victim.
Ridge raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you did, but thank you. What did you do?”
Her lips thinned with a smile. “Nothing much. I told her she was wasting her time because you’re gay. She bought it, probably because of your pinkalicious shirt.”
Ridge took a long pull on his beer and flashed a slow easy smile. “FYI, only real men wear pinkalicious shirts. It puts us in touch with our feminine side. Besides, those nails of hers could do some serious bodily damage.” He kept his smile and widened his eyes. “I like my women soft and cuddly.”
A warm tingle started between Tizzy’s legs and spread heat through her body. Her brain scrambled for something to say. “Oh, Bubba proposed to Rayann last night.”
Ridge shifted on his stool. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. She called me at two o’clock this morning to give me the news. I’m happy for ’em. They’ve been in love since high school.”
Ridge rolled the beer bottle between his hands. “That’s funny, because I thought Bubba was in love with you. ”
“With me?” She shook her head. “No way. Bubba’s in love with my lady lumps . I’ve known him all my life and I bet you he can’t tell you the color of my eyes.” Quickly she closed them and leaned forward. “How about you, Cooper? Do you know what color my eyes are?”
Without a heartbeat of hesitation, he answered, moving his face closer to her. “They’re like puddles of dark chocolate except when you get excited and they fade to warm honey brown.”
She kept her eyes closed, and her breath became ragged. “That was a good answer, Cooper. A very good answer,” she said, her body getting hotter.
“Keep your eyes closed. Now, tell me what color mine are,” he said.
She took a deep breath. “The simple answer would be blue.”
A smile curled at the corners of his mouth. “What’s the not so simple answer?”
“They’re really ocean blue. But in the sunlight, I can see little tiny flecks of green, like newborn blades of grass when they first break the soil.” Her heart pounded so hard, she was sure he could hear it. She opened her eyes to find him inches away from her. The vein below his ear was throbbing. She kept her arms on the bar for fear of fainting if she tried to stand up straight. She struggled to think of something to say. Damn! Why did she flirt with him? Why did she say the stupid stuff about the grass?
“Forget the crap about the grass. They’re blue. Just blue,” she said.
He sat back on his stool laughing, and took another slow sip of beer. “What are you Tizzy, the town temp? You work at the bank, bakery, bar, and now I find out you volunteer at the clinic. Just how many jobs do you have?”
She counted on her fingers as she repeated . . . bank . . . bakery . . . bar . . . clinic. “I think that’s all of them. What can I say? I’m a Jill of all trades.”
Saint walked up and stood next to his daughter. “Hey Cooper, how’s it going?”
“Fine, Mr. McAlister.”
“Please call me Saint. We’re about to announce last call, but you’re welcome to stay if you like. Bubba usually stops by for a beer after his shift. I’m always here for a while after we close. Tizzy and I generally share a dance.” He smiled, draping his arm around her shoulders. “Tonight, sweetie, why don’t you dance with Cooper? I need to go over some receipts.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Daddy.”
He insisted. “No, no sweetie. I’m sure Cooper won’t mind dancing with you.” He turned to face Ridge. “You won’t mind, will you?”
“Absolutely not. I won’t mind a bit.” He looked at Tizzy. “Unless you don’t want me to.”
She stuttered. “Oh, I… I want you to. I mean . . . sure.”
Like clockwork, Bubba and Rayann arrived and Ridge called out to him. “Hey, man, I understand congratulations are in order. That was fast.”
Bubba grabbed Ridge’s hand and shook it. “Thanks, Cooper. I know it seems fast to you, but
Ridge raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you did, but thank you. What did you do?”
Her lips thinned with a smile. “Nothing much. I told her she was wasting her time because you’re gay. She bought it, probably because of your pinkalicious shirt.”
Ridge took a long pull on his beer and flashed a slow easy smile. “FYI, only real men wear pinkalicious shirts. It puts us in touch with our feminine side. Besides, those nails of hers could do some serious bodily damage.” He kept his smile and widened his eyes. “I like my women soft and cuddly.”
A warm tingle started between Tizzy’s legs and spread heat through her body. Her brain scrambled for something to say. “Oh, Bubba proposed to Rayann last night.”
Ridge shifted on his stool. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. She called me at two o’clock this morning to give me the news. I’m happy for ’em. They’ve been in love since high school.”
Ridge rolled the beer bottle between his hands. “That’s funny, because I thought Bubba was in love with you. ”
“With me?” She shook her head. “No way. Bubba’s in love with my lady lumps . I’ve known him all my life and I bet you he can’t tell you the color of my eyes.” Quickly she closed them and leaned forward. “How about you, Cooper? Do you know what color my eyes are?”
Without a heartbeat of hesitation, he answered, moving his face closer to her. “They’re like puddles of dark chocolate except when you get excited and they fade to warm honey brown.”
She kept her eyes closed, and her breath became ragged. “That was a good answer, Cooper. A very good answer,” she said, her body getting hotter.
“Keep your eyes closed. Now, tell me what color mine are,” he said.
She took a deep breath. “The simple answer would be blue.”
A smile curled at the corners of his mouth. “What’s the not so simple answer?”
“They’re really ocean blue. But in the sunlight, I can see little tiny flecks of green, like newborn blades of grass when they first break the soil.” Her heart pounded so hard, she was sure he could hear it. She opened her eyes to find him inches away from her. The vein below his ear was throbbing. She kept her arms on the bar for fear of fainting if she tried to stand up straight. She struggled to think of something to say. Damn! Why did she flirt with him? Why did she say the stupid stuff about the grass?
“Forget the crap about the grass. They’re blue. Just blue,” she said.
He sat back on his stool laughing, and took another slow sip of beer. “What are you Tizzy, the town temp? You work at the bank, bakery, bar, and now I find out you volunteer at the clinic. Just how many jobs do you have?”
She counted on her fingers as she repeated . . . bank . . . bakery . . . bar . . . clinic. “I think that’s all of them. What can I say? I’m a Jill of all trades.”
Saint walked up and stood next to his daughter. “Hey Cooper, how’s it going?”
“Fine, Mr. McAlister.”
“Please call me Saint. We’re about to announce last call, but you’re welcome to stay if you like. Bubba usually stops by for a beer after his shift. I’m always here for a while after we close. Tizzy and I generally share a dance.” He smiled, draping his arm around her shoulders. “Tonight, sweetie, why don’t you dance with Cooper? I need to go over some receipts.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Daddy.”
He insisted. “No, no sweetie. I’m sure Cooper won’t mind dancing with you.” He turned to face Ridge. “You won’t mind, will you?”
“Absolutely not. I won’t mind a bit.” He looked at Tizzy. “Unless you don’t want me to.”
She stuttered. “Oh, I… I want you to. I mean . . . sure.”
Like clockwork, Bubba and Rayann arrived and Ridge called out to him. “Hey, man, I understand congratulations are in order. That was fast.”
Bubba grabbed Ridge’s hand and shook it. “Thanks, Cooper. I know it seems fast to you, but
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