started when Erin placed a hand on his arm. “I’m not going to be offended that you ignored me once again because this is even better. You’re here for a woman.”
“I’m not,” he answered, but Erin was craning her neck to get a better look at Lucy.
“She’s pretty. Not from around here, I’d guess. Tell me all about her.”
Caden shot a help-me glance toward David, who gave him a you’re-on-your-own shrug.
“There’s nothing to tell,” Caden said with a sigh.
“Come on.” Erin grinned up at him. “You never come into town, especially on a Friday night. She must be special.”
“She’s here with Chad. It’s not a big deal.”
“I don’t think she’s leaving with Chad,” David said, inclining his head toward the back of the bar.
Caden turned to see Chad and the blonde in the midst of a hot and heavy makeout session. Lucy was on the other side of the pool table, talking to a group of men, some of whom Caden recognized as locals. A moment later Chad and his new woman came up for air, then quickly headed for the bar’s entrance. His ranch hand disappeared into the night without sparing another glance at Lucy.
“Damn,” he muttered. “I tried to warn her.”
“Were they on a date?” Erin asked, sympathy lacing her voice.
“I don’t think so. Maybe. Hell, who knows with Chad? But he was definitely her ride home.”
“So now you’ll take care of her,” Erin said matter-of-factly. “And you can tell us all about how you two met.”
“It’s not important.”
Erin let out a sigh. “Fine. If you won’t share, maybe she will.” She stood on the stool’s footrest and waved Lucy over when she glanced up, presumably looking for Chad.
Caden saw confusion darken her eyes, and then something else crept in when her gaze landed on him. But she moved toward them, weaving her way through the brewery’s high-spirited patrons.
Several male heads turned as she passed, but she didn’t slow her progress.
“She’s not my responsibility,” he said quietly.
“She’s the reason you’re here,” Erin responded. “Gosh, she’s even prettier than I first thought.”
“Not nearly as pretty as you,” David whispered.
“You’re sweet,” Erin told her fiancé, but Caden barely registered their conversation.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Lucy.
Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore a burgundy-colored sweater with the fabric cut out at both shoulders, giving him the most tantalizing glimpse of bare skin. It was totally inappropriate clothing for a December night in Colorado, and Caden thanked his lucky stars that Lucy came from a warmer climate.
“So you’re not a party pooper after all,” she said as she came to stand directly in front of him.
He cocked a brow. “I told you a date with Chad was a bad idea.”
“I told you it wasn’t a date.”
“Obviously not since he just left with another woman.”
“Oh.” Her glossy lips formed the syllable and Caden’s body tightened in response.
“He ditched you, Lucy.” Caden knew he was being purposely cruel, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. It bothered him on some primal level that she’d gone out with Chad, and he certainly planned to have a serious conversation with his ranch hand about how to treat a woman.
“Was it the cute little blond-haired woman?” Lucy asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good for him,” she said, a slow smile lighting up her face. “Her name is Jessica and he has such a crush on her. All I heard about most of the night was how she’s been dating some guy who doesn’t treat her right. She finally broke up with him last week. Tonight was Chad’s big chance but he was so nervous. I gave him some tips and—”
“You and Chad were over there talking about how he could put the moves on another woman? The last thing that boy needs is more moves.”
“He really likes her,” she said. “I get that he seems smooth, but it’s different when the woman means something, you know?”
Caden wasn’t sure how to answer that. He thought he’d been in love once, but that experience had not only torn apart his heart, it had done some major collateral damage to his relationship with his brother.
“I know exactly what you mean,” Erin said from behind him. She nudged his shoulder and he stepped to the side so that Erin could pull Lucy closer. “Why do men act like idiots when they have real feelings for a woman?”
“I wasn’t an idiot,” David protested gently.
Erin rolled her brown eyes toward the ceiling. “You were a total idiot.” She reached for Lucy’s hand and pumped it enthusiastically. “Hi, I’m Erin MacDonald and this is my fiancé, David McCay.” She leaned in closer and added, “He’s a reformed idiot.”
“Can I get you a beer?” David asked Lucy with a chuckle.
“He also owns Elevation Brewery. We’re friends of Caden’s.”
Lucy gave Caden a funny look out of the corner of her eye, as if she found it difficult to believe he actually had friends. “Nothing more for me,” she told David. “I had a couple of pints of the wheat beer earlier—which was amazing, by the way. But I’m definitely feeling the altitude.”
“The alcohol hits you hard up here,” David confirmed.
“Caden was just about to tell us how the two of you met,” Erin said.
Lucy arched a brow in Caden’s direction. “Really?”
“It would probably be better coming from you.” Erin placed a hand on Lucy’s arm like they were old friends. “Our Caden is kind of the strong, silent type, if you know what I mean.”
“My mother is marrying his father,” Lucy said, thankfully not commenting on what she thought about his “type.”
“Maybe,” he muttered, earning a frown from both women.
David handed him a tall glass of dark beer. “You look like you could use this.”
“I’ve seen her around town,” Erin told Lucy. “She and Garrett seem so happy together. She’s really pretty. You look like her.”
Lucy’s gaze strayed to Caden once again, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she was thinking about the rude comment he’d made when they first met.
Then she smiled at Erin. “Thank you. My mom and Garrett left this morning for a prewedding trip to New York City.”
“How romantic,” Erin breathed.
Caden snorted, causing beer to slosh over the side of the pint glass. David handed him a napkin.
“Will they be back for the adoption open house?” Erin asked, turning to Caden.
“Doubtful. I’m guessing Maureen will want to stay in the city and spend as much of Garrett’s money as she can manage.”
Erin gasped. “That’s a rude thing to say, Caden. And unlike you. You know better than most people what it’s like to be judged unfairly. I’m disappointed you’d stoop to that level, especially talking about Lucy’s mom when she’s standing right in front of you.”
“Sorry,” Caden mumbled, feeling suddenly like he was a kid being reprimanded by his favorite teacher. He could only imagine how bad the kindergarteners in Erin’s