Holding Out For A Hero by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Author:Vicki Lewis Thompson [Vicki Lewis Thompson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459278387
Publisher: Harlequin

TANNER HAD DECIDED to take Dori dancing after she got off work. Given his budget, he’d had to settle for the Golden Spur, a small bar on the outskirts of town. Elmer had told him to expect reasonable drink prices, a jukebox and a postage-stamp-sized dance floor. Elmer hadn’t thought it would be very crowded on a Tuesday night.

When Tanner had picked Dori up at her house he’d been looking forward to the pleasures of a honky-tonk sort of evening, the kind he’d enjoyed years ago before he’d graduated to expensive nightclubs. He’d viewed Dori’s choice of clothing with appreciation—a scoopnecked white blouse tucked into a colorful broomstick skirt. She’d looked feminine, sexy…and madder than a wet hen.

They’d ridden to the Golden Spur in silence, and now they sat across from each other at a small table right next to the tiny, deserted dance floor. A couple of cowboys sat at the bar a distance away from them, but otherwise the place was empty. Two draft beers sat sweating on two small napkins in front of Tanner and Dori. She hadn’t touched hers.

Whatever was bothering her, she wasn’t having much success broaching the subject. Tanner really hated to ask, because it seemed to be the equivalent of poking in a hollow tree with a stick to find out what the buzzing sound was all about. But finally he couldn’t stand the tension any longer.

“Will you tell me about it?”

To his surprise her eyes filled with tears. She swiped at them with angry motions of both hands.

“Dori, for goodness’ sake, what’s wrong?”

She shoved away his hand as he reached for her. “I suppose you think it’s real funny that somebody uses a lucky number to guide their actions.”

“No, no I don’t. I might not believe in it myself, but I respect—”

“The hell you do.” Her voice was low and tight. “You used the information to hornswoggle me, though.” She glared at him, unsuccessfully trying to hide her hurt behind a facade of anger. “Room nine. What a coincidence. And all the time you were laughing at me.”

The bottom seemed to drop out of his stomach. The truth was his only defense. “I wasn’t laughing. I thought I was going to lose you.”

“So you made a mockery of my little superstition. How charming.”

“No, I grabbed at the first thing I could think of to keep you around. Desperation makes people do all sorts of things.” He captured her gaze with his and willed her to understand.

“Like lie?”

“I would have told you the truth about the room eventually. Sure, I manipulated the situation to my advantage, and I’d do it again, just to spend a morning like we shared, just to hold you in my arms one more time. I’ll never forget the pleasure of touching you, Dori.”

She glanced away, and color rose in her cheeks. “You’re getting away from the subject.”

“Am I? You told me yourself that you’d thought of sending me back to Dallas before you found out what room I had at the motel.

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