Free Meagan's Marine (Halos & Horns) by Lori Leger Page A

call me back. So, I called her. She’ll be here the day
after tomorrow.”
    “What do you think she can do, Nik ?”
    “I’m not too sure—communicate with him,
maybe? Find out what it is he wants or needs from you. If you give it to him
maybe he’ll leave you in peace…go to wherever he should have gone after he
passed on.”
    “What if what he wants is too much to
give him?” Meagan shuddered at the one thought she was too afraid to put into
words.
    What if he wants Buck?
     

 
    CHAPTER 10
    Cowboys, Crowds and Competitions
     
    The muffled thump of bass blasted to a
driving beat as Mitch pulled open the door of Red’s club. He followed his
houseguests, Tex and Haley, along with Trevor, a dick with a perpetual
attraction to pretty cowgirls, into the building. After a quick scan of the
bar, he found Meagan in her usual spot, tending to the area along the east side
of the establishment.
    He took the lead as they painstakingly
made their way to her.
    Meagan looked up at them and grinned.
“Hey, I’m glad to see y’all back.”
    Mitch pointed his thumb at Haley. “She’s
coming to collect her birthday shots.”
    “Ah, that’s right! If my memory serves
me, you wanted to think about it. Have you come to a decision, yet?”
    Haley gave her a huge grin. “Actually, I
believe I’ve decided to support the Louisiana sugarcane farmers. Ben said it’s
real smooth.”
    Meagan beamed at her. “ Ben would
be correct.  It’s fabulous mixed with cola, but smooth enough to shoot
straight. I highly recommend it. You want the Silver or Spiced?”
    “Let’s start with the Silver, please.”
    Meagan set out a large plastic tray,
placed the bottle in the center and added a few cans of coke and four shot
glasses.
    No sooner had they taken the set-up to an
empty table, than Mitch came back to the bar, asking for a beer.
    “What’s wrong, Mitch? Are you worried
that rum’s got too much bite?”
    He laughed. “It does have a gator on the
bottle, but no. I may have a shot or two, but I like my beer.”
    She nodded and handed him a beer.
“What’s the deal with the cowboy sniffing around Haley? He doesn’t look her
type.”
    Mitch leaned against the wall to watch
the guy in question brazenly stare at a gorgeous blonde-haired woman making her
way into the women’s restroom.  “He isn’t, but they have the rodeo thing
in common and she invited him to hang with her tonight.”
    Meagan frowned and sucked in her breath.
“Oh damn, that’s gonna break that big ole heart of his .”
    “Of who’s?”
    “His.” Meagan’s gaze landed on the tall
Marine walking in their direction. “He’s been bugging me for the last hour to
let him know when y’all got here.”
    Mitch grinned as he shook Ben’s hand.
“Hell, yeah, just what that asshole needs—a little friendly competition.”
    Ben’s brow furrowed. “Which asshole?”
    “That one right over there.” Mitch used
his longneck beer bottle to point at what he considered an unwelcomed
interloper.  “She met up with him at the arena this afternoon. I think
they used to date once upon a time and he’s hoping to date her again.” He sipped
from his beer and shook his head. “Except every damn time she turns her back
he’s trying to pick up some other chick.” He sent Ben a meaningful gaze. “I
don’t like him, and Tex has been ready to kick his ass since he showed
himself.”
    “Maybe I should just leave,” Ben said.
“I don’t want to stir things up.”
    “Trust me, as many times as I heard that
girl mention your name today, she’d want you to stay. I’m looking forward to
seeing you stir up a little shit with that jerk. Look, there he goes again,” he
said, as Trevor ogled another woman behind Haley’s back.
    Ben gave a snort of disgust. “What an
ass-wipe.”
    “See what I mean? I think you sh —”
    “Excuse me.” Wearing a determined look
on his face, Ben walked toward the corner table.
    “Go get ‘ em ,
Jarhead!” Meagan called softly