Stealing The Cowboy's Heart

“Wow. Thanks, dude.” Tommy stared at the piece of scrap paper.

“You don’t give that number out to anyone else, or no free tickets. Got it?”

The kid nodded. “How about a selfie?”

Landon wasn’t keen on those either, but it wouldn’t kill him. “All right. Just one.”

“With the crutches?”

“No,” he said in a tone that allowed no argument.

Tommy’s grandpa chuckled. “Come on, boy. Quit bothering the man and let’s go deliver this hay.”

Landon grabbed his Stetson from the passenger seat and settled it on his head. Tommy got his photo and after they shook hands, Landon slid back behind the wheel. He automatically massaged his thigh muscle. It throbbed from standing just those few extra minutes. Had to be the long drive. He was getting better every day. And every one of those days counted in a big way. He couldn’t afford to mess up.

A split second of inattention in the saddle had landed him on the ground, his leg broken in two places. All because he’d caught a glimpse of a woman he’d thought was Kylie sitting in the stands.

So much for his fast track to the finals in December. Oh, with his scores, he still had a good shot. But only if his leg healed soon.

He doubted Kylie had been keeping up with rodeo news. She wouldn’t know he’d been winning big. Or that he’d gotten hurt. He didn’t care about any of that stuff, though. What he didn’t want was her thinking he needed tending. Dammit, it was long past time Kylie understood exactly what he wanted from her.

Chapter Two (#u48cd36b5-1fd4-56d5-b460-9a411150d700)

Kylie took another peek at herself in the big round hand mirror sitting on the counter by the oven. She’d gotten ready at home but asked Kevin to pick her up at the bakery. If he’d thought it was weird he hadn’t let on. He seemed like a very nice man, or she wouldn’t have accepted his dinner invitation, but she still preferred meeting on neutral ground.

The new haircut Sally had given her had transformed her boring blunt bob to a medium shag, the layers highlighted with subtle streaks of warm caramel and dark gold. She still couldn’t believe that was her hair. Or that the woman in the mirror was her. She hoped the makeup wasn’t too much.

She still wasn’t sure about the dress. The low-cut neckline would’ve looked a lot better on someone bustier and the short length hitting her five inches above her knee stretched the boundaries of her comfort zone.

No, she would never have chosen this dress for herself. But Rachel hadn’t let her get away with anything conservative. There was even another dress that she’d insisted was perfect for Kylie, which was absolutely in no way even close to perfect, and yet it now hung in Kylie’s closet.

Rachel was something else. Kylie had never had a friend like her before. Come to think of it, she hadn’t had any close girlfriends. After she’d met Gary, it had been just the two of them, practically inseparable. Until he’d become obsessed with making a name for himself riding rodeo.

He’d wanted the big prize money, the gold buckle and, apparently, the many women who had no trouble undoing that buckle.

Someone knocked on the front door, despite the closed sign. Kylie checked the time. Too early for Kevin, who’d warned her he might be a bit late because of a work emergency. He not only managed the motel in town, but also two others in Kalispell, forty-five minutes away.

Kylie shook her head as she unlocked the door for Rachel. “How did you know I’d be here?”

“Oh, my God. Your hair looks fabulous.” Rachel gave her a head-to-toe inspection. “And the dress... What a great find. It couldn’t be more perfect. But honestly, those highlights and that flirty cut... Sally outdid herself. I really like it.”

“Flirty? Really?”

“Come on, don’t you love it?”

“I do. I’ve wanted something different for a while now, but I should’ve waited.”

“Why?”

“I was hoping for something subtler. Kevin will think I got all glammed up for him.”

“Oh, sweetie, he won’t be looking at your hair,” Rachel said, grinning at the V of the dress.

“What?” Kylie tugged the neckline up.

“Stop it.” Rachel swatted her hand away and made her own adjustment. “You should wear red more often. It suits you.”

“Is the makeup too much? I’m a little out of practice.”

“It looks great.” Rachel glanced around, then sniffed the air. “I swear pregnancy has thrown my senses out of whack. You didn’t burn anything, did you?”

“This morning I was distracted and—Oh. It’s me, isn’t it?” Kylie frantically fanned the air. “I smell like burnt toast.”

“Nope, it’s not you. It’s coming from the kitchen but it’ll probably be gone by the time you open tomorrow.”

“That doesn’t help me tonight.”

Rachel smiled. “It’s not that strong. I’m sorry I mentioned it.”

“Do you mind if we step outside so I can air out?” She paused on the way to the door. “Oh, and I have some chocolate cupcakes if you’re interested.”

Moaning, Rachel pressed a hand to her stomach. “Not for me, thanks. I ate like a fiend yesterday and paid dearly for it. Anyway, I’ve got to run over to the market so I can finish dinner. I just stopped by to make sure you wore the dress.”

Kylie grinned. Knowing Rachel, she wasn’t joking. “What would you have done if I hadn’t?”

“That’s a silly question. Made you go home and change, of course.”

A maroon truck slowed, then pulled to the curb just as they stepped onto the sidewalk. The tinted windows prevented her from seeing inside.

“Is that Kevin?” Rachel asked.

“He drives a Mustang.” Kylie left the door propped open. She hoped the driver was going to the Full Moon Saloon next door, and wasn’t thinking the bakery was open.

“Well, I’ve got to scoot,” Rachel said, checking her watch and backing away. “You have a good time tonight. Don’t change a thing. Leave that neckline right where it is.” She took a couple steps back. “Wait. Fresh lip gloss. That’s all you need.”

“Goodbye, Rachel,” Kylie said patiently, dying to tug the dress up an inch. “Better watch where you’re going.”

Bumping into a parked SUV got Rachel to turn around with a startled laugh.

Kylie smiled as she watched her friend hurry across the street. Rachel wouldn’t make it to the Food Mart without running into someone else to chat up. The woman knew everyone.

She and Mallory had been godsends for Kylie. Moving to a strange town where she hadn’t known anyone but Aunt Sally had proved scarier than Kylie had imagined. Her new friends had made all the difference.

“Kylie?”

At the sound of the deep voice, she froze. Her heart lurched. Had to be her imagination. Resisting the urge to spin around, she turned slowly.

Landon?