Between Her Cowboys: (Taken by Cowboys: Part 4) A Billionaire Western Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

shaking his head. To Jess’s amusement, they began swapping memories about their times entertaining clients in New York, which usually involved trying to get the client drunk and sneak out as early as possible.
    The waitress approached carrying a tray laden with steaming plates. She set it down on a tray stand and passed the large white plates around. Jess’s mouth instantly began to water as she looked down at the juicy slab of prime rib, baked potato, and pile of steamed vegetables.
    The baked potato was loaded with butter, sour cream, and cheese, and the vegetables were delectably salted and seasoned. They paled in comparison to the prime rib, though. Spencer was right—it was by far the best she’d had. This beef was enough to convince her to move out West permanently.
    “Good?” Nate said with a playful smile.
    She chewed and swallowed the bite in her mouth. “Exquisite.”
    Spencer refilled her wineglass, looking pleased. “Is it cooked the way you like it?”
    “It’s perfect!” she assured him, digging her fork into the steaming potato. Her enjoyment was marred, though, as she looked nervously around her.
    “I feel like we’re getting a lot of strange looks in this town,” she said. “First the woman at the boot store, now the waitress…”
    “Forget about them,” Spencer scoffed. “That’s just how people react when they see something they don’t understand.”
    “Yeah. They can take their judgment and shove it you-know-where,” Nate added. Jess giggled. She was already beginning to feel a little better.
    “It really doesn’t bother you?” she asked. “This is your town. Your business is based here. You have a lot on the line.”
    Spencer reached for her hand and took it into his own. “Jess, we didn’t come to Big Horn so we could worry about what people thought of us,” he said. “We left New York so we could get away from all that. We wanted to start a business that would allow us to live in nature and enjoy our lives. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
    “Besides, what do these people have to do with Getaway?” Nate added, picking up her other hand. “It might be a little different if some of our guests or staff found out, but a few random townspeople…”
    As if on cue, a blond woman sitting at the bar turned her head and looked squarely into Jess’s eye. Her blood froze in her veins. It was Caroline.
    ***
    Caroline’s eyes went wide. She put the beer she was holding down on the bar. She attempted a smile and raised her hand at Jess in a weak wave. She leaned over and whispered something in the ear of the bearded man sitting next to her, who glanced around at Jess.
    “I think we have a problem,” Jess squeaked. She freed her right hand from Nate’s grasp and raised it in a wave. It felt like lead.
    Nate and Spencer looked towards the bar. She heard Spencer breathe in sharply on her left, while Nate cursed under his breath.
    Irene and the man next to her had stood up from her bar stool and begun walking towards their table. Nate and Spencer had both moved away from her as if instinctually, so they were no longer touching. She felt them tense.
    “Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise!” Caroline said, but above her smile, her eyes betrayed her confusion. “You look beautiful, Jess.”
    “Thank you,” Jess managed.
    A moment of silence hung in the air. Jess’s mind raced as she tried to fish for something, anything, to say that would defray the awkwardness. To her relief, Nate finally did it for her.
    “Well, coincidence or not, it’s great to see you!” he said. “How are you doing, Mike? It’s been awhile.”
    “It has, hasn’t it?” Mike said, pumping Nate’s hand, and then Spencer’s. “I’m doing spectacular.”
    “I’m Mike, Caroline’s husband,” he said, giving Jess a quizzical smile as he offered his hand.
    “Lovely to meet you,” she said, forcing her brightest smile as she took his hand and gave it a hard shake. If there was one