were married at eighteen, and he died three years later.”
Trent tightened his hold. “I’m sorry, baby.”
She nodded. “What branch did you serve with?”
“Navy,” he said, the softness in his voice disappearing. “What did you do after he passed?”
She took another drink of the delicious wine, knowing she should remove her hand. Yet she left it in his. “I went to school and earned an accounting degree. After the childhood I’d had, I just wanted to plant roots with a good job.”
He stared at the fire, too. “Then why are you crossing the country and looking for adventure?”
For a moment, she’d forgotten her secrets. “I’m not crossing the country.” She tried to pull her hand free, but he didn’t let her. She swallowed. He seemed like such a nice guy. Maybe he’d understand what she’d done. “Listen, I—”
“Hello.” Zeke came around the side of the house with Zachary on his heels. The twins tugged chairs closer to the fire and dropped into them. A minute later, two other men strode from the other side of the house and did the same thing, both stretching out their cowboy boots to the fire.
Trent sighed. “Hallie? You’ve met Zeke and Zachary.” He pointed to the guy on their left. “That’s Austin, our sheriff and the president of our lodge. He’s the only one who likes the name ‘Cattle Club’ for us. You met him on the phone, but he might look different in person.” Trent pointed to the other man. “That’s Mac. The guy who’s supposed to be working on your car.”
Was it a law that cowboys were ridiculously good-looking, or what? Hallie nodded her hellos. The sheriff was just as big as Trent, but he had jet-black hair and gray eyes. Mac was like a dark blond Nordic god with blue eyes that looked like glacier ice. She’d seen a glacier once when she and her mom had lived in Alaska.
Mac leaned to the left and opened the compact fridge set in the stone pillar, taking out beer bottles to pass around. “Thought we’d check in,” he said.
She tried again to pull her hand free and then gave up when Trent didn’t release it. There was no way she was getting in a tug-of-war with his friends watching them. “How’s my car?” she asked.
Mac tipped back his head and took several deep pulls of his beer. “The same as it was when you called earlier. I can’t do anything until the parts arrive.” He turned and nodded at Zeke. “You’re right. She is pretty.”
“Yeah, and I saw her first,” Trent said, not sounding amused.
Warmth blossomed in her face. They thought she was pretty? Not that she cared, but still. No matter how many diets she tried, she never seemed to lose weight. She’d given up being thin years ago and now was comfortable in her own skin. Still, it was nice when hottie cowboys thought she was pretty. She shook her head. Sometimes she was such a dork.
Zachary drank down half his beer. “Has she told you who she’s running from?”
She jerked.
“Nope,” Trent said.
Austin studied her across the fire. “You’re a lot more patient than I would be with my woman.”
“I’m a saint,” Trent agreed.
She coughed. “I’m not his woman.” Were they from the last century, or what?
“Right,” Mac said, his gaze on their joined hands.
Her temper started to spike. “Have any of you considered that if I’m running, there’s a reason? That maybe I’m bringing danger to Trent? To all of you?”
Zeke showed his teeth in a way that was far from charming. “We like danger.”
She rolled her eyes. “For goodness’ sake. You’re nice country boys. Sure, you deal with downed fences and running cattle, and I know Trent served in the military a while back, but you live peacefully. I’m certain you’re tough, but you have no idea about some of the dangers out there.”
Zachary choked on his beer. Zeke and Austin held identical expressions of near shock, while Mac just let his mouth drop open.
She chanced a look at Trent, who was staring at her as if she’d lost her mind, his green eyes sizzling. Oh man, she’d insulted them. She squirmed in her chair. “I’m just saying, you’re strong and all of that, but . . .”
Trent set his wineglass down, plucked her right out of her chair, and put her on his lap, her legs over his and her butt on one of his thighs.
She yelped, shocked at the speed with which he’d moved.
Calmly, he tangled his hand