Saturday 20 June 2015

Saturday, June 20, 2015 - ,

Annie & Jace

by Leigh Smith
Published: May 08, 2015
Words: 38,741
Category: western, romance
Orientation: M/F
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OPENING EXTRACT
Chapter One

Annie Dixon stepped from the kitchen to get a coke. The lunch crowd over, she thanked the Lord and hoped the rest of the afternoon would be slow. Meat loaf Tuesday's were always busy and she needed a break, her feet were killing her. As she walked to the dispenser she heard the jingle of the bell over the door signaling that another customer had entered. She looked up and quickly looked down.

---oOo---

She had met him years ago when she was just 18 and he was 22. She'd been visiting her sister in Dallas and supposedly out for a night of fun at a street festival instead of going to Pickin' Pete's Bar and Grill. Under age and with a false ID in the name Clovis Gentry, and false courage from the tequila, she had flirted and carried on with every man and boy at the club. She'd been about to get herself into real trouble when she'd stepped outside with someone interested in more than just flirting. He wasn't taking no for an answer and she'd been fighting him off like a tomcat when Jace McCall had come to her rescue. He had stepped between the two...

---oOo---

"I don't think the lady wants what you're offering."

"Who the hell are you and what business is it of yours?" came the surly reply.

"It doesn't matter whether it's my business. The lady isn't interested in what you're offering. Now go back to whatever rock you climbed out from and leave her alone."

The guy pulled back his arm and was about to deliver his fist into Jace's face when a well-placed kick from 'Clovis' ended the confrontation. The big jerk immediately had something else to do with his hands. Doubled over and grabbing his precious jewels, he swore at them as Jace led her away.

Jace knew that she'd had one too many tequilas because he'd spotted her the minute she walked into the club. She was a looker, way too big for her britches, who thought she was God's gift to men. Someone needed to take her in hand before she got into big trouble. He wasn't looking forward to babysitting anyone and that's what she needed so he'd stayed away, but when he'd seen her leaving with that idiot, he knew that he had to do something. So here he was, arguing with her about how she was going to get home.

"Do you have someone to drive you home?" he asked.

"I can drive myself."

"I don't think so; you're far too drunk to get behind the wheel."

Annie was not about to let somebody tell her what to do, let alone another macho cowboy. She started digging into her purse for her keys. He grabbed for her keys, spilling the contents of her purse onto the ground.