In The Hay

Chapter One

This wasn’t the first time the redhead had caught Drew starting at her. He doubted it would be the last. It couldn’t be helped. Her god-awful dancing had first drawn his eye, but it was the realization she wasn’t drunk, or even drinking, that held his gaze. Moves like those should really only come after shots.

Eight or nine of them.

He wasn’t certain what she was attempting. Looked like a combination of the robot, chicken dance, and hokey-pokey. Bad enough, but made so much worse by the others rhythmically dancing on the floor beside her.
Drew could give her props. What she lacked in talent, she was more than making up for with enthusiasm and seemed to be having the best time. It was refreshing since he was having the worst.

A cop leaned on the bar next to him and gestured at the girl with his fingertips. “She with you?”

Drew glanced at the red headed beauty. “Ah, no.”

The officer shrugged. “You’re both new around here. I didn’t know if you were together.”

“Nope. Riley Hamilton is my cousin. I’m in town helping put up his new fence.”

“Good man.” The cop held out his hand and they shook. “Mike Gable.”

“Drew Hamilton.”

“All right.” Mike nodded, his brows pulled into a V as he searched the small bar. “Let me see if I can find who she belongs with. Want to make sure she doesn’t drive out of here drunk.”

“She’s not drinking.” Drew searched the crowd, his chest tightened when he couldn’t find her short, but very nice legs or her just barely long enough yellow skirt. He looked higher and caught a bit of red hair swinging around as she looked to be head-banging to the classic country tune.

Mike winced. “She looks pretty wasted to me.”

“Haven’t seen a drink in her hand all night, but I’ll keep an eye on her for you.” Because he was going to be watching her anyway, and continue looking to see if she was with anyone here.

Only a few had attempted to dance with her. One guy thought to get behind her and grind on her, but in all cases, she laughed, scouted away and carried on with flinging her body about. She’d only stopped her attempts long enough to sip from a bottle of water before returning to the middle of the dance floor.

The cop flicked his fingers up. “Didn’t want to trouble you, but was just checking.”

Drew smiled at Mike. “Really no trouble at all.”

The door to the packed out bar opened and two tall blondes walked in. They were pretty, but they didn’t draw his eye near like the redhead. She was just…bless her heart, she just didn’t have a dancing bone in her body no matter how hard she tried or attempted to mirror the girls next to her.

Mike straightened and cursed under his breath. “Thanks. I’ve got my hands full now.”

“No, problem.”

This was not only Drew’s worst night ever, but the start of the worst couple of weeks and he didn’t want to lose sight of the little bit of entertainment he had for the evening. Or maybe had. Either way, come morning, it was time to straighten up his act, and help Riley install a new fence for his cows. Drew’s dad had the mistaken belief that once he proved he knew hard work, then he was ready to take over the company.

Drew wasn’t sure how in the hell being able to drive hundreds of fence posts in the ground and string barbwire meant he could manage their construction company. He’d do it though, to prove he was ready. Just one more step up his dad’s ladder.

Drew turned back to the bulk of the crowd, looking for the nutty dancer. Their gazes caught again. This time she stilled and stared back. He glanced down her body. Her heaving chest. Flat stomach. Shaped legs and little slipper-Tinker Bell-looking shoes.

She took a step. He lifted his gaze back up her body, past her fisted hands, straightened shoulders and raised head as she crossed the small bar. Her stare never wavered from his face. As she drew closer, he could see the sweat that had formed on her brow and soaked into the center of her barely covering white tube shirt thing. Her cheeks were flushed. Breath rushed out of her. She stopped before him, dark red hair clung to the sweat on her neck.

She stared up at him. Her little chin upturned, pouty lips parted as she gasped for air. Freckles dusted over a nose framed by wide brown eyes with long, thick lashes. Hmm. Not just simple brown eyes, so much more than that. Golden and bright and flecked with bits of green.

“You’ve been watching me.”