Rode Hard, Put Up Wet: Cowboy Romance (Rebels & Outlaws 2)

"Sure. You two close?"

Philip looks to her for guidance. Close? Sure. Close according to who? And who would they be close for? He might as well let her decide.

"We've been getting to know each other over business dinners. And you are?"

Chapter Forty

Morgan Lowe doesn't know a whole lot about cattle ranching, and she knows less about racing them. She's not an old hand in running a company—she's only been doing it a year now in any capacity at all, and only six months or so from top to bottom.

But men? She's got a lot of experience meeting men, and a lot of experience learning which ones she wasn't interested in dealing with any more.

When the guy introduces himself, and she takes his hand lightly, it doesn't take long to know that she's found another one that she's not particularly interested in meeting again.

The newcomer leans in close and says something to Callahan that she can't hear. How they're related, she's not sure. But that they know each other, that much isn't a question. She knows they do. They must.

Business partners, very possibly. But friends? It's hard to say. And the difference is an important one. She tries to get a sense for the relationship, but it's untenable at best. They've got something going on, that much is clear.

What it is, what it has to do with her—if anything—is less clear. Morgan closes her eyes a minute. She shouldn't be concerned. She shouldn't let herself be concerned. If she's got anything to be worried about, she can respond to it when it happens.

When you start preparing, when you start hedging bets, that's when you start to run into problems. That's when you start to have serious issues. She's got no interest in giving herself fits, and she's not going to, not if she has any choice in the matter.

Whatever it was that Glen said to Callahan, he closes his eyes a minute and tries to straighten his face. It's not a reaction that Morgan likes. It speaks to a discomfort on Philip's part, and if it's going to make him uncomfortable then it's almost certainly going to do the same for her.

"Would you like to have a seat?"

Callahan moves over a little, and the other man slides in next to him.

"Miss Lowe, how's business? I've heard that you're really knocking out the construction on your new plants."

"My boys are doing good work," she responds. What's this guy's play, anyway?

"Good to hear it. So how are you liking Wyoming?"

Philip's silence isn't comforting, either. He's looking at Glen, and he's not smili

ng. The way his elbows sit on the table, he looks like he's trying to cover himself. Or perhaps restrain himself. Everything about his posture is wrong.

"It's fine," she says. She tries to send her best 'buzz off' signals, but if he sees them he seems to think he can get around them through force of will.

"I run a few race horses, around the state. Been having some good successes around.

"Good for you." She doesn't want to turn this into an ugly situation. Not on her life. But the novelty of the situation is beginning to wear thin, and he continues not to get the message.

"You don't mind my joining the two of you, do you?" He says it as if he's just noticed that she doesn't like him being there. If he didn't notice, then he needs to have his head examined.

"Actually—"

"It's fine," Callahan says. His jaw's set in a way that immediately sends a signal to Morgan—not that she can tell exactly what it is.

He's not pleased, but he's not saying no either. In spite of the fact that he seems to want to. Whatever the younger man has on him, it must be something he doesn't want to lose.

She doesn't particularly have any interest in playing along. If he's got some creep over his head, then he should just tell him to buzz off. If he won't, then that's not her problem. Or it shouldn't be.

But 'shouldn't be' is nowhere near the same thing as 'isn't' in the real world. Not in business, and not in her personal life. So in spite of herself, she settles back.

"No problem at all."

If he's got something on Philip, then the question isn't what she wants or doesn't want. It's what she is willing to put up with for him. And in spite of the fact that he's just about a converted deal, and she could walk away as soon as the papers are signed, she doesn't want to walk away.