Venus in Blue Jeans Read Free

trouble. Docia fought down a faint tang of disappointment. Better this way.
    “No, I think I know who he is.” Janie’s brow furrowed in thought. “He’s probably Doc Rankin’s new partner. The new vet.”
    A vet. Well, hauling large animals around would certainly explain the body.
    “You’re interested, aren’t you?” Janie peeked back down the bar. “Wanna go down there and introduce ourselves?”
    “In front of Kleinschmidt?” Docia shook her head. “Don’t think so.”
    “What’s wrong with Wonder Dentist?”
    Docia grimaced. “He reminds me of my macroeconomics professor. The one who wrote ‘pathetic’ across the top of my term paper.”
    Just another Konigsburger who found her not quite up to the town’s standards.
    She chanced another glance at the end of the bar. Even if he was a local, Dr. Gorgeous could still be a jerk.
    Would she know what to do with him if he wasn’t? Did she even remember? And, of course, there was no guarantee he’d be interested in her.
    “So what do you want to do?” Janie’s brow furrowed. “I could try luring Wonder away, but then I’d feel funny the next time I needed my teeth cleaned.”
    “Don’t do anything.” Docia massaged her neck again. “I’m not interested in introducing myself to a complete stranger.”
    Why today? Why couldn’t she have been wearing that gauze shirt she bought yesterday at the Lucky Lady? Why couldn’t she have washed her hair last night instead of waiting until tonight? Why couldn’t they have sat at a table instead of bellying up to the end of the bar like a pair of biker chicks?
    She was dirty. She’d been moving boxes all afternoon. She smelled. This was not the day to meet Mr. Right. Assuming Mr. Right existed anywhere except an alternate universe, which, given her luck, wasn’t likely.
    Hell, damn, stink!
     
     
    Cal’s brain stumbled through a series of increasingly desperate scenarios. He could try one of the pick-up lines his brother Pete used, except Pete struck out about as often as he hit and Cal didn’t feel like risking it. He could try the old head across the room, spill the drink, oops, sorry bit, but then she might think he was an asshole.
    He could walk up, introduce himself and offer to buy her a drink. And watch her nose wrinkle when she got a whiff of goat.
    “You coming up with anything there, Idaho? Looks like your brain’s about to overheat.” Wonder grinned at him.
    A bar fight. He’d take a punch at Wonder and then let Wonder deck him and then she’d come down the bar and hold his head in her lap…
    Cal shook his head. “Not a goddamn thing.”
    “Cheer up. She’s not going anywhere and neither are you.” Wonder squinted at Cal as he got up from his bar stool. “You’re not going anywhere, right?”
    “In the long run, no. Right now I’m going back home.” Cal tossed down the last of his Dos Equis. “To regroup.”
    Wonder nodded. “Right. Go back to the old campfire and figure out that flanking maneuver.” He detoured around Biedermeier’s protruding rear end. “Terrell, it’s been a pleasure, as always.”
    Cal peered one more time down at the other end of the bar. Was Venus looking at him in the mirror? He turned quickly, but she’d picked up her margarita again.
     
     
    Docia took a deep breath. Kleinschmidt was leaving. Biedermeier was only faintly conscious. If she was going to do anything it would have to be now.
    Was she going to do anything? And if so, what?
    She glanced back into the mirror again, only to see Gorgeous heading for the door. Janie was watching him. Now that she checked, Docia realized every female in the bar was watching him. Wonderful. Of course she wouldn’t be the only one to notice Dr. Gorgeous. He probably had a brigade of women already volunteering to do his bidding. One more reason not to get involved.
    “What’s Plan B?” Janie said beside her. “Maybe you could borrow your neighbor kid’s iguana and drop by the animal hospital. It looks