Read Killing Casanova for Free Online

her party tomorrow night.”
    Jake laughed out loud now, shaking his head at her easy joking. “He doesn’t stand a chance, Lilly. Just let me know which night you decide to let him down easy.”
    Jake hung up and blew out a deep breath. “What are you doing?” he asked out loud to no one. “Sleeping,” he answered himself. “That’s what you should be doing.”
    Friday night slipped thankfully into dreamless sleep and the rest of his weekend remained contentedly quiet. The time passed quickly as Jake looked forward to the days he would spend in the mountains. It was one week later when he found himself surrounded by the lights and noises of Mcgoo’s once more.
    • • •
    Setting his icy glass down on the edge of the round table in the far corner of the bar, Jake sank into the chair beneath him. Mcgoo’s is chaos tonight, he thought, looking around at the pressing throngs of people. It was the first night of the summer rodeo series and the Pro-Bull Riders were in town. The small rural area made all its tourist revenue during the rodeo series, and Jake had been signing autographs with the stars of the PBR since the doors of Mcgoo’s had opened at eight.
    As the crowd of drunken cowboys and girls surged, Jake pressed deeper into the shadows. Everyone and their cousin, literally, were here tonight. Jake relaxed now, in the shadowed corner, letting a breeze from the bar’s fan waft over his face. This dark corner had been good company these past few weeks. Tonight it would do him even better thanks to the thickening of the crowd. Picking up his sweating glass, he caught sight of a tall half-empty glass of lemonade sitting on a paper coaster in the center of the table.
    He pulled back his hand from the occupied surface as if it were a boiling candle against his skin. A deep frown creased his mouth as he tried to look past the crowded bodies to see if the auburn-haired girl with the icy blue eyes was nearby.
    As Jake turned toward the swinging doors of the exit, the sound of dragging chair legs scuffled beside him. Troy Barnes’s voice brought Jake’s gaze back to the room.
    “It’s wild in here tonight, Cassie,” Troy shouted at the girl now occupying the chair next to Jake. “Will you be all right if I leave you here for a second?” Jake watched the quick smile dance across Cassie’s lips as she looked at Troy and nodded. Troy stood straight and noticed Jake sitting in the back corner.
    He grimaced slightly at Jake and nodded toward Cassie mouthing, “Watch her.”
    Jake frowned but nodded back as Troy melted back into the sea of bodies and light.
    This was the last girl Jake wanted to watch tonight. He already had a half-dozen phone numbers and e-mail addresses. He wasn’t looking to waste opportunity and energy on this girl. He took a deep breath and folded his arms across his chest as she turned in her chair and reached for her lemonade.
    “I’m guessing that Troy’s attempt at secrecy means you have been assigned to watch out for me,” she said loudly, not looking at Jake. She stared out into the space in front of her as if he was not there, but he knew she was talking to him.
    Leaning forward Jake smiled and said, “I’ve never seen Troy worried about anybody that doesn’t have four legs. Is he your boyfriend?”
    Cassie tossed back her hair and laughed, turning to look him in the eye. “No, we work together, and I think he’s afraid he’ll have to leave the horses to take care of the kids if he loses me in this craziness.”
    Jake smiled again. “You work at The Rocking J?” he asked, knowing he had either danced with or kissed every one of Miriam’s female staff.
    “For over a month now.”
    “I’ve never seen you around.”
    Jake was suddenly intrigued that he hadn’t noticed Cassie after their last encounter. She had been less than six miles from his ranch.
    “You mean since the last time we shared this table?” she asked with a bitter smile. She turned her eyes back to her