Free Damnation: Reckless Desires (Blue Moon Saloon Book 1) by Anna Lowe Page A

Cole was hanging back to wait for Janna, who pranced right over to Jess the minute she emerged from the back, blinking like a deer in headlights. Straight as a ramrod, too, because Jess was tough and strong, even after being slapped with a revelation like that. That her family was ready to marry her off to the wrong man. That she was still being hunted by the rogues. It was a wonder she didn’t crumple to the ground and refuse to go on.
    Not Jess. Not my Jess
, his bear chuffed in pride.
    No, not his Jess. But Christ, it would be nice if she didn’t have to be so damn tough.
    “Are you okay?” Janna asked.
    He could see Jessica’s eyes flutter about before she answered with a terse, “Fine.”
    He let out a little snort. She was about as fine as he was.
    “Listen, I was going to go dancing. You okay with that?” Janna asked.
    Jessica’s head snapped toward the door in alarm, and he could read her thoughts.
Rogues. Closing in. Hunting…
    “Some of the guys from the ranch invited me out,” Janna said. She leaned in and whispered the rest. “And Cole is coming, too.”
    Simon looked out the front windows, where a couple of trucks were parked, surrounded by three ranch hands. Wolves — big, hardy wolves toughened by hard work and the sun. Ty wasn’t kidding when he said he’d send someone over to keep an eye on things.
    Jess glanced over at him, and he gave a curt nod. Honest shifters from an honest pack were nothing to worry about. Neither was Cole. Janna would be fine.
    “Um…sure,” Jess said. “Have fun.”
    Knowing Janna, she would.
    “I’ll do the cleanup next time,” Janna promised and headed for the door, where Cole was waiting.
    A second later, trucks started up outside and drove away, and Simon and Jess spent a long minute staring at each other, not knowing where to start.
    “You sure she’ll be okay?” Jess asked.
    “The guys will keep an eye on Janna,” he said.
And I’ll keep an eye on you.
    She stared for a moment, as if she’d read his thoughts. Then she shook herself a little and sputtered into the next sentence. “You think that Cole is an okay guy?”
    He shrugged. “Seems like a decent guy. No clue about shifters, but with the rest of the guys around…Janna will be fine.”
    “Good,” Jess mumbled. “What about Soren? Where did he go?”
    “He had a meeting at the ranch.”
    Just you and me left
, his bear rumbled inside.
Just you and me.
    Her eyes widened. She gulped. Her nostrils flared.
    And just when Simon thought she might say something to jump-start the conversation they had to finish, she swung into action. “Got to clean up.”
    And zoom, she was off, headed for the kitchen.
    “Jess…” he tried, but she immediately shook her head.
    He sighed and watched her disappear, then eventually reappear with cleaning supplies.
    “Gotta clean up…”
    She murmured the words like a mantra, so he backed off. Maybe now wasn’t the time to push an off-kilter she-wolf. Even he had enough sense to know that. If cleaning and numbering and organizing helped her feel together, he’d let her go at it.
    So he dragged out a dishcloth and started closing down the bar, peeking at her from the corner of his eye. She wiped every table twice. Some of them, three times. Rearranged the salt and pepper shakers until they were angled exactly right. Nudged the tables into place until she was satisfied, then headed out for the mop.
    He sighed and started flipping chairs, which brought her to a sharp stop when she came back.
    He raised his eyebrows in challenge.
Yes, I’m stacking chairs for you. Yes, I love you. No, I never stopped.
    She scurried to the corner where the pool table sat, turned her back, and let the wet slap of the mop do the talking.
Not ready. So not ready. I still hate you…I think.
    Of course, she didn’t hate him. But he’d hurt her, badly, and she wasn’t ready to forgive.
    He rolled down the metal gate that covered the swinging saloon doors, then closed the inner