Page 10 of The Cowbears of Curvy Bear Ranch

Still holding the menu high, Rachel glanced at the list of sandwiches. “I’ll take a club sandwich, extra mayo, French fries, and a beer. No. Make that anherbaltea.”

She’d need her wits about her if Brady crossed the room to talk to her. Not that he would. Not that she wanted him to do it. Right? Oh, God, butshedid.

The waitress hadn’t been gone for more than a few seconds when she heard his voice. “This seattaken?”

She dropped the menu a few inches to confirm what she already knew. Brady stood next to the table with a beer in one hand and a sour expression onhisface.

“I’m… I’m expectingsomeone.”

Under normal circumstances she hated lying, but she’d already worked herself into a corner by keeping her baby a secret. What was one more lie when she’d already spent years telling everyone Jimmy’s father had run off andlefther?

“Your baby’s daddy?” Brady asked with asmirk.

The seat dropped out from under her and for a second, she thought she’d faint. He knew about her son. But how? The only person in town who knew about her son was her mother and she’d been sworn tosecrecy.

“Well?” A hint of impatience enteredhistone.

“How did you… whotoldyou?”

Without waiting for an invitation, he slid into the booth. “Mack saw you in town earlier. He said your son’s about three. You sure didn’t wait to hook up with someone else. I bet my plane wasn’t even off the ground before you were running off with another man. And here I was, living in the sandy version of hell, hoping you’d write back to me. God, I was suchafool.”

She sat up. “Ididn’t—”

He narrowed his eyes and took a swig of beer. After setting the bottle down, he leaned back and laced his fingers together. “I can see how you’d have a hard time staying single. You must have had men clamoring to date you. Who was it? Parker Rollings? Henry Palior? I can keepgoing.”

She shook her head. “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this. Since when did you start drinking anyway? You never drank when we weretogether.”

“I’m not the same manyouleft.”

Her hackles rose. “I left? Are you kidding me? You. Left. Me. I loved you, but you obviously didn’t feel the same way because youtookoff.”

He looked away. “Where’s your kidanyway?”

“He’s with my mother. I told her I needed a night off, so I left him with her. I’ll be back to get him in themorning.”

“Why didn’t you leave him with hisdaddy?”

She studied the intricate pattern of wood on the table. “He’s not aroundanymore.”

“Too bad. His loss,” hemumbled.

Her gaze snapped up to meet his. For a second, time stood still. His chocolate-brown eyes locked onto her with an awareness that shot straight through her body to pool warm and wet inhercore.

Damn it. After all these years, one look could still turn her into a puddle of need. Regardless of everything that had happened between them, lust surged through her veins. Every inch of his virile body tensed as if poised to pounce. The vein on the side of his neck pulsed in time with her racing heart. She licked her bottom lip, wishing she could taste the beer onhislips.

He looked away, breaking thespell.

The waitress arrived with the herbal tea. “Your sandwich’ll be up in a minute. Can I get you something,handsome?”

Brady smiled. “Another beer would begreat.”

Rachel frowned. “Don’t you think you’ve had enoughalready?”

“No. And since when are you my mother? You sure as hell don’t look like her.” His gaze burned across her body, setting heronfire.

The waitress jutted her hip out and leaned her hand onit. “Well?”

“Beer,”hesaid.

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