Cowboys Like Us Read Free Page A

moment, she was really glad that Steve had ended up with food poisoning.

2
    B EFORE JUMPING IN TO help Caro, Logan had spent a couple seconds weighing the pros and cons. Josie had asked him to stay away from Caro, but then again, Josie hadn’t anticipated Steve getting sick. Logan had seen the panic in Caro’s eyes when the band had stopped playing and the surge toward the bar had commenced.
    Finally, deciding Josie shouldn’t have to worry about working tonight, and surely she’d rather have happy customers than obsess about Caro and Logan working together, he’d swung into action. He couldn’t pretend it was a selfless act. He’d told Caro the absolute truth—doing something useful felt fantastic.
    And yeah, the idea of being Caro’s heroic savior for an hour or so was very appealing. The looks she gave him generated a sexual buzz he hadn’t felt in quite a while, and he was enjoying the hell out of that.
    He promised himself that once the rush subsided, he’d retreat to the other side of the bar. Somehow, the rush never let up. Part of that could be his fault, because he hadn’t been able to resist showing off a little. Besides juggling the martini shaker, he’d built a few flaming drinks, which caused folks to order more so they could watch the process.
    And damn, he was having a good time. He was alsoimpressing the girl. He’d caught her staring a few times, although she didn’t allow herself to be distracted from her work. For two people who’d never bartended together before, they managed with a minimum of bumping into each other.
    That was a good thing, because whenever he accidentally brushed up against her, he registered exactly how soft and curvy she was. That message went straight to his groin.
    She also smelled of lemons, which might be her perfume or might be the lemons she’d been cutting before he took over the cocktail part of the bar duties. Whatever the reason, the scent fit her personality, which was fresh, bright, and sexy as hell.
    Once in a while his knee gave him a twinge, but then he’d take his weight off his right leg and be okay again. He was grateful for that, because the party showed no signs of letting up, even after Alex and Tyler left in a shower of bird-seed. One o’clock came and went. Most bars closed then, but this one was owned by the sister of the groom, and she didn’t seem ready to kick people out.
    Caro slipped past him holding two brimming mugs of beer. “I’m worried about your knee,” she said.
    “Don’t be.” He garnished a cosmo. “I’m fine.”
    “I’m not sure I believe you.”
    “Working back here is a hell of a lot easier than dancing.” He delivered the cosmo and came back with a couple dirty glasses. “Besides, I’m enjoying the company.” He probably shouldn’t have said that, but it wasn’t as if he planned to ask her out.
    “Me, too.” She sent him a dazzling smile.
    That made him feel good, probably too good. He wondered what she had going on in her life that kept her from dating. She seemed like someone who was worth getting to know, on many levels, but they were too busy for him to ask any questions.
    Around two, the crowd finally began to thin, and Josie came to sit at the bar.
    “Can I get you something?” Logan asked.
    “No, thanks, but I owe you a huge debt for filling in tonight. I hope you haven’t stressed your knee.”
    “I’m fine.”
    “I’d forgotten you used to tend bar, but Alex reminded me after he saw you back here flipping martini shakers around.”
    “I had fun.” Working in close proximity with Caro had been ninety percent of that fun, but he’d keep that fact to himself.
    “I could tell. Anyway, we’re all about to head back to the ranch, and most everyone else is ready to call it a night, too. Or technically, I guess we have to call it a morning.”
    Logan took stock of the remaining dirty glasses, popcorn baskets and crumpled napkins lining the bar and grouped on the tables. “It was some party,