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did her prep work for the next wave of customers.
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    Trouble in Cowboy Boots
    “I see Cliff’s hanging around here.” She nodded in the rancher’s direction. “He keeps sliding a look at you. How’s that going?”
    Roxie leaned across the bar. “Kinda like Texas hold ’em. He hasn’t really shown all his cards yet. But hey, at least he doesn’t swat me on the ass all the time the way the high rollers did in Vegas.”
    “Really?” Emily’s raised her eyebrows. “Funny. He looks like the typical macho asshole to me.”
    Roxie grinned. “Maybe there’s one lurking underneath but he’s keeping it carefully under wraps. By the way.” She slid her gaze to Wyatt, gabbing with Cliff, and back again. “Your hot cowboy looks like he’d like to strip you naked in the middle of the bar and fuck you on that pool table if no one was around.”
    Heat crept up her cheeks and she fiddled with the glass of water she was drinking.
    “You’re mistaken, Rox. I’m just the cook. And not a very good one.”
    Except for last night. But no way am I letting on about that.
    “Uh-huh. Pull the other leg.” Roxie wiped the bar. “Just watch yourself, cookie. He looks like he could be big trouble.”
    Emily gave a weak chuckle. “Yeah. Trouble in cowboy boots.”
    Lola put her ten cents worth in when they stopped at the Blue Belle. Emily was surprised to see her friend in blue jeans and a Blue Belle t-shirt, smiling as she served the few late afternoon customers before taking a minute to sit with Emily.
    “I think this is the first pair of jeans you ever owned,” she teased.
    Lola winked. “Boland’s finest.”
    Emily burst out laughing. “Me, too. No one would ever believe it.”
    Lola leaned her head closer to Emily’s. “But they’d believe that cowboy has the hots for you. He’s talking to my boss but eating you up with his eyes.”
    “I think that’s just his natural look.” She fiddled with the coffee cup Lola had brought her.
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    Desiree Holt
    “Not for a second.” Lola grinned. “He’s so hot for you he’s practically setting his chair on fire. You watch yourself, girl.”
    “I will. Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”
    “So how’s the cooking going?”
    Emily sighed. “I have no idea whatever made me think I knew my way around the kitchen. It’s a wonder I haven’t poisoned everyone by now.”
    Lola absently wiped the table with her cloth. “So what are you going to do? Even if he wants to drag you into his bed, I don’t think Wyatt will put up with it forever.”
    Emily ducked her head. “He got his foreman’s wife to come in this morning and start teaching me. Breakfast was actually good.”
    Lola’s eyes sparkled. “You don’t say. Well. Doesn’t that put a different spin on things.”
    “Listen, Lola—”
    “No, you listen, sweetie. That asshole who dumped you wasn’t worth spit. Why don’t you see what it’s like with a real man?”
    “But I work for him,” Emily protested.
    “So? We won’t be here forever. Who cares if you play around with the boss as long as you don’t do it in the middle of the yard?”
    Emily was glad Lola couldn’t see into her brain as pictures from the night before danced around. Before she could think up an answer, Wyatt was standing next to her.
    “We need to get going, Emily.”
    She and Lola exchanged hugs as she got up to leave.
    “Thanks for taking the time so I could check on my friends,” she told him once they were on the way.
    “I figured you’d want to see how they were for yourself.” He placed a warm hand on her thigh. “Like your jeans?”
    “My jeans?” She frowned. “They’re fine. Why?”
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    Trouble in Cowboy Boots
    “I think we should make sure they work okay. See if you can unsnap and unzip them without a problem.”
    Her jaw dropped. “Here? In the truck?”
    “Yeah, sugar. Right her.”
    “Wyatt, we’re driving down the highway at sixty miles an hour and there are other drivers our