In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and Fatal Snag’s release day, I’ve posted an excerpt of Burn on the Western Slope below. In this scene, Chayton, who was a secondary character in Burn on the Western Slope and the hero in Fatal Snag, has learned that Naomi left without saying goodbye. That is one of the conflicts faced in the opening scene of Fatal Snag.
Because they are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, his special drink of the day is a Hot Irish Nut. I’ve posted the recipe below.
Enjoy!
She had every intention of telling him she was leaving. Hopefully temporarily, but right now she wasn’t sure how long she’d be gone. She had to see to her accounts, she had to talk to her mother face to face, and she had to know if she’d stop mulling over Garret so much if he wasn’t around all the time.
“Ladies,” Chayton said as Reagan approached the bar. He attempted to smile a polite acknowledgement, but his lips remained tight. He grabbed a glass from the counter above him. “Or should I say lady?” His eyes darted the room, as if glancing for Naomi, but that was only Reagan’s suspicion, she couldn’t be entirely sure. “Can I talk you into my special? Hot Irish Nut?” Reagan nodded, laying some bills on the counter. “No, this is my treat.” He glanced around again. “Where’s Naomi?”
“She left.”
“She left?”
Reagan nodded. A brace surrounded his right arm all the way down his hand and up past his elbow. “What happened?”
“Oh this?” Chayton jiggled his arm. “Just an accident.”
“What were you doing?” Reagan asked.
“Ice climbing.”
Her heart sunk. That was how Ray had died. “Ice climbing?”
Chayton huffed out a loud breath. “Yeah, Garret and I went ice climbing yesterday, and I had a little accident. Really, it’s no big deal. Just a sprain. It’s not broken, but the doctor says this will make it better faster. Worth every second of the exhilarating experience. Where did Naomi go?”
“Home.”
Chayton pivoted, as if to hide the expression on his face, but she didn’t miss it. Licking his lips, he awkwardly prepared her drink, taking longer than usual, she assumed because of his arm. He kept his eyes away from hers, but she noticed the compression of his lips and the rut between his eyebrows. He handed her a green drink. “Without saying goodbye?”
Regular Hot Irish Nut Recipe:
Ingredients
1 Part Irish Cream
1 Part Frangelica
1 Part Amaretto
Coffee
Chayton’s Hot Irish Nut Recipe:
1 Part Irish Cream
1 Part Frangelica
1 Part Amaretto
1 Part Crème De Menthe
Ginger Ale, to taste
Splash of green food coloring
Splash of Coffee Liqueur