Peggy Moreland - A Little Texas Two-Step

“I think I’d rather you kissed me.”

Her eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. “Kiss you!” she repeated, incensed that he would suggest such a thing.

“Yeah, you know. Press your lips against mine.”

Leighanna snatched her purse from the counter and slung its strap across her shoulder. She stabbed a finger at his chest. “Let’s get one thing straight, buster. You hired me to work as a waitress, not to service your more basic needs!”

Hank hooked his hands at his hips and whistled low through his teeth as he rocked back on the heels of his boots. “Man, oh man, but you sure are pretty when you’re riled.” Leaning forward, he crooked a finger and pressed its knuckle beneath her chin, forcing her face up to his. “But, honey, we need to get one more thing straight. Us kissing has absolutely nothing to do with you working for me. It’s inevitable, that’s all.” He let his hand drop and shot her a wink. “But I’m a patient man.”

Hank poked the key into the front door and turned it, glancing, as he did, out the window into the darkness beyond. Leighanna limped across the gravel parking lot, her shoulders stooped, as she headed for a shadowed car parked at the far end. He wanted to laugh at her sorry state, but couldn’t quite work up the enthusiasm required for the task.

He supposed he should feel guilty for working her so hard, especially considering he’d shoved more than half his workload onto her slim shoulders...but he didn’t. Hell, she was the one who’d wanted the job, he told himself, all but forcing him to hire her when he knew damn good and well she didn’t have any business working in a place like The End of the Road.

His eyes went unerringly to the gentle sway of her hips. Even tired, the woman knew how to move. He blew out a slow breath. He didn’t want to be attracted to her. Didn’t even know why’d he’d bothered to tease her. He supposed it was just a natural reflex. Her being a woman, and all, and him being...well, him being just Hank.

A grin slowly built on his face. And Hank did love women. The feel of them, the taste of them, the feminine smell of them. Hell, he just liked women. And the fact that this one didn’t seem interested in him only increased the challenge. For, as much as he liked women, Hank liked a challenge.

While he continued to watch, she opened the door to her car. The accompanying screech of metal made him wince. Squinting against the darkness, Hank looked at the car. It was a junker. Even from a distance, he could see that the windshield was cracked, the front bumper was missing, and the car’s body had more rust than paint.

He heard the engine turn with a dragging waaaa, waaa, waaa before it finally sparked to life, smoke pouring from the tailpipe at the rear. The headlights popped on, one a little brighter than the other, and he listened to the grinding of gears before the car finally chugged off.

What is a classy lady like her doing, driving a piece of crap like that? he wondered. Better yet, he asked himself, what was a classy lady like her doing in a two-bit town like Temptation?

Shaking his head, he pulled down the shade and headed for his room at the rear of the bar. Didn’t matter why she was in Temptation, he told himself. She wouldn’t be back at The End of the Road. Not after what he’d put her through tonight.

Two

“I swear, the man thinks he’s God’s gift to women!”

Mary Claire couldn’t help but laugh as she set a pan of hot, steaming water on the stoop at Leighanna’s feet. “From what I hear, he is.”

Leighanna scowled, remembering the barrel racer mentioned the night before, and levered a heaping tablespoon of Epsom salts into the pan of hot water and stirred. She didn’t want to ask, but couldn’t resist. “What have you heard?”

Mary Claire sat down on the porch beside Leighanna and propped a bowl of peas on her lap. “Nothing specific, really. Just that he has quite a way with the women.”

“He could have fooled me,” Leighanna said dryly. She eased her swollen feet into the hot water and had to bite her lower lip to keep from crying.

Chuckling, Mary Claire patted her arm. “They’ll feel better after you’ve soaked them for a while.” She picked up a pea pod and broke off its end. “Did you make much in tips last night?”

“A little over forty dollars.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“I suppose. But it doesn’t come anywhere near matching the salary I made as manager of the boutique.” She threw up a hand, stopping Mary Claire before she could even offer. “And, no, I won’t accept a loan from you.”

Mary Claire pressed her lips together and went back to her shelling. “I still don’t understand why you got stuck with all of Roger’s debt.”

Leighanna heaved a sigh. “Because we were married. Because the debts were in both our names. Because Texas is a community property state. And because Roger is a jerk and refuses to pay them.”

“Couldn’t you just declare bankruptcy?”

“I could...but I won’t. It’s bad enough that I have to suffer because of Roger’s shortcomings. I won’t allow anyone else to suffer, too.”

“So, you’re just going to work your fingers to the bone until they’re all paid off?”

“If it takes that. But the bonus at the end is that my name will be clear and my credit standing will be good again. That makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Not wanting to think about her debts anymore, it was much too pretty a day for such morbid thoughts, Leighanna closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun. “I see why you love it here so much. The air is clean, the sky is clear—”

“And there’s not a traffic jam in sight,” Mary Claire finished for her. “Heaven, isn’t it?”

“What’s heaven?”

Mary Claire and Leighanna both looked up to see Harley, Mary Claire’s fiancé, strolling down the brick walk toward them. Leighanna could see the love in the main’s eyes as he looked at Mary Claire and felt just the tiniest stab of envy. She’d met Harley on her first visit to Temptation and had immediately liked the man. Beyond the fact that he was drop-dead handsome, he seemed to adore Mary Claire and her children, and that alone was enough to win Leighanna’s approval of him.

Smiling, Mary Claire lifted her face for Harley’s kiss. “Temptation.” She patted the spot next to her on the step. “Join us. Leighanna was just singing the praises of her new home.”

Harley chuckled as he dropped down beside Mary Claire. “Tough night at work?” he asked, gesturing to the pan of water where Leighanna soaked.

Leighanna frowned. “In more ways than one.”

Mary Claire bit back a smile. “I think your friend Hank made a bad impression with Leighanna.”

Harley reared back, looking at Leighanna in surprise. “Hank?”

“Yes, Hank,” Leighanna said sourly. “Do you know that he had the audacity to ask me to kiss him?”

“Did you?” Harley and Mary Claire asked at the same time.

Leighanna reared back, looking at them in surprise. “Well, of course I didn’t! The man’s a lecher!”

Mary Claire bit back a smile and Harley nearly choked on a laugh, but both remained silent.

“Well, he is!” Leighanna cried indignantly. “Every time I turned around, he was there, touching me or brushing up against me.” She shuddered, remembering.

“Most women would kill to have Hank pay ’em that much attention,” Harley offered quietly.

Leighanna rolled her eyes. “Well, as far as I’m concerned, they can have him. The man has a one-track mind. Sex!”

Leighanna tried the door and found it unlocked. “Hank?” she called hesitantly as she pushed open the door. “Are you here?” When he didn’t answer, she hesitated a moment, then with a shrug, stepped inside and closed the door behind her.