"So this is what's got Nashville all in an uproar. Your ass disappeared off the map to come down to BFE and sing in a little bar. Man, I don't know if I'm pissed off or jealous."

"Well, I'm glad you came down. You can give it a shot, see what you think." Cooper and Dalton had become close friends over the last few years, both of them living in Nashville, chasing their country music dream. Dalton had hit the big time a year or two before Cooper, so he had learned a lot from the man, although they were roughly the same age.

"That for me?" Dalton asked, tilting his head toward the stage.

"It's all yours tonight."

"Hot damn!" Dalton exclaimed, glancing up at the stage.

Eric walked up, two Bud Lights in his hand and a gigantic grin on his face. Cooper introduced the two men briefly. Before Eric sauntered off, he turned around and said in a mock whisper, "Just a warning. My wife's here tonight." And with that, he was gone.

Cooper laughed while Dalton looked back confused. "What the hell does that mean? I swear, I don't know his wife."

Cooper let out another roar of laughter before he slapped Dalton on the back. "I promise, when you meet her, you'll understand the warning. Hold up a minute, would ya?"

"Lemme run out to my truck and get my guitar. I'll be right back."

Cooper nodded and then headed across the bar to get Tessa. She was pouring a beer for a customer, and when she finished, he got her attention.

"What's up?" she asked, sounding more upbeat than she had when he left her house earlier in the day.

Leaning over the bar, he gave her an expectant look and waited until she leaned forward so he could kiss her. He didn't linger, and the smile that tipped her lips when she pulled back made him feel better.

"You got a minute? There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Tessa got Eric's attention and let him know she would be back. The bar was quickly filling up which meant there wouldn't be much downtime from here on out. Thankfully, although Cooper forgot his buddy was coming in, he'd had the good sense to tell Tessa a week ago that she might want to bring in her cousins to help man the doors and fill in as bouncers. Based on the folks already coming in, he'd been smart in doing so.

Now it was just time to introduce Tessa to the guy who was going to help Cooper get his farm up and running. Sooner rather than later.

Tessa had just gotten into a rhythm that helped take her mind off of her emotional morning. Truth be told, she'd been hoping for a huge crowd at the bar so she wouldn't have to do much thinking at all. Based on the sheer volume of people flooding in through the front doors, she was going to get her wish.

As she followed Cooper across the room toward the stage, she tried to get a decent look at the guy Cooper had booked for tonight's entertainment. She hadn't been able to see the sign out front when she got in because there were actually cars in the parking lot already, which had surprised her.

"Who is this?" she asked Cooper, his hands flexing over hers.

As soon as they reached the mountainous cowboy, Cooper said, "Tessa, I'd like you to meet Dalton Calhoun. Dalton meet Tessa Donovan. She's the owner of The Rusty Nail."

Ok, so maybe she wasn't the biggest country music fan, but she definitely knew who that was. She'd have to be a hermit not to have seen or heard something about the guy over the last few years. She should've known. His name was mentioned with the likes of Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, and of course, Cooper Krenshaw.

Cooper's arm came around her, and he kissed the top of her head gently while she shook hands with Dalton. Glancing up at Cooper briefly, she then looked back at the guy who would be gracing her stage tonight. "Sorry, I'm not usually star struck, but..."

"Damn, Calhoun, I didn't even get that kind of reception from her." Cooper laughed, and Tessa blushed.

"See, that's where he's wrong," Tessa added, "I remember very clearly how this cowboy had his hands on me that night."

Cooper's roar of laughter made her heart leap. For the first time all day, she actually smiled, feeling his amusement all the way to her toes. The feeling made her feel significantly lighter than she had before.

"Should've known," Dalton said with a rusty chuckle of his own. "Well, it's a pleasure to be here."

Dalton's smooth, country drawl rivaled Cooper's and that was saying something. Tessa still found she liked the guttural sound of Cooper's voice better. But then again, she was sort of biased.

"It's our pleasure," Tessa said, trying to find her backbone. She wasn't the blushing type.

"Oh! My! God!" The familiar voice sounded over the low rumble of conversation taking place in the bar. The shriek that followed had almost everyone turning to the front door.

"Yep, that's Izzy," Tessa mumbled, laughing at her best friend.

"If you need any help," Tessa turned to Dalton, "that guy over there is her husband. He can't control her much, but he might be able to protect you."

Cooper's and Dalton's rumbled laughter filled the space at the same time Izzy came running over. She stopped just a few feet away from Dalton, staring up at him like he hung the moon. Lord. The woman was something else.

"You're Dalton Calhoun! Oh. My. God," Izzy said, barely containing her own excitement. "Eric! Did you see this! It's Dalton Calhoun!"

"Yep, baby. I saw him already," Eric's rich baritone echoed from across the bar, sounding amused.

"Can I touch you?" Izzy asked seriously, her eyes sparkling like stardust as she stared at the much bigger cowboy.

"Yes, ma'am," Dalton said after getting the go ahead nod from Eric across the bar.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Izzy was plastered against him, her arms wrapped around him as she squeezed him tightly. When Izzy finally stepped back a solid minute or two later, she was beaming brightly at Tessa.

"Did you see this?" Izzy asked in a conspiratorial whisper that the entire bar probably heard.

"I saw. It's Dalton Calhoun," Tessa confirmed, her head turning as she caught Katie walking past them, toward the bar.

"Hey, Katie," Tessa called out to her. "Come over here and meet Dalton Calhoun."

Katie looked almost as star struck as Izzy had a few minutes ago as she approached slowly, her ponytail bobbing like her energy was too much to contain and had to find an outlet.

"Go on, girl," Izzy encouraged. "You can touch him."

The group laughed, and Katie, with a brilliant glint in her eyes, moved up and put her arms tentatively around Dalton. The man actually put his arms around her in a very intriguing protective hug that nearly had Tessa's mouth dropping open.

"Nice to meet you," Katie said sweetly, her face almost as red as the glowing exit sign near the back door.

"My pleasure, darlin'," Dalton crooned in a low voice that had Tessa glancing up to look at Cooper. He seemed just as taken by Dalton's apparent interest in the pretty waitress.

And just like that, Katie was off toward the other side of the bar, followed by Izzy close on her heels, the two women chattering about Dalton. At one point, Katie actually glanced back, and that's when Tessa noticed that Dalton was still staring after her.

"Man, you all right?" Cooper asked his buddy with a loud clap on the back.

Dalton turned his head, a slow grin tipping his lips. "Never better. You ready to get this show on the road?"

"Always." Cooper turned and pressed his lips to Tessa's, making her blush like a school girl before he sauntered back toward the stage, leaving her to stare in his wake.

Wow. The difference a few weeks could make. Tessa still couldn't believe how Cooper Krenshaw had crash landed in her life and left such a monumental impression that she was standing here, staring at him as though she were a woman in love.

Oh, hell.

Tessa squeezed her eyes shut.

Yep, that trouble she knew she was going to be in had finally caught up to her.

Shit.

Chapter Twenty Three.

Two hours later, the bar was jumping. The sound of two cowboys entertaining the rowdy crowd, singing like they'd been born on the stage, filled the room. The energy was significantly different from what Tessa was used to when they had a performer up there. These two guys had a rhythm about them that had nearly everyone moving. According to her cousin Shane, there was a line that wrapped around the building, and it looked like they'd all be turned away soon enough.

Izzy was behind the bar helping Tessa and Eric while Miranda had come in to help Katie. Jack was coming in to help, but Tessa hadn't seen him yet. They were fully staffed and at maximum capacity, yet Tessa hadn't felt a lick of stress since Cooper went up on that stage with Dalton. It was a sight to see, that was for damn sure.

When they broke out into a slower song, the bar settled somewhat, and there was another surge of people to the bar. Tessa had just finished preparing a handful of shots for Miranda to take to a table near the door when a familiar voice sent a violent shudder racing down her spine. Not the good kind.

Turning toward the sound, Tessa saw Chad standing at the edge of the bar with two women practically wrapped around him. Swallowing hard, an effort to maintain her composure, Tessa tried to force a smile but failed.

A quick glance around showed her that she was by herself because Eric and Izzy were busy with a line of customers which meant she would have to deal with Chad herself.

"What can I get you?"

Chad's glare made Tessa's stomach churn painfully. She hadn't seen Jack yet tonight, which was probably the reason Chad had grown a set of balls and decided to come to the bar rather than order through one of the waitresses.

Tessa had never officially kicked him out of The Rusty Nail despite everyone's insistence that she should. Having attempted to be the bigger person, Tessa had hoped he would just keep his distance. Based on the glint in his midnight blue eyes, she had a feeling he was about to push the boundaries.

"Three Bud Lights," the brunette on the left of Chad said sweetly.

Well, if Tessa only had to deal with the women, she might just be able to get through this unscathed.

"Thanks, darlin'," Chad said to the woman as Tessa moved off to get their beers. "That's the slut I was telling you to stay clear of."

Tessa's back straightened at the cruel words, but she forced herself to move forward. The man had pretty much called her every name in the book before today, so it wasn't like she hadn't heard it before.

"Her?" the other woman with Chad asked.

"Yep. Used to date her, but she got a little too freaky for me, if you know what I mean."

The women giggled, and Tessa's hands squeezed so tightly around the beer bottles she was carrying she thought they might just shatter in her hands.

"Freaky, how?"

"She was always hanging on me, begging for sex. I sang in here a few times and it got to be too much trouble because she was always up on me, ya know?"

God, had Chad always sounded so stupid? Tessa wondered to herself. Just listening to his bullshit story made her want to wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze until his eyes bugged out of his head. The guy was so full of himself. Had it not been for Tessa's generosity, allowing Chad to play in her bar on occasion, she was pretty damn sure he'd never have been allowed past open mic night anywhere else.

"God, I can't stand women like that," the blonde said, her hands plastered to the front of Chad's thick chest.

Tessa bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Ok, so laughter was good. At least it meant dealing with him was getting easier.

"Ain't that right, darlin'?" Chad asked as Tessa slid the three beer bottles toward them.

She told them the amount they owed and ignored Chad's question altogether.

"See, she's still bitter. I won't take her calls, so she has to pretend she's not into me anymore."

"I prefer men to boys," Tessa mumbled, ashamed that she was succumbing to his antagonism.

"That right? Sure don't seem like it to me," Chad snarled. Turning his head toward the blonde, he grinned, "Her nasty cunt is already chasing Cooper Krenshaw. I heard he's gettin' ready to hightail it out of town just to get away from her."

Tessa grabbed the twenty dollar bill that the blonde placed on the bar and turned toward the register. Before she was two steps away, the deep baritone of Jack's voice startled her.

"See, son, that's where you heard wrong."

She turned abruptly to see Chad flinch while the women who'd been molded to his side were quickly moving away. Jack was standing behind him, one huge hand clamped down on Chad's shoulder, the impression of his fingers scrunching Chad's shirt.

"Fuck, man. Get your goddamn hands off me!" Chad yelled, ripping away from Jack's grip.

"This is your last fucking warning," Jack said slowly, his voice frighteningly low.

"Or what, man? You're just pissed that I didn't enjoy nailing the shit out of your sister. You didn't have a problem until I tossed her out like yesterday's garbage."

"Jack stop!" Tessa screamed the instant her brother's hands gripped Chad's shirt, yanking him off of his feet as he got right up in his face.

Everything from that moment forward happened in a blur. Jack shoved Chad hard enough to send him sprawling on the concrete floor, forcing other customers to jump out of the way or be taken down like bowling pins.

"Out! Don't let me see your face in here again," Jack demanded, moving fast for a guy his size.

Chad was backing up on the floor, but unable to get enough purchase on the slippery concrete to make it back to his feet. Tessa couldn't get out from behind the bar because Eric had moved close, keeping her sandwiched between him and the wood while Izzy stood by her side.

"Get up!" Jack growled.

Chad managed to make it to his feet, but as soon as he was upright, he was backing away while Jack was pursuing him like a cougar cornering its prey.

"She's a fucking whore, man. The whole fucking town knows it."

And that's when the shit hit the fan. Tessa was watching Jack, waiting to see what he would do next when Chad was yanked backward, his legs barely managing to keep him up off the floor for a second time. Tessa glanced up to see Cooper as he forcefully pushed Chad toward the door.

"Not another fucking word," Cooper barked. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your fucking mouth shut."

Another chill raced down Tessa's spine. She'd never seen Cooper that angry, not even after he had to deal with Marcus face to face yesterday. Part of her was worried he was going to kill Chad.