Cowboy Boone (Cooper's Hawke Landing Book 4)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  He had to blink three times to be sure what he was seeing was in fact real. Daisy had arrived, and boy had she ever. Her long, shiny hair hung in soft ringlets down her shoulders. The long-sleeved flannel was tied up underneath her breasts showing off a twinkling navel ring. The itty-bitty mini skirt with the fringed hem landed high on her toned thighs. He followed the length of her legs to her cowgirl boots.

  Damn. He barely recognized her.

  She glided over, the swaying of her hips like a pendulum hypnotizing Boone and parting the crowd as hungry stares followed her. A cowboy standing near the bar whistled.

  “Sit with us.” Brody pushed out the empty chair with his foot.

  “Thanks,” she said and climbed upon the chair. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, showing off a dangling earring. Hell, Boone didn’t even know she had her ears pierced.

  “Want something to drink?” Brody asked and waved Brax over.

  “Could I get a beer and a round of shots for the table?” Daisy said.

  Boone could have sworn that the young waiter flushed three shades of red. Daisy had all the men drooling.

  Tipping his bottle, he then remembered it was empty. “Could I get another too?”

  “I’ll be right back,” Brax said.

  “Shots? What’s the occasion?” Brody asked.

  “Our sister the new mayor, that’s what.” Daisy wagged her brows.

  “Sounds like a good enough reason to me.” Brody shrugged.

  “You’re awfully quiet.” She twirled a strand of hair around her knuckle, tagging Boone with her amazing violet eyes.

  Before he had a chance to answer, Poppy slid up between Daisy and Brody, giving them each a hug and a wave at Boone. “This place is hopping. I can’t believe Hank surprised me with a cake. Have you all had a slice yet?”

  “I just got here. Congrats, sis. I knew you could do it,” Daisy said.

  “Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without your support and many others in this town. Where’s Chynna?”

  “She’ll be here. Don’t worry. She wouldn’t miss this for the world. Your acceptance speech today was moving. I even shed a few tears,” Daisy admitted. “What are you drinking?”

  “Water and only water. I have an early morning meeting and I don’t want to wake up not feeling one-hundred-percent.”

  Boone listened to the two women discuss the meeting and he found his attention fixed on Daisy and how pretty she looked. Hell, not just pretty, but sexy too. That made him feel a little stupid because he wasn’t supposed to look at her that way.

  She laughed and leaned in slightly, causing the top button of her shirt to open, showing off a strip of red lace and the milky white tops of her firm breasts. He swallowed hard and shifted, trying to ease the constriction behind his zipper. This wasn’t the time for his body to prove it wasn’t broken. He felt almost idiotic that over the years he hadn’t really noticed exactly how beautiful, or feminine, Daisy was.

  Her violet eyes were surrounded by a thick fringe of lashes. Her pert nose twinkled with a small diamond from the piercing that she and her sisters got together. Her body was slender and toned from her hard work at the nursery. But there were soft parts too in all the right places. His mind conjured up an image of her naked, stretched out on his bed with his hands on her silken skin—

  “Right, Boone?”

  He had no clue what Brody had asked, but he simply nodded.

  Fuck. He shouldn’t travel down that dead-end avenue of imagining her underneath him. Women like Talia he could envision nude—could even have casual sex with, but Daisy, the sweet girl who liked flowers, long walks in the sunshine, and taking photos of fields and the countryside, didn’t fit in the same category. And then there was the red flag. She was his best friend’s sister. Brody would kill him, and Boone would understand. Hell, he too would hurt someone who took advantage of her. He was like a brother to her…but without the DNA.

  “Howdy, y’all.” Mitch strolled up, leaned his elbows on the edge of the table and greeted each of them with a toothpaste-ad-worthy smile.

  Boone offered the cowboy a smile but didn’t speak—couldn’t speak. When Daisy pressed her slender fingers against Mitch’s chest and leaned in to whisper something in his ear, Boone felt an invisible hatchet coming down on his balls. What the hell changed since that afternoon when she’d been against a match with Mitch? Who was this Daisy Bloom?

  Whatever caused the switch up, it certainly was in Mitch’s favor who couldn’t take his eyes off her. Who’d blame him. She showed up glowing. And unleashed.

  “Daisy, will you still head up the committee for the new park as you promised?” Poppy asked. “I’d like to bring it to the council table come Monday.”

  “Of course. I’m excited to be a part of something like this. A new park will provide a place for people to walk, with their dogs too, around the water. A bigger ball field and basketball courts, and a larger playground with better equipment.” Daisy’s eyes lit with enthusiasm at tackling the project. “Flowers planted all around the perimeter, bringing in pops of color. I can’t wait.”

  Boone added animals to that growing lists of things she liked. He’d almost forgotten that she fostered dogs for soldiers and owned a few herself. She was practically a saint.

  “What do you think about all this, Boone?” Daisy asked.

  “A dog park?”

  “Well, not just a dog park. Human and canine, and possibly a few leashed cats, will have access to the public recreational area. I thought you’d appreciate a better ball field with bleachers and an electronic score board. Maybe even enough left over to buy new uniforms for the team.”

  “And play equipment that’s safe and not falling apart,” Poppy included. “Several kids have been hurt from the rusty equipment they have now. I’m shocked the town hasn’t faced a lawsuit from an angry parent.”

  He nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” Poppy’s smile grew wider, making her eyes twinkle. “Daisy needs a co-chair. Could I persuade you to help? We could use someone with your skill at raising money and endless connections.”

  She moved right in for the kill. He knew she was fit to be mayor.

  One thing he’d found over the years, it was difficult to turn a Bloom sister down when they asked for something. However, on this rare occasion he thought it was best to do so. “Sorry, but I’m strapped on time.” He wasn’t lying. Juggling the Landing S&R team, doing more plane tours, helping Hank at Pelican, and working the family farm didn’t leave a lot of free time.

  “You and I have discussed ways to help Cooper’s Hawk commerce. I believe this is a start on pulling tourists from the mountain and enticing them into our town instead of visitors traveling back into Lloyd County for lunch and dinner or lodging. Hank and Helena see that opening a bistro on Main Street will help too. And the new gourmet coffee shop will be a hit.” It was Daisy this time. “Think of the generations to come, Boone. Imagine your family members, your brothers’ kids, maybe even your kids one day, and how much enjoyment they’d get from a public park that’s clean and safe and beautiful.”

  “Kids?” Brody sputtered. “That’s a wrong hook, sis, because hell’ll freeze over before Boone has kids.”

  Boone saw some of the light fade in Daisy’s eyes. Why did he feel a punch to his gut? Why did it matter to her whether he had kids or not? And why in the hell did he keep disappointing her? “I didn’t say I’d never have kids. I just don’t think much about it.”

  “No, buddy. You said you’d never have kids. Word for word.”

  Boone was now the target of four pairs of eyes. He decided no response was the best response.

  “If Boone doesn’t want to help, I’ll be more than happy to volunteer,” Mitch said proudly. “Anything to better our community. I think a new park is a grand idea. I can even make a monetary donation.”

  “Thank you, Mitch.” Daisy gave him her best smile and slanted her gaze on Boone as if she wanted
to throttle him.

  He groaned, thankfully not loud enough for anyone to hear.

  “Both of you should try and be at the council meeting,” Poppy said, glancing over her shoulder. “I better go and mingle. I have obligations to my voters.”

  “You’re a man we can all count on, Mitch.” Daisy laid it on thick and Mitch was eating it up.

  “Of course. Anything for you.” He swiped his finger along the furled rim of his Stetson.

  “I’ll be more than happy to donate too. Drop by and I’ll give you a check,” Boone said but Daisy didn’t even acknowledge him.

  “How about a dance?” Daisy asked Mitch, already sliding off her chair. “I suddenly feel the need to do something besides sit here.”

  “My pleasure.” He held out his hand and she slipped hers in.

  Boone watched the two head for the dance floor, growling under his breath.

  “Apparently there is something between those two.” Brody jutted his chin in Daisy and Mitch’s direction.

  Mitch swung her around to the upbeat country song while an engaging smile erupted over her face, but it seemed almost forced. “I don’t think so.”

  Brody snorted. “I know my sister. She doesn’t dress like that unless she’s up to something. I figure she came here tonight to rope herself a cowboy. That didn’t take long.”

  Squeezing his bottle, Boone continued to stare at the couple as the song faded into another, this time a slower one that required them to get closer. “You trust him with her?”

  “Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “He’s your buddy. You always said your sisters are forbidden to your friends,” Boone said.

  Brody thwacked him on the shoulder. “No. I said my sisters were off limits to you. Sorry, bro, but I don’t want them to be just another notch on someone’s bedpost. Since Ma and Pop aren’t here to watch over them it’s my job.”

  Feeling as low as a pig’s balls, Boone rubbed the back of his neck. “And you have room to talk?”

  “No, I don’t. I have some notches too, but if you had sisters would you want me interested in them?”

  A few seconds passed. “I see your point, but people change,” he muttered.

  “Do they? Are you saying you’re interested in one of my sisters?” Brody’s brow shot up and the corners of his mouth dipped.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

  “Good. Chynna would chew you up and spit you out. Poppy is too busy for a man and Daisy, well, you’re not her type.” He chuckled. “Mitch would be a good pick for her. He’s grounded and he doesn’t have an endless appetite for women.”

  Unsure why Brody’s words affected him, Boone felt butt hurt. He guessed he did have a reputation for being a playboy, and truthfully, he probably was…a few years back. “Sorry to tell you this, friend,” he slapped Brody on the back. “She isn’t interested in Mitch.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just know. Call it intuition or whatever, but she’s up to something and it sure as hell ain’t Mitch Band.”

  A part of Boone hoped—against his better judgement—that she had come to Pelican dressed like that for him.

  CHAPTER TWO

  After a couple of beers, and a dozen dances, Daisy no longer felt nervous or tense.

  She was thoroughly enjoying herself.

  After several line dances with Mitch, then a few more with other cowboys, she was now back in Mitch’s arms for another slow one.

  Getting all dolled up hadn’t worked the way she’d hoped because Boone hadn’t asked her to dance once, but she certainly did have the attention of the other men there.

  Working with flowers and getting her hands dirty had become her life, but admittedly, Chynna was right to a certain extent. If she wanted people—Boone—to see her as a seductive woman then something had to change because after fifteen years, she hadn’t gotten much further with him than a smile, a lot of chats, and a wink. A few times she could have sworn that she saw something in his eyes—something misleading apparently.

  For instance, at the ball field when he’d dragged her into his arms for a celebratory hug, she thought he would kiss her, but nope. Again, her wishes had contaminated her logic.

  Naturally, she wouldn’t change who she was for any man, even Boone. Bibs and dirt were right up her alley, but the skirt made her feel…feminine.

  Chynna had suggested that Daisy come to the celebration and just have fun, not to focus on Boone or any man, and that seemed to be working a little because he was sitting at the table, staring. Possibly fuming.

  The man infuriated her. How could he not want to help with the committee that would mean so much to so many?

  Maybe she’d hoped he would want to work closely with her.

  One second she wanted to kiss him and the next she wanted to throttle him.

  Mitch twirled her, drawing her attention, then pulled her close, staring down at her. She took a step back, keeping some room between them.

  Although she didn’t feel any attraction for him, his moves on the dance floor were fun and flirty. He was a perfect gentleman though. Handsome. Kind. So then why didn’t she feel anything? She was a bit disappointed in herself. Mitch had all the qualities she should want in a man. Daisy also knew he liked animals, after all he owned a ranch, talked about one day having kids and had jumped at the chance to volunteer for the committee. Sure, Boone liked animals too, but he didn’t seem to care much for kids or volunteer work, at least when it didn’t directly affect him or his needs. Knowing this, she should forget him, and yet she couldn’t.

  It wasn’t true. He did do a lot for the community. He and his family always helped.

  But that didn’t mean she shouldn’t move past the childhood crush already.

  Was she just too stubborn for her own good? Couldn’t she admit defeat? Some men just weren’t meant to be caught.

  When she looked in his direction again, he was no longer sitting at the table.

  Had he left?

  Where had he gone?

  She craned her neck to scan the crowd.

  Her heart twisted.

  “Is something wrong?” Mitch asked.

  “I’m ready to sit down. It’s hot in here.”

  “Sure.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and leaned near to say, “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Water please.”

  “Coming right up. I’ll meet you at the table.”

  On her way to the high top she happened to see Boone sitting at the bar. How had she missed him? He wasn’t alone either. Talia had draped herself over him like a mink coat. His head bent back as he laughed, enjoying himself over something she had said. Apparently, she did talk about more than sex. Well, the two of them could have each other.

  She stopped at the table, picked up the full shot glass and emptied it, squinting and hitting the table as the liquid burned its way down her esophagus and pooled in her stomach.

  “You okay?” Brody asked.

  “Peachy.”

  Needing a moment to gain her bearings, she scurried to the restroom and splashed her face with cold water, drying it with a scratchy paper towel. Half her makeup was smeared so she wiped the rest of it off. She felt foolish. Chynna had been wrong. Not every man would fall for a bit of flesh.

  Agitated, she buttoned the top button of her shirt and untied the knot, tucking the tail inside the waistband of her skirt. She was embarrassed that she’d succumbed to this to gain his attention and he’d rather spend time with Talia, her double Ds and inflated lips.

  It wasn’t Talia’s fault that Boone liked her and she liked him.

  Staring at herself in the mirror, Daisy sniffed back tears. Why was she so emotional? Probably because dreams were never easy to give up. Boone had been part of her dreams for so long and she’d decided it was time to scoop them out like seeds of a watermelon. She couldn’t wait forever for a man to want her…to notice her. To treat her like she wasn’t ten still. He’d never see her as anyth
ing but Frog, the little sister of his best friend.

  Dropping the paper towel into the trash can on her way out the door, she strutted to the table where Mitch was waiting with his dashing smile. When he saw her coming, he dipped his hat. “Ice cold water for the lady.”

  Talia’s laughter reached Daisy’s ears. She shouldn’t look. She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help herself. She lifted her gaze on Boone who had his hand on Talia’s back and she had her fingers on his shoulder possessively.

  Something akin to a chain snapped in Daisy.

  She whispered in Mitch’s ear, “I’m ready to leave.”

  He frowned. “Sure. Okay. It was nice dancing with you. Maybe it’d be okay if I stopped over at your house to see you soon?”

  “How about tonight?” She winked, not caring that she was being unusually brazen. Thankfully, Brody was no longer sitting at the table because that could have put a damper on her come-on.

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes, Mitch. Tonight.”

  “Oh…tonight.” He stood up, hitting the table hard enough that the water splashed over the rim of the glass. Clumsily, he grabbed his keys out of his front pocket and smashed his hat back on his head.

  “This yours?” She pointed at the shot glass. He nodded. “We don’t want it to go to waste.” She emptied it in one gulp, feeling the scorch all the way into her stomach. Hadn’t she learned her lesson the first time?

  Swiping the back of her hand across her mouth, her stomach rumbled, and she wasn’t sure if she needed to burp or barf. She’d never been much of a whiskey drinker and that hadn’t changed. “Ready?”

  His smile returned. “I’ve been ready.”

  Daisy said a quick “Goodnight” to Poppy and Chynna and stepped outside into the cool night air with Mitch. She felt a little better.

  “I had to park down the road a bit. You stay here and let me grab the truck so you don’t melt like a sugar cube in the drizzle,” Mitch said with a grin.

  “Thank you.” She appreciated his offer, a little taken back by being compared to a sugar cube though. She needed a moment alone to hopefully get a hand on the wooziness. At the time, drinking the second shot had seemed like the right thing to do, but now she realized it had been a mistake.