“Oh, okay. I was under the impression you had a thing for Maggie. My bad. I didn’t know she was just the next in a long line of women you toy with and move past because, god forbid, you actually allow yourself feelings about any of them.” Scowling, Kyle took his shot.

Matt snorted in disgust at his oldest brother. “I think I’m going to go. I’m meeting the guys over at the Honky Tonk.” He finished his soda and stalked out.

“Wait, I’ll come too. Friday night’s a good night at the Tonk. Lots of lovely ladies to dance with.” Marc followed with a laugh, pointedly ignoring his oldest brother.

Kendra came back and draped herself over Shane’s arm, looking bored. “Are you going to play pool?” she asked, a tiny bit of a whine in her voice.

“Yeah, you want to play?”

She looked horrified at the very idea. “No, why would I want to do that. The sticks are used by everyone. Eww.”

“They’re called cues,” Kyle said under his breath and shot yet another ball into the pocket. He couldn’t help but think that Maggie would have jumped at the chance to play with them. He imagined those big whiskey eyes glittering with delight after she’d sunk a ball.

Kyle cleared the table of the solids and put the cue back into the slot on the rack. “I think I’m for the Tonk, too. Nice seeing you, Kendra. Shane.”

“You want to hit the Honky Tonk, too?” Shane asked her.

“Sure,” she said, looking bored still. “At least they have a better quality of mixed drinks there.”

Maggie was glad she’d let them drag her to the Tonk. Instead of moping about Shane and gorgeous Kendra, she was kicking her heels up and dancing the night away. The Dixie Chicks were coming over the sound system and she had Ryan Jackson’s fine body guiding her along the floor effortlessly. Okay, so he was as married as the day is long and his wife put him up to dancing with Maggie so she could rest her feet but he made her laugh and she was having fun.

“Maggie, do you want a drink, sugar?” Ryan asked, having to yell in her ear.

“That sounds good, my legs are tired!” She laughed as he spun her off the floor and back toward their table and his wife who had her shoes off and her feet up.

It took a few seconds to register that Matt and Marc were there with Darla as well. “Oh hi.”

“Hey, Maggie. You sure were tearing it up out there.” Matt said it with an easy smile and she relaxed a bit.

“Nah, it was all Ryan. Darla let me borrow him a bit.”

Drinks had arrived and they’d all fallen into an easy back and forth, talking and laughing, when Kyle, Shane and Kendra came in. Marc waved at them and they started toward the table.

“Uh, I should go and find Liv and Dee.” She moved to stand but Matt put his hand on her elbow to stay her.

“They’re both out there dancing.” He nodded with his head and waved at the other women who saw and waved back.

“Oh.”

“Stay a while and visit, Maggie. Chuck’s not showing any sign of letting Liv get away anyway.” Darla laughed, not knowing why Maggie wanted to run and hide.

Kyle came and sat down next to her, giving her a warm hello. “Hey there, shug. You owe me a dance tonight.” He stood up again. “In fact, why don’t we hit it now?” He bowed slightly and extended a hand and after a brief hesitation she took it, never once looking at Shane.

“All right then. But remember excessively tall men have much longer legs than small women. Which means you’ll be dragging me all over the place if you go too fast.”

“Do I look like I don’t know how to take it slow with the right woman?” he said with cheeky innuendo in his voice and she rolled her eyes.

“One of these days I need to meet your father to see if he’s as full of it as you four are.”

Kyle laughed as he led her down the steps and onto the floor. He twirled her once and into a slow two step as the tempo of the Martina McBride song came on and slowed the dancers down.

“You all right?” he asked her when they were away from the table.

“What do you mean?” He was so close to her it was hard to concentrate.

“Shane isn’t a bad guy you know. He just got screwed over pretty severely a year and a half ago by his fiancée. Turns out she was sleeping with his best friend. Ran off with him a week before the wedding. Ever since, he’s guarded his feelings with women—never goes out with them for longer than a few weeks.”

“I really don’t care. I have no say in what Shane does. I just went out with him officially once and chatted with him a few times. I’m just dating him casually, I know that. It’s not like I have a vested interest in him or anything.” Even she didn’t believe it as she said it.

She liked Shane Chase, thought she might have been the one to settle him down. But okay, she knew it now. Knew it truly was just a casual dating relationship and she could do that. She was an adult woman after all. Liv did it all the time. There was no reason why she couldn’t enjoy herself with people and date around casually.

Kyle smiled. God, she was so genuine and in way over her head. “Ah, Maggie, you’re too sweet for this game. You’re a wonderful woman but don’t count on him coming around to that. He’s not ready to let himself really care about anyone just yet. I’d hate to see you get hurt. I just want you to know this up front, to protect yourself.”

“I appreciate the advice, Kyle.” She ruthlessly tamped down the sinking feeling that he was right. At the same time, Kyle’s arms around her made her feel warm and relaxed. The flesh just under his hand at her back tingled a bit. Maybe Alex was right, maybe she was a slut.