Falling Into Right Read online

  Becca started to angle herself, very slowly, toward the bar. So what if it was Shane, and so what if he talked to a pretty girl? She didn’t really know the first thing about him, except that he’d gone out of his way for her and hadn’t been too proud to share an embarrassing story. And he hadn’t needed to do either of those things.

  She twisted on her seat, her jeans sliding on the smooth wood. Geez, there were a lot of people at the bar. She peeked at each figure seated or standing… there.

  Whoa. It was Shane, no doubt about that. Becca allowed herself no more than a one second confirmation before whirling back to Marcy, who stared at her eagerly.

  “Well?” Marcy demanded.

  “It’s him.” And how in the world was he here, looking so good? She never came here. Maybe she should have. Maybe she’d have met him sooner. But before… she’d been engaged. Ugh.

  “Girl, you are so talking to him.” Marcy straightened up and peered around. “Where’s our waitress? Brenda, right?”

  “What are you doing?” Becca gasped as Marcy raised her hand and waved.

  “Ordering more shots. I know you, and I know you need liquid courage.”

  Their blond waitress appeared a minute later, and Marcy ordered more tequila—single for her and a double for Becca.

  Becca just shook her head.

  “You promised to talk to someone tonight.” Marcy folded her arms. “Talk to him.”

  “What am I gonna say?” Becca mumbled. Lame, she knew. But as much as she wanted to get to know Shane Marlow, her brain was on a one word mission. No.

  “Anything. He didn’t seem shy around you. Maybe let him do the talking. It’ll be easy. You guys already know each other.” She sat back, a pleased grin on her face. “I mean, really, do you want to talk to anyone else in here?”

  Becca hadn’t looked around the room once, but after Shane had walked in, there was no need. “No.”

  Brenda returned with their drinks, and Marcy once again raised her glass. “To my best friend meeting a hot guy. And maybe more.”

  Becca just nodded and tipped her head back. She couldn’t help coughing on the extra liquor that coated her throat. “Damn, Marcy. No more.”

  “That’s all you need.” Marcy grinned. “Now, I am going to make myself scarce. I might have to go outside and take a phone call where it’s quiet. Or I might have to talk to someone I just recognized. Who knows?” She got up from the table and sauntered away.

  Becca blew out a breath. Excitement and nerves mixed in her belly. It really was a weird coincidence. What if he had a girlfriend? No matter. At least then she’d know. Just a few more minutes. Then she’d get up and just happen to pass him at the bar. Sure, that would work. She could do this.

  Chapter 6

  Shane’s eyes flicked up to one of the two TVs above the bar, where the Cardinals were duking it out for a playoff spot. Most of the crowd watched, riveted, half of them hoping for a win and half for a loss. The game was tied in the eighth inning, so everyone’s attention was rapt.

  Shane leaned toward being a Cubs fan, but wasn’t so die-hard that he got into the whole rivalry thing. It was fine for the town’s residents who loved to get together for camaraderie, drinks, and good-natured bets, especially after a day of hard labor.

  It was small-town life and what he related to most. These folks were good people, salt-of-the-earth types. Almost everyone in Sundown had known each other forever.

  His sister, Rosie, hustled behind the bar, chatting with everyone. “You good?” She paused in her pass from one end to the other.

  “Yep.” He gave her a grin. She handled the weekend night chaos like it was nothing, despite a new baby at home.

  “Thanks for bringin’ my favorite boy over.” She dropped a glance to Denver who lay down at one side of her space, happily gnawing some bones that had once held beef or chicken.

  “You know he loves it here.” Shane leaned over for a quick peek at his dog. Nothing could distract Denver from the treats he scored from Aunt Rosie. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

  He spotted two men who were practically fixtures at the bar every time there was a ball game on, which was every day in summer except for the days before and after the All Star game. Shane grabbed his draft beer and walked around to their side of the bar. “Close game, gentlemen.”

  “I’m gonna win, and you know it.” Gene chuckled and elbowed his brother, Howard.

  “Nope.” Howard munched on a wing and nodded toward the kitchen. “I swear, that man changed his recipe, and these are even better ’en they were before.”

  Shane chuckled, and his gaze swept the crowded room. “I think just about every table ordered themselves a basket of George’s wings.” Sure enough, each one—

  Every cell in his body froze as he spotted the one person he never thought he’d see again, sitting alone at a table.

  Becca Gable.

  She sat in profile to him, staring at one of the TV screens hanging around the room. Was she with a guy?

  His instant reaction was one of dislike. But he had no business thinking that. He barely knew her. She could be crazy or clingy or obsessed with having her sheets folded a certain way.

  He had no reason to talk to her, except that what were the chances of them being in the same place… again?

  She glanced down at her phone with a curious expression of determination on her face. Then without warning, she looked up and straight over to the bar. Her attention settled on the spot where he’d been sitting. She stared as if she were surprised, blinked, then scanned the other patrons at the bar.

  He mentally counted down until she got to where he stood with Gene and Howard. Three, two one—

  Her eyes locked with his across the room, and she visibly sucked in a breath. A mix of surprise and a hint of embarrassment crossed her face, but to her credit, she didn’t turn away.

  Neither did he because she was beyond pretty. No messy bun in her hair, though it had been cute. No buttoned up fancy blouse, but something more relaxed. He kept her in his sights as he mumbled goodbye to the brothers and threaded his way across the room.

  In a few long strides he was at her table. “Becca.”

  “Hi,” she breathed through a nervous giggle. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “What are the odds, right?”

  “I’d say pretty slim.”

  His gaze caught on the seat across from her where an extra water glass sat. “You just out for a bite to eat?”

  “Sort of. Um, sit. Please.”

  “You sure? I don’t wanna intrude.”

  “No, you’re not. I’m here with my friend Marcy, and she went outside to make a phone call.” Becca tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “She’ll be out there for a while.”

  Shane debated for half a second about which seat to take—her friend’s seat or one of the others, which would mean sitting next to her. He didn’t know how she would react to that. He took the seat across from her, figuring he’d move if the mystery friend showed up.

  “So, are you here with friends?” she asked, almost shyly.

  He noted the shot glasses on the table. Girls’ night out? Well, good for her. “Nah, just stopped in. There’s always someone I know here.”

  “Yeah, I bet. It’s your hometown and all.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger then suddenly stopped. “Wait…” She leaned over to peek under the table. And hell, her top was already low cut. The movement gave him more of a view of her full breasts than he’d expected. Damn.

  “Looking for something?”

  “Um… where’s your dog?”

  Of course. Denver was usually the star of the show, and that was fine with him. “He’s hanging out behind the bar.”

  “No way. They let him do that here?”

  Shane chuckled. “He has an in with the bartender.�
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  “Oh.” Embarrassment tinged her face again. “You must know her pretty well, then?”

  “Sure, all my life.” He grinned. “She’s my sister.”

  “Oooh.” Becca dragged out the word with obvious relief. Interesting. “Your sister. Wow, that’s cool. Nice that you can come in and see her.”

  “Yep, we stop by a few times a week. She spoils Denver with kitchen scraps.” He took a drink of his beer. “So…” He let the word hang in the air.

  “Strange week, huh.” She nibbled her lip.

  “Don’t know about strange. I just know this is the third time I’ve randomly run into you.”

  “The second time wasn’t random,” she pointed out.

  “Okay, true.” He sat back, trying his best to keep his eyes at the level of her face. Every time she fussed with her hair, every time she moved, her chest moved too, and he had to grit his teeth. Maybe a mental run through of the phonetic alphabet would help. “Still, it’s hard to believe we grew up ten miles apart and never met, and now we run into each other three times in a week.”

  “Yeah,” she murmured. “I actually haven’t been here in years.”

  The waitress came by then, a blond named Brenda who was one of Rosie’s best friends. She smiled at Becca. “Just wanted to see if you need anything.”

  “Iced tea, please,” Becca said, then looked at Shane. “Did you want anything?”

  “Nah, I’m good. Thanks anyway.” He gave a quick smile to Brenda and wondered how long it would take her to tell Rosie he was talking to a girl. It wasn’t something that happened often. Mainly because he already knew every woman in Sundown and half the county. He’d dated a few of them over the years, but there was no one he wanted to spend forever with.

  No one who “got” him or the depth of his hellish memories.

  An upbeat Locash song started playing, and it increased the noise level in the bar. Becca folded her arms and leaned them on the table, angling forward like she wanted to talk. He was on board with that, but her posture placed her tits on display and made it hard to concentrate. “So, how long have you been a cop?”

  “Almost six years.”

  “Must be exciting.”

  He paused as a hundred thoughts raced through his head. But he went for the simple, expected answer. No need to get into deeper shit than necessary. “Most days are routine. Quiet. But yeah, occasionally, we see something different.”

  “Different-bad?”

  “Yeah. Or sometimes not bad, just dumb. People who pitch a fit over not being able to bring their cell phone into the courtroom. Stuff like that.” His job was pretty much the last thing he wanted to talk about with Becca.

  She was gorgeous. It was a fact, not an opinion. Her dark hair was loose, and she kept playing with it. Big green eyes gazed at him, nervousness gone. A smile and tilt of her head made him decide he’d be an idiot not to get her number tonight, despite his brain saying, Hell, no. If he had ever seen her before, he would have remembered her. “Where’s work for you?”

  “I work at Silver Springs Assisted Living.”

  He nodded, recognizing Redemption County’s only senior citizens’ home. He and Denver had gone there occasionally to deal with a resident’s irate family member, forcible admissions or removals, that kind of thing. “Are you a nurse?” If she was, he may just need to leave and take a cold shower, because she would nail the hot nurse fantasy better than anyone he could think of.

  She fiddled with a corner of her napkin. “No, I work in the kitchen, serving meals and then doing any and all clean up afterward. I also help with activities. Painting the ladies’ nails, helping with bingo and shuffleboard. Anything like that.”

  “That’s cool.” Not many people wanted to do that kind of work.

  Brenda came back with Becca’s tea. “Here you go, hon.” Then she shot Shane a look. “Your dog is in dog heaven, let me tell you. We had a customer reject their steak earlier today because they said it was overdone. So you know it went straight to Rosie’s corner of the fridge.”

  Shane shook his head but grinned. “That dog’s gonna need a ten mile run tomorrow to work that off.”

  “Wave if you need me,” Brenda chirped, with a wink at Becca, and walked to another table.

  Eager to get back to Becca, and lessen any weirdness that Brenda knew both him and Denver, Shane focused on Becca. “You like Silver Springs?”

  “Yeah.” She swallowed, and he got the feeling there was more. “The folks are sweet. They tell me about their families. One lady calls me by her granddaughter’s name.”

  “It’s a nine to five thing?”

  “Mostly. When I help with dinner, I’m there a little longer, but not by much because the residents eat dinner at four thirty.”

  A song came on the speakers, a country tune that was all over the radio, something about meeting a girl in a bar. Half of the country songs he knew were about being in bars, he guessed. Still, he couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. Random or not, it was more than a coincidence that they were both at the Grille tonight. “So, Becca.”

  “Yeah?” A shy smile flitted across her face.

  “I’d like to do something with you. Hang out sometime.” He hoped that didn’t sound lame. He hadn’t asked a girl out in a while.

  Her mouth formed a perfect O before she quickly closed it. Confusion and, if he had to guess, a touch of worry flickered across her face.

  Not exactly how he thought she’d react, but then again, he hadn’t thought this through. “Not random. Planned out. A date.”

  She gazed at him with the strangest mix of happiness and regret. “Um… that’s really nice of you, but… I can’t.”

  His focus dropped to her left hand, void of any jewelry. “Boyfriend?”

  “God, no,” she said quickly. Then, as if her speedy reply surprised even her, she shook her head. “Um, wow, that sounded bad. I, uh… I just became, um, un-engaged.”

  “Shit.” What kind of dumbass would lose a girl like her? Then again, Shane was glad said dumbass was no longer in the picture. “I feel like I should say sorry.”

  “It’s okay, really.” She shrugged. “It’s over. It’s… been over. I’m fine.”

  He studied her sagged shoulders, wondering if she believed her words or was putting up a front. “Okay, then. I’m actually not sorry.”

  “Neither is Marcy, my friend who’s AWOL.” She glanced left and right. “Anyway, yeah. I haven’t gone out much lately.”

  “Maybe a change of pace is what you need.” He was pushing, he knew it, but he couldn’t deny the circumstances that had placed them here.

  “I’m kind of a walking disaster.” She swallowed. “It’s complicated.”

  “Everyone’s complicated.”

  “No, but I’m like really…” She frowned at the wooden table top as if it were to blame.

  “How about we meet up, and you can tell me why you can’t go out with me.” He made it as light-hearted as he could, but he wasn’t going to beg. Maybe her ex had put her through hell. Who knew. Maybe she honestly wasn’t ready. He’d have to go with her cues tonight. And her cues were mixed—smiles then hesitation.

  She twirled her fingertip along the edge of her iced tea glass and stared at the ice cubes floating there as if they held an answer. Then she raised her eyes to his. A smile started on her lips, but she pressed them into a line.

  He swore she was about to say no.

  But then she drew a deep breath. “Okay.” The syllables fell from her lips quickly, like she needed to get them out before she changed her mind.

  Well, hell. Thank the lord. “Okay, Becca.” He’d take whatever was going on in her mind and run with it. “You free tomorrow night?”

  “Tomorrow?” Becca blinked and tried not to drown in the blue depths of Shane’s eyes. She hadn’t expected something so quick. Maybe s
he should have. God, she was so out of practice with this.

  That double shot of tequila hadn’t given her liquid courage as much as made her ultra-laid back, like everything was going to be a-okay. It warmed her from chest to toes and made everything slow down. Like when her gaze drifted to Shane’s broad shoulders, or any part of his upper body, it just lingered. She was aware she was maybe staring, or was it the alcohol making her think that?

  Tonight, he wore a black T-shirt that left nothing to her imagination. And her imagination had been doing a pretty creative job all on its own. Gazing at his arms, she realized they were bigger than she thought. His biceps were easily twice the size of hers.

  His short brown hair managed to be a little messy, as if he’d changed shirts and not smoothed it down afterward. When he’d walked through the crowd to her table, she got a peek at the jeans Marcy had simply described as “Mmm.” And yeah, that was about all she could have said as well.

  “Tomorrow night, there’s a band playing in Carbondale. They cover a lot of country groups, all the big names.” He raised a brow. “I’ve heard they’re pretty good.”

  Shane, country music, drinks, Shane, a date, good music, Shane… her thoughts jumbled into a tangle of why not? Maybe the music would be so loud she wouldn’t have to explain her complicated life. She shouldn’t go out with him. It wouldn’t be a good idea for him to be out with her. But to heck with what she should do.

  It was one date. He was hotter than sin. And she wanted to go. “That sounds great.”

  A sexy grin made him look devastatingly handsome. “Pick you up at eight?”

  “Sure.” Oh my god!

  “So…” he tilted his head to the side. “I kinda did this backwards. I already know where you live, but I need your number.”

  “My life’s pretty much backwards, so that’s fine.” The words slipped out before she could think better of them. She wanted to smack herself and instead, rattled off her cell number in an effort to redirect things.

  “All right, Becca. I should get going, get Denver home before he gains ten pounds.” If he thought her backwards comment was weird, he didn’t say anything. He scanned the room. “Where is this friend of yours?”