Looking for Trouble (Jackson: Girls' Night Out 1)
“Um...I was hoping you might talk Rayleen into renting to your old friend Charlie. You know, just another cowboy looking for a place to crash for the winter.”
“Another— Oh, no. No way. Rayleen likes me.”
“Rayleen loves you!” Jenny interrupted. “That’s why she’ll let Charlie move in without even seeing her. And by the time she’s moved in, even Rayleen wouldn’t be mean enough to evict her. Not to mention it’d be illegal to blatantly kick out a tenant for being female.”
“What about kicking out a tenant for lying about a new renter?” he grouched.
“She’ll forgive you. You’re too big and handsome and sexy for her to hold a grudge.” She fluttered her eyelashes again.
“I like it a lot better when you don’t have an ulterior motive for calling me sexy.”
“But that’s the only time I call you sexy, so catch-22.”
He grinned. “You sure about that, Jenny?”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “Save your magic for Rayleen, cowboy.”
“Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you trick her into renting a place to Charlie and leave me out of it?”
“No way. Rayleen’s my boss. She can fire me. She can’t fire you.” Jenny nudged his half-empty beer. “That beer’s on the house if you do it.”
“One beer? I haven’t been out of work that long. I’m not desperate.”
“One beer and the gratitude of Deputy Nate Hendricks. That could come in handy. A cop on your side. And think of your old friend Charlie!”
Yeah. Cute little Charlie. She needed a place to stay. And the Stud Farm was one of the few cheap, nice options in this tourist town. “Shit,” he muttered.
“Yea!” Jenny cried, confident she’d won him over.
Walker shook his head and scrubbed a hand through his hair. It was too long and starting to curl over his collar. He’d meant to shave his beard and get a cut weeks ago, but now it was turning cold and he couldn’t bring himself to shear any of it. Still, it would’ve given Nicole less of a hold if he’d gotten rid of it.
He downed the rest of his beer. “I’m not going to lie to an old lady. But I’ll do what I can, all right?”
“All right. Thanks. You’re the best, Walker.”
“That’s what they say.”
“You’re also incorrigible. Good thing, because here comes Rayleen.”
He grimaced and nudged his glass toward Jenny. “Free refill?”
“I thought you weren’t desperate.”
“I’m not. I’m scared.”
“All right,” she laughed. “Free refill. After you pull it off.”
Walker took a deep breath and turned with a grin to meet the harmless-looking white-haired woman. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite landlord. Hey there, Miss Rayleen.”
“Turn back around, Walker,” she snapped. “I wasn’t finished looking at your ass.”
“I’d think you’d have it all mapped out by now. You look often enough.”
“There’s no such thing as enough when it comes to a fine piece of tush, fool.”
“Why, thank you, ma’am.” His smile came more easily now. He really did love this menace of a woman. “I was just asking Jenny here where you were hiding.”
Rayleen raised a silver eyebrow and settled into her normal seat at a table at the corner of the bar. “You finally decided to up your cougar game? Ten-year age difference no longer a challenge?”