Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Despite people having been run roughshod by a bevy of children wanting the holiday season and experience now, many began singing along and dancing. Even given her current state of exhaustion, she smiled at those joshing around.
Krissy Mae waggled her fingers at her. “Come on, Rayla. Shake what the good Lord bestowed upon you.”
So much for a dip in the hot tub at her cabin and a glass of wine. Perhaps going out would do her a bit of good. Doubtful, but at this point, she was willing to try nearly anything at least once.
Like Krissy Mae knew she’d duck out at the first opportunity, she wasn’t allowed to head home and change. Nope, not even to freshen up. Krissy Mae placed her in the middle of the group, looped her arm through Rayla’s and didn’t let go until they reached June Bug’s.
Despite being a smalltown “dive” bar, she immediately felt more of a kinship with this establishment than she felt at any of the bars she’d gone to in DC.
“Whoop whoop, Krissy Mae’s here!”
Rayla released her friend and shook her head over her antics. The clientele whistled back at Krissy Mae and shouted out greetings. Nudged to the bar, Rayla skimmed her fingers over the smooth bar top. It wasn’t new, there were plenty of dips and dings in the wood, but it was well taken care of.
“What can I get you, darlin’?”
She glanced up and sucked in a sharp breath. Holy shit they grew them hot here in Hallelujah Crossing.
Hallelujah is right!
“Whatever you have on tap.”
Crap she couldn’t find her words. This man was tall, built, sexy as hell and doing bad things to her insides. Second only to Ryker. His black hair styled in that “I’m sexy and I know it” manner, that looked like he, or some lucky woman, had just finished running her fingers through it.
He nodded and she watched his hands grasp the handle of the glass, then angle it and fill it with whatever beer he was giving her.
The bartender plunked it down before her, the white foam sloshing over the side.
“Here you go, beautiful.” He leaned forward, lips twitching like he had a private joke he wasn’t sure if he should share. “Made sure it had a good head.”
“Oh damn,” Krissy Mae muttered beside her.
“I do like a good head,” she replied with a smile. “I’m Rayla.”
“Cole.” He rapped scarred knuckles on the bartop. “How long are you in town for?”’
“At least until the end of Christmas in July celebration y’all have going on here.”
He grinned and she swore this man was dangerous. One dimple popped out on the left side.
Hello swooning ovaries.
“How long are you in town for Cole?” Krissy Mae propped her hip against the counter as bent toward the bartender, flashing a winning smile and yes, her boobs.
“You don’t live here?” Rayla thought he’d been a resident here.
He moved his gaze from Krissy Mae—her eyes—and back to Rayla’s. “I mean, I’m happy to move here permanently with you. But no, I’m not from here originally.” He winked one electric blue-green eye. “I do like your forward marriage proposal. A woman who knows what she wants is one hell of a turn-on.”
Jerking her thumb to where Krissy Mae stood beside her, Rayla replied, “She’s your girl.”
His look curled her toes. “We’ll see about that, darlin’. I expect you in here often now to keep all those dangerous females at bay.” Another wink and he was up the bar serving other customers.
“Two of them.”
Sipping her beer, Rayla allowed the bitter, hoppy taste slide down her throat. It held a bite of citrus as well. She approved and hummed as her toes curled inside her sandals.
“Two of what?” she asked her friend, pitching her voice to be heard over the swell of the increasing crowd.
“Men.”
This deserved another drink. So she took it. “I’m not following. There are more than two men in here.” Turning on the stool, she faced her friend. “What are you drinking?”
Cole chose that moment to return with an open longneck that he passed over the bar to Krissy Mae.
“This,” she said, taking a long swallow.
“Great. Now explain your statement.”
Her friend smiled, a bit kind and hella scary. Not like the sharks she was used to dealing with, no, Krissy Mae there wasn’t anything evil about it just plain old, fear that told Rayla she shouldn’t have asked the question.
“Just that you roll into town here, running from whatever you’se runnin’ from and have not one but two freakishly hot men after you.” No malice tinged her tone, simply amazement. “Here I am with my girls—which are impressive if I may, and do say so—practically hanging out and they are ignoring me—and them—for you.”
Rayla stroked the side of her glass with her fingers, enjoying the cool condensation on the tips. “I walked over here with you but are you sure you’ve not been drinking? Asking for a friend because the words slipping off your lips make no sense.”