Her Perfect Cowboy
Her Perfect Cowboy
Trish Milburn
Her Dream Man Does Not Wear A Stetson! Forget cowboys! Ever since she was a girl, India Pike has had an image of the perfect man: sophisticated, refined, and with a preference for tailored suits. But after rodeo promoter Liam Parrish came to town, she can’t stop mooning over the gorgeous cowboy and single dad.Too bad Liam’s totally wrong for her…even if the town’s matchmaker already has India saying “I do.” Liam fell hard for a "frou-frou" woman once before–and the best thing to come from the experience was his daughter. So he's not about to be “matchmaked” with the same type of gal, one who likes frilly dresses instead of jeans and cowboy boots.But there's something about India that draws the Liam to her. Both India and Liam admit that opposites may attract, but happy-ever-after is not so guaranteed!
Her Dream Man Does Not Wear A Stetson!
Forget cowboys! Ever since she was a girl, India Pike has had an image of the perfect man: sophisticated, refined and with a preference for tailored suits. But after rodeo promoter Liam Parrish comes to town, she can’t stop mooning over the gorgeous cowboy and single dad. Too bad Liam’s totally wrong for her…even if the town’s matchmaker already has India saying “I do.”
Liam fell hard for a “froufrou” woman once before—and the best thing to come from the experience was his daughter. So he’s not about to be “matchmaked” with the same type of gal, one who likes frilly dresses instead of jeans and cowboy boots. But there’s something about India that draws draws her to Liam.
Both India and Liam admit that opposites may attract, but happy-ever-after is not so guaranteed!
Liam looked up at the sky. “The storm is moving fast. We better get to the truck.”
India wasn’t going to argue with that. Halfway back the first fat raindrops began to fall. She picked up her pace, but when she looked over her shoulder at the approaching storm she managed to twist her ankle and break the heel of one of her blue-and-white Mary Janes.
Liam was at her side almost quicker than she could steady herself on her other foot. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She lifted her leg out to the side to check out the damage. “More than I can say for my poor shoe, though.”
“At least you didn’t break your ankle. It’s just a shoe.”
The rainfall upped its tempo a bit, and Liam let out a long sigh. Before she could ask what was wrong, her feet flew out from under her as Liam scooped her up in his arms and started walking toward his truck like some knight in shining armor.
Or cowboy in a tan Stetson.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Blue Falls, Texas, home to rolling hills full of vibrant wildflowers, that special small-town flavor and some smoking-hot cowboys. I loved writing about Blue Falls so much in my Teagues of Texas trilogy that I couldn’t bear to leave it behind. So we all get to return to that slice of the Texas Hill Country in three new stories, the Blue Falls, Texas trilogy. These stories center around three women who have been best friends since their days at Blue Falls High School. Now they’re all successful local businesswomen who, unbeknownst to them, have some hunky cowboy heroes in their futures.
Her Perfect Cowboy is the story of India Pike, who owns the local vintage-inspired clothing boutique, and Liam Parrish, a bronc rider and single dad who comes to town to organize the new series of benefit rodeos. I love opposites-attract romances, and that’s exactly what India and Liam find themselves navigating. After all, what could a classy boutique owner and a rough-around-the-edges cowboy possibly have in common? It turns out that it’s more than either of them would have guessed at their first meeting.
I hope you enjoy Her Perfect Cowboy and, in the months ahead, the stories of India’s two best friends, Skyler Harrington and Elissa Mason, and their own perfect-for-them cowboys.
Trish Milburn
Her Perfect Cowboy
Trish Milburn
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trish Milburn writes contemporary romance for Harlequin American Romance, paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne and self-publishes some of her other titles. She’s a two-time Golden Heart award winner, a fan of walks in the woods and road trips, and is a big geek girl, including being a dedicated Whovian and Browncoat. She loves Doctor Who so much that she dressed up as the Tenth Doctor for Dragon*Con last year, complete with her very own sonic screwdriver, and plans to have an Eleventh Doctor costume for the con this year.
To Michelle Butler for introducing me to the Texas Hill Country, and to Mary Fechter for always being willing to hit the road to the Hill Country with me when I come visit.
Contents
Chapter One (#u37eb71f3-dc41-5709-8a8c-d95e656e4ac9)
Chapter Two (#u7171f15c-09f9-502b-a1ea-15972e25a512)
Chapter Three (#u7695a785-4799-5968-b7f8-5aee3fb55dce)
Chapter Four (#ucd1a17e4-f6da-57d0-a66a-75b1ee7253c6)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Excerpt (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
India Pike folded back the tissue paper at the top of the box and pulled out the floor-length dress, its red-and-white vertical stripes and the swirling piping on the bodice harkening back to the 1940s.
“That’s gorgeous.” Elissa Mason grasped the sides of the long skirt and spread it wide. “Makes me feel like I’ve been transported back in time.”
“Good, since that’s what I’m going for.” India waved her hand to indicate the racks of vintage-inspired clothing around them.
The front door of Yesterwear Boutique opened to reveal the final member of their trio, Skyler Harrington. “Sorry I’m late. We had a bit of an emergency at the inn this morning. Hot water heater decided it was time for a vacation.” Skyler probably hadn’t spent more than a couple of minutes outside, but the heat of the Texas sun had already caused her fair complexion to flush. That and her tendency to always be on the go, a bit like a redheaded tornado.
India glanced at the clock on the wall. “You’re not late.”
“Most people call this on time,” Elissa said.
Skyler ignored their familiar teasing and placed her leather-bound notebook on the glass-top counter that housed the boutique’s collection of faux vintage jewelry. “I jotted down some ideas for our next BlueBelles class.”
“I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked,” India said as she made her way to the round table in the corner. The carved daisies on the top of the table showed an attention to detail—one of the reasons Ryan Teague’s custom furniture was so in demand. She poured her friends cold glasses of lemonade.
“You two act like there’s something wrong with being organized,” Skyler said.
Elissa wrapped her arm around Skyler and guided her toward the table. “Not at all. We love you just how you are.”
Skyler rolled her eyes and took her seat so they could get to work on planning the program for their next girls’ enrichment class.
Even though the BlueBelles classes had been India’s idea, they were a labor of love for all of them. The planning and execution that went into the classes never felt like work. The three of them had been fortunate to find success in their separate businesses, so they used that success whenever they could to give back to the community. The BlueBelles classes were their way of showing young girls that they could succeed just as the three of them had.
“What do you have?” India asked Skyler, willing to wait on her own ideas until her friends had shared theirs.
“Money management, organizational skills, maybe a tour of the inn to see how to run a hospitality business,” Skyler said, reading from her list.
“Good ideas, but maybe we can pair one of those with something a little lighter and fun,” India said. “What do you have, Elissa?”
“I have a friend in Dallas who is a therapist. Maybe something about self-esteem. Or since it’s spring, we could focus on native plant gardening.”
India consulted her own ideas but didn’t speak.
“I know that look,” Skyler said. “What are you thinking?”
“We always have more ideas than we can use. What if instead of our normal single class we have several in an all-day conference? We could offer a wider variety.”
“Oh, I like that idea,” Elissa said.
Skyler thought for a moment then nodded, too.
As they dived into the particulars, the front door opened again.
Verona Charles, Elissa’s aunt, walked in with a wave. “Hey, girls. I’m so glad I caught you all here together.”
“Oh, that can’t be good,” Elissa quipped, earning her a playful swat on the shoulder from Verona.
“Ignore her and have a seat,” India said. She reached toward the fresh pitcher of lemonade in the middle of the table. “Would you like a drink?”
“That would be lovely. Can’t believe how hot it is already.” Verona smoothed her short, gently curling silver hair.
“It’s Texas, and you’ve lived here all your life,” Elissa said as India poured another glass of lemonade.
“I know. Guess I’m just getting too old for the heat.”
Elissa snorted. “If you’re getting old, I’m a green troll.”
At five foot ten, trim and tanned with long, deep brown hair, Elissa was as far from a green troll as a girl could get.
“Lippy, I tell you,” Verona said. “Lippy just like your mother.”
Elissa smiled wide, causing Verona to roll her eyes and shift her attention away from her niece. Her actions and words fooled no one. She adored the ground her niece walked on. Elissa was like the child Verona never had, and she was nothing less than a second mother to Elissa.
“You have that look,” Skyler said. “The one that says you have a grand plan in play.”
“I don’t have a plan yet, but that’s something I thought you three could help me with.” Verona took a sip of her lemonade. “I was just over at the tourism office, and Blake said they are looking for something new to draw in more tourists, something to keep the numbers up once the bluebonnets fade away.”
“Let me guess,” India said. “You volunteered to help think of something.”
“What can I say? Retirement is boring.” Verona scooted forward in her chair a little bit. “I went by the bakery afterward to pick up some fresh bread, and Keri told me that Jake Monroe’s little girl, Mia, is about to start her cancer treatments.”
“Poor little girl,” India murmured.
“That’s when it hit me,” Verona said. “We can accomplish two goals with one event—come up with something that would bring in tourists but have it be a benefit for Mia.”
“Oh, that is a good idea,” Skyler said. “I’d be happy to help with something like that.”
Verona patted Skyler’s hand atop the table. “Thank you, dear.” She made eye contact with Elissa then India. “Can I count on both of you to help out, too?”
“Can’t say no to that,” Elissa said.
India considered the workload of planning the BlueBelles classes as well as the community event, but then she had one of those lightbulb moments like Verona had at the Mehlerhaus Bakery. “We were just talking about expanding the next BlueBelles offering to several classes. We could have a day-long conference the same day as this community event and donate all the proceeds to Mia’s medical expenses.” Skyler and Elissa quickly nodded their agreement.
“That’s a wonderful offer,” Verona said, her voice growing more excited. “Okay, then, I guess we just need to figure out what type of event would bring a lot of people to town and be of interest to the locals, too.”
Over the next several minutes, they tossed out any idea that popped into their heads—an arts-and-crafts show, a play, a singing competition. While they all held merit, none really popped and said, “Hey, I’ll make a ton of money!”
India rubbed her eyes then glanced out the window just as a truck pulling a horse trailer drove down Main Street. “What about a rodeo? What could be more Texas than that?”
Elissa leaned forward. “Perfect. And bonus, hot cowboys in town.”
“Gone through all the single men in the county already?” Skyler asked.
“Hey, that makes me sound bad. What’s wrong with going out for drinks or dancing, having a good time?”
“Nothing, dear,” Verona said. “But maybe it’s time to pick one of these young men to settle down with.”
Elissa leaned back in her chair and pointed at her aunt. “Oh, no. You can just direct your matchmaking juju in another direction.”
After the laughter died down, Skyler flipped to a new page on her notepad and started taking notes as they all offered up ideas and a to-do list.
“Now we need to divide these up,” Skyler said after her legal pad was full of bulleted action items.
“I’ll be the liaison with the tourism bureau,” Verona said. “Since this was your brainchild, India, it makes sense for you to take point on contacting rodeo companies to see about scheduling.”
“Me? I don’t know the first thing about rodeo.”
Elissa leaned forward. “Hot guys in tight jeans. That’s all you need to know.”
“Then you do it.”
“Nope. I’ll head up the planning for the BlueBelles conference and round up some sponsors for things like advertising.”
India shifted her gaze to Skyler. “You grew up on a ranch.”
“And haven’t lived there in years on purpose. Besides, I’ll work on the food vendors and the barbecue cook-off. The rodeo is all yours.”
India sighed but didn’t see any way to wiggle out of this one. When she heard her father’s voice in her memory telling her she’d bitten off more than she could chew, she shook her head. She might not be a rodeo expert, but she was reasonably intelligent. She could do this, and no remembered taunts by her useless father were going to tell her otherwise.
“It’ll be good for you,” Elissa said. “You need to get out of this shop more. And if you find a little hot cowboy lovin’, so much the better.”
India eyed her friend. “Seriously, can you imagine me with some rough-around-the-edges cowboy?”
Elissa waggled her eyebrows. “Honey, I can imagine anyone with a smokin’ hot cowboy.”
Ten minutes after her friends left, India was still sitting at the table kicking herself for opening her mouth. This was going to be the worst rodeo ever.
* * *
LIAM PARRISH DROVE down the hill into the small town of Blue Falls. It’d been a few years since he’d driven through this part of the Hill Country, but it was still as pretty as he remembered. It was well past bluebonnet season, but this area of Texas still looked like a different world entirely from the urban environment of Fort Worth or the starkness of his West Texas hometown. Instead of vast expanses of flat, flat, flat, the Hill Country was home to more landscape variety—rugged limestone and granite hills, groupings of prickly pear cactus, caves and spring-fed rivers. One minute you might be passing a winery, the next a local watering hole that looked as if it’d been in business since Texas became a state.
When he reached Main Street in Blue Falls, he started looking for his destination. He spotted a restaurant called the Primrose Café, an antique store, the Frothy Stein bar, a bakery and an old-time hardware store. His eyes caught the name of Yesterwear Boutique, the clothing store where he was supposed to meet India Pike.
All the parking spaces along Main seemed to be full, a good sign that the town wasn’t dying and thus unable to support a rodeo. He found a spot to park his truck on a side street then walked back to the shop. The moment he stepped inside the cool interior, his nose twitched at the smell of some flowery scent. And then he took in his surroundings, which looked like a sea of feminine froufrou. Dresses, hats, shoes, jewelry. Was that a petticoat on the headless mannequin in the corner?
It was official. He’d never felt more out of place in his life.
He shifted from one foot to the other and tipped back his hat just in time to see a woman come through the doorway that led to another room full of clothes. A beautiful woman with wavy black hair that rested lightly on her shoulders. When she saw him, her eyes widened enough that he thought they were a grayish-blue. She recovered quickly and stepped fully into the entry area that held the cash register, a display counter full of jewelry and little beaded purses, and a few items of clothing.
“Mr. Parrish?”
“Yes, ma’am. Sorry I’m a bit late. There was an accident about an hour north of here.”
“No problem.” After what seemed like a moment of hesitation, she took a couple of steps toward him and extended her hand. “India Pike. I appreciate you driving all the way to Blue Falls.”
The moment his hand wrapped around hers to shake, he realized how tiny her hand was, completely disappearing in his. The handshake was brief, but it was long enough for him to label her as delicate.
“It was a nice day to get out of the city and go for a drive.” He laughed. “You’d think as much time as I spend on the road that the driving would get old, but there’s something about the open road that’s relaxing.”
Well, wasn’t he chatty all of a sudden?
He mentally shook himself and gestured over his shoulder. “I saw the café down the street looked busy. Must mean they have good food. Have you eaten?”
“Yes, actually. But if you’d like to go have lunch, we can meet sometime this afternoon.”
Was it his imagination or did she seem less than excited about this meeting? Was she preoccupied? In a bad mood? Or maybe she just didn’t have a clue what she was doing. He was used to meeting with fellow cowboys or middle-aged businessmen, not a dark-haired beauty wearing a dark blue dress and blue-and-white shoes.
“Nah, I can wait.” Time to stop stealing glances at her legs and get down to business. “Best thing to do first is look at your facilities to see if they’re suitable for a good-size rodeo, and what adjustments may need to be made.”
She nodded. “Let me just lock up.”
He stepped out onto the sidewalk, able to breathe deeper once he was out of the shop and farther from the woman who ran it. While he waited for her to flip over her sign saying she’d be back in thirty minutes and lock the door, he ran his hand over his face.
When was the last time he’d gotten an immediate jolt when he first laid eyes on a woman? Oh, yeah, Charlotte. That certainly cooled his interest. He glanced at India Pike in her stylish getup that had a hint of some other era and realized she was a fancy woman, concerned with appearances just like Charlotte had been. A woman didn’t dress and apply her makeup with such care if she wasn’t concerned with what other people thought about her.
“Mr. Parrish?”
Damn it, he’d been staring and somehow managed to miss the obvious fact that India had turned toward him.
“Yeah. My truck is just around the corner.”
“I’m parked out back. I’ll get my car, and you can follow me.”
“Okay.” But when they reached the end of the alley that ran behind the line of shops, it was blocked by a delivery truck. “You can ride with me. I’m parked right here.” He pointed toward his pickup, two spaces down from where they stood.
India looked back at the delivery truck again before agreeing.
When they reached his vehicle, he opened the door for her. She hesitated again before placing her hand in his so he could help her up. Her fingers felt so small and soft in his, and he caught a whiff of the same flowery scent he had in the store. He didn’t know why, but it made him think of pale pink rose petals, the kind that were silky when you ran your fingers across them.
“Thank you,” she said when she was seated.
He reluctantly let go of her hand, shut the door then spent the time it took him to walk around to the driver’s side telling himself to snap out of it. Instant infatuations never led to anything good. Best to let them pass without acting on them. When he slid into his seat, he sensed more than saw how tense she was. Maybe she was just anxious about getting into a vehicle with someone she didn’t know.
“We can wait until the alley is clear if you want,” he said, waving a hand toward where two guys were unloading a grandfather clock behind the antique store.
“No, it’s okay. The fairgrounds aren’t far.” She pointed out the windshield. “Go down a block and turn left.”
He followed her directions for all of three minutes before they arrived at the fairgrounds, where he could see an arena, a grandstand, stables and a couple of smaller outbuildings. Small, but workable. He hurried out of the truck and went around to open her door. Just before he touched her dainty hand, he started reciting state capitals in his head. Once India was on solid ground, he released her and started walking toward the arena.
“You said on the phone that this would be a benefit rodeo,” he said.
“Yes, for a little girl who is undergoing cancer treatments.”
His heart squeezed. “How old is she?”
“Eight.”
“Same age as my daughter.” He couldn’t imagine Ginny having to fight for her life like that, not when she should be playing and enjoying each new experience to the fullest. He looked toward India in time to notice her eyeing his hand, searching for a ring. He lifted his left hand and wiggled his bare fingers. “Ginny’s mother and I aren’t together.” Now why had he felt the need to offer up that nugget of information?
“I’m sorry,” she said, sounding embarrassed.
“I’m not.” Shifting focus, he pointed toward the arena. “You’ve got a good basic setup here, but we’ll have to make some adjustments.”
“Whatever you think we need, as long as it’s not too expensive.”
He glanced toward India again, noticing she was shading her eyes against the sun. “You need a hat.” He thumped the front edge of his.
“I’m not much of a cowgirl,” she said. “Like at all. I can’t even ride a horse.”
“You’re not from here?”
“I grew up here. Just...didn’t have much opportunity to learn. And animals and I don’t get along too well.”
Just as he thought, one-hundred-percent girly female. How could you live in Texas your entire life and not learn how to ride a horse? He tried to picture her on one, but it only resulted in a ridiculous image in his head.
“Have you had rodeos here before?”
“Small ones, mainly roping events. Blue Falls is known more for wildflower tours and shopping.”
Things more in her comfort zone.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you the one heading this up?”
She looked up at him, dropping her hand when a dark cloud covered the sun. “That obvious that I’m ill-placed, huh?”
“A little.” He smiled at her heavy sigh and quirk of her lips. Really nicely shaped lips.
“Let’s say I got roped into it before I knew quite what happened.”
He laughed as he leaned his arms against the top rail of the arena’s fence. “I think we’ve all been there at one point or another.”
As they discussed a few more details, he had to keep his eyes averted. If he didn’t, they kept straying to her lips, making him wonder if they were as soft as they looked. Damn it, he needed to stop hanging out with cowboys or eight-year-olds all the time and go on an actual date. And not with someone who wouldn’t know a steer from a dairy cow. He’d been down the fancy-girl route before, and it hadn’t ended well. The only good thing he could say about his time with Charlotte was that he got the best kid in the world out of the deal. Ginny was worth the punches he’d taken to his heart. But he wasn’t about to invite another round.
* * *
AS SHE LISTENED TO THUNDER in the distance, India discovered it was much easier to talk to Liam Parrish if he wasn’t looking at her. For someone who was used to looking people in the eye all day, trying to connect with them so they’d feel comfortable in her store, how she felt around him was new. And it wasn’t just because he was a guy. She wasn’t one of those women who went all giggly and shy around men. Some of her good friends were guys. But there was something about this man in particular that was making her jumpy.
Like how he’s a tall, sexy cowboy? She heard the words in her mind in Elissa’s teasing voice. India was going to kill her friend for putting those kinds of thoughts in her head, making it difficult to conduct simple business. And then she was going to go after Verona for getting her into this mess in the first place. Her place was back in the shop, not out here where she halfway felt as if she were speaking a foreign language. And she’d taken French and Spanish, not Rodeo-ese, when she was a student at Blue Falls High School.
She was so caught up fantasizing about her plans for revenge that she missed part of what Liam said. “I’m sorry, what?”
He looked at her then, making her want to squirm with the intensity of his gaze. She couldn’t tell the color of his eyes, shaded as they were by the brim of his hat, but she had the oddest sensation they were green. And she loved green eyes. Most of his hair was covered by the hat, but she could tell it was trimmed short and a golden brown.
“I know you’re doing this as a benefit,” he said, obviously for the second time. “But in order to get the type of competitors who will draw the kind of crowd you want, you’ll have to offer good prize money.”
“Oh, okay. How much?”
He quoted her a figure and thankfully shifted his attention away again.
“I’ll have to ask what the budget is for this,” she said. “We’re planning some other activities to coincide with the rodeo, so I need to get with the people planning those and figure out the numbers.”
He nodded.
A loud clap of thunder startled India so much that she yelped.
Liam looked up at the sky. “The storm is moving fast. We better get back to the truck.”
She wasn’t going to argue with that. Halfway back to his truck, the first fat raindrops began to fall. She picked up her pace, but when she looked back over her shoulder at the approaching storm she managed to twist her ankle and break the heel of one of her blue-and-white Mary Janes.
Liam was at her side almost quicker than she could steady herself on her other foot. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She lifted her leg out to the side to check out the damage. “More than I can say for my poor shoe, though.”
“At least you didn’t break your ankle. It’s just a shoe.”
“A shoe that cost me a hundred dollars,” she mumbled under her breath.
Something changed in the air, and it had nothing to do with the storm. When she met Liam’s eyes, his expression had hardened. Gone was the hint of laughter and open friendliness, replaced by tight lines and a distance that hadn’t been there before.
The rainfall upped its tempo a bit, and Liam let out a long sigh. Before she could ask what was wrong, her feet flew out from under her as he scooped her up in his arms and started walking toward his truck like some knight in shining armor.
Or cowboy in a tan Stetson.
Chapter Two
India’s skin blazed so hot that she was surprised Liam didn’t drop her. But he didn’t seem to notice her out-of-control embarrassment and maintained his strong hold on her as if she weighed next to nothing. Despite the rain, his feet never slipped. The short distance to his truck seemed to take aeons to cross, and yet at the same time a part of her felt it was over much too soon when he set her on her feet. She didn’t even have time to take a breath before he pulled open the passenger door so she could escape the rain.
She scrambled inside just as the sky truly opened up. Liam had to be soaked before he even reached the front of the truck. He was nothing more than a vague blur as she watched him through the torrents of rain. By the time he dived into the driver’s seat, he looked as if he’d taken a plunge in the lake. India’s gaze traveled to where his blue button-up shirt was plastered to his chest and his jeans molded to what looked like a pair of powerful thighs.
Liam pulled off his drenched Stetson and tossed it onto the seat between them. As it landed, his gaze met hers and held for what had to be the longest second in human history.
She jerked her gaze away before she had time to think about what that might reveal—that she’d been ogling the mighty fine contours of his body.
“Been a while since I’ve seen a rain this hard,” Liam said.
Thankful for something to think about other than what Liam Parrish hid beneath his plastered-to-his-skin clothing, India forced herself to focus on the rain hammering against the truck’s windshield. Drought had become a dusty way of life in Texas lately, so they sorely needed the rain. Still, she would have been a lot happier if it had waited until they’d gotten back to her store. There, she wouldn’t have to be trapped in a confined area with a man who seemed to fill most of the space available.
She leaned forward. “This keeps up and the arena will become a pool, and we’ll have to switch from a rodeo to swimming races.”
Liam laughed a little, and that unexpected response allowed India to take her first full breath since he’d picked her up. She ventured a quick glance at him and noticed the tightness in his expression from before had faded. She didn’t know why it mattered so much to her, but she experienced a great sense of relief. She didn’t like people being angry with her, and for some reason Liam Parrish had been, if only for a few brief moments.
The rain continued to pour down as if trying to make up for a year’s worth of drought in one afternoon, and India searched desperately for something to talk about. They’d already covered all the particulars of the site, at least until she could touch base with Verona and Blake at the tourism bureau. His job, that was it. Men loved talking about their jobs, right?
“So, have you been running a rodeo company for long?” She kept her eyes averted, afraid they would return to those tantalizing muscles.
“Just a couple of years. I was riding the circuit before that. Still ride some when I get to missing it too much.”
“Bulls?” Even she knew that was the event all the adrenaline-junkie cowboys liked.
“Broncs. I’m not crazy enough to get on a bull.”
This time, it was her turn to laugh. “A smart man. Well, at least somewhat. Not sure how wise it is to get on any animal whose sole goal is to buck you off its back.”
“You might be right about that, but the world’s got to have at least a few crazy people to keep things interesting.”
From her brief time with Liam Parrish, she could safely say he could keep things interesting without ever going anywhere near an animal.
She clamped a mental lid on her thoughts. Damn, was this rain ever going to stop?
“What about you?” he asked. “You own the clothing store?”
“Yes. A dream come true, you might say. Perhaps not as adventurous as riding animals with attitude, but I like it.”
“I don’t know. There’s something to be said for dealing with creatures who don’t talk back.”
As they fell into silence again, India noticed the rain was lessening in intensity. By the time a few more seconds ticked by, the worst of the storm had passed and she could see beyond the windshield again.
When Liam started the truck’s engine, India wondered if he was as anxious to get out of their awkward situation as she was. After all, she’d bet it wasn’t every day that he swept a potential business associate up into his arms. The image of him even attempting that with some big, burly cowboy had her stifling a giggle.
“Something funny?”
“No, nothing.” She was saved from further questioning by her ringing phone. She pulled it from her purse and noted it was Verona. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself, sweetie. Have you met with Mr. Parrish yet?”
“Yes, actually we’re heading back to the shop now.”
“Oh, good. Can you swing by the tourism office? Blake talked to the board, and we think we can iron out the details this afternoon if Mr. Parrish is agreeable.”
India glanced over at Liam, noting how his long fingers wrapped around the steering wheel as he drove back into the edge of downtown. “Hang on a second,” she said to Verona then lowered the phone.
Liam looked her way for a moment as he made a turn. “Problem?”
“The head of the tourism bureau wants to meet with you while you’re here, but now probably isn’t a good time.” She gestured toward his wet clothing.
He nodded toward the back of the cab. “I always travel with an extra set of clothes if you’ve got somewhere I can change.”
She smiled at that. “I own a clothing store. I bet we can scrounge up a dressing room.”
When he smiled back, the surge of blood in her veins pushed her heart into a couple of extra beats it wasn’t used to. She pulled her gaze away from that smile and refocused her attention on the call, bringing the phone back up to her ear. “Give us a few minutes, and we’ll swing by.”
As Liam guided the truck into a parking space across the street from her store, the rain stopped completely. The sun was already making a reappearance as she slid out onto the sidewalk.
“Need help?” Liam asked as he rounded the front of the truck.
Trying not to blush at the idea of him carrying her across the street for all of Blue Falls to see, she shook her head. “I’m fine.”
When she finally got inside the store and directed Liam toward the dressing rooms, India sank onto the stool behind the cash register, slipped off her shoes and dropped her forehead into her upturned hand. With him out of her sight, she took several deep breaths and tried to pull some common sense to the surface. This was nothing more than the combination of meeting a nice-looking man and the memory of Elissa’s teasing about hot cowboys. Once she got this meeting with Blake over with and Liam headed back to Fort Worth, she could pull her frazzled self back together.
But what if they signed Liam’s company and she had to see him again? Work with him?
Well, she’d know what to expect then. She’d wear sensible shoes and avoid rainstorms. And she’d have time to steel herself against his rugged good looks, to remind herself that he was not the type of man she’d imagined being with if she ever slowed down long enough to even think about a serious relationship. She wanted someone cultured, refined, who’d seen the far reaches of the world and who might travel to them all again with her.
Her fantasy man was definitely not a cowboy who was probably more at home with livestock than people.
The splat of wet clothing hitting the hardwood floor drew her attention, and she looked toward the line of dressing rooms before she considered the wisdom of doing so. Beneath the wooden slats of the door, she noticed a lump of clothes that had to be Liam’s wet jeans and socks. Next to them stood his naked feet and legs.
Her breath caught when she thought about all the naked flesh that door was hiding. Wet, firm, naked male.
She startled so much when the front door of the shop opened that she almost slid off the stool. She closed her eyes against the image of Liam Parrish in his altogether, then opened them to meet Verona’s gaze. Another blush zoomed up India’s neck to her face, but she attempted to hide it in the process of standing.
Blake Magnusson, head of the Blue Falls Tourist Bureau, followed Verona through the front door.
“I thought we were coming by your office,” India said to Blake.
Verona waved off India’s words. “Made more sense for us to come here. You’ve got a business to run, and we don’t want to take you away from it longer than we have to.” There was a worrisome bit of devilish sparkle in Verona’s eyes as she scanned the interior of the shop. “Did you hide Mr. Parrish somewhere?”
India clamped down on the desire to shift her gaze to the dressing rooms. “We got caught in the rain, and he’s changing into some dry clothes.”
Verona eyed India. “You don’t seem to be too wet.”
“I was able to get inside quicker.” Thanks to two very strong arms that she’d swear she could still feel scorching her legs and back. Lordy, she needed a fan to cool herself down.
Thankfully, Liam emerged from the dressing area fully clothed, drawing Verona’s attention away from her. India spared Liam only a glance, but it was enough to notice he’d exchanged his blue shirt for a green one and a dry pair of jeans. Attempting to push away thoughts of that peek at his naked legs, India moved to make the necessary introductions.
“Liam Parrish, this is Blake Magnusson, head of the Blue Falls Tourist Bureau.”
The men shook hands before Liam shifted his attention to Verona.
“And this must be your sister,” he said, glancing back at India for a moment before shaking Verona’s hand.
“Oh, I like this one,” Verona said, smiling widely. “Blake, hire him on the spot.”
Liam smiled and even shot Verona a wink. It took India a moment to remember she should be saying something.
“Verona Charles, former head of the tourist bureau,” India said. “Also known as the lady who hasn’t really grasped the concept of retirement yet.”
Verona made a dismissive sound. “Retirement’s for old people.”
“Well, nobody here fits that description,” Liam said, further charming Verona.
“Mr. Parrish, if I were a younger woman, you’d be in trouble right now.” Verona shot India a look that said while she might be too old for Liam, India definitely wasn’t.
Geez, just what she needed—to be caught in the crosshairs of Verona’s incurable desire to matchmake. She’d been called Blue Falls’ own Cupid on more than one occasion.
“I hear you’ve been able to take a look at our facilities,” Blake said, thankfully steering the conversation in a less “Oh, look how hot the cowboy is” direction.
“Yes, India was kind enough to show me around. I think with a few repairs and adjustments, and some good prize money for the riders, you could pull in a sizable crowd.”
India directed the others toward the table where this whole rodeo idea had been hatched. Over the next half hour, they hammered out the details and came away with a verbal agreement pending the forthcoming written contract.
“I think this calls for a bit of celebration,” Verona said as they wrapped up the discussion. “I’m thinking pie down at the Primrose.”
“Sounds good to me,” Liam said.
India guessed he’d have a bit more than pie, considering he’d been hungry for lunch when he’d arrived at the shop earlier. The grin on Verona’s face left India conflicted. Part of her didn’t want to leave Verona alone with Liam. Who knew what kinds of crazy ideas she might put in his head? But she’d spent about as much time in Liam Parrish’s presence today as she could handle. She needed some time alone to detox from his way-too-sexy, fry-your-brains looks.
When India didn’t walk toward the front door like the rest of them, Verona looked back at her. “Aren’t you coming, dear? It’ll probably be slow here this afternoon, anyway.”
India shook her head. “No, you all go ahead. I’m expecting a delivery this afternoon.” Which was true, but also a convenient way of getting out of the pie outing.
She thought she heard Verona heave a sigh, but she ignored it. If Verona could find a successful man who looked as if he could grace the cover of GQ, then that would be a different story. Yes, Liam Parrish was dead sexy, but she very much doubted they had anything in common other than being citizens of the great state of Texas.
Liam opened the door and allowed Blake and Verona to go out ahead of him. But then he hesitated before following them and met India’s eyes. He held the door with one hand and his bag of wet clothes with the other. “It was nice to meet you. And thanks for the use of your dressing room.”
“You, too, and no problem.” She nodded toward the bag in his hand. “You might want to hang those up in your truck so they don’t sour.” Needing to escape his gaze, she dipped below the front counter to retrieve a couple of wire hangers. “Here. I’ve got more of these than I can use.”
Liam took a step forward and accepted the hangers. “Thanks.” After a momentary pause, he nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”
She nodded back then watched as he walked out the door, said something to Verona and Blake then crossed the street to drop off his clothes in his truck. She noticed he just tossed everything into the backseat, not taking the time to hang his wet clothes. She rolled her eyes and forced herself to look away, to refocus on the order form for some 1920s flapper-style fashions.
But no matter how much she tried to make herself focus on work, her thoughts kept going back to that glimpse of naked legs and the indisputable fact that the sexiest man she’d seen in a long time had been fully naked mere feet from her. And it didn’t seem to matter that he was nothing like her dream guy.
* * *
LIAM’S STOMACH FELT AS IF it were going to consume itself by the time the waitress at the Primrose brought his plate of chicken-fried steak with a heaping order of fries. The coffee and stale doughnut he’d downed that morning as he left Fort Worth were long gone.
“Thank you,” he said to the waitress.
She gave him a shy smile before leaving the table.
“Don’t look now, but I think you have another fan,” Verona said as she gestured toward the waitress.
“She’s a waitress. Being friendly is how they make good tips.” And what did she mean by “another,” anyway? Was she referring to herself? Because she surely couldn’t mean India. They’d parted on friendly terms, but he couldn’t imagine a woman like her giving him a second glance. Well, maybe a glance but nothing remotely serious. He’d learned that the hard way.
Still, there had been that unexpected moment in the truck earlier.
“I think you underestimate your appeal, Mr. Parrish.”
“Verona, let the man eat his lunch,” Blake said, his voice part teasing, part gentle scolding.
Verona swatted Blake playfully on the arm, drawing a laugh from her successor at the tourist bureau.
Thankfully, the rest of their conversation veered toward the rodeo, life in Blue Falls and how the rain would barely make a dent in the rainfall deficit. But no matter how the conversation twisted and turned, he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering back to India Pike. One would think he’d learned his lesson with women who wore dainty, hundred-dollar shoes and then were surprised when they didn’t hold up to a little uneven terrain. Give him a good, solid pair of boots any day.
But damn if he couldn’t get the image of her striking, pale blue eyes and wavy black hair down to her shoulders out of his mind. Not to mention the curves of her body as he’d held her in his arms. What had possessed him to pick her up like that, anyway?
“Can I get you all some dessert?” the waitress asked from his side almost as soon as he’d finished his last fry.
“What kind of pie do you have today, Gretchen?” Verona asked.
“Pecan, lemon, rhubarb and chocolate fudge.”
“You all enjoy,” Blake said as he stood. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
Liam reached across the table to shake the man’s hand again. When he was left with just Verona and the waitress, he had to resist the urge to fidget.
“None for me, thanks,” he said.
“Now you can’t leave your first visit to the Primrose without some of its famous pie,” Verona said. “I think it’s actually against the law.”
Gretchen nodded her agreement. “At least a night in jail.”
Knowing better than to try to defy two women who had their minds set, he said, “In that case, I’ll take a slice of pecan to go. I’ve got to get back to Fort Worth.”
He didn’t know if he actually saw a flicker of disappointment on Gretchen’s face or if Verona’s suggestion of an attraction was making him see things that weren’t there. Whatever it was, it was gone in the blink of an eye.
“And for you, Verona?” Gretchen asked.
“I feel like lemon today. And get me a slice of the chocolate fudge for India. It’s her favorite.”
Gretchen nodded and headed off to retrieve the pie.
“Too bad India couldn’t join us,” Verona said. “At least I can get her some pie for the work she’s doing on the rodeo.”
Liam made a noncommittal sound.
After Gretchen brought them their to-go boxes and Liam picked up the bill, they headed out the front door. Verona pulled out her phone and looked at the display.
“Oh, I’m sorry, but I have to run.” She looked at the take-out containers in her other hand then glanced down Main Street. “Could you drop off India’s pie on your way back to your truck?”
Liam got the sneaking suspicion he was being maneuvered, but Verona was just so nice as she did it. How could he say no without looking like a jerk? Besides, it would only take him a few extra seconds, and then he could hit the road north.
“Sure,” he said as he took the box she offered.
Verona squeezed his free hand. “Thank you, dear. See you soon.” And then she was off, almost as if she wanted to make sure she was gone before he could change his mind.
Liam stood on the sidewalk watching her hurry away and couldn’t help but laugh. He was pretty sure if he looked up dynamo in the dictionary, Verona Charles’s smiling photo would be right there next to the definition. With a shake of his head, he turned and started down the sidewalk.
The moment he stepped inside Yesterwear, that flowery, female scent hit him again. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to go back to Fort Worth smelling like a bouquet. Thank goodness he didn’t have to go to the office—or, heaven forbid, a rodeo.
India wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He was about to just set the pie on the front counter and leave when he heard a loud grunt from farther back in the store. Concerned that she might have managed to injure herself with no one around to help her, he strode past the changing area and racks of frilly clothes. More grunts, louder now, led him to the back of the building where he spotted India, now barefoot, shoving large boxes across the floor toward a storeroom.
“Need some help?”
India yelped so loudly that Liam couldn’t help but laugh. Wrong move, judging by how she straightened and shoved her fists against her hips.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.
“I thought you were gone.” And didn’t she sound as if she wished he was.
He lifted the take-out container. “Verona asked me to drop off a piece of pie for you.”
Her stance softened a little. “What kind?”
“Chocolate fudge.”
“I swear it’s that woman’s aim to make me fat.” That still didn’t keep India from walking up to him and taking the container holding said pie.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
He noticed she didn’t meet his eyes as she uttered a quick thanks. As she took a step toward the front of the shop, he placed his pie on a low, glass-topped table in front of two cushy white chairs and headed toward the pile of boxes.
“What are you doing?”
He looked back at her over his shoulder. “Being chivalrous?”
Her eyebrows bunched together, eliciting a smile from him.
“Where do you want these boxes?”
“I can get them.”
“I’m sure you can...with a lot of grunting.”
When her mouth dropped, he laughed.
“Come on, just tell me where you want them. Then we can both enjoy our pie sooner.” He hadn’t meant to stay and eat with her, but he suddenly found the thought appealing. She seemed like a stubborn, independent woman, and he got the distinct impression he’d knocked her a little off-kilter today. Whatever that said about him, he kind of liked it.
With a sigh, she tossed her container of pie next to his. “Fine.” She strode past him and pointed at the biggest box. “Put that one on the table in the back.” She indicated a long table that took up the back of the storage room.
It only took Liam a couple of minutes to heft the half-dozen boxes to the spots India indicated. When he placed the last one on a lower shelf filled with shoe boxes, he turned back toward her as he dusted off his hands. “See, no time at all.”
“Yes, you’re very manly,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
He resisted the urge to flex his biceps. Geez, he hadn’t acted that stupid since he was halfway through his teens. He realized that India wasn’t the only one off-kilter today.
India headed out of the room, stopping at a small fridge to retrieve some bottles of water. Then she went outside the door to slip on a pair of white flip-flops with some sort of poufy flower-looking thing on top of them.
“Those shoes look a little safer,” he said.
“You’d be surprised. Unfortunately, I tend to be way klutzier than I’d like to be.”
He followed her back to the front of the store, nabbing their pie containers and plastic forks along the way. He should leave before he did something really stupid, but he found himself slipping into a chair across from her at the same table where they’d met with Verona and Blake earlier.
“So, Verona’s an interesting lady,” he said as he dug in to his pie.
“Lord, what did she do now?”
He chuckled. “Nothing much. She just seems really full of life, which is a good thing.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that. The next thing you know, she’ll have you at her beck and call and thinking you begged for the honor.”
“So, you really like her.”
India opened her own pie box. “She grows on you.” She took a bite of pie and made an appreciative sound that went right to the part of him that was thankfully hidden by the top of the table.
She closed her eyes for a moment as she swallowed the bite. Did she not have any idea how sexy she looked right now?
“Verona’s the aunt of one of my best friends, so she’s sort of like a second mom to all of us. She’d do anything for us, but she also gets these wild ideas in her head like she knows our paths to true happiness, too.”
“Well, she was right about one thing.”
India looked up to meet his gaze. “What’s that?”
He cut another piece of his pie and gestured with it on the end of the fork. “It would be a crime to visit the Primrose and not have a slice of pie.”
Just as they finished their dessert and India stood to toss their containers and forks in the trash, a tall brunette breezed through the front door. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted Liam then shifted her curious gaze to India.
When he also looked at India, he thought he detected more embarrassment, like she’d shown earlier after he’d carried her to the truck. He took that as his cue to head home for real this time.
“I’ll send the contract out in tomorrow’s mail,” he said as he stood and met India’s lovely eyes.
“Sounds good,” she said with a quick nod.
The devil inside him almost wanted to say something to make the color rise higher in her cheeks, but he bit down on that idea. He had to work with her in the coming days, and the last thing he needed was to say or do something that would make that working relationship uncomfortable for them both.
“Ma’am,” he said to the new arrival, who had curiosity coming off her like waves of heat on a highway in July.
All the woman managed was a nod and a strangled “Hey” before he made his way out the door. Instead of simply sliding into the driver’s seat of his truck, however, he took the time to retrieve his drying Stetson and plop it atop his head. Then he looked back across the street and noticed the brunette staring out of the boutique’s front window. And she wasn’t the only one.
He tapped the front brim of his hat and smiled at India. Though it was probably the height of stupidity, he was already looking forward to returning to Blue Falls.
* * *
“WHO WAS THAT MIGHTY fine speciman of hunkitude?” Elissa asked as she blatantly watched Liam cross the street, tap his hat and drive down Main Street.
“Liam Parrish, the head of the rodeo company we’re using.” India tried to keep her voice even and matter-of-fact, with no more feeling than if she were telling Elissa what color of paint she’d picked out for her bathroom.
“Mmm-hmm, just like I predicted—hot cowboys.” Elissa unfortunately shifted her attention to her friend just as a rush of heat washed through India. “And I see you appreciated the eye candy.”
“The only thing hot around here is me. I’ve been shoving around boxes that feel like they’re filled with rocks instead of clothing.” Granted, Liam did most of the heavy lifting. No, she couldn’t think about Liam, especially not with Elissa watching her every facial expression.
“I know you have Mr. Perfect all picked out in that little brain of yours, but don’t stand there and tell me you didn’t notice that man was hot enough to fry bacon on.”
India shrugged. “He’s okay.”
With a sound of exasperation, Elissa rounded the front counter and retrieved the phone book. She licked her thumb and started turning pages.
“What are you looking for?”
“Dr. Pinter’s number, because you obviously are in dire need of some glasses.”
India threw up her hands. “You’re as bad as Verona.”
Elissa closed the phone book and smiled wide. “She’s already set her sights on you, huh?”
India sat back at the table where she and Liam had eaten their pie. “Much to my dismay. As if putting me in charge of a rodeo wasn’t bad enough, now she seems to think Liam is perfect for me.”
“Maybe he is.”
India gave her friend a long-suffering look. “You’re just glad she’s aiming her matchmaking efforts toward someone besides you.”
Elissa leaned her forearms against the glass top of the jewelry display case. “Guilty as charged. From this vantage point, I can enjoy watching her make you squirm.”
“I’m going to remember that when she eventually has you in her sights.”
“Honey, I don’t slow down enough for her to catch me.”
“You live with her. How is that possible?”
“I’m good.”
India snorted.
“Be careful not to snort in front of the gorgeous Mr. Parrish. You might run him off.”
“Good. The last thing I need is a dusty cowboy tracking up my store.” And her life.
“He didn’t look dusty to me.”
“Then you go out with him.”
“Oh, no. I don’t horn in on my friends’ guys.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, he’s not my guy. We’ve had this conversation a million times. I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone right now. I’m too busy. And even if I were looking, I wouldn’t be looking toward someone like Liam.” No matter how good-looking he was. No matter how he’d shown her more than once that chivalry wasn’t dead.
“I know, you want James Bond without the danger.”
“Well, thanks for making that sound deadly dull.”
“You and Skyler need to live a little.”
“Elissa, I love you like a sister, but lay off, okay? You know how much this store means to me, and how much work it takes to make a small business successful.”
Elissa threw up her hands. “Fine, I’ll hush.”
“Thank you.”
“But you can’t blame me for saying ‘I told you so’ when you find working side by side with the sexy Mr. Parrish proves distracting.”
India pointed at her friend. “I swear, I’m going to find a pocket-protector-wearing accountant and convince him that you’re madly in love with him.”
Elissa, blast her, just wiggled her eyebrows. “If he’s cute underneath all the geek, I just might enjoy convincing him to shed the pocket protector.”
India shook her head. “I’m so going to laugh myself into stomach cramps when you fall hard for some guy.”
“You, too, missy. You, too.”
And damned if Liam Parrish’s sexy smile didn’t take up residence in India’s mind and refuse to vacate the premises.
Chapter Three
“So what do you think?” India asked Keri Teague after she finished pitching her idea for a cupcake contest as one of the activities to accompany the rodeo. “We’re trying to get a wide variety of offerings so that people who might otherwise skip the rodeo will come out.”
“It’s a good idea,” Keri said. “We’ll need to do blind judging. I’m not about to take the heat for telling some little grandma that her cupcake recipe didn’t win the blue ribbon.”
India laughed. “Good point. So, what, maybe three judges?”
“That should be enough. And then we can sell the cupcakes after the judging is over. I can put some entry forms in the bakery.”
“That would be great. Thanks.” India glanced out the front window of Yesterwear for what felt like the millionth time.
“Something wrong?” Keri asked.
India jerked her attention back to Keri, owner of the popular Mehlerhaus Bakery and new wife to Sheriff Simon Teague. “Sorry. Just have so many things going on that I feel like there’s a constant to-do list running in my brain.” No way was she admitting that one of those items was watching for Liam Parrish to roll into town. As small as Blue Falls was, that snippet would get back to Elissa and Verona before the sun set.
There really was no reason for him to come by the shop before heading to the fairgrounds to oversee the preparations for the rodeo, but that didn’t keep her from jumping every time the front door opened or looking out the window whenever she heard a truck. She mentally shook her head. This was Texas. Everyone and their dog had a truck.
“I know what you mean. Speaking of, I better get back to the bakery. I’ve got a five-tier wedding cake covered with fondant songbirds to make this afternoon.”
“I’ll take unboxing a new shipment of hats any day.”
Keri laughed, waved and was out the door. But the idea of that cake left India hungry. Deciding to take advantage of the lull in what had been a busy Thursday, she flipped the sign on the front door to say she’d return in fifteen minutes, locked up and headed down the sidewalk toward the Primrose Café.
Despite telling Elissa the previous week that she wasn’t interested in Liam, she nevertheless found herself scanning the café’s parking lot for his black pickup truck. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see it. At least that’s what she told herself. If she were being honest, their limited time together had generated a couple of very nice dreams.
After the dream the night before, she hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. Instead, she’d gotten up and started digging through the wooden chest at the end of her bed. Beneath the handmade quilts, she’d rifled through the few keepsakes she’d kept from a childhood she largely wanted to forget. Below the high school yearbooks and the box containing the sash she’d worn after being crowned the Belle of Blue Falls, she found the old manila folder she’d been looking for, the one filled with magazine clippings of handsome guys and articles about successful businessmen in fields she admired. She forced herself to look through every piece of paper, reminding herself of how she’d always dreamed of a man as opposite to her deadbeat father as she could get.
Not that Liam Parrish was a deadbeat. He obviously wasn’t since he owned his own company. Still, she got the impression that at heart he was a wandering rodeo cowboy. She couldn’t imagine him eating at a café in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower or hiking through the Scottish Highlands or building schools in rural villages for girls who would otherwise not get an education. No, Liam was more than likely a “what you see is what you get” sort of guy, and she wanted a man with many layers, one who got more interesting and sexier with each layer that was exposed.
India ordered a chef salad to go, and she somehow found the willpower to resist caving in to the desire for a slice of fudge pie. Would she ever be able to eat her favorite dessert again without thinking of Liam? She half wished she hadn’t come up with the rodeo idea in the first place, but hopefully it was going to generate a lot of money to help little Mia and her dad. India figured she could handle a bit of unexpected and unwanted attraction to Liam. After all, it was nothing compared to what Mia was going through.
Plus, after the rodeo was over, chances were she’d never see Liam again. She could get back to life as normal and let time and distance erode the memory of him.
After Gretchen handed over the salad, India headed back to the store in case the afternoon was as busy as the morning. She’d taken several steps across the Primrose’s parking lot when she spotted a familiar black pickup. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she watched Liam slide out of the driver’s seat. Damn, why did he have to do such nice things for a pair of jeans? He almost made her forget that she preferred stylish suits to jeans and scuffed cowboy boots, which were a dime a dozen in the heart of Texas. Didn’t she?
After a deep, fortifying breath, India resumed her trek back to work. She didn’t alter her path even though it would take her right past Liam. It wasn’t as if she could avoid him in the days ahead, so she might as well just get used to seeing him now. Maybe the infatuation would actually fade if she talked to him more.
“Hey, Liam,” she said as she drew close. See, that wasn’t so hard.
But then his eyes met hers, and they widened the slightest bit. It was enough to make her wonder why. Had she simply surprised him, or was there something more there?
Now she was just being crazy. If she thought she had nothing in common with him, chances were he felt the same. She’d seen the deer-in-headlights look he’d worn when he’d stepped foot into Yesterwear the first time, as if he’d fallen through a hole into a different world. She’d seen it before on the faces of the men whose wives or girlfriends dragged them into the shop.
“India,” Liam finally said after a moment’s hesitation. He glanced at the box in her hand. “That’s a big slice of pie.”
“Actually, it’s salad. I’m being good today.”
“What a shame.”
Heat flooded India’s extremities, and she tried to tell herself that it was because of the midday heat. It couldn’t be because Liam had meant anything other than it was a shame she wasn’t going to enjoy a slice of pie. Her brain had trouble coming up with an appropriate response, but she was saved when Liam’s attention shifted to the back of his truck.
A little girl with a dark brown ponytail stepped up beside him. It took a moment for the pieces to click into place. The girl’s eyes were what clinched it.
“This must be your daughter,” India said.
Liam placed one of his hands atop the girl’s head with such affection that India actually hurt inside. She’d never had that kind of fatherly love, and no matter how old she got she never seemed to find a way to stop missing what might have been.
“Yes, this is Ginny, embarking on her first day of summer vacation by hanging with the old man. Ginny, this is India Pike. She’s the one in charge of the rodeo here.”
Ginny’s forehead scrunched into furrows. “Really?”
“Ginny,” Liam said in a warning tone.
A second or two passed before India laughed.
“I’m sorry,” Liam said, looking at India with apology written all over his face.
“No, it’s okay. She’s got it pegged. After all, it is pretty absurd when you look at me.”
“Still,” Liam said as he gently tugged Ginny to his side and playfully mussed her hair. “We don’t need to always say what we think.”
“Sorry,” Ginny said. Her crooked smile made her even cuter than she was on first glance.
“It’s okay.” India leaned forward and used her hand to pretend to block her words from Liam. “Any chance you want the job of running this rodeo?”
Ginny giggled, causing India to smile.
India glanced at Liam, and he had a smile on his face, as well. Lord, what was she doing? She should be maintaining a professional distance from him, not ingratiating herself with his young daughter.
“You have the number for the workers who are going to make the upgrades at the fairgrounds?”
Liam nodded. “We’re meeting them after we grab some lunch.”
“Good. If there’s anything else you need, you have the number of the shop. I’ll be there until later this afternoon.”
“Swing by when you close up. I’ll be able to show you how things are going.”
Just when she thought she might get away with seeing him only once today... India’s nerves sparked, but she refused to let her purely physical reactions get the better of her. She just had to ride them out until they faded and common sense took over.
“See you then.” She shifted her gaze to Liam’s daughter. “Nice to meet you, Ginny.”
“You, too.”
Anxious to get away, back to the familiarity of work, she gave Liam a nod and headed down the street without looking back.
Despite telling herself that she needed to shove aside attraction to Liam in favor of detached professionalism, India found herself fighting a losing battle throughout the afternoon. And she wasn’t even where she could see him. It didn’t help that the number of customers coming into the shop decreased significantly thanks to the increasing heat outside. She kept busy rearranging displays in the front window, pricing her new shipment of stock and creating an entry form for the cupcake contest.
But nothing she did kept her from looking at the clock what felt like every three seconds. As closing time drew near, she wondered if she should just stay at the store, continuing on until it got dark and the work at the fairgrounds was wrapped up for the day.
India stopped folding decorated flare jeans that screamed the 1970s and shoved her hands onto her hips. This wasn’t her, not facing things head-on. If she’d made a habit of this kind of behavior, she never would have pulled herself out of poverty, gotten an education and come back to the town she loved but where there were at least some people who wouldn’t have been surprised if she never amounted to anything.
She shook her head and finished folding the jeans. She always made a point to do her job well. That meant she would make sure the rodeo and accompanying activities were as successful as possible. To make that a reality, she couldn’t avoid the man tasked with ensuring they had a successful rodeo.
When closing time came, India looked down at what she was wearing—a blue-and-white gingham top, white capri pants and denim ballet flats—and deemed the outfit safe for a trip to the fairgrounds. No heels to break off.
The butterflies in her stomach returned when she arrived at the fairgrounds. She gathered her courage and got out of her car. The thunking of hammers on wood drew her to the side of the arena. There she found local handyman Len Goodall and his teenage son, Adrian. Len looked up from where he was replacing a board on the fence surrounding the arena.
“Hey, India. You looking for Liam?”
“Yeah.”
He gestured with his hammer toward the far end of the arena.
“Thanks.” She picked her way over the crunchy, brown grass. When the rodeo came around, they’d have to keep the dirt settled in the arena with water or nobody would be able to see any of the events. They’d be too busy choking on the dust kicked up by the animals.
She rounded the end of the arena just in time to see Liam pause in his work on a gate to wipe the sweat on his shirtsleeve. Gone was the button-up he’d had on earlier. In its place was a white T-shirt that sported a picture on the back of a huge fish being pulled from the water by a fishing hook. She shuddered at the memory of the one time she’d gone fishing with her dad. She’d hated touching the worms they used as bait, couldn’t make herself put them on the hooks, and was seriously creeped out by the slimy feeling of the fish.
“Hey,” he said when he finally spotted her.
Just relax. “Hey. Looks like a hot job.”
Liam glanced at the gate that led into the arena. “Yeah, but I’m just about done. Actually, if you’ll help me, I’ve only got one more board to attach.”
She gave him an “Are you crazy?” look. “I’m not exactly dressed for manual labor.”
He smiled as he took in what she wore. “Oh, I don’t know. Looks way more sensible than what you wore here the last time.”
She shook her head. “What do you need?”
He picked up a board and settled it against the frame of the wooden gate. “If you’ll just hold one end steady, this will only take a moment.”
India was careful not to brush against the gate with her white pants as she held the board with one hand and steadied the gate with the other.
True to his word, a few quick strikes of the hammer and Liam had the opposite end affixed. When he turned and grabbed the end she held, his warm hand grazed hers. It was only a momentary touch, but it was enough to cause India’s breath to catch. She feared he noticed it when he looked up and his eyes met hers.
He was close, much too close. As casually as she could, she released the board and took a couple of steps away. “Looks like you all have gotten a lot done today.”
“Yeah, we’ll be done with the arena repairs by Monday.” Liam finished attaching the new board before he came to stand next to her, propping one booted foot on the bottom slat of the gate. “We’ll paint after that, then get the barns ready to hold the animals.”
She glanced toward him as he pushed his hat back off his forehead. He was sweaty and dirty, and that should have turned her off. Instead, it was having the opposite effect.
“I thought you were here just to supervise,” she said.
“I’m not the type to stand around doing nothing,” he said. “I’d be bored out of my mind. Plus, this way we get things done quicker, and it costs you all less money.”
Why did he have to sound so reasonable, so nice? Why couldn’t he just be a dumb lug who had nothing appealing about him but a good-looking face? It’d be so much easier for her to stop thinking about him then.
She let her gaze roam over the entirety of the fairgrounds, picturing how they would set up the vendor booths. At the far end of the grassy area, she spotted a large, black horse with a short rider. It took her a moment to realize it wasn’t an adult.
“Is that Ginny?”
“Yeah. She’s letting Inky stretch her legs after being cooped up in the trailer for several hours.”
“That animal is huge. Don’t you worry she’ll get hurt?”
“Ginny’s been on horseback since before she could walk. That’s how it goes when your dad is a rodeo rider.”
India barely knew the child, so the surge of anxiety over seeing her astride such a powerful animal surprised her.
“Hey, maybe Ginny can teach you to ride,” Liam said.
India started shaking her head before Liam even finished speaking. “Oh, no. I’m not getting anywhere near that animal. Horses can sense that I’m scared to death of them.”
“You’ve really never been on a horse?”
India shifted her attention away from where Ginny seemed to be effortlessly maneuvering the horse. “Nope. And I don’t intend for that to change any time soon.”
She liked her life just like it was, with everything mapped out. She wasn’t as married to perfectionism as Skyler, but India still knew what fit her lifestyle and what didn’t. Running a rodeo and learning to ride a horse had never been on her radar screen.
But neither had a sweaty, dirty cowboy who tempted her to second-guess what she’d always known she wanted.
* * *
“REMIND ME AGAIN WHY I’m friends with you,” Skyler said as she dragged herself out of the car after India and Elissa. “This is a heinous hour for human beings to be up.”
India smiled at her friend, who’d never been an early riser. “Because we need to measure for the booth spaces, and I’d like to do it before it’s a thousand degrees outside.”
“Plus there are those little things called jobs we all have to go to later,” Elissa said. Unlike Skyler, Elissa was quite fond of early mornings.
Skyler stuck her tongue out at both of them, eliciting laughs from her best friends.
“You all certainly sound happy this morning.”
India halted in her tracks and jerked her gaze toward the sound of the male voice. Liam—and his deep, sexy voice—sat in a lawn chair beside the RV she’d seen the day before.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t think anyone would be out here yet,” India said. In fact, she’d been banking on it. But it looked as if Liam was using the RV as more than an on-site office. “Sorry if we bothered you.”
“Not at all. Just enjoying a cup of coffee before it gets too hot outside to drink it.” He lifted a cup. “Would you all like some?”
“No, we’re fine,” India said.
“Actually, I’d love some coffee,” Elissa said. She shot India a grin that said India was in trouble. “And Skyler might be a little nicer if we get some caffeine in her.”
India stared hard at Elissa, silently promising payback, before her friend shifted her gaze and walked toward Liam as he stood. She extended her hand. “I’m Elissa. I’m the fun friend in this motley trio.”
Liam laughed as he accepted Elissa’s hand, gifting her with a smile even wider than any he’d aimed in India’s direction.
Something greedy churned inside India, making her want to break the contact between Elissa and Liam. Her jaw clenched before she forced herself to relax. Truth be told, Liam was more up Elissa’s alley, anyway. She obviously found him attractive. And if he didn’t think Elissa was drop-dead gorgeous, then he was blind.
Once they finished shaking hands, Elissa gestured toward Skyler. “This is Skyler, but you can call her I Don’t Do Mornings.” When Elissa gestured toward India, she noticed the conspiratorial grin she wore as she and Skyler made eye contact. “And you’ve met Fuddy Duddy.”
“Fuddy Duddy?” India crossed her arms. “I fail to see how I deserve that nickname.”
Liam put up his hand, palm out. “I’ll leave the nicknames to you ladies and get your coffee.”
When Liam disappeared into the RV, India eyed Elissa. “What are you doing?” she asked under her breath.
“Being friendly.”
India bit her lip. She knew that Elissa being friendly usually led to her going out on a date. Her friend didn’t sleep around, but she knew how to have a good time. And India had never heard any of Elissa’s dates complain, either.
“Damn, he’s even hotter in person,” Elissa said.
“Shh.” India shot a nervous glance toward the RV’s open doorway.
“What? It’s true. He’s got to know it. I’d venture a guess that even Skyler noticed, half-asleep as she is. Right, Skyler?”
“He’s not exactly ugly.”
“Oh, my God, I can’t believe you two.” India turned on her heel and headed away from them. She was tempted to get in her car and leave them behind. They could think about the wisdom of pushing her in a direction she didn’t want to go while they walked back to their cars downtown.
Instead of abandoning her friends, however, she retrieved the tape measure and notepad from the car. She eyed the ground for a rock to place on one end of the tape since her friends seemed to be more interested in drinking coffee and ogling the hot cowboy.
She gritted her teeth, more irritated with herself than Elissa and Skyler. If she had her sights set on a man she hadn’t yet met, why did she care if Elissa or even Skyler found Liam attractive?
“Looks like you could use a hand,” Liam said as he approached.
She gestured toward where her friends were sipping their mugs of fresh coffee. “That’s what I brought them for, but that didn’t turn out as planned.”
“Have I done something to offend you?”
India stopped searching for a rock and met Liam’s gaze. She shook her head and allowed the tension building in her shoulders to relax. “No, I’m sorry. I guess Skyler isn’t the only one grumpy this morning.” She pulled out the end of the measuring tape and extended it to Liam. “I think I’m just letting my to-do list get the better of me.”
Liam took the end of the tape and held it as she started walking backward, away from him and her friends. “Anything I can help with?”
“I think you already have your plate full, too.”
“You never know. I might be able to squeeze something else in.”
India glanced toward Liam, but despite the fact that he wasn’t yet wearing his hat she couldn’t read his expression. Was there some innuendo there, or was she just imagining it thanks to Elissa’s teasing?
“I’ll be fine, but thanks.”
“Okay, but the offer stands.”
She wondered how he’d respond if he knew that the kind of help she imagined him giving her had absolutely nothing to do with the rodeo.
Chapter Four
Even while measuring out spaces for vendor booths, India looked like a flower in the middle of the desert. Liam wasn’t normally prone to think of things in such a, well, flowery way, but it was the first thing that had popped into his mind when he’d seen her standing alone in the middle of the dry field. She looked so out of place that it should have sounded warning bells in his head. Big, clanging bells.
He should just do his job here and beat it back to Fort Worth as quickly as he could. But no, what did he do? He offered to help her with some unnamed task just because she looked stressed and he wanted to smooth away the lines on her beautiful face.
India wrote down her last measurement then started walking toward him. “Thanks for the help.”
“No problem.”
She looked past him toward the female chattering. “Looks like we woke up Ginny, and she’s already making friends with my coffee-mooching friends.”
He looked back to where Ginny was sitting cross-legged in the chair he’d vacated. “That kid has never met a stranger. I’m afraid it’s going to come back to bite me in the butt one of these days. She gets older and I’ll be beating off cowboys with whatever is handy.”
“She spends a lot of time with you?”
He could tell there was a question beyond the question, but India was better than most about hiding it. “Ginny lives with me full-time. Her mother isn’t a part of her life.”
“Oh. I didn’t mean to pry.”
He shrugged. “You weren’t.”
“That must be hard when you’re on the road so much.”
“She stays with my cousin when I’m out of town during the school year, but she travels with me during the height of rodeo season.”
“Really? That must be pretty lonely for her.”
He laughed. “Remember what I said about her not meeting a stranger? I think she knows every rider, announcer, stock handler and clown on the circuit.”
“I just meant she’s probably the only kid.”
He hadn’t really thought about that before. After all, Ginny never complained. In fact, she seemed to enjoy their time on the road. He turned his gaze back to his daughter and for the first time wondered if he was doing her a disservice by dragging her from one rodeo to another.
He shook his head. No, Ginny had a good life. She loved horses, loved rodeos. Why was he letting this woman who reminded him a little too much of Charlotte put doubts in his head? He knew his daughter better than anyone. And just because India Pike would probably turn a daughter of hers into a little cream puff didn’t mean that was right for Ginny.
“Time for me to get to work.” He didn’t even look at India when he started back toward the RV.
“I see you all got everything taken care of,” Elissa said.
“No thanks to you lazy bums,” India said as she strode up next to him. Her voice and posture were tight again, like they’d been when she’d first arrived.
His abrupt change in mood had probably caused that, but he couldn’t muster feeling sorry this time. He didn’t need any parenting advice from someone who didn’t even have a kid. At least he didn’t think India had any children. She didn’t strike him as the motherly type. She was way too uptight for that. Plus, if she had kids, she wouldn’t always look like she’d walked out of a fashion catalog. Really, who looked that good this early in the morning?
Someone like Charlotte. A woman who didn’t have the first clue about the kind of life he lived and probably never would.
He refocused on his daughter, ruffling her serious case of bedhead. “Did you sleep in a wind tunnel last night?”
She gave him one of her “I’m just putting up with you because you’re my dad” looks.
“Ginny was just keeping us entertained with a story about you and a horse named Jumping Bean,” Elissa said with laughter in her voice.
Elissa was pretty, laid-back, casual, funny. Why couldn’t he be attracted to her instead of her rose petal of a best friend?
“Glad to know she’s sharing that tale with everyone she meets.” He acted as if he was going to tickle Ginny’s ribs, but she squealed as she jumped out of the chair and ran from him.
As luck would have it, she ended up hiding behind India, who looked startled by suddenly being Ginny’s main line of defense.
“This must be one doozy of a story,” India said as she glanced down to where Ginny was peeking around India’s waist, a glint of victory in her little-girl eyes.
“Evidently not only did the horse buck Liam off in no time flat,” Elissa said, obviously reveling in the retelling, “but he came back and bit Liam on the posterior to add insult to injury.”
He watched as India did her best to hide a smile. He had to resist the sudden, very unwise urge to grab her and kiss that grin right off her face.
This job couldn’t be over fast enough.
* * *
“COME ON, DON’T BE MAD,” Elissa said as she followed India through the front door of Yesterwear.
India walked to her small office and tossed her purse in the bottom drawer of the desk. “I’m not mad. More like irritated. You’re like a mosquito that won’t stop buzzing around my ear.”
“What? All I did was invite Liam and Ginny to family night at the music hall.”
“After making a point that I’d be there.”
“I said we’d all be there, along with a lot of other people, including some kids Ginny could meet.”
India pushed past Elissa on her way back to the front of the store. “It was obvious what you meant.”
“So shoot me for trying to set up one of my best friends with the best-looking guy to stroll into Blue Falls in ages.”
India spun back toward Elissa and the wisely quiet Skyler. “I’m perfectly capable of choosing my own dates.”
Elissa crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. “Really? And just when exactly did you last go on a date?”
India exhaled in exasperation. “I’m a busy woman. I’ll get around to it.” She gestured toward Skyler. “Why don’t you shift your matchmaking efforts toward Skyler?”
“Hey, leave me out of this.”
“I have to work up to Skyler. That’ll take more work. She’s even more uptight than you are.”
“On that lovely note, I’m going to work,” Skyler said and headed for the door. “You two try not to kill each other.”
Once the door closed behind Skyler, India glanced at Elissa. “Don’t you need to get to work, too?” She wanted nothing more than to be alone. Just five glorious minutes without having to avert her eyes from a guy she shouldn’t want, or listen to her friends try to map out her future for her.
“You’re right.” Elissa’s words were unusually clipped, and India fought the urge to apologize.
Only she wasn’t the one who’d done anything wrong. She didn’t go around trying to run Elissa’s life, setting her up with a guy with whom she had absolutely nothing in common, a guy who would only be in town for a short time, anyway. When India got involved with someone, she wanted to make sure he was going to be around for a while.
But how likely was it that the type of man she’d always told herself she wanted was going to take up residence in Blue Falls? Would she have to leave to find him? Leave her friends, the business she loved and the town that felt more like home than the house she’d shared with her parents ever had?
A sudden fear that she would lose it all swamped her just as Elissa grabbed the knob on the front door.
“I’ll call you later, when I get some more of the plans for the rodeo activities finished,” India said.
“Fine.” Without even looking back, Elissa disappeared in the opposite direction from Skyler.
India couldn’t decide if she wanted to scream or cry.
* * *
LIAM TOOK OFF HIS GLOVES and beat the dust off of them on one of the barn’s support beams. Half of the load of hay was spread in the stalls that they’d spent the day repairing and prepping for horses. He caught Adrian’s gaze as the boy entered the end of the barn with two bottles of water fresh from the icy cooler.
“You read my mind,” Liam said as he accepted one of the dripping bottles. “I feel like I’ve eaten one of these bales of hay.”
Adrian laughed then took a deep gulp of water.
“So, this music hall,” Liam said, trying to sound casual. “Lots of people go there?”
“Yep, always packed. Only thing you could really call nightlife in Blue Falls. And tonight’s family night, the one night of the week when they don’t serve alcohol so people can bring their kids. You should check it out. Good way to meet the neighbors, even if they are temporary.”
Liam shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not sure a shower and going to bed early doesn’t sound better.”
This time it was Adrian’s turn to shrug.
Liam looked back over everything they’d accomplished today. “Go tell your dad to pack it in. I think we’ve all sweated enough buckets for one day.”
“Okay. Maybe we’ll see you later at the music hall.”
Liam just grunted in response since Adrian was already halfway to the barn opening. He wasn’t sure taking Elissa up on her offer was such a good idea. But on the other hand, he and Ginny deserved a night out. Ever since India had put that doubt in his head about taking Ginny on the road with him, he’d caught himself watching his daughter for signs of boredom, loneliness or just wishing she was anywhere else. Things he might have not even noticed before seemed to jump out and scream at him. Part of him hated India for that, but only a little part.
What was more frustrating was the fact that a bigger part wanted to go to the music hall tonight just to see what she’d wear. Would she even show up? Yes, she was a local and evidently a lot of the locals frequented the Blue Falls Music Hall, but as much as he tried he couldn’t imagine her there. A classical concert hall, yes. A Texas music hall filled to the rafters with cowboy boots and country music, not so much.
With a shake of his head, he headed back to the RV. He wasn’t lying when he’d said a shower sounded really good. He scanned the fairgrounds as he crossed the space between the barn and where the RV was hooked up, but he didn’t see Ginny anywhere. When he stepped inside the cooler interior of the RV, he saw why. She was lying on his bed with her bare feet propped against the wall, reading.
“Good book?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’ve read it before.” Was that a hint of boredom in her voice?
He didn’t much feel like going out, but he decided that it might be good for Ginny to meet some of the local kids. “What do you think about going to this music hall Elissa mentioned?”
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Trish Milburn
Her Dream Man Does Not Wear A Stetson! Forget cowboys! Ever since she was a girl, India Pike has had an image of the perfect man: sophisticated, refined, and with a preference for tailored suits. But after rodeo promoter Liam Parrish came to town, she can’t stop mooning over the gorgeous cowboy and single dad.Too bad Liam’s totally wrong for her…even if the town’s matchmaker already has India saying “I do.” Liam fell hard for a "frou-frou" woman once before–and the best thing to come from the experience was his daughter. So he's not about to be “matchmaked” with the same type of gal, one who likes frilly dresses instead of jeans and cowboy boots.But there's something about India that draws the Liam to her. Both India and Liam admit that opposites may attract, but happy-ever-after is not so guaranteed!
Her Dream Man Does Not Wear A Stetson!
Forget cowboys! Ever since she was a girl, India Pike has had an image of the perfect man: sophisticated, refined and with a preference for tailored suits. But after rodeo promoter Liam Parrish comes to town, she can’t stop mooning over the gorgeous cowboy and single dad. Too bad Liam’s totally wrong for her…even if the town’s matchmaker already has India saying “I do.”
Liam fell hard for a “froufrou” woman once before—and the best thing to come from the experience was his daughter. So he’s not about to be “matchmaked” with the same type of gal, one who likes frilly dresses instead of jeans and cowboy boots. But there’s something about India that draws draws her to Liam.
Both India and Liam admit that opposites may attract, but happy-ever-after is not so guaranteed!
Liam looked up at the sky. “The storm is moving fast. We better get to the truck.”
India wasn’t going to argue with that. Halfway back the first fat raindrops began to fall. She picked up her pace, but when she looked over her shoulder at the approaching storm she managed to twist her ankle and break the heel of one of her blue-and-white Mary Janes.
Liam was at her side almost quicker than she could steady herself on her other foot. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She lifted her leg out to the side to check out the damage. “More than I can say for my poor shoe, though.”
“At least you didn’t break your ankle. It’s just a shoe.”
The rainfall upped its tempo a bit, and Liam let out a long sigh. Before she could ask what was wrong, her feet flew out from under her as Liam scooped her up in his arms and started walking toward his truck like some knight in shining armor.
Or cowboy in a tan Stetson.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Blue Falls, Texas, home to rolling hills full of vibrant wildflowers, that special small-town flavor and some smoking-hot cowboys. I loved writing about Blue Falls so much in my Teagues of Texas trilogy that I couldn’t bear to leave it behind. So we all get to return to that slice of the Texas Hill Country in three new stories, the Blue Falls, Texas trilogy. These stories center around three women who have been best friends since their days at Blue Falls High School. Now they’re all successful local businesswomen who, unbeknownst to them, have some hunky cowboy heroes in their futures.
Her Perfect Cowboy is the story of India Pike, who owns the local vintage-inspired clothing boutique, and Liam Parrish, a bronc rider and single dad who comes to town to organize the new series of benefit rodeos. I love opposites-attract romances, and that’s exactly what India and Liam find themselves navigating. After all, what could a classy boutique owner and a rough-around-the-edges cowboy possibly have in common? It turns out that it’s more than either of them would have guessed at their first meeting.
I hope you enjoy Her Perfect Cowboy and, in the months ahead, the stories of India’s two best friends, Skyler Harrington and Elissa Mason, and their own perfect-for-them cowboys.
Trish Milburn
Her Perfect Cowboy
Trish Milburn
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trish Milburn writes contemporary romance for Harlequin American Romance, paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne and self-publishes some of her other titles. She’s a two-time Golden Heart award winner, a fan of walks in the woods and road trips, and is a big geek girl, including being a dedicated Whovian and Browncoat. She loves Doctor Who so much that she dressed up as the Tenth Doctor for Dragon*Con last year, complete with her very own sonic screwdriver, and plans to have an Eleventh Doctor costume for the con this year.
To Michelle Butler for introducing me to the Texas Hill Country, and to Mary Fechter for always being willing to hit the road to the Hill Country with me when I come visit.
Contents
Chapter One (#u37eb71f3-dc41-5709-8a8c-d95e656e4ac9)
Chapter Two (#u7171f15c-09f9-502b-a1ea-15972e25a512)
Chapter Three (#u7695a785-4799-5968-b7f8-5aee3fb55dce)
Chapter Four (#ucd1a17e4-f6da-57d0-a66a-75b1ee7253c6)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Excerpt (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
India Pike folded back the tissue paper at the top of the box and pulled out the floor-length dress, its red-and-white vertical stripes and the swirling piping on the bodice harkening back to the 1940s.
“That’s gorgeous.” Elissa Mason grasped the sides of the long skirt and spread it wide. “Makes me feel like I’ve been transported back in time.”
“Good, since that’s what I’m going for.” India waved her hand to indicate the racks of vintage-inspired clothing around them.
The front door of Yesterwear Boutique opened to reveal the final member of their trio, Skyler Harrington. “Sorry I’m late. We had a bit of an emergency at the inn this morning. Hot water heater decided it was time for a vacation.” Skyler probably hadn’t spent more than a couple of minutes outside, but the heat of the Texas sun had already caused her fair complexion to flush. That and her tendency to always be on the go, a bit like a redheaded tornado.
India glanced at the clock on the wall. “You’re not late.”
“Most people call this on time,” Elissa said.
Skyler ignored their familiar teasing and placed her leather-bound notebook on the glass-top counter that housed the boutique’s collection of faux vintage jewelry. “I jotted down some ideas for our next BlueBelles class.”
“I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked,” India said as she made her way to the round table in the corner. The carved daisies on the top of the table showed an attention to detail—one of the reasons Ryan Teague’s custom furniture was so in demand. She poured her friends cold glasses of lemonade.
“You two act like there’s something wrong with being organized,” Skyler said.
Elissa wrapped her arm around Skyler and guided her toward the table. “Not at all. We love you just how you are.”
Skyler rolled her eyes and took her seat so they could get to work on planning the program for their next girls’ enrichment class.
Even though the BlueBelles classes had been India’s idea, they were a labor of love for all of them. The planning and execution that went into the classes never felt like work. The three of them had been fortunate to find success in their separate businesses, so they used that success whenever they could to give back to the community. The BlueBelles classes were their way of showing young girls that they could succeed just as the three of them had.
“What do you have?” India asked Skyler, willing to wait on her own ideas until her friends had shared theirs.
“Money management, organizational skills, maybe a tour of the inn to see how to run a hospitality business,” Skyler said, reading from her list.
“Good ideas, but maybe we can pair one of those with something a little lighter and fun,” India said. “What do you have, Elissa?”
“I have a friend in Dallas who is a therapist. Maybe something about self-esteem. Or since it’s spring, we could focus on native plant gardening.”
India consulted her own ideas but didn’t speak.
“I know that look,” Skyler said. “What are you thinking?”
“We always have more ideas than we can use. What if instead of our normal single class we have several in an all-day conference? We could offer a wider variety.”
“Oh, I like that idea,” Elissa said.
Skyler thought for a moment then nodded, too.
As they dived into the particulars, the front door opened again.
Verona Charles, Elissa’s aunt, walked in with a wave. “Hey, girls. I’m so glad I caught you all here together.”
“Oh, that can’t be good,” Elissa quipped, earning her a playful swat on the shoulder from Verona.
“Ignore her and have a seat,” India said. She reached toward the fresh pitcher of lemonade in the middle of the table. “Would you like a drink?”
“That would be lovely. Can’t believe how hot it is already.” Verona smoothed her short, gently curling silver hair.
“It’s Texas, and you’ve lived here all your life,” Elissa said as India poured another glass of lemonade.
“I know. Guess I’m just getting too old for the heat.”
Elissa snorted. “If you’re getting old, I’m a green troll.”
At five foot ten, trim and tanned with long, deep brown hair, Elissa was as far from a green troll as a girl could get.
“Lippy, I tell you,” Verona said. “Lippy just like your mother.”
Elissa smiled wide, causing Verona to roll her eyes and shift her attention away from her niece. Her actions and words fooled no one. She adored the ground her niece walked on. Elissa was like the child Verona never had, and she was nothing less than a second mother to Elissa.
“You have that look,” Skyler said. “The one that says you have a grand plan in play.”
“I don’t have a plan yet, but that’s something I thought you three could help me with.” Verona took a sip of her lemonade. “I was just over at the tourism office, and Blake said they are looking for something new to draw in more tourists, something to keep the numbers up once the bluebonnets fade away.”
“Let me guess,” India said. “You volunteered to help think of something.”
“What can I say? Retirement is boring.” Verona scooted forward in her chair a little bit. “I went by the bakery afterward to pick up some fresh bread, and Keri told me that Jake Monroe’s little girl, Mia, is about to start her cancer treatments.”
“Poor little girl,” India murmured.
“That’s when it hit me,” Verona said. “We can accomplish two goals with one event—come up with something that would bring in tourists but have it be a benefit for Mia.”
“Oh, that is a good idea,” Skyler said. “I’d be happy to help with something like that.”
Verona patted Skyler’s hand atop the table. “Thank you, dear.” She made eye contact with Elissa then India. “Can I count on both of you to help out, too?”
“Can’t say no to that,” Elissa said.
India considered the workload of planning the BlueBelles classes as well as the community event, but then she had one of those lightbulb moments like Verona had at the Mehlerhaus Bakery. “We were just talking about expanding the next BlueBelles offering to several classes. We could have a day-long conference the same day as this community event and donate all the proceeds to Mia’s medical expenses.” Skyler and Elissa quickly nodded their agreement.
“That’s a wonderful offer,” Verona said, her voice growing more excited. “Okay, then, I guess we just need to figure out what type of event would bring a lot of people to town and be of interest to the locals, too.”
Over the next several minutes, they tossed out any idea that popped into their heads—an arts-and-crafts show, a play, a singing competition. While they all held merit, none really popped and said, “Hey, I’ll make a ton of money!”
India rubbed her eyes then glanced out the window just as a truck pulling a horse trailer drove down Main Street. “What about a rodeo? What could be more Texas than that?”
Elissa leaned forward. “Perfect. And bonus, hot cowboys in town.”
“Gone through all the single men in the county already?” Skyler asked.
“Hey, that makes me sound bad. What’s wrong with going out for drinks or dancing, having a good time?”
“Nothing, dear,” Verona said. “But maybe it’s time to pick one of these young men to settle down with.”
Elissa leaned back in her chair and pointed at her aunt. “Oh, no. You can just direct your matchmaking juju in another direction.”
After the laughter died down, Skyler flipped to a new page on her notepad and started taking notes as they all offered up ideas and a to-do list.
“Now we need to divide these up,” Skyler said after her legal pad was full of bulleted action items.
“I’ll be the liaison with the tourism bureau,” Verona said. “Since this was your brainchild, India, it makes sense for you to take point on contacting rodeo companies to see about scheduling.”
“Me? I don’t know the first thing about rodeo.”
Elissa leaned forward. “Hot guys in tight jeans. That’s all you need to know.”
“Then you do it.”
“Nope. I’ll head up the planning for the BlueBelles conference and round up some sponsors for things like advertising.”
India shifted her gaze to Skyler. “You grew up on a ranch.”
“And haven’t lived there in years on purpose. Besides, I’ll work on the food vendors and the barbecue cook-off. The rodeo is all yours.”
India sighed but didn’t see any way to wiggle out of this one. When she heard her father’s voice in her memory telling her she’d bitten off more than she could chew, she shook her head. She might not be a rodeo expert, but she was reasonably intelligent. She could do this, and no remembered taunts by her useless father were going to tell her otherwise.
“It’ll be good for you,” Elissa said. “You need to get out of this shop more. And if you find a little hot cowboy lovin’, so much the better.”
India eyed her friend. “Seriously, can you imagine me with some rough-around-the-edges cowboy?”
Elissa waggled her eyebrows. “Honey, I can imagine anyone with a smokin’ hot cowboy.”
Ten minutes after her friends left, India was still sitting at the table kicking herself for opening her mouth. This was going to be the worst rodeo ever.
* * *
LIAM PARRISH DROVE down the hill into the small town of Blue Falls. It’d been a few years since he’d driven through this part of the Hill Country, but it was still as pretty as he remembered. It was well past bluebonnet season, but this area of Texas still looked like a different world entirely from the urban environment of Fort Worth or the starkness of his West Texas hometown. Instead of vast expanses of flat, flat, flat, the Hill Country was home to more landscape variety—rugged limestone and granite hills, groupings of prickly pear cactus, caves and spring-fed rivers. One minute you might be passing a winery, the next a local watering hole that looked as if it’d been in business since Texas became a state.
When he reached Main Street in Blue Falls, he started looking for his destination. He spotted a restaurant called the Primrose Café, an antique store, the Frothy Stein bar, a bakery and an old-time hardware store. His eyes caught the name of Yesterwear Boutique, the clothing store where he was supposed to meet India Pike.
All the parking spaces along Main seemed to be full, a good sign that the town wasn’t dying and thus unable to support a rodeo. He found a spot to park his truck on a side street then walked back to the shop. The moment he stepped inside the cool interior, his nose twitched at the smell of some flowery scent. And then he took in his surroundings, which looked like a sea of feminine froufrou. Dresses, hats, shoes, jewelry. Was that a petticoat on the headless mannequin in the corner?
It was official. He’d never felt more out of place in his life.
He shifted from one foot to the other and tipped back his hat just in time to see a woman come through the doorway that led to another room full of clothes. A beautiful woman with wavy black hair that rested lightly on her shoulders. When she saw him, her eyes widened enough that he thought they were a grayish-blue. She recovered quickly and stepped fully into the entry area that held the cash register, a display counter full of jewelry and little beaded purses, and a few items of clothing.
“Mr. Parrish?”
“Yes, ma’am. Sorry I’m a bit late. There was an accident about an hour north of here.”
“No problem.” After what seemed like a moment of hesitation, she took a couple of steps toward him and extended her hand. “India Pike. I appreciate you driving all the way to Blue Falls.”
The moment his hand wrapped around hers to shake, he realized how tiny her hand was, completely disappearing in his. The handshake was brief, but it was long enough for him to label her as delicate.
“It was a nice day to get out of the city and go for a drive.” He laughed. “You’d think as much time as I spend on the road that the driving would get old, but there’s something about the open road that’s relaxing.”
Well, wasn’t he chatty all of a sudden?
He mentally shook himself and gestured over his shoulder. “I saw the café down the street looked busy. Must mean they have good food. Have you eaten?”
“Yes, actually. But if you’d like to go have lunch, we can meet sometime this afternoon.”
Was it his imagination or did she seem less than excited about this meeting? Was she preoccupied? In a bad mood? Or maybe she just didn’t have a clue what she was doing. He was used to meeting with fellow cowboys or middle-aged businessmen, not a dark-haired beauty wearing a dark blue dress and blue-and-white shoes.
“Nah, I can wait.” Time to stop stealing glances at her legs and get down to business. “Best thing to do first is look at your facilities to see if they’re suitable for a good-size rodeo, and what adjustments may need to be made.”
She nodded. “Let me just lock up.”
He stepped out onto the sidewalk, able to breathe deeper once he was out of the shop and farther from the woman who ran it. While he waited for her to flip over her sign saying she’d be back in thirty minutes and lock the door, he ran his hand over his face.
When was the last time he’d gotten an immediate jolt when he first laid eyes on a woman? Oh, yeah, Charlotte. That certainly cooled his interest. He glanced at India Pike in her stylish getup that had a hint of some other era and realized she was a fancy woman, concerned with appearances just like Charlotte had been. A woman didn’t dress and apply her makeup with such care if she wasn’t concerned with what other people thought about her.
“Mr. Parrish?”
Damn it, he’d been staring and somehow managed to miss the obvious fact that India had turned toward him.
“Yeah. My truck is just around the corner.”
“I’m parked out back. I’ll get my car, and you can follow me.”
“Okay.” But when they reached the end of the alley that ran behind the line of shops, it was blocked by a delivery truck. “You can ride with me. I’m parked right here.” He pointed toward his pickup, two spaces down from where they stood.
India looked back at the delivery truck again before agreeing.
When they reached his vehicle, he opened the door for her. She hesitated again before placing her hand in his so he could help her up. Her fingers felt so small and soft in his, and he caught a whiff of the same flowery scent he had in the store. He didn’t know why, but it made him think of pale pink rose petals, the kind that were silky when you ran your fingers across them.
“Thank you,” she said when she was seated.
He reluctantly let go of her hand, shut the door then spent the time it took him to walk around to the driver’s side telling himself to snap out of it. Instant infatuations never led to anything good. Best to let them pass without acting on them. When he slid into his seat, he sensed more than saw how tense she was. Maybe she was just anxious about getting into a vehicle with someone she didn’t know.
“We can wait until the alley is clear if you want,” he said, waving a hand toward where two guys were unloading a grandfather clock behind the antique store.
“No, it’s okay. The fairgrounds aren’t far.” She pointed out the windshield. “Go down a block and turn left.”
He followed her directions for all of three minutes before they arrived at the fairgrounds, where he could see an arena, a grandstand, stables and a couple of smaller outbuildings. Small, but workable. He hurried out of the truck and went around to open her door. Just before he touched her dainty hand, he started reciting state capitals in his head. Once India was on solid ground, he released her and started walking toward the arena.
“You said on the phone that this would be a benefit rodeo,” he said.
“Yes, for a little girl who is undergoing cancer treatments.”
His heart squeezed. “How old is she?”
“Eight.”
“Same age as my daughter.” He couldn’t imagine Ginny having to fight for her life like that, not when she should be playing and enjoying each new experience to the fullest. He looked toward India in time to notice her eyeing his hand, searching for a ring. He lifted his left hand and wiggled his bare fingers. “Ginny’s mother and I aren’t together.” Now why had he felt the need to offer up that nugget of information?
“I’m sorry,” she said, sounding embarrassed.
“I’m not.” Shifting focus, he pointed toward the arena. “You’ve got a good basic setup here, but we’ll have to make some adjustments.”
“Whatever you think we need, as long as it’s not too expensive.”
He glanced toward India again, noticing she was shading her eyes against the sun. “You need a hat.” He thumped the front edge of his.
“I’m not much of a cowgirl,” she said. “Like at all. I can’t even ride a horse.”
“You’re not from here?”
“I grew up here. Just...didn’t have much opportunity to learn. And animals and I don’t get along too well.”
Just as he thought, one-hundred-percent girly female. How could you live in Texas your entire life and not learn how to ride a horse? He tried to picture her on one, but it only resulted in a ridiculous image in his head.
“Have you had rodeos here before?”
“Small ones, mainly roping events. Blue Falls is known more for wildflower tours and shopping.”
Things more in her comfort zone.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you the one heading this up?”
She looked up at him, dropping her hand when a dark cloud covered the sun. “That obvious that I’m ill-placed, huh?”
“A little.” He smiled at her heavy sigh and quirk of her lips. Really nicely shaped lips.
“Let’s say I got roped into it before I knew quite what happened.”
He laughed as he leaned his arms against the top rail of the arena’s fence. “I think we’ve all been there at one point or another.”
As they discussed a few more details, he had to keep his eyes averted. If he didn’t, they kept straying to her lips, making him wonder if they were as soft as they looked. Damn it, he needed to stop hanging out with cowboys or eight-year-olds all the time and go on an actual date. And not with someone who wouldn’t know a steer from a dairy cow. He’d been down the fancy-girl route before, and it hadn’t ended well. The only good thing he could say about his time with Charlotte was that he got the best kid in the world out of the deal. Ginny was worth the punches he’d taken to his heart. But he wasn’t about to invite another round.
* * *
AS SHE LISTENED TO THUNDER in the distance, India discovered it was much easier to talk to Liam Parrish if he wasn’t looking at her. For someone who was used to looking people in the eye all day, trying to connect with them so they’d feel comfortable in her store, how she felt around him was new. And it wasn’t just because he was a guy. She wasn’t one of those women who went all giggly and shy around men. Some of her good friends were guys. But there was something about this man in particular that was making her jumpy.
Like how he’s a tall, sexy cowboy? She heard the words in her mind in Elissa’s teasing voice. India was going to kill her friend for putting those kinds of thoughts in her head, making it difficult to conduct simple business. And then she was going to go after Verona for getting her into this mess in the first place. Her place was back in the shop, not out here where she halfway felt as if she were speaking a foreign language. And she’d taken French and Spanish, not Rodeo-ese, when she was a student at Blue Falls High School.
She was so caught up fantasizing about her plans for revenge that she missed part of what Liam said. “I’m sorry, what?”
He looked at her then, making her want to squirm with the intensity of his gaze. She couldn’t tell the color of his eyes, shaded as they were by the brim of his hat, but she had the oddest sensation they were green. And she loved green eyes. Most of his hair was covered by the hat, but she could tell it was trimmed short and a golden brown.
“I know you’re doing this as a benefit,” he said, obviously for the second time. “But in order to get the type of competitors who will draw the kind of crowd you want, you’ll have to offer good prize money.”
“Oh, okay. How much?”
He quoted her a figure and thankfully shifted his attention away again.
“I’ll have to ask what the budget is for this,” she said. “We’re planning some other activities to coincide with the rodeo, so I need to get with the people planning those and figure out the numbers.”
He nodded.
A loud clap of thunder startled India so much that she yelped.
Liam looked up at the sky. “The storm is moving fast. We better get back to the truck.”
She wasn’t going to argue with that. Halfway back to his truck, the first fat raindrops began to fall. She picked up her pace, but when she looked back over her shoulder at the approaching storm she managed to twist her ankle and break the heel of one of her blue-and-white Mary Janes.
Liam was at her side almost quicker than she could steady herself on her other foot. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She lifted her leg out to the side to check out the damage. “More than I can say for my poor shoe, though.”
“At least you didn’t break your ankle. It’s just a shoe.”
“A shoe that cost me a hundred dollars,” she mumbled under her breath.
Something changed in the air, and it had nothing to do with the storm. When she met Liam’s eyes, his expression had hardened. Gone was the hint of laughter and open friendliness, replaced by tight lines and a distance that hadn’t been there before.
The rainfall upped its tempo a bit, and Liam let out a long sigh. Before she could ask what was wrong, her feet flew out from under her as he scooped her up in his arms and started walking toward his truck like some knight in shining armor.
Or cowboy in a tan Stetson.
Chapter Two
India’s skin blazed so hot that she was surprised Liam didn’t drop her. But he didn’t seem to notice her out-of-control embarrassment and maintained his strong hold on her as if she weighed next to nothing. Despite the rain, his feet never slipped. The short distance to his truck seemed to take aeons to cross, and yet at the same time a part of her felt it was over much too soon when he set her on her feet. She didn’t even have time to take a breath before he pulled open the passenger door so she could escape the rain.
She scrambled inside just as the sky truly opened up. Liam had to be soaked before he even reached the front of the truck. He was nothing more than a vague blur as she watched him through the torrents of rain. By the time he dived into the driver’s seat, he looked as if he’d taken a plunge in the lake. India’s gaze traveled to where his blue button-up shirt was plastered to his chest and his jeans molded to what looked like a pair of powerful thighs.
Liam pulled off his drenched Stetson and tossed it onto the seat between them. As it landed, his gaze met hers and held for what had to be the longest second in human history.
She jerked her gaze away before she had time to think about what that might reveal—that she’d been ogling the mighty fine contours of his body.
“Been a while since I’ve seen a rain this hard,” Liam said.
Thankful for something to think about other than what Liam Parrish hid beneath his plastered-to-his-skin clothing, India forced herself to focus on the rain hammering against the truck’s windshield. Drought had become a dusty way of life in Texas lately, so they sorely needed the rain. Still, she would have been a lot happier if it had waited until they’d gotten back to her store. There, she wouldn’t have to be trapped in a confined area with a man who seemed to fill most of the space available.
She leaned forward. “This keeps up and the arena will become a pool, and we’ll have to switch from a rodeo to swimming races.”
Liam laughed a little, and that unexpected response allowed India to take her first full breath since he’d picked her up. She ventured a quick glance at him and noticed the tightness in his expression from before had faded. She didn’t know why it mattered so much to her, but she experienced a great sense of relief. She didn’t like people being angry with her, and for some reason Liam Parrish had been, if only for a few brief moments.
The rain continued to pour down as if trying to make up for a year’s worth of drought in one afternoon, and India searched desperately for something to talk about. They’d already covered all the particulars of the site, at least until she could touch base with Verona and Blake at the tourism bureau. His job, that was it. Men loved talking about their jobs, right?
“So, have you been running a rodeo company for long?” She kept her eyes averted, afraid they would return to those tantalizing muscles.
“Just a couple of years. I was riding the circuit before that. Still ride some when I get to missing it too much.”
“Bulls?” Even she knew that was the event all the adrenaline-junkie cowboys liked.
“Broncs. I’m not crazy enough to get on a bull.”
This time, it was her turn to laugh. “A smart man. Well, at least somewhat. Not sure how wise it is to get on any animal whose sole goal is to buck you off its back.”
“You might be right about that, but the world’s got to have at least a few crazy people to keep things interesting.”
From her brief time with Liam Parrish, she could safely say he could keep things interesting without ever going anywhere near an animal.
She clamped a mental lid on her thoughts. Damn, was this rain ever going to stop?
“What about you?” he asked. “You own the clothing store?”
“Yes. A dream come true, you might say. Perhaps not as adventurous as riding animals with attitude, but I like it.”
“I don’t know. There’s something to be said for dealing with creatures who don’t talk back.”
As they fell into silence again, India noticed the rain was lessening in intensity. By the time a few more seconds ticked by, the worst of the storm had passed and she could see beyond the windshield again.
When Liam started the truck’s engine, India wondered if he was as anxious to get out of their awkward situation as she was. After all, she’d bet it wasn’t every day that he swept a potential business associate up into his arms. The image of him even attempting that with some big, burly cowboy had her stifling a giggle.
“Something funny?”
“No, nothing.” She was saved from further questioning by her ringing phone. She pulled it from her purse and noted it was Verona. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself, sweetie. Have you met with Mr. Parrish yet?”
“Yes, actually we’re heading back to the shop now.”
“Oh, good. Can you swing by the tourism office? Blake talked to the board, and we think we can iron out the details this afternoon if Mr. Parrish is agreeable.”
India glanced over at Liam, noting how his long fingers wrapped around the steering wheel as he drove back into the edge of downtown. “Hang on a second,” she said to Verona then lowered the phone.
Liam looked her way for a moment as he made a turn. “Problem?”
“The head of the tourism bureau wants to meet with you while you’re here, but now probably isn’t a good time.” She gestured toward his wet clothing.
He nodded toward the back of the cab. “I always travel with an extra set of clothes if you’ve got somewhere I can change.”
She smiled at that. “I own a clothing store. I bet we can scrounge up a dressing room.”
When he smiled back, the surge of blood in her veins pushed her heart into a couple of extra beats it wasn’t used to. She pulled her gaze away from that smile and refocused her attention on the call, bringing the phone back up to her ear. “Give us a few minutes, and we’ll swing by.”
As Liam guided the truck into a parking space across the street from her store, the rain stopped completely. The sun was already making a reappearance as she slid out onto the sidewalk.
“Need help?” Liam asked as he rounded the front of the truck.
Trying not to blush at the idea of him carrying her across the street for all of Blue Falls to see, she shook her head. “I’m fine.”
When she finally got inside the store and directed Liam toward the dressing rooms, India sank onto the stool behind the cash register, slipped off her shoes and dropped her forehead into her upturned hand. With him out of her sight, she took several deep breaths and tried to pull some common sense to the surface. This was nothing more than the combination of meeting a nice-looking man and the memory of Elissa’s teasing about hot cowboys. Once she got this meeting with Blake over with and Liam headed back to Fort Worth, she could pull her frazzled self back together.
But what if they signed Liam’s company and she had to see him again? Work with him?
Well, she’d know what to expect then. She’d wear sensible shoes and avoid rainstorms. And she’d have time to steel herself against his rugged good looks, to remind herself that he was not the type of man she’d imagined being with if she ever slowed down long enough to even think about a serious relationship. She wanted someone cultured, refined, who’d seen the far reaches of the world and who might travel to them all again with her.
Her fantasy man was definitely not a cowboy who was probably more at home with livestock than people.
The splat of wet clothing hitting the hardwood floor drew her attention, and she looked toward the line of dressing rooms before she considered the wisdom of doing so. Beneath the wooden slats of the door, she noticed a lump of clothes that had to be Liam’s wet jeans and socks. Next to them stood his naked feet and legs.
Her breath caught when she thought about all the naked flesh that door was hiding. Wet, firm, naked male.
She startled so much when the front door of the shop opened that she almost slid off the stool. She closed her eyes against the image of Liam Parrish in his altogether, then opened them to meet Verona’s gaze. Another blush zoomed up India’s neck to her face, but she attempted to hide it in the process of standing.
Blake Magnusson, head of the Blue Falls Tourist Bureau, followed Verona through the front door.
“I thought we were coming by your office,” India said to Blake.
Verona waved off India’s words. “Made more sense for us to come here. You’ve got a business to run, and we don’t want to take you away from it longer than we have to.” There was a worrisome bit of devilish sparkle in Verona’s eyes as she scanned the interior of the shop. “Did you hide Mr. Parrish somewhere?”
India clamped down on the desire to shift her gaze to the dressing rooms. “We got caught in the rain, and he’s changing into some dry clothes.”
Verona eyed India. “You don’t seem to be too wet.”
“I was able to get inside quicker.” Thanks to two very strong arms that she’d swear she could still feel scorching her legs and back. Lordy, she needed a fan to cool herself down.
Thankfully, Liam emerged from the dressing area fully clothed, drawing Verona’s attention away from her. India spared Liam only a glance, but it was enough to notice he’d exchanged his blue shirt for a green one and a dry pair of jeans. Attempting to push away thoughts of that peek at his naked legs, India moved to make the necessary introductions.
“Liam Parrish, this is Blake Magnusson, head of the Blue Falls Tourist Bureau.”
The men shook hands before Liam shifted his attention to Verona.
“And this must be your sister,” he said, glancing back at India for a moment before shaking Verona’s hand.
“Oh, I like this one,” Verona said, smiling widely. “Blake, hire him on the spot.”
Liam smiled and even shot Verona a wink. It took India a moment to remember she should be saying something.
“Verona Charles, former head of the tourist bureau,” India said. “Also known as the lady who hasn’t really grasped the concept of retirement yet.”
Verona made a dismissive sound. “Retirement’s for old people.”
“Well, nobody here fits that description,” Liam said, further charming Verona.
“Mr. Parrish, if I were a younger woman, you’d be in trouble right now.” Verona shot India a look that said while she might be too old for Liam, India definitely wasn’t.
Geez, just what she needed—to be caught in the crosshairs of Verona’s incurable desire to matchmake. She’d been called Blue Falls’ own Cupid on more than one occasion.
“I hear you’ve been able to take a look at our facilities,” Blake said, thankfully steering the conversation in a less “Oh, look how hot the cowboy is” direction.
“Yes, India was kind enough to show me around. I think with a few repairs and adjustments, and some good prize money for the riders, you could pull in a sizable crowd.”
India directed the others toward the table where this whole rodeo idea had been hatched. Over the next half hour, they hammered out the details and came away with a verbal agreement pending the forthcoming written contract.
“I think this calls for a bit of celebration,” Verona said as they wrapped up the discussion. “I’m thinking pie down at the Primrose.”
“Sounds good to me,” Liam said.
India guessed he’d have a bit more than pie, considering he’d been hungry for lunch when he’d arrived at the shop earlier. The grin on Verona’s face left India conflicted. Part of her didn’t want to leave Verona alone with Liam. Who knew what kinds of crazy ideas she might put in his head? But she’d spent about as much time in Liam Parrish’s presence today as she could handle. She needed some time alone to detox from his way-too-sexy, fry-your-brains looks.
When India didn’t walk toward the front door like the rest of them, Verona looked back at her. “Aren’t you coming, dear? It’ll probably be slow here this afternoon, anyway.”
India shook her head. “No, you all go ahead. I’m expecting a delivery this afternoon.” Which was true, but also a convenient way of getting out of the pie outing.
She thought she heard Verona heave a sigh, but she ignored it. If Verona could find a successful man who looked as if he could grace the cover of GQ, then that would be a different story. Yes, Liam Parrish was dead sexy, but she very much doubted they had anything in common other than being citizens of the great state of Texas.
Liam opened the door and allowed Blake and Verona to go out ahead of him. But then he hesitated before following them and met India’s eyes. He held the door with one hand and his bag of wet clothes with the other. “It was nice to meet you. And thanks for the use of your dressing room.”
“You, too, and no problem.” She nodded toward the bag in his hand. “You might want to hang those up in your truck so they don’t sour.” Needing to escape his gaze, she dipped below the front counter to retrieve a couple of wire hangers. “Here. I’ve got more of these than I can use.”
Liam took a step forward and accepted the hangers. “Thanks.” After a momentary pause, he nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”
She nodded back then watched as he walked out the door, said something to Verona and Blake then crossed the street to drop off his clothes in his truck. She noticed he just tossed everything into the backseat, not taking the time to hang his wet clothes. She rolled her eyes and forced herself to look away, to refocus on the order form for some 1920s flapper-style fashions.
But no matter how much she tried to make herself focus on work, her thoughts kept going back to that glimpse of naked legs and the indisputable fact that the sexiest man she’d seen in a long time had been fully naked mere feet from her. And it didn’t seem to matter that he was nothing like her dream guy.
* * *
LIAM’S STOMACH FELT AS IF it were going to consume itself by the time the waitress at the Primrose brought his plate of chicken-fried steak with a heaping order of fries. The coffee and stale doughnut he’d downed that morning as he left Fort Worth were long gone.
“Thank you,” he said to the waitress.
She gave him a shy smile before leaving the table.
“Don’t look now, but I think you have another fan,” Verona said as she gestured toward the waitress.
“She’s a waitress. Being friendly is how they make good tips.” And what did she mean by “another,” anyway? Was she referring to herself? Because she surely couldn’t mean India. They’d parted on friendly terms, but he couldn’t imagine a woman like her giving him a second glance. Well, maybe a glance but nothing remotely serious. He’d learned that the hard way.
Still, there had been that unexpected moment in the truck earlier.
“I think you underestimate your appeal, Mr. Parrish.”
“Verona, let the man eat his lunch,” Blake said, his voice part teasing, part gentle scolding.
Verona swatted Blake playfully on the arm, drawing a laugh from her successor at the tourist bureau.
Thankfully, the rest of their conversation veered toward the rodeo, life in Blue Falls and how the rain would barely make a dent in the rainfall deficit. But no matter how the conversation twisted and turned, he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering back to India Pike. One would think he’d learned his lesson with women who wore dainty, hundred-dollar shoes and then were surprised when they didn’t hold up to a little uneven terrain. Give him a good, solid pair of boots any day.
But damn if he couldn’t get the image of her striking, pale blue eyes and wavy black hair down to her shoulders out of his mind. Not to mention the curves of her body as he’d held her in his arms. What had possessed him to pick her up like that, anyway?
“Can I get you all some dessert?” the waitress asked from his side almost as soon as he’d finished his last fry.
“What kind of pie do you have today, Gretchen?” Verona asked.
“Pecan, lemon, rhubarb and chocolate fudge.”
“You all enjoy,” Blake said as he stood. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
Liam reached across the table to shake the man’s hand again. When he was left with just Verona and the waitress, he had to resist the urge to fidget.
“None for me, thanks,” he said.
“Now you can’t leave your first visit to the Primrose without some of its famous pie,” Verona said. “I think it’s actually against the law.”
Gretchen nodded her agreement. “At least a night in jail.”
Knowing better than to try to defy two women who had their minds set, he said, “In that case, I’ll take a slice of pecan to go. I’ve got to get back to Fort Worth.”
He didn’t know if he actually saw a flicker of disappointment on Gretchen’s face or if Verona’s suggestion of an attraction was making him see things that weren’t there. Whatever it was, it was gone in the blink of an eye.
“And for you, Verona?” Gretchen asked.
“I feel like lemon today. And get me a slice of the chocolate fudge for India. It’s her favorite.”
Gretchen nodded and headed off to retrieve the pie.
“Too bad India couldn’t join us,” Verona said. “At least I can get her some pie for the work she’s doing on the rodeo.”
Liam made a noncommittal sound.
After Gretchen brought them their to-go boxes and Liam picked up the bill, they headed out the front door. Verona pulled out her phone and looked at the display.
“Oh, I’m sorry, but I have to run.” She looked at the take-out containers in her other hand then glanced down Main Street. “Could you drop off India’s pie on your way back to your truck?”
Liam got the sneaking suspicion he was being maneuvered, but Verona was just so nice as she did it. How could he say no without looking like a jerk? Besides, it would only take him a few extra seconds, and then he could hit the road north.
“Sure,” he said as he took the box she offered.
Verona squeezed his free hand. “Thank you, dear. See you soon.” And then she was off, almost as if she wanted to make sure she was gone before he could change his mind.
Liam stood on the sidewalk watching her hurry away and couldn’t help but laugh. He was pretty sure if he looked up dynamo in the dictionary, Verona Charles’s smiling photo would be right there next to the definition. With a shake of his head, he turned and started down the sidewalk.
The moment he stepped inside Yesterwear, that flowery, female scent hit him again. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to go back to Fort Worth smelling like a bouquet. Thank goodness he didn’t have to go to the office—or, heaven forbid, a rodeo.
India wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He was about to just set the pie on the front counter and leave when he heard a loud grunt from farther back in the store. Concerned that she might have managed to injure herself with no one around to help her, he strode past the changing area and racks of frilly clothes. More grunts, louder now, led him to the back of the building where he spotted India, now barefoot, shoving large boxes across the floor toward a storeroom.
“Need some help?”
India yelped so loudly that Liam couldn’t help but laugh. Wrong move, judging by how she straightened and shoved her fists against her hips.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.
“I thought you were gone.” And didn’t she sound as if she wished he was.
He lifted the take-out container. “Verona asked me to drop off a piece of pie for you.”
Her stance softened a little. “What kind?”
“Chocolate fudge.”
“I swear it’s that woman’s aim to make me fat.” That still didn’t keep India from walking up to him and taking the container holding said pie.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
He noticed she didn’t meet his eyes as she uttered a quick thanks. As she took a step toward the front of the shop, he placed his pie on a low, glass-topped table in front of two cushy white chairs and headed toward the pile of boxes.
“What are you doing?”
He looked back at her over his shoulder. “Being chivalrous?”
Her eyebrows bunched together, eliciting a smile from him.
“Where do you want these boxes?”
“I can get them.”
“I’m sure you can...with a lot of grunting.”
When her mouth dropped, he laughed.
“Come on, just tell me where you want them. Then we can both enjoy our pie sooner.” He hadn’t meant to stay and eat with her, but he suddenly found the thought appealing. She seemed like a stubborn, independent woman, and he got the distinct impression he’d knocked her a little off-kilter today. Whatever that said about him, he kind of liked it.
With a sigh, she tossed her container of pie next to his. “Fine.” She strode past him and pointed at the biggest box. “Put that one on the table in the back.” She indicated a long table that took up the back of the storage room.
It only took Liam a couple of minutes to heft the half-dozen boxes to the spots India indicated. When he placed the last one on a lower shelf filled with shoe boxes, he turned back toward her as he dusted off his hands. “See, no time at all.”
“Yes, you’re very manly,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
He resisted the urge to flex his biceps. Geez, he hadn’t acted that stupid since he was halfway through his teens. He realized that India wasn’t the only one off-kilter today.
India headed out of the room, stopping at a small fridge to retrieve some bottles of water. Then she went outside the door to slip on a pair of white flip-flops with some sort of poufy flower-looking thing on top of them.
“Those shoes look a little safer,” he said.
“You’d be surprised. Unfortunately, I tend to be way klutzier than I’d like to be.”
He followed her back to the front of the store, nabbing their pie containers and plastic forks along the way. He should leave before he did something really stupid, but he found himself slipping into a chair across from her at the same table where they’d met with Verona and Blake earlier.
“So, Verona’s an interesting lady,” he said as he dug in to his pie.
“Lord, what did she do now?”
He chuckled. “Nothing much. She just seems really full of life, which is a good thing.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that. The next thing you know, she’ll have you at her beck and call and thinking you begged for the honor.”
“So, you really like her.”
India opened her own pie box. “She grows on you.” She took a bite of pie and made an appreciative sound that went right to the part of him that was thankfully hidden by the top of the table.
She closed her eyes for a moment as she swallowed the bite. Did she not have any idea how sexy she looked right now?
“Verona’s the aunt of one of my best friends, so she’s sort of like a second mom to all of us. She’d do anything for us, but she also gets these wild ideas in her head like she knows our paths to true happiness, too.”
“Well, she was right about one thing.”
India looked up to meet his gaze. “What’s that?”
He cut another piece of his pie and gestured with it on the end of the fork. “It would be a crime to visit the Primrose and not have a slice of pie.”
Just as they finished their dessert and India stood to toss their containers and forks in the trash, a tall brunette breezed through the front door. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted Liam then shifted her curious gaze to India.
When he also looked at India, he thought he detected more embarrassment, like she’d shown earlier after he’d carried her to the truck. He took that as his cue to head home for real this time.
“I’ll send the contract out in tomorrow’s mail,” he said as he stood and met India’s lovely eyes.
“Sounds good,” she said with a quick nod.
The devil inside him almost wanted to say something to make the color rise higher in her cheeks, but he bit down on that idea. He had to work with her in the coming days, and the last thing he needed was to say or do something that would make that working relationship uncomfortable for them both.
“Ma’am,” he said to the new arrival, who had curiosity coming off her like waves of heat on a highway in July.
All the woman managed was a nod and a strangled “Hey” before he made his way out the door. Instead of simply sliding into the driver’s seat of his truck, however, he took the time to retrieve his drying Stetson and plop it atop his head. Then he looked back across the street and noticed the brunette staring out of the boutique’s front window. And she wasn’t the only one.
He tapped the front brim of his hat and smiled at India. Though it was probably the height of stupidity, he was already looking forward to returning to Blue Falls.
* * *
“WHO WAS THAT MIGHTY fine speciman of hunkitude?” Elissa asked as she blatantly watched Liam cross the street, tap his hat and drive down Main Street.
“Liam Parrish, the head of the rodeo company we’re using.” India tried to keep her voice even and matter-of-fact, with no more feeling than if she were telling Elissa what color of paint she’d picked out for her bathroom.
“Mmm-hmm, just like I predicted—hot cowboys.” Elissa unfortunately shifted her attention to her friend just as a rush of heat washed through India. “And I see you appreciated the eye candy.”
“The only thing hot around here is me. I’ve been shoving around boxes that feel like they’re filled with rocks instead of clothing.” Granted, Liam did most of the heavy lifting. No, she couldn’t think about Liam, especially not with Elissa watching her every facial expression.
“I know you have Mr. Perfect all picked out in that little brain of yours, but don’t stand there and tell me you didn’t notice that man was hot enough to fry bacon on.”
India shrugged. “He’s okay.”
With a sound of exasperation, Elissa rounded the front counter and retrieved the phone book. She licked her thumb and started turning pages.
“What are you looking for?”
“Dr. Pinter’s number, because you obviously are in dire need of some glasses.”
India threw up her hands. “You’re as bad as Verona.”
Elissa closed the phone book and smiled wide. “She’s already set her sights on you, huh?”
India sat back at the table where she and Liam had eaten their pie. “Much to my dismay. As if putting me in charge of a rodeo wasn’t bad enough, now she seems to think Liam is perfect for me.”
“Maybe he is.”
India gave her friend a long-suffering look. “You’re just glad she’s aiming her matchmaking efforts toward someone besides you.”
Elissa leaned her forearms against the glass top of the jewelry display case. “Guilty as charged. From this vantage point, I can enjoy watching her make you squirm.”
“I’m going to remember that when she eventually has you in her sights.”
“Honey, I don’t slow down enough for her to catch me.”
“You live with her. How is that possible?”
“I’m good.”
India snorted.
“Be careful not to snort in front of the gorgeous Mr. Parrish. You might run him off.”
“Good. The last thing I need is a dusty cowboy tracking up my store.” And her life.
“He didn’t look dusty to me.”
“Then you go out with him.”
“Oh, no. I don’t horn in on my friends’ guys.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, he’s not my guy. We’ve had this conversation a million times. I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone right now. I’m too busy. And even if I were looking, I wouldn’t be looking toward someone like Liam.” No matter how good-looking he was. No matter how he’d shown her more than once that chivalry wasn’t dead.
“I know, you want James Bond without the danger.”
“Well, thanks for making that sound deadly dull.”
“You and Skyler need to live a little.”
“Elissa, I love you like a sister, but lay off, okay? You know how much this store means to me, and how much work it takes to make a small business successful.”
Elissa threw up her hands. “Fine, I’ll hush.”
“Thank you.”
“But you can’t blame me for saying ‘I told you so’ when you find working side by side with the sexy Mr. Parrish proves distracting.”
India pointed at her friend. “I swear, I’m going to find a pocket-protector-wearing accountant and convince him that you’re madly in love with him.”
Elissa, blast her, just wiggled her eyebrows. “If he’s cute underneath all the geek, I just might enjoy convincing him to shed the pocket protector.”
India shook her head. “I’m so going to laugh myself into stomach cramps when you fall hard for some guy.”
“You, too, missy. You, too.”
And damned if Liam Parrish’s sexy smile didn’t take up residence in India’s mind and refuse to vacate the premises.
Chapter Three
“So what do you think?” India asked Keri Teague after she finished pitching her idea for a cupcake contest as one of the activities to accompany the rodeo. “We’re trying to get a wide variety of offerings so that people who might otherwise skip the rodeo will come out.”
“It’s a good idea,” Keri said. “We’ll need to do blind judging. I’m not about to take the heat for telling some little grandma that her cupcake recipe didn’t win the blue ribbon.”
India laughed. “Good point. So, what, maybe three judges?”
“That should be enough. And then we can sell the cupcakes after the judging is over. I can put some entry forms in the bakery.”
“That would be great. Thanks.” India glanced out the front window of Yesterwear for what felt like the millionth time.
“Something wrong?” Keri asked.
India jerked her attention back to Keri, owner of the popular Mehlerhaus Bakery and new wife to Sheriff Simon Teague. “Sorry. Just have so many things going on that I feel like there’s a constant to-do list running in my brain.” No way was she admitting that one of those items was watching for Liam Parrish to roll into town. As small as Blue Falls was, that snippet would get back to Elissa and Verona before the sun set.
There really was no reason for him to come by the shop before heading to the fairgrounds to oversee the preparations for the rodeo, but that didn’t keep her from jumping every time the front door opened or looking out the window whenever she heard a truck. She mentally shook her head. This was Texas. Everyone and their dog had a truck.
“I know what you mean. Speaking of, I better get back to the bakery. I’ve got a five-tier wedding cake covered with fondant songbirds to make this afternoon.”
“I’ll take unboxing a new shipment of hats any day.”
Keri laughed, waved and was out the door. But the idea of that cake left India hungry. Deciding to take advantage of the lull in what had been a busy Thursday, she flipped the sign on the front door to say she’d return in fifteen minutes, locked up and headed down the sidewalk toward the Primrose Café.
Despite telling Elissa the previous week that she wasn’t interested in Liam, she nevertheless found herself scanning the café’s parking lot for his black pickup truck. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see it. At least that’s what she told herself. If she were being honest, their limited time together had generated a couple of very nice dreams.
After the dream the night before, she hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. Instead, she’d gotten up and started digging through the wooden chest at the end of her bed. Beneath the handmade quilts, she’d rifled through the few keepsakes she’d kept from a childhood she largely wanted to forget. Below the high school yearbooks and the box containing the sash she’d worn after being crowned the Belle of Blue Falls, she found the old manila folder she’d been looking for, the one filled with magazine clippings of handsome guys and articles about successful businessmen in fields she admired. She forced herself to look through every piece of paper, reminding herself of how she’d always dreamed of a man as opposite to her deadbeat father as she could get.
Not that Liam Parrish was a deadbeat. He obviously wasn’t since he owned his own company. Still, she got the impression that at heart he was a wandering rodeo cowboy. She couldn’t imagine him eating at a café in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower or hiking through the Scottish Highlands or building schools in rural villages for girls who would otherwise not get an education. No, Liam was more than likely a “what you see is what you get” sort of guy, and she wanted a man with many layers, one who got more interesting and sexier with each layer that was exposed.
India ordered a chef salad to go, and she somehow found the willpower to resist caving in to the desire for a slice of fudge pie. Would she ever be able to eat her favorite dessert again without thinking of Liam? She half wished she hadn’t come up with the rodeo idea in the first place, but hopefully it was going to generate a lot of money to help little Mia and her dad. India figured she could handle a bit of unexpected and unwanted attraction to Liam. After all, it was nothing compared to what Mia was going through.
Plus, after the rodeo was over, chances were she’d never see Liam again. She could get back to life as normal and let time and distance erode the memory of him.
After Gretchen handed over the salad, India headed back to the store in case the afternoon was as busy as the morning. She’d taken several steps across the Primrose’s parking lot when she spotted a familiar black pickup. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she watched Liam slide out of the driver’s seat. Damn, why did he have to do such nice things for a pair of jeans? He almost made her forget that she preferred stylish suits to jeans and scuffed cowboy boots, which were a dime a dozen in the heart of Texas. Didn’t she?
After a deep, fortifying breath, India resumed her trek back to work. She didn’t alter her path even though it would take her right past Liam. It wasn’t as if she could avoid him in the days ahead, so she might as well just get used to seeing him now. Maybe the infatuation would actually fade if she talked to him more.
“Hey, Liam,” she said as she drew close. See, that wasn’t so hard.
But then his eyes met hers, and they widened the slightest bit. It was enough to make her wonder why. Had she simply surprised him, or was there something more there?
Now she was just being crazy. If she thought she had nothing in common with him, chances were he felt the same. She’d seen the deer-in-headlights look he’d worn when he’d stepped foot into Yesterwear the first time, as if he’d fallen through a hole into a different world. She’d seen it before on the faces of the men whose wives or girlfriends dragged them into the shop.
“India,” Liam finally said after a moment’s hesitation. He glanced at the box in her hand. “That’s a big slice of pie.”
“Actually, it’s salad. I’m being good today.”
“What a shame.”
Heat flooded India’s extremities, and she tried to tell herself that it was because of the midday heat. It couldn’t be because Liam had meant anything other than it was a shame she wasn’t going to enjoy a slice of pie. Her brain had trouble coming up with an appropriate response, but she was saved when Liam’s attention shifted to the back of his truck.
A little girl with a dark brown ponytail stepped up beside him. It took a moment for the pieces to click into place. The girl’s eyes were what clinched it.
“This must be your daughter,” India said.
Liam placed one of his hands atop the girl’s head with such affection that India actually hurt inside. She’d never had that kind of fatherly love, and no matter how old she got she never seemed to find a way to stop missing what might have been.
“Yes, this is Ginny, embarking on her first day of summer vacation by hanging with the old man. Ginny, this is India Pike. She’s the one in charge of the rodeo here.”
Ginny’s forehead scrunched into furrows. “Really?”
“Ginny,” Liam said in a warning tone.
A second or two passed before India laughed.
“I’m sorry,” Liam said, looking at India with apology written all over his face.
“No, it’s okay. She’s got it pegged. After all, it is pretty absurd when you look at me.”
“Still,” Liam said as he gently tugged Ginny to his side and playfully mussed her hair. “We don’t need to always say what we think.”
“Sorry,” Ginny said. Her crooked smile made her even cuter than she was on first glance.
“It’s okay.” India leaned forward and used her hand to pretend to block her words from Liam. “Any chance you want the job of running this rodeo?”
Ginny giggled, causing India to smile.
India glanced at Liam, and he had a smile on his face, as well. Lord, what was she doing? She should be maintaining a professional distance from him, not ingratiating herself with his young daughter.
“You have the number for the workers who are going to make the upgrades at the fairgrounds?”
Liam nodded. “We’re meeting them after we grab some lunch.”
“Good. If there’s anything else you need, you have the number of the shop. I’ll be there until later this afternoon.”
“Swing by when you close up. I’ll be able to show you how things are going.”
Just when she thought she might get away with seeing him only once today... India’s nerves sparked, but she refused to let her purely physical reactions get the better of her. She just had to ride them out until they faded and common sense took over.
“See you then.” She shifted her gaze to Liam’s daughter. “Nice to meet you, Ginny.”
“You, too.”
Anxious to get away, back to the familiarity of work, she gave Liam a nod and headed down the street without looking back.
Despite telling herself that she needed to shove aside attraction to Liam in favor of detached professionalism, India found herself fighting a losing battle throughout the afternoon. And she wasn’t even where she could see him. It didn’t help that the number of customers coming into the shop decreased significantly thanks to the increasing heat outside. She kept busy rearranging displays in the front window, pricing her new shipment of stock and creating an entry form for the cupcake contest.
But nothing she did kept her from looking at the clock what felt like every three seconds. As closing time drew near, she wondered if she should just stay at the store, continuing on until it got dark and the work at the fairgrounds was wrapped up for the day.
India stopped folding decorated flare jeans that screamed the 1970s and shoved her hands onto her hips. This wasn’t her, not facing things head-on. If she’d made a habit of this kind of behavior, she never would have pulled herself out of poverty, gotten an education and come back to the town she loved but where there were at least some people who wouldn’t have been surprised if she never amounted to anything.
She shook her head and finished folding the jeans. She always made a point to do her job well. That meant she would make sure the rodeo and accompanying activities were as successful as possible. To make that a reality, she couldn’t avoid the man tasked with ensuring they had a successful rodeo.
When closing time came, India looked down at what she was wearing—a blue-and-white gingham top, white capri pants and denim ballet flats—and deemed the outfit safe for a trip to the fairgrounds. No heels to break off.
The butterflies in her stomach returned when she arrived at the fairgrounds. She gathered her courage and got out of her car. The thunking of hammers on wood drew her to the side of the arena. There she found local handyman Len Goodall and his teenage son, Adrian. Len looked up from where he was replacing a board on the fence surrounding the arena.
“Hey, India. You looking for Liam?”
“Yeah.”
He gestured with his hammer toward the far end of the arena.
“Thanks.” She picked her way over the crunchy, brown grass. When the rodeo came around, they’d have to keep the dirt settled in the arena with water or nobody would be able to see any of the events. They’d be too busy choking on the dust kicked up by the animals.
She rounded the end of the arena just in time to see Liam pause in his work on a gate to wipe the sweat on his shirtsleeve. Gone was the button-up he’d had on earlier. In its place was a white T-shirt that sported a picture on the back of a huge fish being pulled from the water by a fishing hook. She shuddered at the memory of the one time she’d gone fishing with her dad. She’d hated touching the worms they used as bait, couldn’t make herself put them on the hooks, and was seriously creeped out by the slimy feeling of the fish.
“Hey,” he said when he finally spotted her.
Just relax. “Hey. Looks like a hot job.”
Liam glanced at the gate that led into the arena. “Yeah, but I’m just about done. Actually, if you’ll help me, I’ve only got one more board to attach.”
She gave him an “Are you crazy?” look. “I’m not exactly dressed for manual labor.”
He smiled as he took in what she wore. “Oh, I don’t know. Looks way more sensible than what you wore here the last time.”
She shook her head. “What do you need?”
He picked up a board and settled it against the frame of the wooden gate. “If you’ll just hold one end steady, this will only take a moment.”
India was careful not to brush against the gate with her white pants as she held the board with one hand and steadied the gate with the other.
True to his word, a few quick strikes of the hammer and Liam had the opposite end affixed. When he turned and grabbed the end she held, his warm hand grazed hers. It was only a momentary touch, but it was enough to cause India’s breath to catch. She feared he noticed it when he looked up and his eyes met hers.
He was close, much too close. As casually as she could, she released the board and took a couple of steps away. “Looks like you all have gotten a lot done today.”
“Yeah, we’ll be done with the arena repairs by Monday.” Liam finished attaching the new board before he came to stand next to her, propping one booted foot on the bottom slat of the gate. “We’ll paint after that, then get the barns ready to hold the animals.”
She glanced toward him as he pushed his hat back off his forehead. He was sweaty and dirty, and that should have turned her off. Instead, it was having the opposite effect.
“I thought you were here just to supervise,” she said.
“I’m not the type to stand around doing nothing,” he said. “I’d be bored out of my mind. Plus, this way we get things done quicker, and it costs you all less money.”
Why did he have to sound so reasonable, so nice? Why couldn’t he just be a dumb lug who had nothing appealing about him but a good-looking face? It’d be so much easier for her to stop thinking about him then.
She let her gaze roam over the entirety of the fairgrounds, picturing how they would set up the vendor booths. At the far end of the grassy area, she spotted a large, black horse with a short rider. It took her a moment to realize it wasn’t an adult.
“Is that Ginny?”
“Yeah. She’s letting Inky stretch her legs after being cooped up in the trailer for several hours.”
“That animal is huge. Don’t you worry she’ll get hurt?”
“Ginny’s been on horseback since before she could walk. That’s how it goes when your dad is a rodeo rider.”
India barely knew the child, so the surge of anxiety over seeing her astride such a powerful animal surprised her.
“Hey, maybe Ginny can teach you to ride,” Liam said.
India started shaking her head before Liam even finished speaking. “Oh, no. I’m not getting anywhere near that animal. Horses can sense that I’m scared to death of them.”
“You’ve really never been on a horse?”
India shifted her attention away from where Ginny seemed to be effortlessly maneuvering the horse. “Nope. And I don’t intend for that to change any time soon.”
She liked her life just like it was, with everything mapped out. She wasn’t as married to perfectionism as Skyler, but India still knew what fit her lifestyle and what didn’t. Running a rodeo and learning to ride a horse had never been on her radar screen.
But neither had a sweaty, dirty cowboy who tempted her to second-guess what she’d always known she wanted.
* * *
“REMIND ME AGAIN WHY I’m friends with you,” Skyler said as she dragged herself out of the car after India and Elissa. “This is a heinous hour for human beings to be up.”
India smiled at her friend, who’d never been an early riser. “Because we need to measure for the booth spaces, and I’d like to do it before it’s a thousand degrees outside.”
“Plus there are those little things called jobs we all have to go to later,” Elissa said. Unlike Skyler, Elissa was quite fond of early mornings.
Skyler stuck her tongue out at both of them, eliciting laughs from her best friends.
“You all certainly sound happy this morning.”
India halted in her tracks and jerked her gaze toward the sound of the male voice. Liam—and his deep, sexy voice—sat in a lawn chair beside the RV she’d seen the day before.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t think anyone would be out here yet,” India said. In fact, she’d been banking on it. But it looked as if Liam was using the RV as more than an on-site office. “Sorry if we bothered you.”
“Not at all. Just enjoying a cup of coffee before it gets too hot outside to drink it.” He lifted a cup. “Would you all like some?”
“No, we’re fine,” India said.
“Actually, I’d love some coffee,” Elissa said. She shot India a grin that said India was in trouble. “And Skyler might be a little nicer if we get some caffeine in her.”
India stared hard at Elissa, silently promising payback, before her friend shifted her gaze and walked toward Liam as he stood. She extended her hand. “I’m Elissa. I’m the fun friend in this motley trio.”
Liam laughed as he accepted Elissa’s hand, gifting her with a smile even wider than any he’d aimed in India’s direction.
Something greedy churned inside India, making her want to break the contact between Elissa and Liam. Her jaw clenched before she forced herself to relax. Truth be told, Liam was more up Elissa’s alley, anyway. She obviously found him attractive. And if he didn’t think Elissa was drop-dead gorgeous, then he was blind.
Once they finished shaking hands, Elissa gestured toward Skyler. “This is Skyler, but you can call her I Don’t Do Mornings.” When Elissa gestured toward India, she noticed the conspiratorial grin she wore as she and Skyler made eye contact. “And you’ve met Fuddy Duddy.”
“Fuddy Duddy?” India crossed her arms. “I fail to see how I deserve that nickname.”
Liam put up his hand, palm out. “I’ll leave the nicknames to you ladies and get your coffee.”
When Liam disappeared into the RV, India eyed Elissa. “What are you doing?” she asked under her breath.
“Being friendly.”
India bit her lip. She knew that Elissa being friendly usually led to her going out on a date. Her friend didn’t sleep around, but she knew how to have a good time. And India had never heard any of Elissa’s dates complain, either.
“Damn, he’s even hotter in person,” Elissa said.
“Shh.” India shot a nervous glance toward the RV’s open doorway.
“What? It’s true. He’s got to know it. I’d venture a guess that even Skyler noticed, half-asleep as she is. Right, Skyler?”
“He’s not exactly ugly.”
“Oh, my God, I can’t believe you two.” India turned on her heel and headed away from them. She was tempted to get in her car and leave them behind. They could think about the wisdom of pushing her in a direction she didn’t want to go while they walked back to their cars downtown.
Instead of abandoning her friends, however, she retrieved the tape measure and notepad from the car. She eyed the ground for a rock to place on one end of the tape since her friends seemed to be more interested in drinking coffee and ogling the hot cowboy.
She gritted her teeth, more irritated with herself than Elissa and Skyler. If she had her sights set on a man she hadn’t yet met, why did she care if Elissa or even Skyler found Liam attractive?
“Looks like you could use a hand,” Liam said as he approached.
She gestured toward where her friends were sipping their mugs of fresh coffee. “That’s what I brought them for, but that didn’t turn out as planned.”
“Have I done something to offend you?”
India stopped searching for a rock and met Liam’s gaze. She shook her head and allowed the tension building in her shoulders to relax. “No, I’m sorry. I guess Skyler isn’t the only one grumpy this morning.” She pulled out the end of the measuring tape and extended it to Liam. “I think I’m just letting my to-do list get the better of me.”
Liam took the end of the tape and held it as she started walking backward, away from him and her friends. “Anything I can help with?”
“I think you already have your plate full, too.”
“You never know. I might be able to squeeze something else in.”
India glanced toward Liam, but despite the fact that he wasn’t yet wearing his hat she couldn’t read his expression. Was there some innuendo there, or was she just imagining it thanks to Elissa’s teasing?
“I’ll be fine, but thanks.”
“Okay, but the offer stands.”
She wondered how he’d respond if he knew that the kind of help she imagined him giving her had absolutely nothing to do with the rodeo.
Chapter Four
Even while measuring out spaces for vendor booths, India looked like a flower in the middle of the desert. Liam wasn’t normally prone to think of things in such a, well, flowery way, but it was the first thing that had popped into his mind when he’d seen her standing alone in the middle of the dry field. She looked so out of place that it should have sounded warning bells in his head. Big, clanging bells.
He should just do his job here and beat it back to Fort Worth as quickly as he could. But no, what did he do? He offered to help her with some unnamed task just because she looked stressed and he wanted to smooth away the lines on her beautiful face.
India wrote down her last measurement then started walking toward him. “Thanks for the help.”
“No problem.”
She looked past him toward the female chattering. “Looks like we woke up Ginny, and she’s already making friends with my coffee-mooching friends.”
He looked back to where Ginny was sitting cross-legged in the chair he’d vacated. “That kid has never met a stranger. I’m afraid it’s going to come back to bite me in the butt one of these days. She gets older and I’ll be beating off cowboys with whatever is handy.”
“She spends a lot of time with you?”
He could tell there was a question beyond the question, but India was better than most about hiding it. “Ginny lives with me full-time. Her mother isn’t a part of her life.”
“Oh. I didn’t mean to pry.”
He shrugged. “You weren’t.”
“That must be hard when you’re on the road so much.”
“She stays with my cousin when I’m out of town during the school year, but she travels with me during the height of rodeo season.”
“Really? That must be pretty lonely for her.”
He laughed. “Remember what I said about her not meeting a stranger? I think she knows every rider, announcer, stock handler and clown on the circuit.”
“I just meant she’s probably the only kid.”
He hadn’t really thought about that before. After all, Ginny never complained. In fact, she seemed to enjoy their time on the road. He turned his gaze back to his daughter and for the first time wondered if he was doing her a disservice by dragging her from one rodeo to another.
He shook his head. No, Ginny had a good life. She loved horses, loved rodeos. Why was he letting this woman who reminded him a little too much of Charlotte put doubts in his head? He knew his daughter better than anyone. And just because India Pike would probably turn a daughter of hers into a little cream puff didn’t mean that was right for Ginny.
“Time for me to get to work.” He didn’t even look at India when he started back toward the RV.
“I see you all got everything taken care of,” Elissa said.
“No thanks to you lazy bums,” India said as she strode up next to him. Her voice and posture were tight again, like they’d been when she’d first arrived.
His abrupt change in mood had probably caused that, but he couldn’t muster feeling sorry this time. He didn’t need any parenting advice from someone who didn’t even have a kid. At least he didn’t think India had any children. She didn’t strike him as the motherly type. She was way too uptight for that. Plus, if she had kids, she wouldn’t always look like she’d walked out of a fashion catalog. Really, who looked that good this early in the morning?
Someone like Charlotte. A woman who didn’t have the first clue about the kind of life he lived and probably never would.
He refocused on his daughter, ruffling her serious case of bedhead. “Did you sleep in a wind tunnel last night?”
She gave him one of her “I’m just putting up with you because you’re my dad” looks.
“Ginny was just keeping us entertained with a story about you and a horse named Jumping Bean,” Elissa said with laughter in her voice.
Elissa was pretty, laid-back, casual, funny. Why couldn’t he be attracted to her instead of her rose petal of a best friend?
“Glad to know she’s sharing that tale with everyone she meets.” He acted as if he was going to tickle Ginny’s ribs, but she squealed as she jumped out of the chair and ran from him.
As luck would have it, she ended up hiding behind India, who looked startled by suddenly being Ginny’s main line of defense.
“This must be one doozy of a story,” India said as she glanced down to where Ginny was peeking around India’s waist, a glint of victory in her little-girl eyes.
“Evidently not only did the horse buck Liam off in no time flat,” Elissa said, obviously reveling in the retelling, “but he came back and bit Liam on the posterior to add insult to injury.”
He watched as India did her best to hide a smile. He had to resist the sudden, very unwise urge to grab her and kiss that grin right off her face.
This job couldn’t be over fast enough.
* * *
“COME ON, DON’T BE MAD,” Elissa said as she followed India through the front door of Yesterwear.
India walked to her small office and tossed her purse in the bottom drawer of the desk. “I’m not mad. More like irritated. You’re like a mosquito that won’t stop buzzing around my ear.”
“What? All I did was invite Liam and Ginny to family night at the music hall.”
“After making a point that I’d be there.”
“I said we’d all be there, along with a lot of other people, including some kids Ginny could meet.”
India pushed past Elissa on her way back to the front of the store. “It was obvious what you meant.”
“So shoot me for trying to set up one of my best friends with the best-looking guy to stroll into Blue Falls in ages.”
India spun back toward Elissa and the wisely quiet Skyler. “I’m perfectly capable of choosing my own dates.”
Elissa crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. “Really? And just when exactly did you last go on a date?”
India exhaled in exasperation. “I’m a busy woman. I’ll get around to it.” She gestured toward Skyler. “Why don’t you shift your matchmaking efforts toward Skyler?”
“Hey, leave me out of this.”
“I have to work up to Skyler. That’ll take more work. She’s even more uptight than you are.”
“On that lovely note, I’m going to work,” Skyler said and headed for the door. “You two try not to kill each other.”
Once the door closed behind Skyler, India glanced at Elissa. “Don’t you need to get to work, too?” She wanted nothing more than to be alone. Just five glorious minutes without having to avert her eyes from a guy she shouldn’t want, or listen to her friends try to map out her future for her.
“You’re right.” Elissa’s words were unusually clipped, and India fought the urge to apologize.
Only she wasn’t the one who’d done anything wrong. She didn’t go around trying to run Elissa’s life, setting her up with a guy with whom she had absolutely nothing in common, a guy who would only be in town for a short time, anyway. When India got involved with someone, she wanted to make sure he was going to be around for a while.
But how likely was it that the type of man she’d always told herself she wanted was going to take up residence in Blue Falls? Would she have to leave to find him? Leave her friends, the business she loved and the town that felt more like home than the house she’d shared with her parents ever had?
A sudden fear that she would lose it all swamped her just as Elissa grabbed the knob on the front door.
“I’ll call you later, when I get some more of the plans for the rodeo activities finished,” India said.
“Fine.” Without even looking back, Elissa disappeared in the opposite direction from Skyler.
India couldn’t decide if she wanted to scream or cry.
* * *
LIAM TOOK OFF HIS GLOVES and beat the dust off of them on one of the barn’s support beams. Half of the load of hay was spread in the stalls that they’d spent the day repairing and prepping for horses. He caught Adrian’s gaze as the boy entered the end of the barn with two bottles of water fresh from the icy cooler.
“You read my mind,” Liam said as he accepted one of the dripping bottles. “I feel like I’ve eaten one of these bales of hay.”
Adrian laughed then took a deep gulp of water.
“So, this music hall,” Liam said, trying to sound casual. “Lots of people go there?”
“Yep, always packed. Only thing you could really call nightlife in Blue Falls. And tonight’s family night, the one night of the week when they don’t serve alcohol so people can bring their kids. You should check it out. Good way to meet the neighbors, even if they are temporary.”
Liam shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not sure a shower and going to bed early doesn’t sound better.”
This time it was Adrian’s turn to shrug.
Liam looked back over everything they’d accomplished today. “Go tell your dad to pack it in. I think we’ve all sweated enough buckets for one day.”
“Okay. Maybe we’ll see you later at the music hall.”
Liam just grunted in response since Adrian was already halfway to the barn opening. He wasn’t sure taking Elissa up on her offer was such a good idea. But on the other hand, he and Ginny deserved a night out. Ever since India had put that doubt in his head about taking Ginny on the road with him, he’d caught himself watching his daughter for signs of boredom, loneliness or just wishing she was anywhere else. Things he might have not even noticed before seemed to jump out and scream at him. Part of him hated India for that, but only a little part.
What was more frustrating was the fact that a bigger part wanted to go to the music hall tonight just to see what she’d wear. Would she even show up? Yes, she was a local and evidently a lot of the locals frequented the Blue Falls Music Hall, but as much as he tried he couldn’t imagine her there. A classical concert hall, yes. A Texas music hall filled to the rafters with cowboy boots and country music, not so much.
With a shake of his head, he headed back to the RV. He wasn’t lying when he’d said a shower sounded really good. He scanned the fairgrounds as he crossed the space between the barn and where the RV was hooked up, but he didn’t see Ginny anywhere. When he stepped inside the cooler interior of the RV, he saw why. She was lying on his bed with her bare feet propped against the wall, reading.
“Good book?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’ve read it before.” Was that a hint of boredom in her voice?
He didn’t much feel like going out, but he decided that it might be good for Ginny to meet some of the local kids. “What do you think about going to this music hall Elissa mentioned?”
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Trish Milburn
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Her Dream Man Does Not Wear A Stetson! Forget cowboys! Ever since she was a girl, India Pike has had an image of the perfect man: sophisticated, refined, and with a preference for tailored suits. But after rodeo promoter Liam Parrish came to town, she can’t stop mooning over the gorgeous cowboy and single dad.Too bad Liam’s totally wrong for her…even if the town’s matchmaker already has India saying “I do.” Liam fell hard for a «frou-frou» woman once before–and the best thing to come from the experience was his daughter. So he′s not about to be “matchmaked” with the same type of gal, one who likes frilly dresses instead of jeans and cowboy boots.But there′s something about India that draws the Liam to her. Both India and Liam admit that opposites may attract, but happy-ever-after is not so guaranteed!