From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,25
enough to keep Nikki in line most of the time. Instead, she picked up the tray, noticed that the blonde with the serious bling sitting nearby seemed to perk up at overhearing Trace’s name. Nikki was tempted to ask her if she’d seen him at the Sundance tonight. But what purpose would that serve? If he was MIA, Nikki would only assume he was out with the guest who’d chased after him three nights ago.
Nikki really wished she hadn’t remembered that. He’d kissed her. She’d kissed him back. Not that it mattered. They’d agreed not to do it again. Sort of.
“Who needed a fresh mug?” she asked the group of men waiting for their turns to play pool.
Josh smiled and shook his head. She’d liked him even before she found out he was Trace’s friend. He was a hand from the Sundance and the kind of guy she could count on if a customer ever got too rowdy. It hadn’t happened while she’d been waitressing here, but she’d had to fend guys off twice back in Houston. After that she’d thought about carrying a knife, then decided she’d find a new job before going that far.
“Where’s your buddy?” she asked, real casual-like as she set down mugs.
“Lucas?”
“The other one.”
“She means Trace.” Sam took his shot, cursed when he missed, then straightened and grinned at her. “Don’t you, sweet cheeks?”
“Was I talking to you?” Nikki seriously reconsidered the whole knife thing...if only to see the look on Sam’s face when she pulled it out. “And keep calling me sweet cheeks if you like your beer warm.”
Josh laughed. “He worked late vaccinating the last of the calves. I don’t know that he has the energy to come to town.”
She blinked. It was because of her that he’d fallen behind on his normal duties. “You mean he actually does real work?” she said, since they’d all expect a wisecrack and not the guilt needling her.
“Trace works harder than any man on that ranch,” Josh said, his tone defensive. “Cole, Jesse, everyone works hard.” He shrugged, almost in apology for being sharp. “But they don’t have double duty like Trace. Rachel relies on him to handle the guest activities.” He glanced sideways to check for eavesdroppers. “The dude ranch business is a lot more trouble than you’d think.”
He would know. Cole had assigned Josh and Lucas, another hand, to help Rachel run the dude ranch side of the operation. Nikki was well aware how much the men had to juggle because in February she’d helped Rachel and Jamie scramble to make lunches or do whatever when the weather had forced everyone indoors. She’d seen the annoyed looks on the men’s faces when the women opted out of snow activities and hung out in the barn instead. Not Trace, though, he always had a smile. He ate up the attention.
She set down the last mug. “Y’all okay? Need anything else before I go?”
Most of the guys shook their heads and made room to let her pass. Sam leaned over directly in front of her to grab some chalk and block her escape route. She reared back, locking gazes with him, silently daring him to push her one more time.
“See, this is what I don’t get,” he said, a grin tugging at his mouth. He was cute sometimes, when he wasn’t being a smug jerk. “Why pine away for Trace when you can have me? I’d always have enough energy for you, Nikki. Hell, I’d even switch from beer to Red Bull if I had to.”
That made her laugh. “Pine away? I don’t even know what that means.”
“Withering on the vine, honey, as my grandma used to say. Just waiting and hoping and praying your little heart out he’ll come through that door.”
“Oh, God.” She waved for him to get out of the way. “I’d bet your grandma sold snake oil.”
He swept his long blond hair back from his face, the grin still there. “A team of wild horses on steroids couldn’t keep me away if you were mine.”
Okay, he wasn’t even mildly amusing now. “I’m not anybody’s anything. Now move. I mean it.”
“Trace thinks otherwise.”
She froze, aware that the rest of the men had quieted.
“All right, Sam, that’s enough,” Josh said. “You shoulda quit while you were still funny.”
Sam didn’t even blink. He kept smiling at her.
She had the feeling he was going to wink, and then she’d have to smack him. “You’re either delusional or drunk, and now you’re cut off.” She grabbed the