Downhome Darlin' & The Best Man Switch Read Free Page A

yourself.”
    â€œOh. Um...Abby. Abby Stanton.”
    â€œHello, Abby Abby Stanton.”
    â€œHi,” she said, feeling like an idiot. Then she made it even worse by adding, “And bye,” as she forced herself to move away from the bathroom door, intending to slip past him and return to her sisters.
    This time she made it all the way to his end of the hallway before stalling again. There wasn’t space enough for her to get by with him standing the way he was, blocking more than half the entrance back into the barroom. And he didn’t seem inclined to move.
    Instead he went on staring at her, studying her, this time from the high perch of his height, down his perfectly sculpted nose.
    â€œExcuse me,” Abby said, trying not to look straight at him, trying to pretend there wasn’t anything sizzling in the air between them. After all, it might just be her imagination.
    Still he stayed put for a little while longer before pivoting with his spine against the corner of the wall like a hinge. His eyes never left her as he tossed a nod out toward the table she’d left moments before.
    â€œLooks like your friends have hooked up with more friends.”
    She couldn’t for the life of her have explained why she actually felt heat emanating from his gaze but decided it had to be an alcohol-induced illusion.
    Fighting to ignore it, she scanned the barroom until she found her table and discovered what he was talking about. Five other people had joined Bree and Emily.
    â€œThose aren’t my friends. Well, the extra five are. And so are the first two, but they’re also my sisters,” she muttered, referring to his comment about her friends having hooked up with more friends.
    â€œSeems like they’re gettin’ a pretty good party goin’. ”
    True enough. Everyone at the table was laughing uproariously at something Bernie McGuire, the local dry cleaner, had said.
    â€œAren’t you itchin’ to get out there?”
    Not really, she thought. In fact not at all. Emily and Bree had been playing along with the put-the-past-behind-her tone for tonight. But Abby knew what would happen when she joined the rest of them. They’d pour on the sympathy, and this would turn into a pity party.
    She hadn’t realized she hadn’t answered Cal Ketchum until his deep, smooth masculine voice came again.
    â€œWhy do I have the feelin’ you’re a fish out of water here?”
    â€œWho, me? No way. I’m a wild woman through and through,” she lied.
    â€œIs that so?” He pushed away from the wall and inclined his head in the direction of the bar. “Then how about I buy you a drink, Wild Woman?”
    It sounded like a challenge to prove her claim about herself. And this was not the night Abby was going to turn down any challenge.
    â€œSure. Why not.”
    â€œWhat are you drinkin’?”
    â€œBeats me,” she said as he turned to the spot he’d been occupying most of the evening and she stepped up to the bar beside him.
    He questioned the bartender, who checked with the waiter who’d been looking after Abby’s table, and another drink appeared just like some of those she’d already guzzled tonight.
    â€œWhat does that mean exactly—wild woman?” Cal Ketchum asked then with that half grin in place again.
    â€œOh, you know. Devil-may-care. Free spirited. Fly by the seat of my pants. Do just about anything—”
    â€œReally...” he said, drawing the word out as if she’d just given him very intriguing information. Or was that doubt in his tone?
    Just in case it might be, Abby lifted the glass and didn’t put it down until she’d drained it.
    When she looked over at him afterward, she found his expression amused.
    â€œSo tell me about yourself, Abby Abby Stanton. Freedom from what?”
    â€œFreedom?”
    â€œYou said you were celebratin’ your freedom.”
    â€œOh,