Cowboys Like Us Read Free

afford beyond an occasional trip to Yellowstone.
    But this man, who’d jetted around the country for years, represented adventure beyond her wildest dreams. She found that irresistible.
    Picking up a bar rag, she began wiping up imaginary spills. “Shoshone must seem small to you after spending so much time in big cities.”
    “Actually, it’s a nice break. I can see why Alex is so crazy about the place. The Grand Tetons are amazing.”
    “I agree. They are. But I’m sure the Chicago skyline is amazing, too, especially at night.”
    “It is,” he said with a decided lack of enthusiasm.
    Damn. She felt like an idiot. Of course he wouldn’t want to talk about the wonders of Chicago and be reminded of losing the job he loved. “The Tetons are great, though. Wonderful for hiking. You should—” She groaned as she realized she’d made a mess of this discussion. “But you have a bad knee. You know what? I should just shut up.”
    He laughed. “It’s okay. I forget about my knee all the time, until I stay on it too long and it lets me know.”
    “Can you ride? Because you could take a horse up into the mountains, if it wouldn’t be too strenuous.” She’d bet he would look terrific mounted on a horse. Yum.
    “I’ll have to brush up on my riding skills, but I’ve been thinking about that. Do you ride?”
    “I know how, but lately I haven’t had the time.” She refused to allow herself to be resentful of her grandma, but still, a trail ride with Logan would have been fun.
    “Caro.” Steve, looking pale, appeared at her elbow. His short buzz cut was dark with sweat. The room was warm, but not that warm. “I hate to do this to you, but my stomach’s going wonky. Feels like food poisoning. I must have eaten something bad earlier today. In any case, I gotta go home.”
    She put her hand to her own tummy, which had immediately rolled in sympathy. “That’s terrible. Don’t worry about the bar. Just go home and get better.”
    “Thanks. I can take your shift tomorrow if you want.”
    “Only if you’re well enough. Get out of here, cowboy.” She sucked in a deep breath as Steve opened the hinged bar top and headed toward the back door. She’d counted on him to get her through this first big event, but she could manage, especially if the party started to wind down soon.
    But Murphy’s Law was working against her. The minute Steve left, the band took a break and wedding guests swarmed the bar in search of drinks. Fighting down panic, she squared her shoulders and grabbed an order pad. No way could she keep all those drinks in her head.
    “You handle the beer and wine. I’ll mix the drinks.”
    She looked up from the order pad and discovered Logan had joined her behind the bar and was already reaching for a couple of martini glasses.
    “No, you shouldn’t.” She put a hand on his shoulder—hisvery warm, very muscled shoulder. Instantly, that heat spread through her body. Whew. “You’re a guest. I’m sure Josie could—”
    “She’s the sister of the groom. She shouldn’t have to work tonight. Besides, I want to.” He set the glasses on the counter and gave her a quick glance before picking up a bottle of vodka. “It feels great to be useful for a change.”
    She couldn’t argue with that reasoning. Didn’t really want to, actually. If helping her would make him feel better about his lot in life, even for an hour or so, then she couldn’t deny him that. And she’d get the benefit of working side by side with the hottest guy in Shoshone.
    “Okay, then,” she said. “But only until it slows down.”
    “Right.” He picked up a martini shaker, flipped it high in the air and caught it behind his back.
    Someone in the crowd whistled.
    Logan winked at Caro. “You know, I’d forgotten how much I used to love this job.”
    Oh, baby. He was positively delicious, and Caro was the lucky girl who got to co-bartend with him for an hour or so. She would never wish ill on anyone, but in that