Wild Card: Boys of Fall by Mari Carr Page B

me. And I’m going to have the mother of all blue balls tonight.”
    “Simple solution,” she said in a sexy singsong voice.
    “Soon.” He glanced around at the dark, quiet night. “Hate the idea of you having to run me all the way back to the B&B, only to have to drive here again.”
    “You can drop me off at my house and take my car tonight. Then you can just bring it back when you come to visit tomorrow afternoon.”
    “You sure?”
    She nodded.
    “Okay. I like that better than thinking of you on the road alone this late.”
    Lorelie kissed him on the cheek. “I’d say you’re doing a bang-up job being a gentleman.”
    “It’s a whole new me.”
    “I like it, even if it does sort of piss me off.”
    They got back in the car, but this time, he climbed behind the driver’s seat. When he pulled up in front of her house, Lorelie leaned over and kissed him. As their lips parted, he leaned his forehead against hers.
    “Going to be hard driving away from you.”
    She cupped his cheek. “Going to be hard falling asleep tonight. You’ve sort of left me in a…” She paused, seeking a word, then she landed on, “State.”
    “Tell you what. I’ll think about you while I’m dealing with my state, and you can think about me. Builds up the anticipation for next time.”
    “So long as that next time is tomorrow,” she added.
    “That was never in question.”
    He gave her another quick kiss before she climbed out of the car. He waited until she got into the house and then he put the car in drive and headed back to town.
    Small town life had suddenly gotten a lot more interesting.

4
    T oby : How long you planning to stay in Quinn?
    Glen: Thought that was up to you
    Toby: You can come back now
    Glen: Hell no. Last night bad?
    Toby: Disaster
    Glen: Trent want me back?
    Toby (after long silence): No
    Glen: Then I’m staying put
    Toby: Don’t stay gone too long
    Glen: You’re the one who told me to go away
    Toby: Regretting that
    Glen: He’s your problem now
    Toby: I don’t get paid enough for this shit
    Glen: Gotta go. Date with a beautiful cowgirl
    Toby: You’re a heartless fucking bastard
    Glen: I love you too

    L orelie glanced out the front kitchen window and sighed.
    “Okay. What are we waiting for?” Dad asked from his seat at the table. They’d been snapping the green beans she was going to cook for dinner.
    She turned around and gave him a confused look. “What?”
    “You’ve looked out that window no less than fifteen times in the last five minutes. What’s about to happen?”
    “Oh.” She hadn’t meant to give herself away. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t told her dad about Glen coming to visit. For some reason, she felt sort of nervous about the two of them meeting.
    Well, they’d actually already met at the party in October, but that had been little more than an introduction and handshake between strangers.
    She wanted her dad to like Glen. And she wanted Glen to like Dad. Completely silly desires when she considered how short Glen’s time in Quinn was going to be. She had to keep reminding herself that this attraction between them was destined to be a short-term affair and nothing more. She was okay with that. Glen was helping her break free of the doldrums that had plagued her for too long.
    “Do you remember Glen, Wade’s friend from Nashville? He played the guitar at your party.”
    “That tall, nice-looking fella who couldn’t keep his eyes off you?”
    Sadie had alluded to the same thing. How had Lorelie missed all those stares?
    She knew how. She’d been obsessed with watching over her father, making sure he didn’t overdo it at the party.
    “I don’t know about that. Anyway, he’s back in town for a longer visit. He was at Charlene and Wade’s dinner party the other night. I invited him for a tour of the ranch and Sunday dinner.”
    Dad studied her face with way too much interest. “Is that right?”
    He’d masked his tone, making it difficult for her to figure