The Last Cowboy Standing

Danielle didn’t believe that for one minute. “By now, Randal’s gone to lunch with someone else.”

“No, he hasn’t.” Travis guided her forward with a hand on the small of her back. “And the more I look like a rival, the faster he’ll tip his hand, and prove me right. He’s still after you.”

She put her hand on the open car door. “This is going to cost you a fortune.”

“You’re talking to a man with bull riding prize money in his jeans.”

“You’re going to spend it all just to make a point?”

“Might as well spend it on you.” His blue eyes were fixed and determined.

She gave an unconcerned shrug, answering as she slid into the car. “Fine. I’ve got nothing against the Jacque Alanis Signature Room.”

Travis grinned and slipped the doorman a bill before following her inside. The door shut behind him, and his phone began to ring. He reached into the breast pocket of his Western shirt.

“I think the Signature Room requires a jacket,” said Danielle.

He gazed at his phone display. “In the absence of a jacket, they require a good tip.” He gave her an eyebrow waggle. “It’s Vegas, baby. You mind if I take this? It’s Caleb.”

Danielle felt her eyes widen. She wondered how Caleb could have known she was with Travis. Then she remembered Caleb and Travis were close friends. Then she realized she was making a colossal mistake by accepting his invitation to lunch. This was Travis, her archenemy from Lyndon Valley. Why had she let her guard down?

“Hey, Caleb,” he said into the phone.

Then he paused and listened, brow furrowing in concern.

The driver put the limo into gear and pulled ahead.

“Is everybody okay with that?” he asked.

Danielle didn’t want to be nosey, but she couldn’t help think something was wrong back at the Jacobses’ ranch.

“No. If that’s what he wants, then it seems like a good solution.” Travis paused again. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll get it done.”

The limo pulled into the busy street, and Danielle hung on to a handle as they bumped from the hotel driveway. The Signature Room was only half a mile away, but traffic was busy.

Travis’s gaze went to Danielle, a conspiratorial smile growing on his face. “She’s here? Really?”

She held her breath, not exactly sure why she wanted Caleb kept in the dark, but quite certain that she did.

“I’ll watch for her,” said Travis. “Thursday, it is. See you then.”

He ended the call. Then he grinned at her. “Caleb just informed me you were in Vegas.”

Danielle struggled to frame the right words. She didn’t want to offend Travis, but she didn’t want anybody getting the wrong idea, either.

“Relax,” he drawled. “I’m not going to kiss and tell.”

Her guilt turned to irritation. “Nobody’s kissing anyone.”

“It’s an expression.”

Her own phone chimed.

He glanced to her purse. “Go for it. I did.”

“Thanks.” She popped the snap and reached inside, extracting the slim phone. It was Caleb.

She pressed the answer button, watching Travis as she spoke. “Hi, Caleb.”

Travis’s brows shot up. Then he grinned, shaking his head.

“How’s the conference?” Caleb asked.

“Interesting, so far,” said Danielle, thinking it was interesting, and on more than one level. “It’s going very well,” she added.

“Good. Glad to hear it. Listen, I’m going to be in Vegas on Thursday.”

Danielle shot a reflexive and accusatory glare at Travis. He could have mentioned that fact.

“You’re coming to Vegas,” she said to both men.

“We’re going to hold Alex Cable’s bachelor party there. You remember he’s marrying Mandy’s cousin Lisa?”

“I do,” Danielle confirmed.

Caleb’s wife, Mandy, had only recently discovered Lisa was her cousin. Lisa was Mayor Seth Jacobs’s Chief of Staff, and Danielle had worked with her on permitting for the Lyndon Valley railway. Alex also had a family connection. He was Mandy’s brother-in-law Zach’s partner in DFB Brewing Company.

“We were going to hold it at the brewery, but they ran into a problem with some renovations, so we’re moving to plan B. Hey, you’ll never guess who else is in Vegas this weekend.”

“Who?” she asked, her voice going slightly high pitched as guilt contracted her stomach.

“Travis. He’s going to plan everything, and we’ll fly in Thursday afternoon. I’d like to meet with you about the Columbia accounting firm and a couple of other things if you can still be there.”

“Sure,” said Danielle. “No problem.” She had planned to fly back to Chicago on Tuesday, but Action Equipment was a very important client. She’d meet Caleb whenever and wherever he needed.

“He’s bull riding,” said Caleb.

“Travis?”

“Mandy saw where he won yesterday.”

“Good for him,” said Danielle.

“You’re at the Emperor Plaza?”

“I am,” she admitted.

“I’ll see if Travis can get our rooms there.”