could ever remember him looking at her for more than a second. She decided to see if she could get his attention off his cards, let him slowly figure out what he was missing out on. “What do you have to prove?”
“Nothing.” Tighe tossed his cards onto the table, grinned at Jace. “You lose. Deal.”
Clearly, he wasn’t going to take the bait. Jace poured his brother another shot. Tighe slurped it down, sighing with happiness. “This is fun. I’m finally starting to relax.” He glanced at her, his gaze hitting about chest level. “Anybody else think it’s hot in here?”
Jace glanced at River, surreptitiously winked. She shrugged, then got up and raised the window, which would only serve to heat the room a little more. “Maybe the breeze will help.”
Tighe seemed to find her legs quite interesting as she sat cross-legged on the bed.
“I win,” Jace said. “What do you know? I finally beat you.” He scooped the cards up, but Tighe didn’t take his gaze away from River.
“Let’s see what’s in this goody basket.” She rose, checked out the treats Ms. Sherby put in every room.
“I’m getting tired,” Tighe said. “Think I’ll call it a night. My ride’s at ten, and I want to be ready to rock.” He got down on the floor, shoved his duffel under his head. “This is great. Thanks, River, for letting us stay.”
“Have another toddy,” Jace said. “It’ll help you sleep.” He handed his brother another shot, which Tighe quickly downed.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you kids were trying to get me tipsy. Won’t work, you know. I’ve got a hollow leg.”
“Excuse me,” River said, “did you say you have a hollow head?”
“Ha. You sound like one of my brothers now. Actually, like my sister, Ash.”
Tighe didn’t say anything else, and a moment later, sonorous snoring rose from the floor.
“That’s it,” Jace said, “he’s out like a light. Never could hold his liquor.”
“Now what?” River stared at the example of her perfidy sleeping like a baby at the foot of her bed. “Seems so mean to try to keep him from riding. He says it’s his holy grail. Aren’t Callahans fairly wedded to their holy grails? Seems like bad juju to try to keep one from his goal.”
“Trust me, Tighe can’t ride worth a flip. He’s really only suited for the kiddie calf catch.” Jace shrugged, then grinned the famous Callahan grin. “Now you just head off to your room, and I’ll take care of Brother Bonehead.”
Certainly, no one could say the Callahans weren’t a different breed. A job was a job, and this caper had been part of hers. Even the beloved aunt of the Callahan clan, Fiona, had been in on this gig, sanctioning Jace to do whatever he could to keep Tighe off Firefreak. “If you’re sure. I’m next door, if you need anything.”
“One thing about you, River, we know we can always count on you to do whatever has to be done.”
She wasn’t sure she felt good about that compliment at the moment. With another glance at the handsome hunk on the floor, River grabbed her stuff and headed to her own room.
It might be the only time she ever had Tighe in a bedroom, and oh, how she hoped it wasn’t. But once he figured out her part in this escapade, there was no way he’d see her as anything but the woman who’d destroyed his dream, smashed his holy grail to pieces.
Which was no way to catch the man you’d been fantasizing about for the longest time.
She went into her room and closed the door. Got into bed, stared at the ceiling. As a bodyguard, she stuck to her assignment. Watching over the twins, Carlos and Isaiah, was her pride and joy.
Tonight had been a mission, no reason for regret. Tomorrow, she’d be back with Sloan and Kendall’s little boys, and that was all that mattered.
Wasn’t it? Not that sleeping cowboy she was helping to divert from his dream?
He was never going to forgive her for her role in his distraction.
* * *
RIVER HAD NEARLY fallen asleep, was drifting on a cloud of guilt and soft-focus sexy fantasies of Tighe, when she heard the door quietly open. She sat up, peering through the darkness. “Sawyer?”
“Not exactly, gorgeous,” Tighe said, sliding into bed, pulling her up against his rock-hard body. “You shouldn’t let Jace talk you into things, babe, he’s a newb.” Tighe kissed her neck, and hot, dizzying tingles shot all over her. “But since you’re just so darn sweet—and because I know Jace dragged you into his dumb scheme—I’m going to give you another chance to try to keep me off that bull.”
Chapter Two
The next afternoon, River sat in the bleachers at the rodeo, waiting for Tighe to get himself squished. Jace seemed certain his brother couldn’t ride very well. River had no reason to doubt Jace and Ash’s reasoning for trying to stop Tighe, or their aunt Fiona’s, for that matter, although Fiona’s motives could be suspect at times.
After Tighe made love to her last night, he’d kissed her, told her she was darling and cute as a button, and that he’d think about her every second today, except when he was on the back of Firefreak.
Tighe was, in a word, an ass.
Jace slid onto the bleacher next to her, handing her some popcorn.
“Hey,” he said. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Yeah. You, too.” She overlooked the corny greeting, her gaze searching for Tighe among the cowboys in the arena.
“Funny thing. I lost sight of my brother last night.”
“Did you?” River didn’t dare glance his way. The Callahans might have hatched a plot to keep Tighe off his nemesis, but she’d been completely unable to resist his charming persuasion.
“I did. Tighe was nowhere to be found.” Jace shook his head. “I think I might have sipped a little too liberally from Tighe’s libation. My head’s killing me.” He handed her a soda off a cardboard tray he’d carried into the bleachers. “You didn’t see him?”
She shook her head. It wasn’t a total fib—she hadn’t seen Tighe in the darkness. But she’d felt him, and he’d made glorious love to her that she’d remember for days.
“Don’t know where he went. I looked for him near the pens, but no one’s seen him.” Jace shrugged. “He hasn’t scratched, either, which is a bad sign that our plan didn’t work.”
“Your plan,” River said. “I refuse to take further part in keeping Tighe from his...goal.”
Jace glanced at her. “I don’t blame you. He’s a rascal.”
“You’re all rascals. Including your sister, Ashlyn, and your aunt Fiona.”
Jace laughed. “No argument there. But we’re
