he wanted to get bedded that night.
Hank looked up at her. “I want to get even with Jack Anderson for what he did to me.”
His expression was so full of hate, Sally found herself feeling very uneasy around him. “Well, for right now, drink up, and enjoy yourself.”
She moved away, hoping to get a chance to flirt with the new fella, who was making his way up to the bar.
Dan had taken a quick look around the saloon and then gone to the bar to order a shot of whiskey.
“You’re new in town, aren’t you?” the bartender asked as he set the tumbler on the bar and filled it with a generous amount of liquor.
“Just rode in this afternoon. Nice town you’vegot here. Seems real peaceful,” Dan said, pushing the money for the drink across the bar to him.
“You want trouble, just show up on payday weekends. Things can get a little wild then, but you’re right—for the most part it’s pretty quiet here in Sagebrush, and we like it that way.”
“That’s good to hear,” Dan said, and he meant it. In the years he’d been on his own, he’d moved around a lot. He’d been in some real bad places and he’d met some real bad people. He’d been through hard times, but he’d managed to survive by working hard, learning how to use a gun, and watching his own back. He knew no one else was going to do that for him. He had to take care of himself.
“You need anything else, just yell. My name’s Wayne.”
Dan just nodded to him as he lifted his glass to take a drink. He was ready to settle in and relax for a while.
“You got everything you need, handsome?” asked a saloon girl as she sashayed up next to him. She leaned back against the bar to give him a full view of the low-cut bodice of her dress and smiled brightly.
“Now that you’re here, I do.” He returned her smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“I’d like that a lot.”
Dan signaled Wayne, and the bartender moved back down to the end of the bar to see what he wanted.
“Give the lady whatever she wants,” Dan said, paying him.
“I do like the way you think.” She gave him a look full of promise.
Wayne poured the drink and was about to move away to take care of his other customers when Jack Anderson walked into the saloon. The hair on the back of Wayne’s neck rose. Considering the mood Hank was in, this was trouble. He just hoped the former foreman stayed so busy drinking that he wouldn’t notice Jack at the bar. Wayne wanted to avoid any kind of fight between the two men tonight.
“Evening, Jack,” Wayne said, keeping his voice down. He set about pouring the
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