“Riding would be great. I’ll need a little instruction, but—”
“What about your knee?”
“It’s my right knee that’s dicey, and I vaguely remember you mount from the left, so I should be fine.”
Josie smiled at him, understanding in her gray eyes. “You can stay as long as you want, Logan. Glad to have you.”
“I appreciate it.” More than she knew.
“But leave Caro alone.”
“You’ve got it.” And to emphasize his willingness to ignore the lovely bartender, he left his half-full root beer on the bar and held out his hand to Josie. “May I have this dance, Alex’s little sis?”
“Might as well. Can’t drink!”
“That’s right, you’re on the wagon for the next few months. I’ll bet you’re popular as a designated driver these days.”
“I am, at that.” As they arrived at the edge of the dance floor, she moved into his arms. “I must say, you picked up country dancing really fast for a guy raised in the city.”
Logan guided her expertly into the crowd of two-stepping couples. “Thanks. Guess it’s the athlete in me.”
“Guess so.” She twirled under his arm. “The Chance brothers are famous for their dancing. You’re not quite in their league, but given more practice, you could be.”
Logan grinned. “See? I have the boots, the jeans, the hat and the dance moves. I’m halfway to becoming a cowboy already.”
THE RUSH OF DRINK ORDERS finally slowed, but when Caro returned to check on Logan, he’d hit the dance floor with Josie. He’d left his unfinished root beer behind, though, which meant he might be back. She felt a little jolt of excitement as she remembered the way he’d looked at her with obvious interest.
And she’d looked right back. She had no business flirting with anyone right now, but those deep brown eyes temporarily made her forget her obligations. And that, she realized with a pang of guilt, was nice for a change. She just couldn’t let it get out of hand.
Her grandma Bonnie, who had raised her, joyfully and without complaint, deserved all Caro’s free time. Caro had been a baby when her parents divorced, and Bonnie had welcomed her daughter and granddaughter into her house. When Caro was twelve, her mother had died in a blizzard on her way home from work. Grandma Bonnie’s strength had seen Caro through those dark days and taught her that a person had to be resilient to survive life’s tragedies.
Her dad had started a new family by then, but Caro had never seriously considered living with him. She’d stayed with her grandma in the only home she’d ever known. Selling that beloved house so that she could afford assisted living in Jackson for the increasingly frail Bonnie had broken both their hearts.
Caro visited her grandmother every day in hopes she wouldn’t feel abandoned, but she obviously wasn’t happy with the move, necessary though it had been. For the first time since Caro had known her, Bonnie had lost her resilience and optimistic outlook. Caro had to be optimistic enough for both of them.
Lately Caro had done nothing but work and visit her grandma. No wonder she’d been bewitched by a heated glance. Besides, she’d been predisposed to find this ex-baseball player intriguing.
Alex had warned everyone to tread carefully around Logan, whose wicked knee injury had ended his career and the dream he’d cherished from the age of seven. He’d made it to the big leagues and then to the Cubs, the team he’d always wanted to play for. Now he was done.
Caro had never been able to resist a person in need of comfort, a trait she’d picked up from her grandma. Besides, Logan was gorgeous, the kind of gorgeous that made her think of hot nights on cool sheets. Good thing he’d be gone soon. Once Alex and Tyler left on their honeymoon, Logan would have no reason to stay.
She filled several orders while Logan whirled around the dance floor with Josie, but somehow, about the time he returned to his root beer, she happened to be standing at that end of the bar. She hadn’t meant to.
Oh, shoot, yes she had. He was the most exotic man to come her way in quite a while. Mostly she dealt with cowboys. Logan might be wearing the outfit and dancing the two-step like a pro, but he was no cowboy.
Instead, he was a professional athlete from the big city. She didn’t know much about baseball, but she knew Logan was hot.
He settled onto his stool and heaved a sigh. “That’s challenging.”
“But you do it well.” The action of those tight buns on the dance floor had created a serious distraction from her bartending duties.
“Close enough for jazz.” He took a long swallow of his root beer.
“What does that mean?”
He glanced up. “What?”
“Close enough for jazz. I’ve never heard that before.”
“Sorry. It’s something jazz musicians say, meaning that there’s a lot of improv going on when they perform.”
She felt a little bit like a hick, but she was fascinated, nevertheless. Besides, if she kept this conversation going, she’d have an excuse to gaze into those brown eyes. “Chicago’s known for its jazz, I guess.”
“It is. I don’t suppose that’s the kind of music you …”
“Not normally, but I’m always ready to learn something new.” No, that statement wasn’t strong enough. She hungered for something new, something different. She’d lived in Shoshone all her life. Travel had been a luxury she hadn’t been able to afford beyond an occasional trip to Yellowstone.
But this man, who’d jetted around the country for years, represented adventure beyond her wildest dreams. She found that irresistible.
Picking up a bar rag, she began wiping up imaginary spills. “Shoshone must seem small to you after spending so much time in big cities.”
“Actually, it’s a nice break. I can see why Alex is so crazy about the place. The Grand Tetons are amazing.”
“I agree. They are. But I’m sure the Chicago skyline is amazing, too, especially at night.”
“It is,” he said with a decided lack of enthusiasm.
Damn. She felt like an idiot. Of course he wouldn’t want to talk about the wonders of Chicago and be reminded of losing the job he loved. “The Tetons are great, though. Wonderful for hiking. You should—” She groaned as she realized she’d made a mess of this discussion. “But you have a bad knee. You know what? I should just shut up.”
He laughed. “It’s okay. I forget about my knee all the time, until I stay on it too long and it lets me know.”
“Can you ride? Because you could take a horse up into the mountains, if it wouldn’t be too strenuous.” She’d bet he would look terrific mounted on a horse. Yum.
“I’ll have to brush up on my riding skills, but I’ve been thinking about that. Do you ride?”
