“Unless what?”
“Unless you’re afraid of getting too attached to her,” he said perceptively.
“Are we going to play poker or gab?” Wade asked.
“I can do both at once.” Duff picked up his cards and gave them a quick look-see. “If I was thirty years younger you wouldn’t see me trying to drive that perty little gal away.”
“Well, you’re not, so act your age and ante up.”
Duff chuckled as he flipped a penny toward the center of the table. “Gonna play your hand close to your vest, are you, boy? Okay, fine. You do that. But you need to know that Frank and I are perty attached to that little gal.”
No kidding. Wade would’ve sworn his loyal cow dog would never defect to the enemy camp. They’d worked cattle together for years and Frank often rode shotgun in the pickup when Wade made trips into town. They were best buddies. But it was evident that Frank was allowing a woman to come between them.
“You should see Frank follow at that gal’s heels when she ventures outside,” Duff went on. “She always takes time to give him a pat on the head or scratch behind his ears. She must’ve picked up some dog treats in town because I saw her slip one to Frank while she was running water in the cattle tank for me after supper.”
Swell, thought Wade. His dog was suffering a bout of puppy love and so was Duff. Quint and Vance thought Laura was the perfect temp help who could do no wrong. The whole world was ganging up on him.
Despite how hard Wade tried not to get emotionally attached, he liked having Laura around. Worse, he’d actually missed her when she’d gone to town and he’d sat there in his chair, ears pricked, listening for the sound of her car zooming down the graveled road.
“You gonna bet or sit there staring into space, boy?” Duff prompted.
“Depends on whether you’re going to cheat the way you did while Laura was in the game,” Wade flung back.
Duff grinned unrepentantly. “I just wanted to show her a good time during her first experience at poker. So shoot me.”
“Don’t tempt me.” Wade tossed a penny on the table.
Duff snickered as he called the bet. “Maybe you oughta just shoot yourself and put yourself out of your misery. Knowing you, it’d be easier than admitting you actually like having that little gal around. And just so you know, I may be old, but I ain’t blind. I’ve seen the way you look at her when you don’t think anyone notices, so don’t bother denying it.”
Wade scowled sourly when Duff laid his winning hand on the table. “Damn, sometimes you just can’t win for losing.”
Duff gathered up the beer cans and tossed them in the trash. “You’ve got a win-win situation going here. Don’t screw it up, son. Give yourself a chance at happiness.”
With that parting advice Duff walked out the back door to return to his cabin. Wade’s shoulders slumped. He reached for his whiskey and took a sip, wishing the taste of liquor could curb the thirst that had been tormenting him. He wanted to feel Laura’s lush mouth beneath his again, to feel her shapely body brushing against him. But he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop with a few kisses.
Afraid. There was that word again. The more he thought about it, the more he thought Laura might be right. He was afraid. Not of women in general, but afraid of her. Afraid his self-control would slip and his suppressed feelings for her would come pouring out. Afraid of this ever-growing attraction. Afraid of the pleasure he derived from being with her—and not just in bed. He could’ve accepted and acknowledged the sexual attraction. It was a given. It was these deeper feelings that really had him worried.
Wade knocked back another drink, shuffled the cards and played solitaire until he was tired enough to hit the sack. But when he retired for the night, he kept picturing Laura smoking a cigar, squinting up at him with a cocky grin, sipping a longneck—in attempt to broaden her horizons.
Wade fell asleep with a grin on his lips.
SATURDAY NIGHT, BORED nearly to death, Wade sat in his recliner, surfing the TV channels and finding not one decent program to watch. When an unexpected knock rattled the front door, Wade glanced sideways. “It’s open!”
His curious gaze transformed into a sour scowl when Kevin Shelton, the history teacher, walked inside. Brown hair neatly clipped and styled, Kevin stood there on two good legs, his hands tucked in the pockets of his khaki slacks. His trendy clothes and good looks caused Wade to mutter under his breath. In comparison to Mr. Teacher of the Year, Wade felt like a beat-up old geezer.
“Hi, Wade,” Kevin said. “Is Laura ready?”
“Probably not,” Wade grumbled. “She’s a woman, after all. Isn’t it indigenous of the gender to always be late?”
“Hi, Kevin,” Laura called out—proving Wade wrong about her punctuality. She emerged from the hall, looking all too seductive in a tight-fitting miniskirt that emphasized the length and feminine curve of her legs and thighs.
“Well, isn’t this cute?” Wade said under his breath. “Here’s Ken and Barbie, decked out for a night on the town.”
He stifled the feelings of possessiveness that roiled through him. He didn’t want Laura to go out with Kevin, but he had no right whatsoever to object. “You better have her home early,” Wade demanded before he could stop himself.
Laura’s sculpted brows elevated in surprise as she glanced over her shoulder to stare curiously at Wade.
“Sure thing,” Kevin said, smiling awkwardly.
“She punches the clock at seven sharp in the morning. I don’t want her dragging butt when there’s work to do.” God, he sounded like a grumpy idiot. Jealousy was gnawing at his male pride and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
“Not to worry, boss.” Laura slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, causing the clingy fabric of her knit top to strain against her breasts. Wade glowered when he noticed Kevin’s attention had dipped to her bosom. “My duties won’t suffer, you can count on it,” she assured him.
Wade crooked his finger at her, summoning her to him. When Laura walked toward him, his male hormones started bouncing around like a pinball. He willfully ignored the drastic effect she had on him.
“What do you know about this guy?” Wade asked quietly.
“Not much, but Annie likes him,” Laura reported.
“Then maybe Annie should date him,” Wade muttered. “For all we know he might be the modern version of the Boston Strangler and Jack the Ripper rolled into one.”
Laura snickered. “That should make you happy. If he murders me and dumps me in the nearest river you’ll be rid of me without dirtying your hands with the dastardly deed.”
“Hadn’t thought of it that way,” he said, just so she wouldn’t get the idea that he cared what happened to her.
“Anything else, boss?” she asked when she noticed Kevin had shifted impatiently from one well-shod foot to the other.
“Yeah,
