COWBOY BOONE
(Book 4, Cooper’s Hawke Landing Series)
By Rhonda Lee Carver
Copyright Rhonda Lee Carver 2021 Ebook Edition
Electronic book publication 2021 All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission from the author, Rhonda Lee Carver, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages written in a review. For information, please contact Rhonda Lee Carver at [email protected].
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and dialogue in this work are from the author’s imagination and creation. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
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This book contains material that isn’t suitable for anyone under the age of 17.
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Acknowledgements
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Rhonda Lee Carver
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Blurb
She's his best friend's sister and off limits...but then again, he never cared much for limits.
Daisy Bloom had wanted her brother’s best friend, Boone Hawke, for as long as she could remember. Why couldn’t he see her for more than her brother’s little sister? She decided to take charge of her own fate and bring out a few tricks to get him to see her differently. A kiss, a flirty smile, and a flash of her “assets” might get him to bite the forbidden apple.
There was something in the water. Must be for Daisy to flirt with him. Brody’s little sister wasn’t so little anymore and Boone had noticed. She’d metamorphosed from the girl with the too-large glasses and oversized bibs, always wearing a smear of dirt on her cheek, to a seductive woman who had him in her crosshairs. Too bad she was off limits. There was a buddy code Boone didn’t plan to cross. Yet, what would one kiss hurt? One itty-bitty touch should put his fantasy to rest.
Wrong.
One touch sent them into a labyrinth of lust, secrets, and betrayal. A line had been destroyed and there was no going back,. They were caught in a mind-blowing, carnal web. Did they have a future together or would they crash and burn? Sometimes hard decisions needed to be made, and someone would be hurt.
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Table of Contents
Front Matter
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Back Matter
Bonus – All Cowboy and Charm (Book 1, chapters 1 and 2)
CHAPTER ONE
Propping her elbows on the top rail of the fence that separated the arena from the crowd that had gathered for the cattle auction, Daisy Bloom stared at the handsome and sexy Boone Hawke who stood in the middle of the semi-circle of his brothers, Hank and Creed, across the dirt floor.
Boone strolled over to the cattle chute and flashed a piece of paper, grinning proudly at his new purchase.
“He just bought himself a prized bull and steers. We wouldn’t expect any less from a Hawke,” someone in the crowd said.
In the small town of Cooper’s Hawk, Boone and his brothers had become local heroes, and the most wanted bachelors, until Hank and Creed married. Now, Boone was the last man standing. From his thick, midnight-dark hair to his drop dead gorgeous looks, to a smile that could make any woman, single or otherwise, melt into a puddle of skin and bones, he was amazing. And she couldn’t say she was immune to his charm.
Using the program as a fan, she could have used a cold shower.
Boone scoped the crowd, stopped his gaze on her and waved, causing a stampede of excitement within her, until she realized he was greeting someone behind her. Her shoulders drooped.
She took off her wide-rimmed glasses and cleaned them with the sleeve of her shirt. She needed to get ahold of herself.
He was her brother’s best friend and didn’t see her as anything more than Brody’s little sister. Unfortunately, she thought he hung the moon…and then some. She probably wasn’t the first girl to develop an infatuation with their older brother’s friend, but after turning thirty last week, she was no longer a “girl” and the “infatuation” had become a blistering inferno of longing.
She brought her gaze back to Boone. He swiped off his white Stetson to run his fingers through his hair and she felt her knees wobble a bit. Yeah, no doubt, he was the sexiest man she’d laid eyes on. Slurping up her sugary-sweet lemonade through the straw, she continued to feast her eyes on him. Her gaze took a natural path down his broad chest covered in a crisp button-down that clung to every toned muscle, to the silver buckle engraved with a bronco and rider that glistened at his slender waist. A few inches further south took her to his…
“Look at the testicles on that beast. Could you imagine riding—”
“What?” Daisy gasped. She spun around and narrowed her gaze on her sister, Chynna.
“The bull they just brought into the arena. He’s massive. I bet he’ll have every cowboy out here raising their paddles. The program said his sire was a rodeo bull named Killer. What did you think I was talking about?”
“I-well, nothing.” She sucked up her drink faster.
“Nothing?” Chynna scanned the arena and stopped short of the group of cowboys standing on the other side of the fence. Her devious smile spoke volumes. “Ah, I see.” She gave Daisy a playful push. Her plastic cup slipped from her fingers, fell to the ground, and cracked, splashing the group of bystanders standing next to her. A flush crawled up into her face as she picked it up.
“Sorry,” she quickly apologized then said to her sister, “Why’d you do that for?”
Chynna giggled. “The way you were sucking on that straw makes me curious what thoughts you were having.”
“Shh!” Daisy felt sweat bead between her breasts. “I was just admiring all the hats and boots. And whiskers and Wranglers. You didn’t think I came here for the auction, did you?”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did want to ri
de that—” she gave a delicate cough, “stallion.”
Daisy usually talked to her sisters about everything in matters of dating and crushes, but she’d kept her fascination for Boone to herself.
“Hey, there’s Brody.” Daisy pointed. “Brody! Over here!”
Much taller than most men, their brother weaved his way through the crowd and joined them. He ruffled Daisy’s hair and gave Chynna a side hug. He’d only recently come back to town after he’d been on the rodeo circuit. After he’d taken a fall that left him with a broken eye socket, nose, a four-inch scar on his jaw, and nearly dead, he’d decided to retire—or rather had been ordered by the doctor to hang up his saddle.
“Did you get settled in?” Daisy asked.
“I’m still getting used to sharing a bathroom with two kids and my sister again. I’d forgotten what it was like to have makeup products strewn all over the sink.”
“Speaking of, where is Poppy?” Chynna asked. “Didn’t she ride with you?”
“She left a few hours ago, saying she had to prepare for her speech.”
“Our sister, Mayor of Cooper’s Hawk, would you have ever imagined?” Daisy said proudly.
“I think I had an inkling. Remember all those games we played as kids. I can’t
remember a time when she wasn’t the banker, the leader, or the rule-maker.” Brody laughed. “We even got into a heated argument once because she insisted that she had to ride that ol’ donkey, Susie, first, and she was mine.”
“Poppy always was a bit—”
“Controlling.” Brody snorted.
“I’m just glad she’s finally over that prick ex-husband of hers.” Chynna sniffed loudly. “I bet he’s regretting leaving her now. He always did like the spotlight.”
“We have to leave here on time. We can’t miss her speech.” Daisy caught Boone moving their direction and almost dropped her cup a second time. A familiar delightful sensation unfurled in the pit of her stomach while she focused on keeping her expression empty of any sign of her inner turmoil. He greeted Brody first, giving him a firm handshake.
“Good to have you back, buddy.” A few inches shorter than Brody’s six-foot-four height, Boone had brawnier shoulders and the brightest, bluest eyes. The ends of his inky hair stuck out from underneath his white Stetson and his strong jaw was covered in salt and peppered whiskers. He had an infectious personality that made him engaging and popular in school, and into adulthood.
“A little beaten up, but I’m back.” Six months had passed since the accident and he’d healed nicely. The scars were barely noticeable.
Daisy hurried to swipe her sweaty palms down her denim-clad thighs, anticipating his attention. When he stepped in front of her, she pressed a smile on her lips, going in for a hug, but he instead reached over and ruffled her hair just as Brody had. Exasperation reverberated through her, but she gulped it down and managed to appear impassive.
“Hey, Frog,” he called her by the nickname he and his brothers had bestowed upon her when she was the pig-tailed, freckled-faced girl who had a fascination for catching frogs and mimicking their sounds. She often leaped around and splashed in puddles too.
Some things could never be lived down, unfortunately.
“Hi, Boone. Aren’t you going to bid for the bull? Chynna was just admiring how big his…neck is.”
“No, but Creed is. He’ll cost a pretty penny but worth every bit.” He smiled and his eyes sparkled.
Daisy’s thighs quaked. She wished his eyes twinkled when he looked at her. “Great.”
“You’ll be at Pelican’s this evening, right?” Boone asked.
“The celebration for Poppy? Of course.”
“Good.” He gave her a wide smile, showing off an even row of nice teeth. “Mitch told me he’s planning on dropping by too.”
At the mention of the cowboy’s name, Daisy’s shoulders sagged. He stopped at her flower shop at least once a week to buy the biggest, most expensive arrangement with the excuse that they were for his mom, but obviously Daisy knew better. He liked to stick around and chat, and his subtle flirtatious actions didn’t go unnoticed. In the looks department, Mitch was handsome, considerate and kind-hearted, but she just didn’t feel that warm, all-consuming emotion that she felt for someone else. “That’s great. More the merrier.”
“Are you and Mitch a thing? Hell, I need to get caught up on current events in Cooper’s Hawk,” Brody teased.
Chynna snickered and Daisy gave her a narrowed eye. “No, Mitch and I aren’t a thing.”
“Why not? He’s a good guy,” Brody said.
“One of the best. He’s looking for a little lady to be queen of his castle. He just finished building that huge house on three-hundred acres out on Crewman’s Lane. I was here helping him find suitable steers to get a kickstart on his livestock.”
“I’m not looking to be any man’s “little lady” thank you,” she huffed. Seeing their smiles, she realized Boone and her brother were teasing her, as always, but it added fuel to the fire. At thirty, a successful business owner, and a mature adult, when would they—especially Boone—take her seriously. Would he ever see her as more than Brody’s “little” sister? Somewhere around her fifteenth birthday she’d started looking at Boone differently. Overnight, his voice had changed, he’d gained six inches in height, and had grown whiskers and she’d been hooked. Pretty much every teen in town had been. Four years of college, two serious boyfriends and a few lovers later hadn’t diminished her attraction for him. In fact, if anything, her obsession had grown stronger. He only seemed to get better with age.
When would she realize he’d never see her in the same way though?
Daisy groaned when bombshell Talia Tabor sashayed up and placed her hand on Boone’s shoulder, leaning her double Ds against his flexed bicep. The stack of bracelets on her wrist clanked loudly. Dimples bracketed his wide smile as he dipped his gaze down her and back to her face.
“Hey, Boone. I thought that was you.” She winked.
“Hi, Talia.” He touched the curled brim of his hat in greeting. “You’re looking good, Miss Tabor.”
“So are you, Mr. Hawke.” Her tongue came out to roll across her slightly puckered bottom lip. “I just came back from Cali visiting friends there. We did nothing but sit around on the beach working on our tans and margaritas. Best week of my life.”
Daisy couldn’t deny that Talia was the textbook definition of female seduction and wielded unbelievable power in her bedroom eyes, pert nose, sultry lips, and cleavage that the miracle bra endorsed. The way she looked at Boone said that she’d been there and done that, and probably got the T-shirt to boot.
Jealousy rolled through Daisy like a molten wave. She despised jealousy, especially over a man who paid her zero attention, at least in the way she wished. She shouldn’t waste her time on the irrational emotion, especially when his reputation of being a playboy probably held some water—the entire ocean. He didn’t talk to her about his personal affairs and she certainly didn’t ask, but he seemed to like the attention he received from many women. Talia included. She leaned in ever-so-slightly as if to give him a close-up view of her ample breasts.
“Are you bidding on anything?” Boone supported his foot on the bottom rail of the fence.
“Just here to observe the eye candy.” She practically slurped Boone up with her dazzling eyes.
“You remember Brody, Daisy and Chynna, don’t you?” he asked.
“Oh sure.” Talia gave Daisy and Chynna a benign stare before she greeted Brody with a much friendlier, much more interested, approach. She gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek. He didn’t seem to mind one bit. Apparently, he was under the Talia-spell too.
As soon as she turned back to Boone, Daisy pinched her brother causing him to jerk in reaction. “Ouch!” He rubbed his inflicted arm. “What was that for?”
“You had a fly on you,” she said. “It’s gone.”
“I hear all the votes are in and Poppy won the election.” Talia�
�s smile didn’t quite reach her amber eyes. “I’m sure that makes you all proud.”
Daisy started to answer when Chynna beat her to the punch. “Very proud. Sorry that your father lost, but he’s been in the position for what? Two terms?”
Any resemblance of a smile was wiped from Talia’s face. “I need to get going. It’s a bit stifling out here. Boone, would you be interested in meeting up later?” She fanned her face like a simpering southern belle.
Daisy and Chynna shared a glance.
“Sorry, I won’t be available, darlin’. I’ll be transporting the steers for Mitch and later I’ll be over at Pelican celebrating Poppy’s win,” Boone said.
“That’s a shame.” Talia straightened some. “Maybe I’ll stop over too and give Poppy my regards. Holding office can be a very heavy burden. I hope she can balance mayoral duties, her kids, and a husband—oops, it completely slipped my mind that they’re now divorced, which only means it’ll be even harder for her.”
Chynna took a step and Daisy grabbed her wrist to keep her still.
Talia flitted a bitter glance toward Chynna. There was no love lost between the two women, stemming as far back as high school when Talia stole Chynna’s first love. “You wouldn’t mind, would you, ladies?”
Feeling the growing tension, Daisy said, “Of course you’re invited. The entire town is invited.”
“Good. Save me a dance, Boone. You do remember how much I love to dance, right?” She tapped her long nail against the top button of his shirt.
Daisy watched Boone, waiting for his reaction to the blatant, ballsy come on. Obviously, dancing meant something completely different in that context.
“Sure. I’ll save you a couple.” He dipped his hat.
Seething, Daisy had to gain control of her tempestuous emotions before she took a clue from Chynna and strangled Talia Tabor.
Cowboy Boone (Cooper's Hawke Landing Book 4) Page 1