The Loathe Boat

The Loathe Boat By Cindy Dorminy

Publication date: January 20th 2025

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The Loathe Boat is about to set sail! All aboard!

Chrissy Parks already has one failed marriage under her belt, and despite being on good terms with her ex, she has no desire to put another ring on her left hand anytime soon. Life is good with Deacon, her amazing boyfriend, so there’s no need to rock the boat.

Deacon Youngblood has other plans. He pops the question just days before they plan to set sail on a role-playing-themed cruise. When Chrissy flips out and turns down his proposal, he begins to think that she may not be over her ex.

The situation escalates into a breakup, but neither will relinquish their cruise ticket. Chrissy climbs aboard the Sovereign of the Sea with the goal of clearing her head and enjoying all the cruise has to offer. Deacon follows with the hope of winning her back.

Chrissy has a nagging feeling that Deacon is hiding something from her. And he’s not the only one vying for her attention. Chrissy must search her heart and decide who she wants. Or maybe she should abandon ship.

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EXCERPT:

First line: Nothing says love like walking through a parking garage in a bright yellow duck suit. ~ Chrissy

I open the box to reveal the custom-made engagement ring I’ve been hiding in my drawer for a month. Her mouth gapes open, but no words come out – no “OMG, yes” or even “Of course I will” or a squeal of excitement…..

Her breaths come out in rapid pants. “I..I… uh, I…” Her chair falls backward as she runs toward the bathroom.

Relinquishing my ticket to her would be the right thing to do, but there is no way on Earth I’m going to let her share my stateroom with her ex-husband. I’d rather be stuck on the Titanic with her than let her have any sexy times with that twenty-first century Eddie Haskell ~ Deacon

A sword? Wait! A viking helmet too? Most of the people in line around me seem more like they are on their way to a Ren Faire. All that’s missing is a very large turkey leg. ~ Chrissy

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Rom-Com readers will have a memorable trip on The Loathe Boat ~ Goodreads

Great for getting in the ‘vacation mood’ without necessarily hearing Jimmy Buffet. ~ Goodreads

For a closed-door romance, they had magnetic chemistry! ~ Goodreads

Author Bio:

Cindy Dorminy writes about love when it’s least expected. Quirky dialogue and sassy, southern heroines are a must in her romances. When she’s not in her she-shed working on her next novel, she enjoys walking her dog, gardening, and weightlifting. She shares her house with her musician husband, an awesome daughter, and a miniature dachshund who would eat all the food if he could figure out how to open the refrigerator. She resides in Nashville, TN, where live music can be heard everywhere, even at the grocery store.

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Some Like It Hott

Some Like It Hott by Serena Bell

(Hott Springs Eternal, #3)
Publication date: January 14th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

She’s nothing he wants. And everything he needs.

Preston: I’m Mr. Serious, the guy they call “all work and no play.” So of course my grandfather’s sadistic will has put me in charge of fun at the family’s wedding resort. I have just a few weeks to come up with an all-ages activities program for the resort’s guests—or lose my family’s land forever. Meanwhile, the clock’s ticking at my finance firm, where I’m up for a huge promotion—if I can prove I’m a team player.

Worse, I have to work with the reigning queen of fun, Natalie Archer. If there’s a party, Natalie’s there, and she’s the one dancing on the tables. She doesn’t think much of my suits, ties, cufflinks, and spreadsheets, and I don’t think much of her fun-first–safety-last attitude. But for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about her gorgeous curves, wild curly hair, or sparkling smile. I’m a man who values self-control—and I’m running low.

Natalie launches Operation Fun to help me loosen up and win the promotion I’ve been chasing. Now we’re spending days and nights together—and learning that some activities are a lot of fun for both of us. But as our deadline approaches and our collaboration heats up, Natalie and I find ourselves asking a big question: Opposites may attract, but can they live happily ever after?

A spicy, grumpy-sunshine, fish-out-of-water, billionaire, opposites attract, workplace relationship standalone romantic comedy set in the beloved small town of Rush Creek.

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EXCERPT:

By the time I start my new job a week after my coffee-shop encounter with Lloyd and Susie, I’m starting to feel more optimistic about things. My new boss, Hanna, hooked me up with a swanky room in the Hott Springs Eternal lodge; I’ve deleted all Lloyd’s emails, texts, and photos; and I’ve pawned all the jewelry he gave me.

I’m not sleeping great, and I’m still a little weepy…but you can’t have it all.

I poke my head into Hanna’s office and say, “Hey!”

“Oh, hi, Natalie. Come in.”

I can tell right away that something’s off. She doesn’t sound as brimming with enthusiasm as she did when she called to let me know I had the job or when we talked about my lodging. But I tell myself it’s nothing to do with me—probably a bridezilla situation from earlier in the morning—and step inside.

“Good to see you.” She waves me into a chair across from her. “I have some paperwork for you to fill out, but first I wanted to have a word with you.”

She rearranges a stack of papers, and I realize she’s nervous. Which means the “something off” I observed when I first walked in? Probably does have to do with me.

Shit. “Everything okay?”

I don’t know what I’ll do if this job falls through. Things are over with Lloyd, and it’s a huge understatement to say my parents aren’t my first choice of roommates. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that the idea of asking them for any kind of favor makes me feel like throwing up. Which is why I have to save the money to go back to school.

And even if my housing situation weren’t at stake, I want this job. Yeah, it’s not on the long-term Get Serious path, but it’s totally up my alley. I love people and I love, well, fun—and this is a job where I get to make sure people have fun. Nothing else I’ve applied for sounds like something I want to do.

“I have so many great ideas for how to make Hott Springs Eternal a true destination!” I blurt out, sounding like a bad cover letter—as if that’s going to keep her from delivering whatever bad news is on the tip of her tongue.

She winces, and…I do, too. She looks away, and shit. Shit shit shit.

“It’s complicated,” she says, still not making eye contact. “Nothing to panic about, but there’s a—twist.”

“A twist,” I repeat. That doesn’t sound good.

“I’m really sorry about this bait and switch, but my hands are totally tied. I know I hired you to be the sole person in this position, but, well…God, how do I explain this?”

She’s not making any sense, and apparently my face betrays my confusion and worry because she says, “Wait, let me start from the beginning.”

But just then, her eyes leave my face and fix on something behind me. “Oh, hey,” she says.

I turn to see a man standing in the office door, towing a rolling suitcase behind him. He’s tall and broad-chested, wearing a gorgeous gray linen suit whose expensive tailoring flaunts the strength in his shoulders and biceps. His brown-and-burgundy power tie is cinched up tight against his strong, tanned throat. A half day of dark stubble coats his iron jaw, his cheekbones were carved from stone, and he’s scowling like he just found out his bespoke-suit maker has gone out of business.

My mouth goes dry, and my thighs get hot.

I may have read a little too much “You liked Fifty Shades? Try this!” romance at a formative age.

My eyes go to his hands.

No ring.

Yes, I checked. The universe has spontaneously served me up a Hot Man in a Suit. I challenge any single, straight woman with a pulse not to try to figure out if this guy’s married.

Although it’s pointless.

Because things never work out between men like him and women like me. They’re all business, and I’m a party. They take themselves and everything else seriously, and I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

But it doesn’t stop me from having to wipe imaginary drool from both corners of my mouth.

It might be the stern look and the crease between his dark eyebrows. The set of his jaw or the harsh twist of his lush mouth.

Whatever it is, I have to force my eyes away from him and back to my boss’s face.

Which is pained.

Whatever the bad news is, it involves this man. And that makes sense because no matter what happens next, I already know he’s bad news for me.

“Preston,” Hanna says, “this is Natalie Archer. I’ve, er, hired her to be Hott Springs Eternal’s activities coordinator.”

His scowl deepens, making my heart beat faster, out of both fear and lust.

“That’s unfortunate,” he says.

Yikes.

Nice to meet you, too, Preston.

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

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Passions

Passions by Sheritta Bitikofer

Publication date: January 10th 2025
Genres: Adult, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

His world was dark until she brought the light…

Chloe Kaspin has two dreams. Find a quiet place to recover from an abusive ex-boyfriend, and to make a living as a writer. The first dream is fulfilled when she inherits her beloved aunt’s cabin in the Georgia mountains. Now the second dream is up to her. Then she finds mysterious notes critiquing her work. Has a dangerous stranger managed to invade her refuge? Or is her cabin as haunted as the townsfolk say it is?

Gavin Caras immigrated from England to Georgia in 1733. While pursuing his dream of being a writer, his entire family is wiped out by a mysterious infection. Only Gavin survives, not only alone, but with a hunger that can only be satisfied by blood. For generations, he’s managed to hide in the basement of the cabin he built. But now his cabin is occupied by a woman who shares at least one of his passions: the world of the written word. Late one night, he finally reveals himself to her, not a ghost, but a man driven by an unholy hunger, a passion he would die to end if he could.

The autumn winds may be chilly but Gavin warms Chloe’s heart. Then children go missing in the nearby town. Has Gavin been lying to Chloe? She’s willing to help him find a way to end his blood-lust, but the cost may be too high. Chloe and Gavin can’t rewrite the past. Can they survive to write a new future together?

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EXCERPT:

Her eyes shifted toward her desk on her way to the kitchen, and her heart jumped against her ribcage as she saw more writing on her notepad.

Another letter. This one was longer.

Chloe was jolted awake once more, just as she had been the day before. The disquieting thought rammed through her sleepy head that the locks hadn’t worked. Without taking the time yet to read the letter, she checked the windows and the doors. Again, there was no sign of forced entry.

Chloe’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought it over. With the locks on the two doors, there was no way the intruder could have broken in, written that note, and then returned the locks to their original positions on their way out. The same went for the windows. How were they getting inside?

She sighed heavily and ran a set of long nails through her dark wavy hair, snagging on a few tangles at the back of her head. There was nothing she could do about it now. Perhaps there was nothing she could do to prevent this from happening time and time again.

Shuffling to her desk, she sat down and read the perfect cursive writing, feeling mixed emotions as her eyes followed the words.

I thought you would never go to sleep. I do not appreciate waiting. Next time, do us both a favor and get to sleep at an earlier time.

Chloe’s jaw dropped. Had they been watching her the whole night? They knew when she was still up writing? A cold chill ran up her spine at the thought of someone spying on her. Wrapping the robe around her chest a little tighter, she continued.

As for your manuscript, I noticed you made the changes I suggested. Excellent work. You have a firm grasp of dialogue composition. Their conversations are believable. But, I do suggest that you avoid writing from the male point of view. This is not meant as an offense to you, but you obviously do not understand the inner workings of the male mind. As a writer, if you narrate strictly from the female’s perspective, you will sound more competent in the genre you have chosen. Nonetheless, your story is coming along just fine. I look forward to reading more. Yours sincerely – G

Chloe was stunned. She leaned against the slatted back of the chair and stared dumbly at the wall.

She didn’t know what to think. Whoever this was had noticed the changes as well as read through the additions she made the day before. Not only that, but they commended her for it and exonerated her dialogue style. She took no offense to their comment about writing from the male point of view. It was difficult and uncomfortable to put herself inside the male brain and try to figure out how their thought process worked. It had always been something of an impossible task, and she took no joy in it.

Deducing from that comment alone, she assumed her mystery correspondent must be a man. Why else would he be so knowledgeable on how the male mind does or does not work?

If she adhered to this instruction, there were many changes she’d have to make to the story. There were several scenes with only her male protagonist present and his thoughts on the female. She’d have to change the whole book to an omnipresent perspective if she wanted to keep those scenes. But wasn’t that pretty much the same thing she was already doing?

Chloe groaned and held her head in her hands, propping her elbows on her closed laptop. She hated herself for taking these notes so seriously. The thought that a complete stranger was somehow breaking into her home, just to write these silly critiques, was far from her mind. All she could think about was obeying the suggestions as if his opinion was valid and worth her consideration.

Then it occurred to her that she wasn’t writing for this stranger. She was writing for herself. Why did she have to change her entire story just to accommodate him, of all people? A stranger she had never met and was forcing his way into her home somehow without any trace or reason.

Author Bio:

An author of paranormal and urban fantasy fiction, Sheritta Bitikofer lives for the deep, engaging stories that enthrall readers from cover to cover. As a wife and fur-mama of eclectic tastes, she can be found roaming Civil War battlefields, perusing the romance section of the bookstore, or relaxing with a plate of chili cheese fries.

Take a look at the books she has available and stay tuned for new releases.

Also visit her official author website at: www.sherittabitikofer.com and her writing blog at www.moonstruckwriting.wordpress.com

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My Heart’s Desire

My Heart’s Desire by Heather Alexander

(The Kincaid Brothers Series, #2)
Publication date: January 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel

When her best friend’s name appears on a tombstone dated 1883, the only way for Amber Harrison to save her is to travel through a mysterious time portal to the Old West—

Destiny drops her in 1883 Montana at the feet of Josh Kincaid—a sexy, time-traveling deputy with plans of his own. Attraction stirs between Amber and Josh, and soon their flirtatious friendship blossoms into a fiery romance. Teaming up, they devise a rescue, but time isn’t their only enemy. An escaped convict, seeking his revenge on the Kincaids, interferes with their plans. In order to keep their future on its true course, they must stop their adversary’s plan from coming to fruition. Can they beat time and return to their rightful place, or will they be stranded in 1883 forever?

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EXCERPT:

“Don’t move,” a deep, masculine voice commanded.
Amber froze. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Waves of fear poured down her spine.

“Hands where I can see them,” the voice continued.

Amber thrust her hands straight up into the air. Her stomach burned, fear roiling in its depths. If she didn’t have an ulcer when this over, it would be a miracle. She closed her eyes for a second, hoping the voice belonged to Wyatt. Because if it wasn’t him, or she was in the wrong year, surely, she was dead. Trespassing was against the law even in this backward time. Great, and she didn’t think it was possible for her anxiety level to climb any higher.

“Turn around…slowly.”

The initial signs of an oncoming panic attack banged at the door to her senses. Her heart pounded, her chest tightened, and her head spun like she’d just come off the tilt-a-whirl at the amusement park. But she did as she was told and inched herself around, one baby step at a time.

If anything confirmed her trip back in time one hundred and forty years, this was it. The cowboy standing before her was tall, over six feet, and clad in what she expected to see a man from the 1880s to be dressed in. He wore an unbuttoned vest over a linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His pants were super snug, and his dusty cowboy boots covered his legs from the knees down. The empty holster sat low over his right hip, and the silver spurs at his heels clanked as he moved toward her.

“W-Wyatt?” She swallowed nervously, lowering her hands. “D-don’t shoot!”

Dark blond brows shot up when she said his name, but he waved the gun and took another step toward her.

“I didn’t say you could lower your hands.”

Oh, shit!

She thrust her hands up again. “You…you are Wyatt, aren’t you? Wyatt Kincaid. Please tell me you are. Otherwise, I’m seriously screwed…in more ways than you could possibly imagine.”

Mesmerizing green eyes widened, and then his gaze swept over her from head to toe but remained on her feet. “I’d recognize twenty-first century sneakers anywhere.”

He tipped his chin toward her footwear, but his gun remained aimed at her.

Relief surged through her, and she sagged a little. This must be Emma’s husband. Now she understood what compelled her best friend to return to a previous century. Emma, you got yourself one fine husband. Out of all the details Emma revealed about Wyatt last year, Amber didn’t recall anything about him having such compelling green eyes. It was difficult to look away, not that she wanted to, she had to. This was her best friend’s husband.

Chalk it up to her time-travel muddled mind.

He took a step toward her and tilted his head to study her. “I’m guessing you’re…Amber?”

“Uh-huh. That’s right.” She nodded, still a little stunned. “Where’s Emma? I need to see her.”

His scowl quickly turned into a smile, and he holstered his gun. “Wow, the famous Amber Harrison in the flesh.”

He recognized her! Inside, she jumped up and down with excitement. “You know me? Wait, I don’t know how that’s possible. We’ve never met.”

“I recognize you from a photo Emma brought back with her last year…but you’re mistaken about who I am.”

She retreated a step. “If…if you’re not Wyatt Kincaid, then who are you?”

His smile widened, and he extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Josh. Wyatt and James’s brother.”

Author Bio:

Heather Alexander writes time-travel, contemporary, and historical romance.

Heather began writing as a child, inspired by her mom who loved to write fiction and poetry. Putting pen to paper—or rather fingers to keyboard—she began writing in the genres she loves. When she’s not writing, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, sipping Earl Grey tea while cozying up with a great book, and traveling. She is currently working on her next book.

Follow Heather on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads @booksbyha. Join her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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The Saint and the Shadowman

The Saint and the Shadowman by A. B. Finlayson

(Arthur Crazy, #3)

Published by: Parliament House Press

Publication date: July 22nd 2025

Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Arthur Crazy is hungover, but the dead don’t care about headaches.

The city of York is teetering on the edge of disaster. During a rare eclipse, the Shadowman casts a spell atop the Minster, trapping the city between the realm of the living and the dead. Ghosts flood the streets, and Arthur, with his best friend Steve, is the only one who can stop the chaos.

But Arthur’s not exactly in hero shape. Haunted by his past and drowning his sorrows in the nearest pint, he’s barely keeping it together. That is, until he meets Nae—a beautiful stranger who might just hold the key to helping him feel normal again.

Now, with the Shadowman’s spell tearing the veil between worlds, the city’s only hope rests on a washed-up hero, a saint from the Shambles, and a dog who won’t stop talking.

York needs a miracle. Arthur needs another drink.

Or maybe a Panadol and a panini

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Read the Arthur Crazy Series in this order:
The Book and the Blade
The Sword and the Hounds
The Saint and the Shadowman

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Author Bio:

A Yorkshire lad living in the sun. I make up stories and eventually write them down.

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Daring Destiny

Daring Destiny by Kaylene Winter

(Charming Irish, #2)
Publication date: January 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Daring Destiny is a sweltering saga of billionaire intrigue, opposites-attract, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers with an unexpected life-changing twist.

Before I founded my AI tech company, I spent my high school years silently pining over Astrid Gustafsson, the unattainable ice-blonde beauty. Fast forward a decade and I’m shocked when she asks to collaborate on a secret project. The opportunity is too enticing to pass up.

Our newfound friendship quickly ignites into a wildfire of desire, and my passion for Astrid intensifies, leaving me eager to risk everything for our future. The challenge is, relentless demands of my high-stakes empire threaten to smother the flames of our burgeoning romance.

When fate dramatically intervenes, will a life-changing twist dare us to embrace our destiny?

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EXCERPT:

“So…” she says quietly. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah.” I brace myself for what’s coming next.

The end. This is probably the last time I’ll ever see Astrid. My heart is breaking into a million pieces and I’m not sure how to stop her from…

Without thinking, I reach out and take her hand, comforted by how natural it feels. She doesn’t pull away, just flicks her eyes up to me and blinks rapidly. As if she’s trying to stop from crying. My heart thunders in my chest. She moves in closer.

Thu-thump.

Suddenly, her lips are on mine.

In the beginning, it’s a soft kiss. Tentative, as if she’s testing the waters. Then, it quickly deepens and I find myself pulling her flush against my chest. Instinctively, my arms wrap around her as I lose myself in the moment. She tastes like peaches and heaven.

When our lips finally part, our foreheads remain pressed together as we try to catch our breath.

“I didn’t mean to…” She clutches at my waist.

“Neither did I,” I mutter, though it’s a lie. If I could kiss Astrid forever, I would.

I planned to.

We stand there for a moment, holding each other. Neither of us willing to let go. The air between us is charged. Electric.

She gazes up at me, her eyes soft but guarded. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I’m genuinely confused.

“For being here tonight. I truly didn’t think you’d come” She takes in a huge breath and lets it out, like she’s nervous.

Considering the situation, I’m unsure how to respond. “Why wouldn’t I be here? It was important to you. To us.”

She smiles wistfully and tilts her head. “Brennan.”

“I… Uh…” I don’t know how to respond.

Astrid shoots me a look as if to say, shut the fuck up.

So, I don’t bother finishing the sentence. It’s pointless to bullshit her. I’m not capable of giving her what she needs and we both know it.

I’m utter crap at relationships. I don’t know how to nurture them. Prioritize them. Communicate properly. I never have. Probably never will.

Astrid should have been different. She’s everything I ever dreamed about. My ultimate fantasy. And I had her. Until I fucked up.

Ruined us.

Astrid sucks in a breath. “So…turns out I’m pregnant.”

Wait, what?

Reality crashes down, unforgiving. Like a hundred million buckets of ice water.

If I can’t manage a romantic relationship with someone as perfect as Astrid…

How in the fuck can I be a good father?

Reality crashes down, unforgiving. Like a hundred million buckets of ice water.

If I can’t manage a romantic relationship with someone as perfect as Astrid…

How in the fuck can I be a good father?

Author Bio:

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

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Where the Road Ends

Where the Road Ends by Kathryn Beck

Publication date: January 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Bartender Mara Sawyer has sixty days to turn her life around. If she can’t, Mara will lose the chance to regain custody of her daughter. Never having envisioned her life as a living, breathing, public service announcement for the Wyoming judicial system, Mara embraces the judge’s harsh rebuke. Finding a steady job will be easy, finishing school will be easy. Eluding the distraction of the new swaggering Texan, Luke Whitten, will be anything but easy.

With all her cards on the table, Luke and Mara build a strong friendship and along the way, she gives herself permission to fall in love again. When Mara’s ex offers up full custody in exchange for betraying Luke, Mara must choose — her daughter’s happiness, or her own.

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EXCERPT:

New guy held up his finger for the fourth time in an hour.

She swept his plate and silverware into the dirty dishes bucket and pulled the handle to deliver him another beer. “Are you sure you don’t want a shot of something?” She waved at the collection of liquor bottles behind her. “Your something unpleasant is going to get expensive at some point.”

He ran his finger along the grain of the wood, up the condensation of the glass. His hands were large and calloused. Workingman’s hands.

Refusing to bite, or speak apparently, he looked up and smiled.

Twisting around, she grabbed up one of their generic, bar-grade bottles. “You look like a tequila man.”

“A tequila man, huh?” He raised one eyebrow, motioned with his finger for her to pour. “Sure, you want to call that tequila?”

She glanced at the bottle, thought again, and grabbed up a bottle of Sagebrush, her mid-grade agave tequila, and held it up for inspection. “Better?”

“I’m impressed.” He nodded as she was poised to pour.

“So, a man who knows his tequilas. A man not in his element with this weather.” She glanced at his ambiguous touristy ball cap. “You’re from Texas.”

He extended a killer smile that swept all the sharpness away in an instant. “And how would you know that?”

“Simple.” She looked at his hands, at his chest. “We get a lot of oil guys in here. But oil guys in Wyoming are different.”

She nodded at a customer a couple of bar stools down, held her finger up to new guy.

He shot down his tequila and winced, looped his finger as she got back to him. “You realize you’d be laughed out of the Lone Star State with your tequila selection.”

“Maybe, but that means I’m right about the Texas part though.”

He rocked his head from side to side. “Perhaps.”

“Ball cap is a dead giveaway.” She floated her head sideways to indicate the packed bar. “Wyoming boys wear them backward, trying to look cool, or what they think is cool. Texas boys are already confident, wear their caps like grown men should.” She was flirting, but he was a safe sort. The kind just passing through on their way somewhere else. Not like he’d be interested in her anyways. Since the courtroom visit—her sweet and salty explosion of junk food continued, ending last night with an entire key lime pie. Instinctively, she glanced down the counter to Angela. But here new guy sat, had sat. She knew better than to read anything into that.

After three shots, he slowed down, nursing his beer, staring so intently at the coaster, there had to be something unpleasant and deep going on. There was no way one night on her barstool would touch his problems. No matter how many shots he did.

But in an instant, his buzzed ass stared at her with blue eyes, glacier blue, burning straight to her insides. She liked to think she could hold her own looking someone in the eye, but she was the first to look away. She didn’t need anyone trying to analyze her lengthy list of problems.

“Do you have family here?” she asked, trying again. She’d never worked so hard for a conversation. Two nights off diminished her let-me-into-your-world vibes.

“Huh?”

“Mom, brother, sister? What you Texas boys may call kinfolk?”

She didn’t miss the flinch when she said brother. She also didn’t miss his eyes lighting up and the bite at his lip when mentioning a sister. Within ten short seconds he pulled out a photo of not only his sister, but two adorable nephews, in full cowboy attire.

He put his credit card on the bar and returned the pictures to their sleeves. After he signed the receipt, he hitched his hip and jammed his wallet into the back pocket of well-worn, faded-to-soft jeans.

He tipped his cap, looking over the crowd for a minute, and turned his hat around backward, making her laugh. “Does that make me blend better?”

Author Bio:

Kathryn is a transplanted Canadian who now calls Texas home. She loves writing strong, morally gray women tackling complex relationships and their messy lives. Kathryn enjoys road trips, spa weekend getaways, and spending time with family and friends.

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