The Cowboy's Bride Bet - Holly Rayner Page 0,5
no regrets.”
“Leo, honey…” Francine pursed her lips as she wiped off the bar. “You’re seventy-one, and you’re divorced… which means you must have regretted something at some point.”
“Ouch.” I winced, glancing at the old man and then back at Francine. “Low blow, Francine.”
“Have you met my ex-wife?” Leonard shuddered.
“You know I have,” Francine said. “She’s in my mama’s bridge club.”
“That woman’s cooking haunts my nightmares,” Leonard said in a loud whisper. “Heed an old man’s advice, kid. Don’t get married.”
“No offense, Leo…” I patted the old man on the back. “But I never said I plan on being single forever. I’m just biding my time. If I decided tomorrow that I wanted to go out and find the perfect woman, I could get her to marry me in a heartbeat.”
“Oh, really?” Jake crossed his arms.
“Yup.” I gave a single decisive nod.
“In a heartbeat?” He narrowed his eyes. “You think there are beautiful women just lining up down the block, hoping for your attention?”
“I can’t help it.” I shrugged. “It’s not my fault I know how to talk to women.”
“Sure, man.” Jake chuckled, grabbing a towel and throwing it over one shoulder.
“I’m telling you right now,” I said over the music. “A year from now, I’ll be cuddled up on my couch with a perfect ten, and all you jokers will see what I’m talking about.”
“A year from now?” Jake raised his eyebrows. “A perfect ten?”
“That’s right.” I paced to the end of the bar, pulled the darts out of the dartboard, and headed back to stand next to Jake.
“Care to make a bet to that effect?” Jake asked.
The guy had been my best friend since grade school, and he knew I could never resist a bet.
“What are the terms?” I flung a red dart, and it hit a couple of inches from the bullseye.
“Free drinks for a year?” Jake gestured to the bar. “But if you lose, you’ll be buying a round for everyone in here every time you come in.”
“Hold on, now. Marriage is serious business.” Andy held out his hand, and I gave him the four white darts. “You can’t just bet a year of free beer and expect this knucklehead to…”
“Andy’s right.” I turned to Jake. “If we’re talking about a life-altering decision, the stakes should be a little higher, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean?” Jake put a toothpick in his mouth, watching as, one at a time, Andy’s darts hit the wall just left of the dartboard.
“Free beer…” I grinned, flinging another dart and hitting just above the bullseye. “…and nachos…” My next dart was even closer. “…for life.” My final dart struck dead center.
“Oh, I see.” Jake sucked on the toothpick and moved it from one side of his mouth to the other. “Then I want something at least of equal value on the table on your end.”
“What, do you want me to pay double if I lose?” I half smiled.
“Nah.” Jake leaned on the bar, tapping his fingers. “Then you’ll just stop coming in. I want…” A sly grin spread across his face. “If you lose, I want Felina.”
I set my beer down on the counter, locking eyes with Jake.
“Settle down.” Francine pinched Jake on the back of the arm, but he didn’t flinch. “You boys are drinking too much. Connor, don’t encourage him.”
Things. Just. Got. Real.
I stared my best friend down. Felina was my granddaddy’s sky-blue 1967 Chevy Corvette L88 convertible. He’d left her to me in his will, and I’d spent the last decade restoring her to pristine condition.
“He’s not gonna bet Felina,” Andy mumbled, throwing his arm around my shoulder.
“Yeah,” Kevin piped in loudly so everyone could hear. “Mainly because this is a stupid bet, and we all know Connor’s gonna be parked over in the corner booth next to Leo in a few years.”
Leonard scowled as he sipped his beer.
Jake shook his head, wiping one hand over his face. “Yeah, they’re right. I’m sorry, man—this is stupid.”
My brow furrowed as I stared at old Leo over in the corner. I saw more of him than I did most of my buddies, mainly because he was always here. My friends and I got together with our respective folks for a barbecue every weekend, but I never stayed long. There were always kids running around everywhere, and the truth was, I felt like the odd man out.
Kevin, Andy, and even Jake all had a wife hanging off their arm, and inevitably, Mom and Dad would gang up just to give me