Rand kicked off her boots at the door and was greeted by Scout’s insistent meowing.
“Hey, the world does not revolve around you, vermin.”
Scout disagreed with another high-pitched meow, and with her stub tail twitching back and forth quickly, she marched toward her food bowl.
Rand shook her head as she looked down at the bowl. “It’s still half-full. You’re fine.”
Scout’s yellow eyes glared at her, but Rand still walked down the hallway toward her bedroom, ignoring the angry meow that followed her, and yanked her T-shirt over her head. She finished undressing and thought about Jake leaving her with another long, searching kiss at her door instead of coming inside like she’d wanted. In the harsh light of the afternoon, she was thankful, but last night, she’d been furious and cursed a blue streak at his retreating back.
She was ashamed of her behavior the last few weeks. She was not someone who got drunk, acted like an ass, and abused her friends.
She showered, dressed, and went to transfer the laundry. She’d decided to just wash all her grandmother’s clothes; so far, they’d all been to her taste, and she didn’t have to go shopping. Oh, how she loathed shopping.
Maybe she’d call Jamie or one of Red’s sisters and see if they wanted to head over to Longview. That was what women did, right? Got together in a group and went to bars together? It was only twenty minutes away, and it wasn’t too late. She should be able to find a man there without a criminal record and who wouldn’t mind marrying someone they barely knew, with the proper incentive, of course.
Picking up the phone, she called Red’s sister Tabitha and got her voice mail. Nervously, she left her a message, asking if she wanted to go bar hopping. As she hung up, she called herself every kind of idiot. Tabitha probably had plans already; it was Saturday night at five.
Oh well, she could just head into Longview by herself. She had survived this long without girlfriends.
She grabbed a floral blouse that had thick straps and a square neckline, with formfitting slacks. She dried her hair and fluffed it over her bare shoulders. Satisfied with her appearance, she started making dinner and turned on the radio.
Dancing around to Jason Aldean, she breaded some chicken pieces and dropped them into her deep fryer. After that was done, she peeled potatoes and boiled peas. It wasn’t exactly a light or healthy dinner, but she had worked hard and was hungrier than a cougar after a long winter.
A shrill sound blasted through the music as her phone rang. Turning down the radio, she picked it up by the third ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Tabby! Jamie and I were heading out tonight, and if you want, we would love for you to join us.”
“Really, are you sure? I don’t want to ruin your night—”
“Hell no, we don’t mind. It will be fantastic to get you away from my idiot brother and Jake. Want us to get you in an hour? We can ride together?”
“That sounds great, I’m just eating dinner now.”
“Sweet, see you then. This is gonna be awesome!”
Tabby hung up, and Rand took a deep breath. Having only ever hung with Jake and Red, she was afraid of what Tabby and Jamie considered fun.
She sat down to eat and was about to take a big bite of fried chicken when someone knocked on her door. “Dad burned and blast.”
She stood and walked to the front door, opening it with a deep scowl on her face that melted when she got a load of her visitor.
Red stood on the welcome mat, looking spiffy and handsome in a collared flannel shirt and wranglers. He had a bouquet of tulips in his hand and Rand couldn’t take her eyes off the cheerful flowers wrapped in colorful paper.
“What are you doing here?” she squeaked.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“What are those?” she asked stupidly.
He held them out to her. “They’re for you. Can I come in?”
She blinked at him. Red was standing on her porch with flowers? And he wanted to talk to her?
She stepped back and held the door for him. “Sure. I made fried chicken, if you’re hungry.”
“Starving.” He handed her the flowers and kissed her cheek. She jumped in surprise, and he just let out a deep chuckle.
Her cheeks burned as she watched him head toward the kitchen. What was going on with him? She shut the door and followed him, bumping into his back when he stopped.
“What’s so funny—” She peeked around his broad, shaking shoulders and shouted, “SCOUT! Damn it, I’m going to kick your furry little behind!”
Scout growled at Rand from the little cat’s perch above Rand’s plate, a leg of chicken hanging from her mouth. Scout took off with her bounty at Rand’s first angry steps, skidding down the hallway to Rand’s bedroom, presumably to hide under the bed.
“Little beast!” She turned back to Red, who was bent over with mirth. “Good thing I made extra.”
Tears pooled at the corner of Red’s eyes as he wheezed, “What are you doing, starving the poor thing?”
“No!” she cried. “She just thinks her bowl should be full at all times, and if it gets below the rim, she cries until I give in.”
His chuckles subsided, and he went to the stove, making “mmm-mmm” sounds.
She bumped him out of the way with her hip and laid his flowers down. “Go sit, I’ll make you a plate.”
He did as she said and asked, “So why do you look so nice? Were you expecting someone else?”
No, just hoping.
Damn it, she needed to get a grip and stop thinking about Jake. What they had was this crazy attraction, but it wasn’t anything more.
“I’m actually going out with your sister,” she said casually.
Red started coughing behind her.
Turning, she took one look at his red face and hurried to set both of their plates down before whacking him hard on the back.
He waved his hand as he sucked in air. When he finally seemed to get his surprise under control, he asked, “Which sister?”
“Tabitha. Tabby, I guess,” she said with a small shrug as she sat across from him.
He hiked an eyebrow. “Where are you going?”
“No idea.” She smiled at him sheepishly.
“Well, just be careful. Tabby can get rowdy.”
Rand laughed. “After twenty years with Jake and you, I figure I can handle it.”
“Speaking of Jake, what’s really going on with you? ’Cause last night, I know he wasn’t faking being pissed off. I thought he was going to tear me apart after you left.” Red took a bite of his chicken while he waited for her answer.
Rand felt heat spreading over her face and chest. “I have no idea.”
“But there’s something?” Red’s expression was grim.
“No…I mean…I have no idea. It’s like, one minute we’re fighting, or even just playing around and the next thing I know, he’s kissing me.” Talking about it was making her appetite dwindle, and she pushed her peas around with her fork.
“Are you in love with him?” Red asked.
Rand dropped her fork and cried, “Of course not.”
“Hey, I’m asking as a friend. Jake’s not the most reliable guy when it comes to women.”
“I know that, Red. I’m not an idiot.”
“Okay, look, I’m not trying to give you shit. You’re a grown woman, and it’s your business what you do. But you and I both know that casual things like this do not end well between friends, and the last thing I want to see is you getting hurt.” Red’s big hand reached across the table and grabbed hers, squeezing it. “I’m just saying, you should choose someone who appreciates you.”
Rand’s eyes widened. “Red—”
“Just hear me out. I know we have our differences, and I can be…difficult. But if you need to get married, wouldn’t you rather do it with someone who knows you and the inner workings of your dark and twisted mind?”
“My mind is not dark and twisted,” Rand argued.
“Okay, you aren’t any twistier than any other woman, but you still need to get married. And I think we could have a good life together.” Red ran his hands through his short hair, and his next words had her catching her breath. “Lately, I can’t stop thinking about finding someone to share my life with, and when this whole thing with your granddaddy’s will popped up, it really got to me. I mean…I moved out of my parents’ place a long time ago, but I find myself there more and more. I miss having a family, Rand. I miss living with someone and having someone to come home to.”
Rand felt her heart squeeze at his honest admission. Red was lonely. Red wanted to make a commitment to her, not just for a year, but for the rest of their lives. “So, by a life together, you mean… I mean, you want…” She swallowed and pushed her peas at her potatoes. “You want sex.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, if we’re going to go through the whole thing, I was thinking we could at least try to see if the feelings are there.” There was a pregnant pause before he added, “I know I have those kind of feelings for you, but do you…do you think of me that way?”
Did she? Red was handsome and funny, with a sweet side not many people saw. He was protective and loyal, but if she couldn’t do what he wanted, would it ruin their friendship?
“I need time,” she blurted.
He lost his smile. “Time for what?”
She didn’t exactly know, but she answered as best she could. “I just need a little time to think.”
“How long’s a little time?” His tone was mild, but there was a slight edge to it.
She hesitated before suggesting, “A few days?”
He was silent for a while, making her feel vulnerable and nervous. When he finally said, “Fine,” she let out her breath loudly.
“Thank you. It’s not that I don’t appreciate your offer, I was just trying to avoid dragging you and…and Jake into my problem.”
“I think you already managed to drag Jake in.” He must have seen her wince, because he apologized. “I’m sorry, that was low. You’re my friend, Rand. There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you.”
Oh, don’t say things like that. You’re making me feel worse.
The sound of his laughter broke through her thoughts.
“What’s so funny?”
“Scout just grabbed another piece of chicken off the counter.”
She jumped up and chased the cat down the hallway. “Why didn’t you stop her?”
“I was distracted!” he called after her.
She slid into the room, fell to her knees, and lifted the dust ruffle. Staring under the bed at the reflective eyes of her cat, she hissed, “If you think I’m giving you any tuna this week, you’ve got another thing coming.”
Her only answer was a high growl and the sound of munching.
* * *
Rand escorted Red to the door after dinner, and as she walked him to the porch, she wondered what Jake would say if she said yes.
Stop worrying about Jake. He knew you’d have to pick someone eventually.
“So, I guess I’ll call you tomorrow or something?” he asked, leaning against the door of his truck.
“Sure, sounds good.” She stiffened when he stood back up and grabbed one of her hands and reeled her into him. Her stomach fluttered nervously as she found herself in his arms. “What are you doing?”
He paused long enough to lick his lips. “This.”
She knew what was going to happen, but when his lips touched hers, she wasn’t prepared for the…
Nothing. No tingles. No electricity. And definitely no roller-coaster-stomach-flipping pleasure.
When he pulled away from her, she tried not to look as disappointed as she felt. Stepping away from his arms, she said, “I’ll talk to you later.”
With a nod, he opened the door to his truck and climbed in, leaving her to contemplate what her lack of reaction meant.
* * *
“Hey! Earth to Rand!”
Rand shook herself out of her daze and blushed as Tabby and Jamie watched her expectantly. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“She asked you how the husband hunt was going.” Jamie’s voice was loud, even in the ruckus of the Longhorn Bar. They sat at a table in the corner, the perfect vantage point to observe the other people, but Rand hadn’t seen a man to strike her fancy. None of them had the right shade of sandy-brown hair or the brilliant green eyes. None of them were Jake.
Rand took a drink of the fruity concoction Tabby had insisted she try before answering, “Actually, it’s complicated.”
“What’s complicated? Is there someone or not?” Tabby asked.
How much do I tell them? If it had been Jake or Red, she wouldn’t have held back, but although she knew these women, she didn’t really know them. And Red was Tabby’s brother.
“Hypothetically, what if you had one guy who was really great but you didn’t really think of him like that ask you to marry him. Would you do it?” She knew she was taking a chance that they might guess who she was talking about, but she needed to talk to someone.
Jamie jumped in. “Please tell me it isn’t Jay.”
Rand saw Jamie’s face look pale and worried. “No, it’s not Jay. He’s in a relationship with someone.”
Jamie made a face and sat back. “Ugh, his old girlfriend from Dallas. God, I hate her.”
“Hello, back to the subject at hand.” Tabby pointed her finger at Rand, punctuating her words. “I know this sucks, and it’s only temporary, but you still have two months. I wouldn’t settle.”
“Two months isn’t very long,” Rand said, nibbling her bottom lip.
“It’s long enough to find someone who at least makes your hooha go whooo-hooo!” Tabby said, making Jamie laugh and Rand blush, horrified.
“Is there anyone who you might like?” Jamie asked.
Rand grabbed a handful of peanuts and started cracking the shells against the table. “I don’t know.”
“That’s a big fat fucking yes!” Tabby crowed. “Who is it? And why isn’t he in the running for Mr. Rand Coleman?”
Rand shoveled the peanuts into her mouth, buying some time. “I didn’t say there was anyone.”
“No, you said ‘I don’t know,’ acting all coy. That’s a dead giveaway,” Tabby said.
Rand tugged on her hair and said, “There’s no one else that wants to marry me, okay?”
Jamie, at least, took the hint. “Then he’s an idiot.”
Rand smiled. “Thanks.”
“Well, you aren’t going to find your future hubby here. This place is deader than roadkill,” Tabby said with disgust.
Rand took another drink of her cocktail and looked at her phone, wondering what Jake was doing tonight.
* * *
Jake was just locking up the store when Red called his cell phone. He had been itching to get off work and talk to Rand about what was going on with them, but he still wasn’t sure what he wanted exactly. He’d never planned on getting married, not really. He just didn’t think he had it in him to commit to a woman long-term, but even if he did, he wouldn’t want kids.
Not that he didn’t like kids, but he knew the score. His dad had walked out when his brother and he were seven and eleven. They had huddled at the crack of their bedroom door and listened to him tell their mom he had never wanted this life, that she had trapped him, and he wanted out. His mother had pretended for a while that he would come back, that it was only temporary, but Dustin, his older brother, had told him she was lying. Dad was gone.
He didn’t want to put a wife, let alone a kid, through a messy divorce. He wanted to be sure, a hundred percent, no doubt in his mind that something was going to last before bringing kids into it There was no way to be sure, though, and that was why even if he did get married, kids wouldn’t be a part of it. Asking a woman for that would be too much.
With Rand, things could be different. She only needed him for a year, just long enough to keep the Double C. If they were still working after a year, who knew? Maybe marriage would agree with him.
He pulled himself out of his own head and hit Talk on the cell phone. “What’s up, Red?”
“Hey, buddy, I got something to tell you. Wanna meet for a drink?”
Jake almost said no so he could get to Rand, but he really hadn’t hung with Red lately, just the two of them. Plus, Red usually didn’t have anything to tell him. “Sure, buddy. I’ll be there in ten.”
* * *
“What?” Jake shouted, drawing looks from the other patrons surrounding them at the Watering Hole.
Red raised a brow at him. “I said, I asked Rand to marry me.”
Jake tried to control the churning mix of anger and shock twisting and turning his insides. “But we’re…”
“Come on, man, she told me you guys were just pretending,” Red said.
“She said that?” Which was true, they had been pretending, but Jake didn’t like the casual way Red repeated it back.
But that didn’t make the fact that he wanted her for himself any less real.
“Yeah. Was she wrong?” Red asked him, his look long and searching.
“No, we were trying to get Jay’s attention,” Jake said.
“Okay, good. For a minute there, I thought there might be something really going on,” Red said, and his tone rubbed Jake all kinds of wrong.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” Jake snapped.
“Well, we both know you aren’t the long-haul kind of guy,” Red said baldly.
“Rand doesn’t need anyone for the long haul. She just needs someone to last the year.”
“Yeah, but could you even handle that? I mean, the longest you’ve been with a woman is five months, and even then you were restless. How are you going to feel about being married to Rand when the newness wears off?” Red clenched his jaw hard, and his blue eyes narrowed.
Jake knew Red was just stating the facts, but it still didn’t stop him from picturing his fist knocking that holier-than-thou look off his best friend’s face. “Your monogamy record isn’t much better than mine.”
“Not for lack of trying. Women just seem to cut and run out on me.” Red’s eyebrow hiked up his forehead. “Are you telling me I stepped on your toes and you want to marry Rand?”
“No, of course not. I’m sorry, man, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I think I’m just tired.” Jake finished the rest of his beer. “I’m gonna head home.”
“Okay, Jake.” Red sounded tired, resigned.
Grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair, Jake strode out of the bar toward his truck. He needed to take a drive and clear his head.