I shook my head, clearing my wandering thoughts.
“You’re not interested in her at all?” I heard Ty ask from my left. “You’re just going to sit there and let Tanner go after her?”
Shrugging, I stated, “What do I care? I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone.”
Ty stood and placed his hand on my shoulder. “It’s a shame you’ve put yourself into this endless-punishment thing you’ve got going on. It’s not like you have to marry her, but you could at least have some fun while you’re in town. I see the way you look at her, Brock. And I ain’t ever seen you look at a woman like that before—not even Kaci.”
I flinched at the mention of her name. I reached for the beer and took a long gulp.
“Fine, sit here and wallow in your guilt. Looks like Tanner charmed his way in.”
Scanning the bar, I saw my brother holding Lincoln in his arms as they two-stepped across the wooden dance floor.
“Doesn’t matter,” I mumbled. “She hates me anyway.”
Ty laughed. “Whatever, dude. You enjoy your solitary night while your two brothers get lucky.”
I huffed as Ty slapped my back and made his way toward Kaylee. He soon had her in his arms and was spinning her around the floor too.
After letting me sit at the bar for another thirty minutes, Tanner finally came over and dragged me to the table where everyone was sitting. As we walked up, Dirk approached the table. He gave me a knowing look when our gazes met. He nodded, and I nodded back.
“You aren’t answering your phone,” he said.
“I left it in my truck.”
His gaze met mine again. “You’re drunk, dude.”
With a half shrug, I sat down, followed by Dirk. Dirk knew I only got wasted when I was pissed or trying to numb myself from feeling anything. He’d seen it enough times.
“How about some introductions,” Ty said. “Kaylee, Lincoln, this is Brock Shaw. Lincoln, you had the honor of meeting him earlier today.”
Lincoln looked at me and forced herself to smile. I returned it, then looked to Kaylee. “Pleasure meeting you, ma’am.”
“Ma’am?” Kaylee said, jerking her head back in surprise. “My grandmother is called ma’am. Please call me Kaylee.”
I raised my beer at her.
“Kaylee, Lincoln, this is Dirk Littlewood. Brock’s best friend and fellow bull rider.”
Dirk tipped his cowboy hat at them both. “Pleasure, ladies.”
They both gave him a polite grin.
It didn’t take long for Dirk and Lincoln to fall into a conversation. The more he talked to her, the more jealous I got, and that pissed me off even more. Why was I feeling so territorial over her?
It was right about then that Lincoln’s gaze lifted to me, and she frowned before looking away. She shook her head and politely smiled at Dirk.
When Dirk looked my way, he lifted a brow. “Dude, is everything okay?”
I nodded. I was positive Dirk saw it on my face. Hell, even I kept catching myself staring at Lincoln, and I was two sheets to the wind.
“You want to talk about anything?” he asked.
Pressing my beer to my lips, I took a long pull and looked away. There wasn’t anything to talk about. I was confused because of the alcohol, and Lincoln was a beautiful woman. That was all.
Dirk could read me, drunk or not. I wasn’t in the mood to chitchat. “Well, ladies, it was a pleasure meeting you both.” He stood and grinned, looking between Kaylee and Lincoln. “A word of advice: stay away from the Shaw boys. They’ll love ya and then leave ya.”
“Fuck off, Dirk!” Tanner shouted.
Loraine Wilson was currently sitting on my little brother’s lap, which meant he had given up on the idea of Lincoln or Kaylee. I was sure he had seen the way Ty was sticking by Kaylee, and I was pretty sure Lincoln had turned down his invitation to head out to his truck “to get to know each other better.”
After finishing off my beer, I ordered another one.
“Did you drive here?”
Her sweet, velvety voice made me look across the table at her. Those green eyes were filled with concern.
Damn. She is so beautiful.
“I did. Why? You need a ride home?”
Shit. Am I slurring?
“No, but if you keep tossing them back like that, you’re going to need an ambulance out of here.”
I laughed. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about me, darlin’. I can take care of myself.”
Lincoln rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. When the waitress returned and went to put my beer down, Lincoln reached across the table and took it. “I think he’s had enough, don’t you?”
When Betty Jane and I stared at Lincoln, she looked like she was about to hand me back my beer, but then she pulled it to her chest.
Betty Jane let out a sigh before she spoke to Lincoln. “Honey, listen, I know you’re new in town, and you city folk do things differently. But here, we take care of each other, and if Brock wants to drink himself under the table, he can. We’ll make sure he gets a ride home.”