Page 8 of All Night with the Cowboy
“I’m not giving up my career, Dad,” he said through gritted teeth. He was open to retirement one day, tolooking forward, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to think about it now. Or be pushed into it.
“We’ll see,” Walter replied, not even bothering to turn around. “We’ll see, son. One day you’re going to have to step up, and that day is coming sooner than we’d both like to admit, I can feel it.”
Tanner stood still as a statue, trying to calm the hell down. If he opened his mouth, he’d only say something he’d live to regret. Was his father trying to tell him something, or had he just meant that he wasn’t getting any younger? Either way, he had no intention of giving up his dreams and doing what he was told. Not until he was good and ready, and on his own terms at that.
***
“Surprise!”
What the hell?Lauren got such a fright, she felt her heart leap into her throat. Hannah was standing there, in her freaking living room, with her best friend from college beside her and a bottle of champagne in her hand.
“What… I mean…” Lauren stammered as Hannah came toward her and took her car keys from her hand. Her sister threw an arm around her.
“Happy birthday little sis,” Hannah said with a laugh, smacking a kiss to Lauren’s cheek.
“Happy birthday!” Casey grinned as she closed the distance between them, giving her a big hug and a squeeze.
“I don’t even know what to say. My birthday isn’t until next week!” Lauren could hardly get her words together. She was stammering away like she didn’t have half a brain.
“Well, it just so happens you’re away then, and wedidn’t want you to miss out,” Hannah said, holding the champagne bottle away from her and popping the cork. It flew skyward, hitting the ceiling. “Got any glasses?”
Lauren burst out laughing and hurried into her kitchen to find three champagne glasses. She gave them a quick glance over and hoped they weren’t too dusty—they hadn’t been used in a very, very long time. In fact, she wasn’t entirely sure they’d been used at all since she’d moved into her house two years ago.
“I can’t believe you’re both here,” she said, grinning ear to ear as she gave one glass to Casey and held the other two out for Hannah to fill. “Where are the kids? Why didn’t you tell me you were planning to visit?”
Hannah filled up Casey’s glass then set the bottle down. “I have fourteen hours of being child free. I seriously need to make the most of this. And sweetheart, it’s not like you turn thirty every day, is it? And don’t forget thatyou’rethe one who chose to disappear toFijifor the big day.”
Lauren gulped.Thirty.It was a scary number, the end of her twenties and the start of…
“Happy thirtieth!” Casey said, clinking their glasses.
“Happy birthday to the best little sister in the world,” Hannah added.
Lauren happily touched her glass to theirs and took a sip. The bubbles tickled over her tongue and slid down her throat, and she took another sip before shaking her head at her sister.
“I can’t believe you managed to keep this to yourself. It’s a great surprise.”
“Come on, you can get ready while we drink and chat,” Hannah told her. “We have dinner reservations at eight, and I want to make the most of being able to sitin a bar and have a drink without worrying about getting home to a babysitter.”
Lauren looked down at her jeans and T-shirt. She definitely needed to change. Her sister was wearing jeans with a pretty, floaty top underneath a jacket, and stilettos. Casey was in a dress and heels. Lauren was definitely the weak link, but then they’d dressed for going out and she’d just been with…Tanner. She pushed him out of her thoughts, refusing to think about the gorgeous cowboy and focus on her little party.
Her sister was right, it wasn’t every day you got to celebrate turning thirty. It was one of the reasons she’d decided to splurge on a big vacation.
“We took the liberty of looking through your wardrobe while we were waiting for you,” Hannah said. “You’ve got a lot of”—Lauren watched as her sister raised her eyebrows and exchanged glances with Casey—“comfortable-looking clothes.”
Lauren burst out laughing. “I need to be comfortable for work!” she defended herself. “I don’t exactly get out a lot unless it’s work related.”
Casey reached for the bottle and topped up their glasses, and Lauren was getting the feeling that it was going to be a very, very big night out.
“Well, it turns out you’ve got a very sexy little silk camisole in your wardrobe. We’ve decided on that with your skinny jeans and the only pair of super high heels we could find.” They both laughed and Lauren felt her cheeks burn. “You seriously need to go shopping. It’s embarrassing just looking at what you wear.”
Lauren took a big gulp of her drink. She knew the cami—she’d bought it to wear on a hot date when she’dbeen set up earlier in the year, but something had come up with work and she’d never gotten around to going. It was also silky with lace around it, more like something she imagined sexier girls than her probably wore to bed, which meant she’d probably have chickened out of wearing it even if her date hadn’t been cancelled.
“I don’t know…” she started.
“You’re wearing it,” Hannah said firmly. “And while you’re at it, we want all the details on Tanner Ford, don’t we, Case?”
Casey and Hannah clinked glasses and laughed, and Lauren wished the carpet would open up and swallow her whole. She took a sip of champagne, then gulped down another.
