From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,76

but he was going to be mad and she couldn’t blame him.

Karina started in again, trying to convince him with flattery and large sums of money. Trace, without being rude, tried his best to get her to tone it down. The few folks sitting at nearby tables had turned toward them, their curiosity piqued. Even Sadie had moved closer.

Nikki cleared her throat. “Karina, it’s not going to happen. You’ll have to find someone else.”

The woman swung her a disappointed frown. “You were supposed to help convince him. Thanks for nothing.”

Trace stared at Nikki. His expression of disbelief branded her a traitor.

“I need to explain,” she said.

“You sure do.” He surprised her with a short laugh. “A calendar?”

“Yes.” Karina clearly misread his reaction and jumped back in. “You’d be perfect as Mr. March.”

Trace shook his head, his lips pressed thin. “She’s right. Not gonna happen.”

The woman sighed, but seemed otherwise unfazed. She took a final sip of her drink, reached into her cleavage again, then laid a ten on the bar. “Keep my card in case you change your mind. I may come back through Montana next month.” She got off the stool, paused to tilt her head and study him a moment. “Maybe Mr. July. Tight button-fly jeans, no shirt, behind you a spray of fireworks against the night sky.”

Nikki pressed her own lips together to keep from laughing at the look of astonishment on Trace’s face. It really wasn’t funny, and she was so lucky he didn’t seem furious with her.

“Think about it.” Karina shrugged, gave him a saucy wink and walked off.

“Mr. July,” Trace muttered. “Shit.”

A hand from the Lone Wolf called out, “Oh, Mr. July,” in a high-pitched voice and earned a glare from Nikki that shut him right up. The laughter that followed was predictable, but Trace ignored it all.

“So you were in cahoots with her,” he said, and there was a hint of hurt in his eyes. “That’s surprising.”

“Oh. No. It’s not like that.” Nikki took a deep breath. “When she explained why she was here, I thought it was funny and asked to be there when she told you. I barely knew you then.” She leaned on the bar and almost took his hand before she stopped herself. “I forgot all about it until today. I was going to warn you. That’s why I left a message.”

“I guess I blew that part.” He moved his hand closer to hers. They weren’t touching, but they might as well have been.

“Thanks for not being mad,” she said, still amazed he hadn’t even raised his voice. “Even though you had every right.”

“I’m a pretty laid-back guy. Usually willing to hear someone out.” Smiling, he leaned closer. “Or let her make it up to me.”

Nikki let out a loud laugh that drew more than a few looks. She didn’t care, and it seemed that neither did Trace. But then she noticed a customer waving his empty mug at her and she straightened with a sigh. “I have to get back to work.”

“Well that sucks.” Trace let his gaze slide down her body as though he had much better plans for her.

“Stop it right now, McAllister,” she warned, and picked up her tray as she came around the bar.

The door creaked open as it had a dozen times in the past hour. Normally she ignored it unless she was expecting Trace. She didn’t know what made her look now, but she turned, and felt the blood drain from her face.

Luis.

How? He was supposed to be in Houston. It wasn’t possible that he could be here. Her mother promised she hadn’t told him where Nikki was living.

His dark hair was shorter and he wore nice jeans, not his usual baggy ones. The blue knit shirt was not his style, and didn’t hide the tattoo sleeve that crawled from his wrist up the side of his neck. He couldn’t have looked more out of place.

Her feet felt like lead weights. She couldn’t seem to move, only watch his gaze pan the room and wait for him to get to her. Her tray was still loaded and she needed to set it down or risk spilling everything.

Luis finally spotted her. She found no relief in the faint curve of his mouth. A smile could go either way with him. He could be cruel when he was using. Nikki didn’t care that he’d sworn to her mom he’d been clean for a year.

It finally registered that the room had grown quiet except for