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* * * *

Lori smiled politely and said hello to all the people who introduced themselves or simply smiled. She hoped by coming late she would have missed all the nerve-racking introductions and stares. Her thoughts were wrong as a group of young men stopped her before she made it to the safety of the back porch.

They were introducing themselves and looking her over. It was overwhelming, and then she heard the firm voice.

“Give the lady some room, fellas. She just arrived and she’s very shy. Believe me, I tried having a conversation with her in town the other day.”

She turned to see Trevor Henley. He was decked out in a nice blue button-down shirt and tight blue jeans. He wore cowboy boots and smiled at her in a wicked, flirtatious way. She immediately noticed the tattoos on his upper arm and one that extended up his collared shirt.

As to not skip a beat or be intimidated by Trevor and his obvious self-confidence, she gave him the once-over.

“We met before? I don’t recall. Excuse me.”

He appeared shocked as the other cowboys chuckled then continued to vie for her attention. She needed an escape route and she needed one quickly.

* * * *

Charlie watched Lori as she arrived at the party fashionably late. He couldn’t believe how fast the single men flocked around her, challenging each other for her attention. He didn’t know why he felt kind of relieved that his brother Trevor moved in to impede the other cowboys’ efforts, but he’d analyze that later. Right now he was getting an eyeful.

“There’s Lori now. She was feeling a bit under the weather before. That’s why she’s late. I’d better go save her from those young men. She hates a lot of attention,” Lou said as he excused himself and headed to his daughter’s rescue.

“She shouldn’t have come late then, huh?” Charlie said sarcastically as he turned the juicy chicken.

“What’s your problem with her, son? You hardly know the woman and you’re holding a grudge still from weeks ago?” Phil asked as Matt smiled wide.

“I think he’s stupid. Look at her, she’s gorgeous and sweet as anything just a little shy,” Matt added.

“Stuck up is more like it,” Charlie barked.

Both Phil and Matt looked at Charlie like he had two heads.

“Son, you’re losing your mind. Be nice to her, you hear me. You don’t know as much as you think.”

Charlie looked back toward Lori where Lou was politely taking her away from the mob of eligible bachelors. Was she some kind of princess or something? She needed her daddy to get her away from all those cowboys flocking her because of her beauty. Shit, that woman was probably playing everyone, even her old man. As the thoughts entered his mind, he felt his stomach clench with guilt. Why should I feel guilty for saying what it looks like? That woman is trouble.

* * * *

“How are you, honey? Is that arm any better? I was afraid you might not come,” Lou said as he held his daughter’s hand.

“It still hurts a little and I was debating about being a no-show. I’m not up for all this socializing, Dad.”

“Even with all these single cowboys around taking notice of you?”

“Although there are a lot of handsome men around, I am surely not interested. Thank you,” she said jokingly, and her father gave her hand a squeeze.

They headed toward the porch where the ladies were sitting.

* * * *

“It smells fantastic around here. Is there anything that I can help with?” Lori asked as Maggie grabbed her hand.

“I’m getting ready to help peel the corn along with Michelle. Come help us.”

They walked off the porch and onto the patio. There was a table covered with unpeeled corn and another table with corn ready to be dropped into the pots of boiling water.

“Wow. Now that’s a lot of corn,” Maggie said and the ladies started laughing.

Lori took a seat next to her sister and Michelle.