Free The Cowboy's Surrender by Anne Marie Novark

dream lady now. Wowser. I can see why she has your shorts in a tangle."
     
    Dallas forced himself not to look toward the entrance. Even if it was Gillian, he wasn't going to make a fool of himself. Especially in front of his brothers.
     
    Tyler's girl came back and sat on his lap. "Did you miss me?" She looped her arms around his neck.
     
    "You betcha. How's about another dance, sweetheart? They're playing our song."
     
    The redhead giggled as Tyler led her to the dance floor. He looked over his shoulder and winked at his brothers, then motioned toward the bar for Dallas to go after Gillian.
     
    Dallas ignored him, frowning heavily over his longneck.
     
    Austin eyed his brother curiously. "You got the hots for that woman from the rig?"
     
    "Yeah. Pitiful, isn't it?"
     
    "Oh, I don't know," he said. "Can't remember you being attracted, I mean really attracted to a woman, since Marilyn. Been a long time." Austin took a sip of beer. "Maybe Tyler's right. Maybe we have forgotten how to have fun."
     
    "Both of us have had bad luck with women," Dallas said, glancing toward the bar where Gillian sat with Harold and another man from the rig. "Marilyn left me and Deborah's dead. I'd say that's enough sorrow for any two men. I don't need that kind of trouble again."
     
    "Me neither. Tyler doesn't know what he's talking about." Austin studied the label on the longneck, turning the bottle around and around. "But you know something? It wouldn't hurt anything if you asked her to dance."
     
    Dallas turned to stare at his brother. "You sure you're not drunk? Why would I want to do a fool thing like that? That's just asking for trouble, big time."
     
    Austin shrugged. "Tyler got me to thinking, that's all. Might be nice to hold a pretty woman in your arms--one you haven't known for always."
     
    "If you're so moved by Tyler's bull, why don't you ask her to dance yourself?"
     
    "Maybe I will."
     
    "Like hell, you will." First Tyler, now Austin. If any McCade was going to hold and touch Gillian, Dallas would the one to do it. Not his damned brothers.
     
    Austin grinned as he took a drink of his beer.
     
    Dallas shook his head. "You son of a bitch. You have no more notion to ask her to dance than I don't know what. You're worse than I am. At least, I've dated since my divorce. You haven't actually gone out with a woman since Deborah passed away. That's going on twelve years or more."
     
    "Twelve years this August," he said, then shrugged. "It's different for me. Deb was my true love. Go ask the lady to dance. Don't let Marilyn ruin your life forever."
     
    "I don't know." Dallas glanced toward Gillian again.
     
    "You know you want to. Go for it."
     
    "Damn it," he said. "She works on the drilling site. She's the enemy."
     
    "So what? You're not asking her to marry you. Go dance with her." Austin finished his beer. "I'm going to shoot some pool." He rose from the booth and walked away.
     
    Dallas looked toward the bar again. He caught Gillian staring at him. She quickly turned to Harold and said something. The older man nodded and led her to the dance floor.
     
    Dallas cursed under his breath. Draining his beer, he stood abruptly and walked purposefully toward them.
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
     
    Gillian almost panicked when she saw Dallas McCade sitting in the corner booth with two men and a redhead. She wanted to turn around and go back to her trailer. But Harold had coerced her into coming to Billie G's, and it would be rude to abandon him. All she really wanted to do was crawl into bed and read a good book. But it was Friday night, Harold had said. The week had been long and hectic. They deserved a little fun. He had insisted.
     
    So here she was. And so was Dallas.
     
    Her eyes had zeroed in on him seconds after entering the honky-tonk. Through the crowded, smoky room, she saw the rugged cowboy with a scowl on his face as usual. Nevertheless, Gillian's heart thumped wildly. She hurried Harold and Ben to the bar