As Jason began to rattle off the menu, he poured a soda and set the glass in front of me before turning away to grab a shot glass and fill it with more of the whiskey I had earlier. I grinned at him when he set it down next to the soda.
“You remembered what I ordered earlier?”
He gave me a wink. “Darlin’, it’s my job to remember. So, what can I get you from the kitchen?”
“That loaded mac and cheese sounded delicious.”
“The best kind of comfort food there is. I’ll put the order in for you and bring it over when it’s done. You staying here at the bar or sitting at a table?”
A glance around showed that people were watching me, and I couldn’t help but hear them whispering about what had gone down earlier. I wanted to be anywhere but at the bar where everyone could see me. Boone’s large hand returned to my lower back, and he moved in close enough I caught another lungful of his sage and leather scent.
“We’ll go sit over by the pool tables, Jason.”
Jason set down three more beers before he headed back toward the kitchen to place my order.
“C’mon, Gabriela,” Boon said, “it’s quieter back there. Not so many people watching.”
His warm palm moved around my side and over my hip before he guided me gently to the edge of the stool. As I slipped off, I stumbled and pressed a palm against his torso to steady myself. My breath caught at the hard, warm muscles that greeted my fingers. My mind filled with what he might look like under the shirt.
Liam’s low chuckle had me shaking my head and dropping my hand away.
Turning toward the bar, I downed the whiskey before taking my soda and turning back toward Boone. He had an eyebrow raised at me.
“What? Never seen a woman shoot whiskey before?”
“Well, not often.”
I gave him a wink and stepped away from the bar toward the pool tables. Within a few steps, his palm returned to my back, guiding me until we reached an empty table against the rear wall behind the pool tables. After setting my glass down, I sat on one of the seats, hating that it meant I lost Boone’s hand against my back. He took the seat beside me while Liam sat opposite us.
“Jack’ll be over later, I’m sure.”
I shrugged at Liam’s words. “I’m sure he’s a busy man. Way too busy to be able to babysit me the rest of the night.” I moved my gaze between the two men. “Just like you both probably have other things…”
My words dried up when Boone shifted in his seat, so his whole body faced me not the table.
“Gabriela, we’re not spending time with you because Jack told us to. We’re here because we want to be. Try to relax, forget about those two morons, and enjoy your night. Once you eat, we’ll play a few games of pool, maybe dance some.”
I got a little lost in his baby blues as he spoke, and had no clue what to say to him.
Liam’s voice cut through the moment. “I’m mainly here to watch Boone make a fool of himself, but yeah, no one’s making me stay either, sugar.”
There was humor laced in his words, but he had that wrong. I was the one making a fool of myself.
“Here you go. Loaded mac and cheese for the lady, and some nachos for the men so they don’t steal your mac and cheese.”
Jack placed the plates down on the table before moving to sit at the empty seat and joining us. The aroma was divine and before my stomach could start growling, I lifted the fork to eat while half listening to the men talk about how calving season was about to start and how busy they’d be once it did, except for Jack, who’d be quieter because so many of his regulars were ranchers. Instead of joining their conversation as I ate, I busied myself imagining Boone on the back of a horse, rounding up cattle and helping mama cows birth their calves. Did he even have horses? I knew some ranchers preferred four wheelers to horses and I needed to know if he was one of them.
“Do you have horses?”
Boone turned his full attention to me again, and those baby blues of his lit up with interest, which had me sitting a little straighter as a wave of hope rolled through me while I waited for his answer.
Boone
Gabriela asking about horses was a guaranteed way to get her my full attention. She wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t like the animals, would she? With each new thing I learned about her, aside from the biker stuff, she was drawing me in more and more.
“You like horses, Gabriela?”
Her grin widened. “Please, call me Gabs. Everyone does. And, yeah, I love horses.”