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  “If they sit at the bar, you can either move to a table, or I’ll pretend I don’t know you.”

  “It could be fun to sit here and listen to them grill you about where you spent last night and where you plan on sleeping tonight.” He helped her wipe the beer off the counter.

  “You do that, and I won’t come over tonight.”

  He glanced over his shoulder. Her parents were only five feet away. “I’d love to meet your parents,” he said loud enough that half the bar heard.

  Chapter 7

  JW HAD NO IDEA WHY HE’D opened his stupid mouth. He’d made a potentially awkward situation insanely uncomfortable for himself and Kitty. What would she tell her parents when he took off back to Idaho, never to be heard from again?

  And how would that make him look?

  More importantly, why did he care?

  “What are you guys doing here?” Kitty asked, tossing a towel over her shoulder in an attempt to act casual, but since she crinkled her forehead, she was anything but casual.

  “We’re going to the movies, but your father got the time wrong and we have about forty-five minutes to kill,” her mother said. JW gazed at the striking woman, just like Kitty with her red hair and blue eyes.

  Despite his second guessing, he pulled out a stool.

  “Why, thank you,” her mother said, giving him a short smile and an inquisitive stare. “I’m not sure how to ask this—”

  “Then don’t ask, Shannon,” her father said with a stern, but playful tone. He too had red hair, though JW couldn’t be entirely sure since the man was bald, but his goatee was bright red. Redder than Kitty’s hair, which JW didn’t think possible, and seeing the strong genes made him wonder what kids with Kitty might look like.

  Oh for fuck’s sake, don’t go there.

  “But he did say he wanted to meet us, so I just want to know who he is and why,” her mother said. She had a sweet ring to her voice. Almost southern.

  “This is JW,” Kitty said, setting a beer in front of her father and a glass of white wine in front of her mother.

  “It’s a pleasure.” Her father reached across the bar, extending a hand. “I’m Patrick, and this is my lovely, but somewhat nosey bride, Shannon.”

  “Nice to meet you both.” A pang of hurt squeezed his heart. While his grandparents and Chuck had made a fantastic home for him and his younger siblings after his parents died, he missed them more than anything. Being the oldest, he remembered the most about them, which made it harder on him in some ways. Time would never heal that wound, but it did make it easier to live with on a daily basis.

  “So, JW, how long have you known my Kitty?” Shannon asked, lifting her glass and taking a small sip, while keeping her cool-blue eyes locked on him. Her tone was neither accusatory or aggressive, but it did toss him into the endless pit of nothing as he opened his mouth and absolutely no words came out. He couldn’t tell her the truth.

  “Long enough,” Kitty said, shaking her head.

  “Oh, good grief, what is he doing here?” Patrick said, jerking his head toward the front of the restaurant.

  “It’s a free country, Dad, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t engage him.”

  “That’s fine with me,” Shannon said, resting her fingers on JW’s biceps, patting gently. “I’d rather talk with your new friend, anyway. He’s so much more handsome…and sweeter.”

  He reached for his hat, wanting to hide under it as his cheeks burned, but Kitty snatched it right from his hands, smiling wickedly as if she enjoyed his embarrassment.

  “Not inside.” She waggled a playful finger at him, before plopping it on her head.

  “You can wear it, but I can’t?” he asked, painfully aware that her mother was staring at him with an amused smile.

  “We’ve already established it looks better on me, now entertain my parents while I fill some drinks and your dinner should be up soon.”

  He swallowed, searching his brain for something interesting to say, but everything that came to mind would be inappropriate in front of her parents.

  “What do you do, JW?” Patrick asked in a fatherly tone, folding his arms across his chest.

  “I own a ranch.” JW thought that sounded better than former world class bull rider. Not that it mattered. He didn’t need to impress these people.

  His grandmother would pinch him right now if she heard his thoughts. She’d taught him to always respect his elders.

  “In Baltimore?” Shannon screeched.

  Shit.

  “In Idaho,” he said, taking in a deep breath, making sure he kept eye contact, even though he wanted to run like hell. He raised his beer to his lips.

  Shannon raised her glass halfway, then frowned, setting it back on the wood counter. “You plan on moving my baby to Idaho?”

  JW choked and coughed on the bubbly liquid that had been sucked down the wrong pipe.

  “I will apologize for my wife,” Patrick said. “She has our son married with four children, all their names picked out, and he just moved in with his girlfriend.”

  “But how can they have a relationship if he—”

  “I plan on visiting a lot.” JW heard the words, he just had a hard time believing they came out of his mouth. He’d promised Kitty he would walk out of her life when she went back to her class schedule. Two days ago, he thought that would be easy. Today, the idea made his eye twitch.

  “She’s focused on school,” Patrick said, resting his arm on the counter. “Something she keeps putting off.”

  “One of the reasons why I’ll come here to visit instead of asking her to come see me, so I don’t interfere with her classes.” Had he lost his mind? Not only was he digging a deep hole to bury his heart, Kitty was going to scratch his eyes out.

  “Sounds like you’ve thought this through,” Shannon said, swirling the barstool.

  He hadn’t considered anything. “I like your daughter. She’s something special.”

  “That she is,” Patrick said.

  Before he could stick his other foot in his mouth, Kitty stepped through the kitchen door, carrying a plate of food.

  He pointed to the mush. “That’s what your brother ordered?”

  “Just eat it. Trust me, you’ll like it.” Kitty narrowed her eyes, glaring at him.

  His little sister had always told him that when a woman looked at him like that, he might expect to sleep on the sofa.

  “Can I get you anything else?” she asked her parents.

  “Just the check. I don’t want to miss the previews,” her mother said.

  “Put their drinks on my bill,” JW said, holding a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other, contemplating which utensil would serve him better considering the top layer of his dinner was mashed potatoes. He’d never seen such a concoction.

  “Thank you,” Shannon said, giving him a little pat on the shoulder. “Maybe your next visit, you can come over for dinner.”

  “I’d love to.” He glanced at Kitty, who smiled sweetly at her parents, waving and blowing a kiss, before turning to him with a fierce glare.

  He dug the fork into what he assumed was Shepherd’s Pie and stuffed his mouth. The assault of rich flavors from perfectly cooked beef, to the chives in the potatoes dancing over his taste buds, while delicious, did nothing to ease his growing concern he might not need the box of condoms he’d purchased a few hours ago.

  “I asked you to entertain them, not make them think you’ll be coming back for dinner sometime because we’re in a long-distance relationship,” Kitty said, leaning her ass against the other side of the bar.

  “I wanted to talk to you about that,” he said, waving his fork in the air. Nothing had felt right to him in the last year and then he had walked into Pat’s Irish Pub and the jagged pieces of his life seemed to slide into place. Not that he wanted to move to Baltimore, he didn’t, and that was a problem. But he wanted to explore what it might be like to be with Kitty and the only way to do that was take a chance.

  Yep. H
e’d gone crazy.

  “My class schedule with work leaves no time for anything but studying.”

  “I can help you with that.” He lowered his chin. “I do have a degree in business with a minor in communications.”

  “That has nothing to do with small children. Do you know anything about how a toddler learns language and syntax rules?”

  “I know I was a toddler at one time in my life.”

  “You’re serious?” Her narrowed eyes grew wide. The crinkle in her forehead disappeared as her mouth fell open with a tiny gasp of surprise.

  Or maybe it was shock.

  “You want to come back and visit me?”

  “I do,” he admitted. His pulse roared, reminding him of the misery the last woman in his life had caused.

  But Kitty was no Bella.

  “I want to see where this might go,” he said.

  “It’s a recipe for disaster.” She inched forward, resting her elbows on the counter. Her eyes now covered by the rim of his hat.

  He tipped the brim. “You’re not saying no.”

  “I haven’t said yes.”

  The butterflies in his stomach fluttered with the excitement of a teenage boy about to see his first boob. “Do you have any vacation time you can take?”

  “I’m an hourly employee, doesn’t work that way,” she said, sticking her index finger between her lips. “Why do you ask?”

  “I was thinking maybe we take a trip for a couple of days, get to know each other better and take things from there.”

  “I can’t afford to take a trip.”

  He knew she was a proud woman, and he valued and respected that. He wouldn’t be the kind of boyfriend… well, fuck, he thought it, might as well go with it. “Let me take care of this trip. We don’t have to go anywhere extravagant. Hell, we can go camping if you want or stay in the cheapest hotel known to man.”

  She chewed on her index finger. “What if we find out we can’t stand each other?”

  “Then I won’t come visit on the weekends or when you’ve got time off from school.” He really should stop pushing. He had just as many reservations as she had, and the entire idea was ludicrous. The flight alone was six hours, and he couldn’t take a ton of time away from the ranch, not with the new school starting soon.

  “Let me see if I can get someone to cover my shifts for the next couple of days.”

  He dropped his fork.

  “Don’t look so shocked,” she said. “You haven’t heard where I want to go.”

  “Should I be scared?”

  “Like my brother said, you’re dating me, you should be very scared.”

  Chapter 8

  OF ALL THE PLACES JW imagined Kitty would want to go, he never expected she’d suggest his ranch.

  In Buhl, Idaho.

  A place she’d never heard of before she’d met him.

  The plane ride was long, but bearable because she’d been there. He enjoyed the ride back to his ranch, pointing out his favorite spots along the way, and she’d oohed and aahed and smiled that killer smile, making his hands as clammy as a steam room.

  He tilted his head toward the staircase, wondering what was taking Kitty so long to ‘freshen up’ after he’d given her the dime tour of his home.

  The sound of an engine easing to a stop in the circular driveway had his dogs, King and Kong a yellow lab and a pre-breed long-haired German Shepherd whining, thumping their heavy tails against the sofa, knowing his sister had just pulled in.

  “Relax, boys.” He’d gotten Kong first as puppy and named him after the first bull he’d ever rode. King came to him a year later, and he just couldn’t resist the name.

  “Sit,” he commanded. Both dogs cocked their heads, and their butts hit the floor. They were already overly excited about him being home and utterly confused about the woman unpacking a suitcase in his bedroom. They hadn’t liked the last girl he’d shared a bed with, and while they seemed to enjoy Kitty, they were still reserved when in the same room.

  The front door swished opened, then slammed shut. King, the lab, scratched his paw against JW’s leg.

  “Go get her,” he said. The dogs took off running.

  “Down, dogs,” Georgia Moon said before they even skidded to a stop in front of her. “You jump on me, I won’t give you these.” She held up two rawhides, and the dogs immediately sat, tails wagging impatiently.

  Georgia Moon gave them their treats, and they scurried back over to the family room, lying down at his feet, happily gnawing away.

  “So, where is this chick?” Georgia Moon asked as she tossed her keys on the table near the front door.

  “Don’t you know how to knock?”

  “No,” she said, kicking off her boots before she meandered into the living room where he sat on the sofa, with a couple opened bottles of wine and two glasses.

  The number of flutes should have been hint enough, but he knew he wouldn’t get rid of her until she got to meet the woman he let into his house when he swore no female would ever grace his bedroom again.

  “I didn’t invite you,” he said.

  “You seriously thought you’d call me and tell me you’re bringing a girl home, and I’d stay clear of the house?” She pulled another glass from the bar before helping herself to some vino. She settled in the big wingback chair, resting her feet on the ottoman.

  “I was praying for a miracle.”

  Georgia Moon was six years younger and only nine when their parents had died. As the youngest, she had the fewest memories, which most likely was for the best, but she’d been hit the hardest when their grandmother had passed. She’d been the woman who had raised Georgia Moon, and they had the kind of special bond that others searched for their entire lives.

  “JD and JB are on their way over, so you might want to open another bottle.”

  “Won’t be necessary. You will each have one glass and leave,” he said, shocked they hadn’t been in the house before he’d even left the airport. “Promise me you’ll be on your best behavior.”

  She tossed her head back and laughed that insidious laugh that sounded like a mockingbird. The fake laugh, everyone called it, and it made his ears crave silence.

  “Can I at least count on you not to insult her?”

  “The only girlfriend of yours I’ve ever slighted was Bella, and she deserved it.”

  “That’s true.”

  The sound of rubber-soled shoes squeaking against the hardwood floors made his heart flutter. Both dogs lifted their heads, licking their chops, noses in the air, sniffing wildly. He pointed at his sister. “I really like her, so be nice.” He stood, waiting for Kitty to grace the room with her radiant beauty and killer personality.

  “I have never seen a bathtub that big before.” Kitty bounced into the room, her hair cascading over her shoulders, swaying with every step. “Oh, hello.”

  “Kitty, meet Georgia Moon.”

  “You can call me Georgia.”

  He poured a glass of wine while his sister pulled Kitty in for a hug. Georgia Moon had always been the most affectionate out of his siblings, which made sense, since the rest of them were all males, but JW, having to tuck her in many nights, developed a taste for hugs. “My brothers will be here any minute.”

  “This will be overwhelming,” Kitty said with a smile, tucking her hair behind her ears as her ass sank into the chocolate leather sofa. “Does anyone ever call all the brothers Triple J or something?”

  “JD and JB are often called a double shot,” Georgia Moon said, resting her head on the back of the seat.

  “That seems unfair to leave out the eldest.” Kitty rolled a strand of hair around her finger in a mesmerizing dance that lulled him into submission. Whatever she wanted, he doubted he’d ever be able to say no.

  “My brothers look like twins, where, sadly, I look more like my mom and sister,” JW said.

  “I can see the resemblance between the two of you.”

  He loved the sound of Kitty’s voice and wished she wou
ld talk all the time, so he could hear the sweet, sexy timbre roll off his ears, sending warm messages all through his body.

  King and Kong barked as the rumbling of an engine hummed outside.

  “You want to get those boys,” JW said, bending over, letting Kong lick his face. For the last year, his dogs had been his only real friendship outside of his siblings. After his best friend had slept with his fiancé, he didn’t trust people. He pushed the small doubt that tickled his mind that Kitty wouldn’t be any different from those he’d deemed faithful in the past. “You go tell them who is boss.”

  Both dogs bolted from the floor.

  “I’ve never seen such well-behaved dogs before. They listen and do everything you tell them to.” Kitty tucked her feet under her butt, looking poised and relaxed, while his insides stirred like a stick churning butter.

  “JW is the dog whisperer,” his sister said. “Too bad it didn’t translate to bulls, or he might have been able to stay on one even longer.”

  “I still hold the world record.” JW stared at the front door, the dogs dancing in circles.

  Kitty leaned in, her warm, delicate fingers gently curling around his arm. “What are they going to do to your brothers?” she asked.

  “Just watch.”

  King and Kong loved his brothers as much as they loved them, but each dog was pushing a hundred pounds of solid muscle and not that easy to catch mid-air.

  The second the door cracked open an inch, JW said, “Give them boys some love!”

  Kong nudged the door with his nose then jumped straight up at JD, who grabbed the dog, but still had a hard time keeping his balance.

  King leapt up into JB, who ended up slamming his back into the wall.

  “God damned dogs,” JD muttered. “Do you have to have them do this every time?” He scratched the dog’s back while King slobbered all over his face.

  “Please don’t ever ask the dogs to give me love,” Kitty said, laughter spilling out of her sweet mouth.

  “King. Kong,” JW commanded. “Wanna come love this girl?”

  The dogs raced around the sofa once as Kitty practically crawled onto his lap, clutching at his shoulders.