Fall for Me (Cowboys of Crested Butte 1)

“By the way, I didn’t meet him at Red Rocks, we saw him play at Red Rocks.”

“He’s the guy who introduced himself, I know he is. Look.” Renie pointed to a photo behind the bar. “See, that’s him, right there.”

There he was, right there. There was something about Ben Rice that spoke to her. She couldn’t explain it, but the man made her insides quiver.

“And, wow! There he is.” Renie pointed behind her mom.

Liv turned to see Ben greet customers as he took off his red and black plaid Woolrich jacket and hung it on the coat rack inside the door. The man was gorgeous. Well over six feet tall, he had the broad shoulders of an athlete. Ben was muscular, not body-builder muscular, but hard-as-rock muscular. He reached up to put the straw cowboy hat that covered his shaved head on the rack with his jacket.

He turned and looked straight at her, bestowing her with his charming smil

e.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He reached for her hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

Liv doubted he recognized her, and even if she looked familiar, she was sure he didn’t remember from where.

“You were at the show at Red Rocks last summer. Liv, right?”

Gah. She almost swallowed her tongue. He remembered her name? She nodded. “That’s right.”

He turned to Renie and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Ben. What’s your name?”

“Hi, Ben. I’m Renie. It’s nice to meet you.” She shook his hand, and then smiled at her mother.

“What can I get you to drink?” Ben motioned for the bartender, who came right over.

“I’ll have another beer, thanks.” Liv turned around, but didn’t see Renie.

“She’s over there.” Ben pointed to a table filled with people that looked closer to her daughter’s age.

“Oh. Um…” Liv wasn’t sure whether to stay at the bar and talk to Ben, or join her daughter.

“Here you go,” he said, handing her the beer. “So, tell me, what brings you to Crested Butte? You don’t live around here. I mean, I’d know if you did.”

“Skiing,” she answered between sips. “My daughter goes back to school in a few days. We thought we’d sneak a quick trip in before she did.”

“I’m glad. Were you out there today?”

“No, not until tomorrow.”

Ben glanced at her near-empty beer, the one he had just gotten for her. She was so nervous, she’d chugged it.

“Be mindful of the altitude, Liv. Beer goes to your head a lot quicker at nine-thousand feet than it does in…”

She felt the heat spread into her cheeks. Why did this man have such an effect on her? Maybe because he was the first man who’d paid this much attention to her since Renie’s father. “We’re from Monument.”

“Is that near Denver, or is it Colorado Springs?”

“Both. It’s between the two. And we’re at 7,000 feet. But you’re right, I must’ve been more thirsty than I thought. Listen, um, I’m going to take the shuttle back to the ski area. It was really nice to see you again, Ben. And thanks for the beer.”

Rather than interrupting Renie, who appeared to be having a great time, Liv made her way through the crowded bar, and out the front door, without looking back at him.

Liv half-walked, half-ran down Elk Avenue to where the ski area shuttle was parked, and jumped on.

“You’re my only passenger this run, ma’am. Where are you headed?”

“The Grand, thanks.”