A Buckhorn Bachelor

“Then from whom should I take it?” She stepped closer, tipping her head back to keep eye contact. “You?”

The breeze was long gone, but as the sun faded behind the hills the heat lost its edge, making the evening air feel more tolerable. Still hot, but not so smothering. Around them, the carnival lights flickered on.

Feeling like they were talking about things other than advice, Adam said, “I offered, remember?”

“I remember that you failed to specify exactly what you were offerin’.”

Anything you want. But maybe he should stop being so eager. Maybe he’d do better to tease back a little. Going with that plan, he said, “You could start by practicing your flirting skills on me.”

“Oh, I love that idea.” Smiling, she slowly touched his chest, stroked with her fingertips, lowered her lashes, and asked, “How’s that?”

Hell, he felt that light touch clear down to his shorts. After clearing his throat, he said, “Effective.” He sounded like a strangling frog.

“So if I seek out other guys tonight...” She walked her fingers back up his chest to his shoulder. “...you think I’d be successful?”

“At what?”

“I’m lonely,” she complained with a sexy pout, her fingers still on the move, now teasing the damp ends of hair over his nape. “I need company, no matter how temporary.”

Suspicious, unaccountably irate, Adam clarified, “Company, meaning sex?”

She smiled in a very provocative way. “That’d depend on the guy and how things progressed.”

Not happening. Adam claimed her hand with his, brought it down to his chest and flattened her palm over his heart. “How about you slow your roll on that?”

Ferris wheel lights glittered in her eyes.

Or maybe that was a pissed-off glitter. Hard to know.

“So tell me, Sugar, you plannin’ to slow your roll tonight?”

“If I’m with you, sure.” What the hell was he saying? “Instead of you running off to sleep with some nameless—” and lucky “—dude, how about we enjoy the carnival? You can keep flirting. I’ll tell you what works.” Which so far had been everything. “And in the meantime we could have some fun.” Not the type of fun he’d really like to have, but at the moment, he enjoyed her company enough that he could make a concession.

“Hmm.”

Watching her take her own sweet time thinking about his offer bugged Adam big time. It should’ve been an easy decision. By now, other women would have said-

“Okay.”

He released a tense breath.

“On one condition.”

His teeth locked and he cocked a brow in query.

Looking very stern and determined, she said, “End of the night, no matter how things go otherwise, I at least get a kiss.”

Whoa. After the craziness of this current interaction with her, Adam refused to make assumptions. “From who?”

“Why, from you, silly.”

He forgot they were in the open, that kids and their parents milled around them. Neighbors and teachers. The principal. Members of the school board.

His own meddling family.

All he could think about was getting his mouth on hers.

Catching her narrow waist in his hands, Adam slowly drew her in. “If it’s to be guaranteed, why save it for the end of the night? We could just start right off with—”

“There you are.” Amber swooped in with Noel Poet in tow. Far too enthusiastically, she pulled Issy away and locked her to her side. “I’ve been looking all over for you, Isabella. Noel has some men for you to meet.”

What the hell? Adam narrowed his eyes on Noel.

Noel immediately held up his hands. “Not my doing.”

“Don’t be modest,” Amber said, flipping her long dark braid. “Noel easily racked up three guys, all of them perfect.”

Damn it, he’d been about to kiss her. The last thing he wanted was for Amber to whisk her off to some other guy.

With biting irritation, Adam asked, “Perfect for what?”

At almost the same time, Issy said, “Really? For me?”

“Uh...” Noel looked like he wanted to make a run for it—until Amber took his hand. Then the putz melted.

It seemed to Adam that Amber and Noel made a most unlikely pair. But whether they admitted or not, that’s what they seemed to be—sort of.

As a firefighter, Noel worked with Amber’s brother, Garrett, which was where Amber had met him. Since then they’d been dancing around each other, not really a declared couple, but at every big community function they ended up together.

Amber had long dark hair and blue eyes.

Noel was blond with brown eyes.

But the contrasts didn’t end with their appearances. Where Noel seemed quietly contained and often far too serious, Amber was bold, incredibly outspoken and carefree.

Sure, she was pretty enough to reel in any guy, but he’d assumed Noel had enough backbone to keep from being drawn into her scheming.

When Amber only smiled, Adam grated, “What guys?”

Shaking his head, Noel said to Amber, “I think we’re interrupting.”

“Don’t be silly.”

Noel said evenly, “I am never silly.”

Amber just smiled at him. “Isabella already asked for my recommendations, and I’m giving them.” Her gaze raked over Adam. “And that’s that.”

Issy laughed. “Well, I don’t suppose it’d hurt for me to take a little look, now would it?”

Of all the... Adam narrowed his eyes. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’ll be right back,” she promised, and patted his chest—like he was a damned wayward mutt.

Stunned, Adam stared down at her. He had no idea what to say, so he said nothing.

Issy waited, but with his extended silence her smile faltered, and finally she looked away. “Noel? Are you ready?”

Very ill at ease, Noel hitched his chin. “Sure.”

“I’ll join you in a minute,” Amber told them.

Still disbelieving, Adam watched Issy walk away, her hand in the crook of Noel’s elbow, until he couldn’t see her anymore.

“So,” Amber started.

“Forget it.” Beyond peeved at her, Adam headed back into the booth. She’d already done enough. No way in hell would he listen to some half-baked lecture from her.

Of course she followed.

“She’s all wrong for you, Adam.”

He leveled a sharp look on her. “Contrary to what every wimp in the county tells you, you do not know everything.”

It was never easy to put a dent in Amber’s confidence. “I realize that. But I do know you. And I also know Isabella.”

Folding his arms over his chest, his temper on the rise, Adam said, “So what? You think I’d break her heart or something?”

She gave a surprised laugh that she quickly muffled with a cough. “No, I wasn’t concerned about that.”

Adam waited her out, his scowl not budging.

After another cough, Amber got serious. “I hope you won’t think I’m gossiping—”

“Shohn already told me what you said.”

“I only told him so he could tell you in case I didn’t get to you in time. Even before I’d reached you two, I knew you were playing with Issy. Everyone was talking about it.”

“Define everyone.”

“People who’d passed the two of you. Ms. Marburl was scandalized. Little Chuck started singing that you had a girlfriend. When I stopped at the corn booth, Shohn didn’t know where you were but he said you were due to replace him at any minute. So I told him.”

“Told him that Issy is a wild child?” He snorted. “That’s nuts and you know it.”

“Oh, Adam.” With a pitying look, Amber patted his arm. “You’ve known her all this time and yet...you don’t really know her at all.”

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