Timber Creek (Sierra Falls 2)

He hated it. Hated to be the bad guy in those eyes.

He popped up from the booth and joined her behind the bar.

She grew utterly still, watching as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “What are you doing?”

“I came for coffee, so I’m getting myself some. ”

“I can see that. You know what I mean. ”

He could tell she wanted to tear into him, but how could she fault his helping himself? Their waitress wasn’t in yet, so serving fell to the family. “Just trying to help a pretty lady. ”

“Then rip up Fairview’s check. ”

He topped off Bear’s cup, then walked back around and grabbed a stool at the bar. “Seems our goals are mutually exclusive. ” As he leaned his elbows on the counter, he couldn’t help but eye her tight body in that skimpy workout getup. “Although…”

“Although, what?”

He shot a glance at Bear, chin-deep in a copy of yesterday’s paper, and whispered, “Although it seems like one of your goals is a good workout. I could always help by racing you around in those little hot pants of yours. ”

Abruptly, she stood erect, putting her hands on her hips, doing her best to look put out. “They are not hot pants. They’re running shorts. ”

He let his gaze rove along those sleek thighs, and when he brought his eyes back to hers, something gratifying awaited him there. “You’re blushing,” he said with genuine surprise.

“I am not blushing. ” She turned her back on him to wipe down a part of the bar that didn’t need wiping. “I’m just flushed from my workout. ”

“Next time, you let me know if you need a running partner. Because seriously, I’m available for chasing. ”

“Dream on, Jessup. ” She threw the rag into a bin under the counter. “Now, do you have a reason to be here, or is it just to plague me?”

He was working up the guts to break it to her about the rancher’s second story, so for now it was pretty much the plague-her thing. He had an appointment to keep in Reno, but instead he found himself reaching for a menu. “What’s today’s special?”

“Soup, but it won’t be ready for an hour. ”

“Forget the soup,” Bear said. He put his paper down and shot a thumb in the direction of the windows. “You’ve gotta finish the screens. ”

Eddie popped up to take a look. “I did finish, good and solid. ” He helped the Baileys out with small jobs, and it wasn’t like him to mess something up. “Here’s your problem,” he said, seeing it immediately. One of the pegs holding the screen in place had broken, leaving a gap wide enough to let bugs in. “I told you, Bear, you get what you pay for. ”

“They told me these were perfectly good. ”

“And I told you they’re perfect crap. These cheap ones can’t take any wear. ” He wedged the screen back into place. “Hey, sugar,” he called to Laura, “you got a toothpick behind that bar?” She gave him a frosty look in reply, so he added, “I need something tiny to pick out the broken bit. ”

“These things came with a bag of extra parts,” Bear said, headed to the door. “I’ll go to the garage, see if I can find them. ”

Laura brought him a few plastic cocktail spears, and instead of returning to the bar, she stayed to watch as he used a toothpick to jiggle the piece free. “How’d that happen?” she asked.

He found her interest oddly gratifying. “It was probably some little kid, sitting in the booth, fiddling with it. Snapped the head of it right off. ”

“Well, can’t you just snap it back on again? It’s letting in a ton of mosquitoes. ” She put a knee on the bench of the booth to get a closer look, and the fake leather upholstery crunched as she leaned in.

The piece popped free, and he dropped it into her hand. “Got it. ”

“Good. I worked the evening shift yesterday and was practically nibbled to death. ”

Her thigh was tanned and smooth, and he had a good idea of what he’d like a nibble of. “I’ll bet you taste mighty good, too. ”

Too good. He had to turn his back to her, giving himself a second to cool it.

But then she made an exasperated sound, and he just had to get a look at her expression, so he stood. He moved sooner than she’d expected, though, because as he did he practically bumped into her.