Dying for a Dude (Laurel McKay Mysteries Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

really want to fit in with the guys riding in the Wagon Train.”
    Considering that ninety percent of the colored glass beads sold in Placerville adorned his shirt, Stan’s outfit seemed better suited for a Las Vegas showroom. We joined other partygoers waiting in line at the outside wine bar. Two bartenders dressed in burgundy polo shirts embossed with the Mountain High logo kept busy pouring wine for the insatiable crowd.
    I recognized Chad Langdon, one of the owners of the Camino winery and a long time customer of Hangtown Bank where Stan and I both work. We finally reached the front of the line. “Hi, Chad,” I said. “This is a lovely event.”
    Chad frowned, and I visualized him sorting through his mental rolodex trying to remember my name.
    “Oh, hey, Laurel,” he said. “Good to see you again. What can I get for you?”
    I ordered a pinot noir, and Stan decided to try their old vine zinfandel.
    “This is a nice coincidence,” Chad said. “I have a loan question I’ve wanted to ask someone. Maybe I can bend your ear later on when it’s not so crowded.”
    I peeked over my shoulder at the restless and thirsty throng behind us. A tall cowboy, dressed in faded jeans and a faded black hat, glowered at me.
    “Sure,” I said to Chad. “We’ll be around. Thanks for the wine.”
    The excellent pinot noir required a hearty dinner, so Stan and I stood in another lengthy line. Once our paper plates were loaded with pulled pork, beef ribs, multiple starchy salads and cornbread, we looked for a place to sit and spotted Liz and her husband, Brian, at a picnic table under a large cedar pine. Brian was chatting with a handsome urban cowboy who sat across from him.
    When Stan and I appeared, the dark-haired stranger who looked to be in his thirties, rose and sauntered off.
    “Did we interrupt something?” I asked.
    “Not at all,” said Liz. “You saved me from being bored to death from dreary legal chit chat.”
    Brian, an El Dorado County Deputy District Attorney, jerked his thumb in the direction of the man who’d vacated the seat. “Since I lost a case against one of Rex’s clients, I’m more than happy to say goodbye to that hotshot.”
    The four of us ate in silence, enjoying country rock tunes played by a local band. My feet kept rhythm with the contagious beat of the music. As twilight set in, the constellations glimmered in the velvety night sky. I sipped my wine and watched a few couples strut their stuff on the temporary dance floor set up for the fund-raising event.
    Liz and Brian eventually joined the dancers. Her husband might be a successful prosecutor, but he would never survive on Dancing with the Stars . But when you’re in love, who cares if your partner is waltzing to a two-step?
    A perfect evening for romance yet here I sat next to my gay friend. Stan shared a wistful smile with me, probably thinking similar thoughts.
    I sniffed the air. The fragrance of cedar pines and barbeque combined with a familiar scent from my past. As my nasal memory bank shifted into overdrive, I sensed the whisper of beer breath tickling my ear lobe.
    “May I have this dance?” murmured a low voice.
    “Tom?” I jumped out of my seat, elated at his presence. The man standing next to me wrapped his arms snugly around my waist. I turned and realized this man stood several inches shorter than my six-foot-three boyfriend.
    I frowned and pulled away from Hank’s embrace.
    The welcoming smile on his face disappeared, but that didn’t stop him from offering his calloused palm to me. His eyes pleaded with me to take it.
    “C’mon, Laurel,” he said. “One dance for old time’s sake?”
    I shook my head then sighed as the band began playing one of my favorite songs by Rascal Flatts. My sandaled feet automatically tapped to the beat of “Life is a Highway.”
    Hank beamed what looked to be an alcohol-enhanced smile. “Only one dance and I promise not to bother you anymore.”
    I threw a plaintive look at Stan who