A Maverick for Christmas

Austin strolled toward her. “You look hot. You’ll turn heads. Look out, Thunder Canyon.”

Abby rose and walked toward him. “You’re lying like a dog, aren’t you?”

“Not at all,” he said. “You’re going to turn heads like nobody’s business tonight. Are you ready?”

She met his gaze and quieted her crazy heartbeat. “Not really,” she said. “But that first jump in cold water is the hardest. It may as well be now.”

Abby and Austin visited the hottest bars and made sure she was seen by the maximum number of people. Their last stop was an old bar on Main Street. Surprisingly enough, Cade was at this bar watching a ball game. He didn’t even notice her as she sashayed inside with Austin.

Austin, however, noticed Cade. He ordered Abby another soda water, her fifth of the evening. She countered with a martini.

Austin raised his eyes. “Lemon drop?” he asked. “I’d say you’ve earned it.”

Abby propped on a bar stool and tried to look flirty as she sipped her lemon-drop martini.

It was a little bitter, so she switched off to ice water. She jiggled her leg from the bar stool and wondered if Cade would ever tear his gaze from the screen.

Suddenly, Austin gave a loud laugh that startled her and vibrated throughout the bar. He leaned toward her and nuzzled her.

Abby blinked in shock. Holy buckets.

“Play along,” he said in a low voice.

Oh, yeah, she thought and nuzzled him back and giggled. That was what she was supposed to do. Right?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cade looking at Austin and her. He didn’t look happy. She forced a light laugh.

“He’s looking, isn’t he?” Austin said as he lifted his fingers to her cheek.

“Yes,” she said in a low voice.

“It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” he asked.

Abby felt torn. “I guess.”

Austin shook his head. “Better make up your mind. He’s right behind you,” he muttered. “Cade,” he said. “Old man, how ya doing? I see a friend on the other side of the room. I’ll be back in a minute—darlin’,” he added to Abby.

Abby turned to look at Cade. His face looked like a thundercloud. “Hi,” she said. “How’s the game?”

He shrugged. “It’s California against Clemson.”

She smiled. “Not close enough to care.”

“I guess. What the hell have you done to your hair?”

Abby frowned. “Dressed it up. Dressed me up,” she said.

“You don’t need to dress up,” he said. “You’re asking for trouble dressed like that.”

Abby frowned at him, feeling a double spurt of frustration and anger. “Some people might say I looked pretty.”

“Some people would say anything to get you into bed,” Cade said.

Offended, Abby narrowed her eyes at him. “You just need to butt out of my date. I’m having a good time. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Austin appeared from behind Cade and lifted his eyebrows. “Ready to go, sweetheart?”

Abby frowned in Cade’s direction. “Sounds good to me,” she said and rose from her bar stool. It took every bit of her concentration not to look at Cade. “G’night,” she said, without meeting his gaze, and hooked her arm with Austin’s as she strutted out of the bar.

As she and Austin stepped into the cold night, she sucked in a clean breath of air. “I’m not sure that worked.”