Page 511 of Summer Heat
“Still not dating at all?” Ty’s wife had died three years before, and he had rarely come down out of the mountains since.
“It’s not that I made a vow or anything,” Ty said, his eyes clouding. “It’s just that I haven’t met a woman I wanted to date.”
Lance knew better than to push. “I guess it just takes time. I bet you’ll find somebody sooner or later.” He grinned. “Of course, you have to actually talk to another woman every once in a while.”
“I don’t really want another woman.” Tyler shrugged. “I’m just not interested.”
The waitress brought the beer and Lance paid her. He glanced at the bar. Tamara worked steadfastly. Her blouse was a pretty green thing with a scoop neck, and he liked the way it made her look like a wistful romantic heroine. “You know the bartender?”
“Tamara. She used to work at the bank when she was in high school.” Ty narrowed his eyes. “That’s not the woman you’re set on, is it?”
“What makes you think I’m set on anybody? I told you I’ve been too damned busy to do any kind of dating.”
“You never drink here. I figured there had to be a woman involved when you suggested we come here.”
Lance chuckled. “Well, maybe I did notice her a little bit.”
“Not a good choice, man. For one thing, she’s Valerie’s cousin.”
“I heard.” He frowned. “How come nobody told me Valerie died, anyway?”
Tyler rubbed his face. “Must have just been overlooked. That was when Kara was pregnant, Jake went to Iraq and Dad started living with his mistress. Pretty rough year all the way around.”
“I guess it was.” He pursed his lips, watching Tamara turn out five margaritas, bam bam bam. Salt, ice, a whir in the blender, pour and garnish. Quick, clean, economy of motion. “She’s not Valerie, though.”
“No, she’s not,” Ty agreed. “That’s the whole point. She doesn’t need some fast-talking rebel to sweep her off her feet and leave her in the dust. She needs somebody stable and steady who is going to be a husband for her and a father to that boy of hers.”
“Where is Cody’s father, anyway?”
Ty shrugged. “No idea. I don’t think anyone knows.” He gave Lance a level, cold look. “I mean it, Lance. She’s not the kind of fast woman you like.”
Irritated, Lance stripped the beer bottle of its label. “Not everybody wants marriage every minute. Sometimes it’s nice just to take a break and have a good time. It isn’t like I go around pretending I’m something I’m not.”
“Maybe not. Just don’t lead her on.”
Lance gave him a half grin. “Or what? You’ll beat me up?”
Tyler grinned back. “I’ll take a hammer to your windshield.”
“Low blow.” Lance shook his head and sighed. “I feel bad for Valerie, but that was one crazy woman.”
“She was just crazy in love with you,” Tyler said, tongue in cheek. The ordinarily sober eyes glinted with humor. “I remember when she wrote ‘Valerie Loves Lance’ with lipstick on the school windows.” He laughed. “Remember?”
Lance winced. “Yep.”
“And when she came to the house in the middle of the night and sang outside your window.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Jake sat down. “Who, Valerie?”
Lance drank, wishing like hell this topic had never been started.
“We were reminiscing,” Ty said. “Remembering Valerie fondly.”
Jake laughed. “I remember the time she called the house every ten minutes, around the clock, for three days. And the time she showed up at that Halloween party?”
Lance ignored them, feeling a flush move over his cheeks. For two years, he’d gone with Valerie. They’d broken up at least forty times, only to get back together a day or a week or a month later. To say it had been tempestuous was like saying an earthquake broke a few glasses.
