Playing to Win Read online

“No chance of that, Cindy,” Niki said. “You’re a hard worker.”

  Cindy waved in acknowledgement and got back to work.

  Kat and Niki left not long after speaking to her. She was busy bussing tables and wiping them down, when the bell over the door tinkled. Turning, she headed toward it to greet the new customers and stopped dead when she saw the four big men standing near the counter. Her face heated with a blush, and she lowered her gaze to the floor. She’d never seen these men before, but if she had, there was no way she’d ever have forgotten them. They were all so handsome, tall, and muscular, they took her breath away.

  When one of the men cleared his throat, she took a deep breath and tried to push her attraction to them aside. “Hi, I’m Cindy, your server. Welcome to the diner. You’re welcome to sit anywhere. I’ll get you all some coffee and be over to take your orders in a moment.” She spun and hurried behind the counter to the coffeepot. After taking several deep breaths trying to get herself under control, she picked it up and slowly walked toward where the four handsome men were sitting. She didn’t have to walk far since they’d taken a booth right across from the counter.

  “Hi, Cindy, I’m Jake and these are my brothers, Shane, Grant, and Curtis.”

  “Hi, Cindy. Call me Curt.” Curtis winked.

  “Hey,” Grant greeted.

  “Hello, Cindy,” Shane said in his deep baritone voice.

  She forced her lips up into a smile and hoped she wasn’t blushing, but since she could still feel heat in her cheeks, she suspected she was. However, because there was nothing she could do about her face being red, she tried to ignore her discomfort.

  “What do you recommend, Cindy?” Jake smiled at her.

  Cindy lowered her gaze to her pad. “Everything here is good. It depends on what you feel like. The specials board is above the counter.” She shifted from foot to foot nervously as she wondered if these men were just passing through. Slick Rock had grown so much over the years. It had once only had a population of four to five thousand people, but now it was closer to twenty, and she’d heard on the gossip vine that another lot of land had been opened up for housing growth. While she was happy that more homes were being and going to be built, she just hoped their little town didn’t grow too big. It would lose the neighborly closeness if it did.

  “I’ll have the beef roast special, please, Cindy,” Grant said.

  “I’ll have a medium steak, loaded potato, and vegetables,” Curtis ordered.

  As soon as Cindy had poured the men’s coffee and taken their orders, she raced to the kitchen and handed Delta the page from her pad. Delta smiled as she took the order, waved her hand in front of her face, and signed, “They’re hot. Who are they?”

  “I have no idea,” Cindy signed back. “I didn’t think you had eyes for anyone but your men.”

  “I don’t.” Delta grinned. “I love Major, Rocco, and Ace with my whole heart, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look.”

  Cindy nodded, trying to keep the smile on her face. She’d lived in Slick Rock her whole life and had dreamed about having men to love her, but so far she hadn’t met anyone who’d interested her. That was until now, but for all she knew the four men sitting out in the diner waiting for their lunch were just passing through or were already in a relationship.

  Cindy walked back out front, and while she worked, she tried to ignore the good-looking men as they conversed quietly. Even though she wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying, she loved listening to the sound of their voices. The deep timbres sent shivers up and down her spine and had other body parts reacting.

  When she heard Delta ding the serving bell, she walked to the window, grabbing the four plates of steaming food, and headed toward the men’s table. She placed each meal in front of the person who’d ordered it and asked, “Is there anything else I can get you, gentlemen? More coffee?”

  “I won’t say no to that.” Curt nodded at her.

  Cindy spun away, trying to hide her flushed face. She had a feeling that Curtis was a consummate flirt, and while she tried to tell herself that he didn’t mean anything by his flirtatiousness and that he was probably playful all the time, she wasn’t sure she convinced herself.

  Another group of ten or so people came in, and Cindy was too busy to take much notice of the four handsome men, but whenever she had the opportunity to take a breath, she found her eyes wandering in their direction.

  Shane seemed to be the eldest brother. He looked a lot more mature than she was, in his early to midthirties. He had brown hair, green eyes, and scruff on his chin and jaw as well as a moustache. She guessed him to be a few or more inches over six feet.

  Grant appeared to be next in line age wise. He had dark brown hair, hazel eyes, a clean-shaven face, and was a tad shorter than Shane.

  Jake had light sandy-brown, almost blond hair. His eyes were green, and he was the tallest of the quartet. He was also slightly more muscular than his older brothers and always seemed to be smiling.

  And then there was Curtis. Curt had to be the youngest of the group. While all the men had tanned skin, Curtis’s skin was a dark brown as if he spent a lot of time out in the sun, yet his face still had a youthful look to it, but there was nothing youthful about him. He had brown hair and green eyes, and was the shortest of them all, but by no means was he short. He was close to six feet in height, if not over, and he was muscular. In fact, all the men had brawny physiques.

  If they weren’t in a relationship, Cindy was sure that they had women falling at their feet whenever they were out in public. With a dejected sigh, she turned away and served her customers’.

  By the time her shift was over, she realized she’d been so busy that she hadn’t seen Shane and the three other men leave. When she’d cleaned their table and counted out the money they’d left to cover the bill, she’d been shocked to discover they’d left her a fifty-dollar tip.

  She shuffled to the kitchen on her aching feet and hoped that Delta wouldn’t be upset with her for wanting to hand in her resignation. While Cindy was sad that she’d no longer be working at the diner with the wonderful friends she’d made, she would still get to see Delta, Violet, Enya, Jaylynn, and all the other women she’d befriended on a regular basis.

  She hadn’t even thought to ask Kat and Niki what her pay was going to be, but it had to be better than what it currently was. Maybe after she’d paid off all her student loans, she’d be able to save up for her own home, but she couldn’t see that happening anytime soon.

  When she realized she was starting to feel down, she pushed her pessimism aside and thought about the new path she was about to embark on. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have a boyfriend or boyfriends. She was finally going to be a teacher and was looking forward to working with special needs and other children since it was what she’d worked so hard for.

  A knot of fear formed in her gut when she remembered how hard Virgil had hit her.

  Maybe it was best that she was still single because she wasn’t sure she could handle being close to one man let alone more.

  Virgil had been a big man, and he’d been nuts. What would happen to her if she got involved with a man or men who were insane or abusive?

  Cindy wasn’t exactly scared or nervous around men, but she’d learned to be cautious. Thankfully, her trepidation didn’t extend to the married men in and around town, because she knew that none of them would ever raise a hand to her or any other woman. Violet’s men and others had helped to rescue her and Vi, and for that she was thankful.

  For the first time in a long while, Cindy was no longer sure she wanted a relationship. She was about to start a new job and probably wouldn’t have time or the inclination to put in the hard work needed to keep a man or men happy.

  No, she was better off alone, until she was established in her teaching career and her feet firmly planted on the ground.

  She was no longer a starry-eyed teenager or child.

  Cindy was a mature woman with her whole life a
head of her. She had plenty of time to find someone to love and settle down.

  Didn’t she?

  Chapter Two

  “That waitress was a sexy little thing.” Grant looked up from the nail gun he was wielding.

  “Yeah,” Shane replied. “When I first saw her, I thought she was a kid.”

  “So did I,” Grant said. “There’s no way we could mistake her for a child once she turned around. Are you as attracted to her as I am?”

  “I am,” Shane sighed. “But she’s young, Grant. Way younger than you and I are. I don’t even know if she’s of legal age.”

  Even though it had been almost a week since he and his brothers had been to the diner for lunch, Grant couldn’t get the image of the gorgeous, petite, sexy waitress from his mind. He had a feeling Jake and Curt were the same since he’d heard them talking about Cindy once or twice. While he’d been tempted to join in the conversation, he was with Shane and wasn’t sure she was old enough to handle four mature men in a relationship. Plus, she’d looked as if she still should be attending high school. Though he wouldn’t care having a woman who was years younger than them to hold and love, he wasn’t going to touch anyone that looked as if they were jailbait.

  If only he and his brothers had had more time to talk to her. If he had, he would have asked her all the questions circling around in his mind. Like how old she was. What her favorite color was and if she had a boyfriend. A beautiful woman like Cindy was likely to have men following her around everywhere she went. That thought made him angry, and when he noticed he was pushing the nail gun too hard into the timber frame he was working on, he took a deep breath and pushed his anger aside.

  Jake and Curtis were working on the small three-bedroom, two-bathroom cabin next to the one he and Shane were working on. While it angered him that there was a need for Safe Haven, a sanctuary for victims of abuse, he was glad that there was somewhere safe for the targets to go to recuperate, get some help, and get their lives back in order. He was also proud that he and his brothers had been selected to help build the small community.

  Shane had put in a reasonable quote, which still made them a profit and he’d won the bid. Other out-of-town companies had tried to compete but had outbid themselves by making their profit margins too big. The local construction companies had been too inundated with jobs to apply, which had given him and his brothers a leg up to the finish line.

  He was saddened over the fact that there were already a couple of women and kids residing in the main hall of Safe Haven. They’d only finished the hall about a week ago. Part of the room had been cordoned off with screens for privacy. There were about ten cots set up against the back wall far away from the kitchen and dining area. He’d seen the people from afar but hadn’t attempted to interact with any of them. While serving as a Marine, he and his brothers had met a woman who’d been abused. She’d been terrified of them and any other man she’d encountered.

  Grant couldn’t even begin to contemplate raising his hand to someone weaker than he was and couldn’t understand anyone else doing so either. While he’d killed the enemy as a soldier from pure necessity to save his own life, he hoped he’d never have to take another life ever again.

  He and his brothers had retired from the Marines about a year ago and started working construction as soon as they were back in the US. Working outside had helped calm him after seeing and dealing with so many fanatics and evil men overseas. He loved working with his hands and seeing how his hard work came together into a building.

  He was proud that they’d been able to get the main hall of Safe Haven up so fast. Of course, they’d had to hire on a few more men to get it up so quickly, but because they’d beat the three-month deadline by leaps and bounds, they’d get paid a large bonus at the end when all the other buildings were complete. Not that he really cared about the money.

  Grant, Curt, Jake, and Shane weren’t rich, but they weren’t poor either. They’d pooled all the money they’d earned while serving and now owned their renovated house outright.

  Stumps had been put into the ground for another ten cabins, but it would take him and his brothers time to finish building the houses they were working on before moving to the next.

  “This all looks so great, Kat.”

  Grant raised his head, tugging his hat down lower to shield his eyes from the sun as he gazed about. That feminine voice he heard reply was familiar and sexy as all get-out with a natural huskiness that went straight to his cock. Cindy was walking beside one of the benefactors of Safe Haven and their boss. Kat Donnybrook and Niki Lyndon were sisters and had set this place up with the money their mob boss father had left them when he’d been murdered. He admired the two women who’d decided to put the blood money they hadn’t wanted to touch to good use.

  “Is that…” Shane’s voice trailed off as he whistled softly.

  Grant and Shane watched as Kat and Cindy talked and looked about. When he realized how quiet it was, he glanced over toward Jake and Curt, grinning when he saw them watching the two women intently. He didn’t need to ask which woman they were eying. Kat was married and off limits, and while she was a pretty woman, he wasn’t attracted to her. Cindy, however, was another story.

  At the moment, she had her back to them, and he eyed her up and down. She was wearing a pair of skinning jeans that molded to her toned slim legs and made them look as if they were miles long. Her ass was the sexiest ass he’d ever seen. Her hips were rounded, and her waist was so damn tiny, he was positive he’d be able to span it with his hands. Although he couldn’t see her front, he didn’t need to, to remember that her breasts would be a firm handful. Her boobs weren’t overly large, but they weren’t small either. As far as Grant was concerned, they appeared to be just right.

  Kat and Cindy must have noticed there was no longer any noise or they realized they were being watched because they both turned around to look at him and his brothers. Kat smiled and waved, but Cindy lowered her gaze and blushed.

  “Hey, guys,” Kat called out. “How’s it going?”

  “Great.” Jake smiled.

  “Everything’s good,” Shane answered.

  “This is Cindy,” Kat introduced. “These men are Kenny Construction. There’s Shane, Grant, Jake, and Curtis.”

  “Hi, Cindy,” Grant said. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “And you,” Cindy replied just loudly enough for him to hear. He frowned when he noticed she wouldn’t meet any of their eyes, and her face was so flushed she looked as if she’d been standing out in the sun for way too long.

  “Cindy’s working here now, so make sure you treat her right,” Kat stated firmly with her hands on her hips as she looked at each of them.

  “When have we ever not treated anyone with respect?” Curt asked but tried to soften his question by winking.

  “I’m just making sure,” Kat said. “I don’t want to lose this amazing woman.”

  Grant would have agreed with Kat, but he had a feeling he’d have made Cindy uncomfortable if he had, so he nodded instead.

  “What do you do, Cindy?” Jake asked.

  “I’m a teacher,” she answered softly. Almost too softly since Grant and his brothers, he suspected, had to strain to hear her reply.

  “We’ll let you get back to it,” Kat said and then turned to hook her arm in Cindy’s and led her into the main hall.

  Grant sighed with disappointment, but it was probably a good thing he and his brothers could no longer see her. Otherwise, they’d never get any work done. They were on a schedule, and while they were ahead, he didn’t want to get behind.

  This was a great project and charity, and he wanted to make sure anyone in need had somewhere safe to go.

  With a sigh of regret, he picked up the nail gun he’d placed on top of the beam and got back to work.

  * * * *

  “They couldn’t take their eyes off you,” Kat said as she guided Cindy into the large hall-style building.

  Cindy shook her head,
giving Kat a side glance. “They were looking at you.”

  “No, they weren’t, and you can’t fool me, girlfriend. You were having trouble keeping your eyes off them, too.”

  Cindy swallowed hard as she gazed about the room. When she saw two women and three kids sitting at the dining room table eating their breakfast, her heart went out to them all. She’d been on the receiving end of a man’s fist and knew what it was like to be hurt by and scared of someone bigger and stronger than she was.

  “Louise, Joy, this is Cindy. She’s here to keep your children up to date with their schoolwork.”

  “Hi. Nice to meet you both.”

  When Cindy saw one of the young girls watching her and Kat’s lips, she knew the girl was deaf and started signing so the child knew what was being said. The little girl’s eyes lit up, and she signed thank you. Cindy signed back you’re welcome.

  “What’re all of your names?” she asked the kids while still signing.

  “I’m Brett,” a boy of about seven answered. “This is my sister, Belinda.”

  “Hi Brett, Belinda, it’s nice to meet you both.” Cindy gazed at the special needs girl who looked around the same age as Brett. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

  “Angela,” she answered.

  “That’s a pretty name,” Cindy said. “You’re all very pretty and handsome kids. What grade are you all in?”

  As Cindy spoke with the children, she was aware of their mothers watching her. Angela was a younger version of Joy, and she knew that she was the hearing-impaired girl’s mom. When she glanced toward Joy, she noticed the tears in her eyes and hoped she hadn’t done anything to upset her or her daughter. She must have frowned, because a moment later, Joy rose and walked around the table and toward Cindy. She grasped both of Cindy’s hands in hers.

  “Thank you. You have no idea how difficult it’s been for Angie because of her deafness. You’ve made hers and my day.” Joy squeezed her hands, then released them and gazed at Kat. “You are a very compassionate person, Kat. Thank you on behalf of my daughter and all the other women and kids who’ll need this facility. If it weren’t for you and Niki, we’d be out on the streets. That thought scared the living daylights out of me, but we’re safe here.”