[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

out of the tack room and make him take his insulin kit with him along with a couple of
extra water bottles.
Neil nodded.  Not a problem. He s good help and damn, can he ride.
Griggs felt himself puff with a bit of pride at the compliment.
Deacon came in the back door.  Steaks are almost done. You might go ahead and
serve the salads.
Griggs pulled out one of the large trays and started filling it with the already-made
plates of salad.  Grab that pitcher of water, Cody.
Tray in hand, he pushed through the swinging door and almost dropped the entire
load of food. His face pale, Bridger was shaking his head as James whispered in his ear.
 What re you doing?
James released Bridger s arm and smiled.  Just talking.
Griggs had to pull his temper back quickly before he exploded.  Take your seat.
We re serving dinner.
With an overly confident smirk on his face, James settled into the chair beside
Bridger.
 Griggs is sitting there, Bridger informed the older man.
 Looks to me like he s playing waiter, James answered.
With as much calm as he could muster, Griggs set the tray on the table and stalked
toward James.
 Griggs. No. Bridger stood and put a hand on Griggs chest.  He s not worth it.
Griggs stared over Bridger s shoulder at the man in question.  No, but you are.
45
Carol Lynne
 I m fine. I just really, really need to eat something.
Griggs looked down at Bridger.  Follow me.
He reached out and took Bridger s hand and led him into the kitchen.  Cody, will
you serve the salads? If I do it, one of our guests will probably not only end up wearing
his but taking a trip to the emergency room in Red Lodge.
He pulled out one of the stools at the black granite island.  Have a seat.
Deciding it would be better if he kept out of the dining room, Griggs fixed another
big glass of ice water and set it in front of Bridger.  I ll get your steak.
 You don t have to do this. I can handle guys like James.
Griggs leaned over and kissed him.  Sit tight.
Grabbing a plate from the cupboard, he went outside where Deacon was loading
steaks onto a platter.  One please.
Deacon s brows shot up.  Hungry?
 It s for Bridger. He s getting too much unwanted attention from one of the guests.
I ve got him in the kitchen.
Deacon used a pair of tongs to take a perfectly cooked steak off the grill and slide it
onto the plate.  I understand that you like Bridger, but don t forget we re trying to run
a business.
 I know. Which is why the guy s still breathing. He took the plate into the kitchen
and set it in front of Bridger. He spooned some roasted potatoes and green beans onto
the plate.  Anything else?
Bridger shook his head and began cutting into the meat.  Don t get into trouble
because of me.
Griggs buried his fingers in Bridger s curls and kissed the top of his head.  You
concentrate on eating and I ll finish doing my job like a good wrangler.
46
Bareback Cowboy
As he helped Deacon, Cody and Ray get the plates filled, he couldn t keep from
glancing at Bridger every few moments. The younger man s color was back to normal
by the time he d taken several bites of steak and potatoes.
 Do I need to eat in the dining room? he asked Ray.
 No, that s okay. Just help us carry the plates out and you can come back in here.
Ray leaned closer.  I ve overheard James a time or two, so I don t blame you. If he d
fixed his sights on Deacon, he d be walking his way back to Billings about now.
Griggs smiled. He d only known Ray for about seven months, but he already
thought of him as a good friend.  Thanks.
Ray slapped him on the back.  As a matter of fact, if you wanted to volunteer to
wash that sink full of pots and pans, I might be persuaded to let you just stay in here.
 I can do that. Griggs started some hot, soapy water in the sink and filled his plate.
 Sorry I screwed up our date, Bridger mumbled around a bite of food.
 You haven t ruined anything. If you feel up to it, I thought maybe we could grab
your duffle and head over to my place when we re finished.
Bridger s eyes rounded in apparent surprise.  My duffle?
Griggs turned off the water and dried his hands.  You need your sleep and I think
it s obvious after last night you re not going to get it sharing a room with Steve.
Bridger took another bite of his potatoes. Griggs couldn t tell what was going on in
his lover s head, but he knew Bridger was thinking about something important.
 James isn t in the summer cabin, ya know.
Oh. So Bridger thought Griggs was asking out of jealousy instead of want.  I know
that. I d planned on asking you before any of this happened.
 You did? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]