Cowboy Boone (Cooper's Hawke Landing Book 4)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  He followed, watching the natural sway of her hips.

  She sat down, tugging at her skirt, then dipped her toes in.

  Toeing off his boots and socks, he joined her, sitting a little closer than he normally would.

  “Want a sip?” she offered.

  “Sure.” He took a swallow from her cup then handed it back, feeling a stiffness behind his zipper when she pressed her lips to the same spot where he’d drank. How could something so simple cause such a strong emotion in him?

  He wanted to lick the remaining sweetness of the punch off her lips.

  “About the committee, I know it isn’t your cup of tea, but I could use the help.” She rolled the tip of her finger along the rim of the cup.

  He eased back onto his hands and stretched his legs. The coolness of the water helped to ease some of the heat in his veins. “I said I’d help and I meant it. I won’t back out. What happened to Mitch? I would have figured he’d fight tooth and nail to spend some time with you.”

  “He wouldn’t face a duel for me.” She laughed.

  “Huh?”

  “It’s an inside thing. What I meant, a man would fight an enemy, face death, for the woman he loves, and Mitch has met her…and her name is Katherine.” She looked out across the pond where geese skimmed the top of the water. “We both thought it best that he does not help.”

  “Katherine? Is that his ex?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’d forgotten about her.” He scratched his temple.

  “Well, he hasn’t.” She brought the cup to her lips and sipped, then set it aside.

  “Did this knowledge come after you rejected him or before?”

  Her eyes widened. “How do you know that I rejected him?”

  “The text I received from you pretty much gave it away. You wouldn’t have bothered with me if you were in a cowboy’s arms.”

  “I would have never slept with Mitch,” she said quietly.

  “You certainly seemed hell bent last night.” Anger boiled inside him.

  “I-I…”

  “What?”

  “To sleep with a man I need more reason than loneliness.” Her eyes turned darker.

  “How is it possible that you can be lonely?”

  “I thought we came out here to discuss the park, not my love life, or lack thereof.”

  “You and everyone else seem to enjoy discussing mine. Maybe it’s time I turned the tables.”

  She shifted to look at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean everyone thinks they know what happens in my bed. I know a bit about loneliness myself.” He’d divulged more than he wanted to, but it felt right to allow her in.

  She laughed but once she realized he wasn’t teasing her expression sobered. “Sorry, but…”

  “There. Right there. You all think you know me.”

  “Okay, then. Just as you’ve promised to not call me Frog again, I’ll promise not to assume you’re a playboy.” She held up two fingers pressed together in oath.

  He sat up and pressed his elbows against his knees. “Oh sheesh. Saying that aloud makes it all sound even worse.”

  She leaned over and lifted his shirt, looking at his back. “Nope, don’t see any.”

  “And what don’t you see?”

  “Claw marks. I’m sure if you bedded Talia her three-inch nails would have left permanent marks.”

  “You’re funny. Can we please not mention her name again?”

  “Sure, but it’s kind of hard when you’re wearing her scent.” She sniffed and wrinkled her nose. “Is that Eau de Taliette?”

  “Yeah, you just keep getting funnier.”

  “Okay. Okay. I brought you out here to discuss raising money, not putting my nose where it doesn’t belong. We should stay on track. We need a proposal and don’t have much time.”

  “Is that why you’re no longer pissed at me? You want to reel me in to talk money?” He jerked up a brow.

  “Your sparkling attitude keeps me from staying mad at you,” she teased.

  “Fine. What do you have in mind?’

  “A rodeo?”

  “Takes too much time.”

  “A dance?”

  “Won’t raise enough money. Wouldn’t be worth our while.”

  “How about a carnival? The committee put on one a few years ago and it did very well. We could dress you up as a clown and you can tie balloons into funny shapes for the kids.”

  “Nope.” He shook his head.

  She sighed and irritation crawled over her face. “You’ve shot down all my ideas so why don’t you name something, Einstein.”

  “I do have some ideas, you know.”

  “I believe you, but you have to communicate them so we’re not spinning our wheels.”

  “If I could get a word in,” he huffed.

  “Fine. Go ahead.”

  “How about a concert?”

  “Like a singing on stage concert?” She snickered. “I love the idea, but I’ve heard you sing and I’m even worse. We want to raise money, not destroy anyone’s hearing.”

  “Jinx Crow.”

  “Jinx? I haven’t heard that name in years. I thought after a few years of living the life of a popular music career he disappeared off the face of the earth.”

  “He disappeared but not off the face of the earth. He retired because the life of a star wasn’t fit for him. Now he writes music for big hit artists. Imagine how many people would show up to hear him sing and for an autograph. He’s a hometown boy. People remember him.”

  “Okay. I’ll bite. How can we get Jinx to come back to Cooper’s Hawk and do a concert? As far as I know he hasn’t been here since he took off for Nashville at eighteen. What makes you think he’ll want to come back now.”

  “He owes me a favor and I haven’t called it in yet. He and I happen to stay in touch and it’s worth a shot.” He looked up into the sky and the large, puffy clouds.

  She laid her hand on his bicep and he snapped his chin around to look at her. “See, Boone, this is why you’re a benefit to the committee. You have connections and everyone owes you a favor. You’re a local hero.”

  “I’m not a hero.” He realized how throaty his voice sounded.

  “If you say so.” She used her foot to splash water onto him.

  He swiped the wetness from his face. “Glad I can be of use, Frog.” He hissed. “Damn. Sorry. Old habits and all.”

  Her nose scrunched. “Isn’t that the truth.”

  “I caught some underlying animosity.”

  The wind fluttered the hem of her skirt dragging it up high on her thighs and she caught the material, pulling it back down. “Not animosity, but something else maybe.”

  “If you and I are planning to work together it’s best we clear the air.” He swiped off his hat and dropped it next to his hip. “If something’s in your crawl then you need to open up.”

  There was a moment of hesitation. “In some people’s eyes I’ll always be Brody’s little sister.”

  “People or somebody specific?”

  She toyed with a string on her dress. “One, or two people,” she said quietly.

  “I don’t think many just see you as “Brody’s little sister”. People I know respect you. You’re successful, smart, and take care of others, and animals, so much that you deserve an award.”

  “Those are wonderful attributes, but I guess…”

  “You guess what? Come on. ‘Fess up.”

  “Any woman wants to feel…well, pretty. Maybe even sexy.”

  He rubbed his jaw. “And you’re doubting that you are? Lady, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” He whistled through his teeth. “I think you’re just not paying attention.”

  “I can see why you called me Frog when we were young, after all, I did act like one on most occasions. But why continue to call me that even into adulthood? No woman wants to be nicknamed after a green amphibian.” She laughed but he caught the tight strain in her tone.

  “I
can be an idiot. I should have known better but I swear I never compared you to a real frog. The name just stuck.”

  “Maybe like playboy for you?”

  “Touché.” His throat constricted. “I used to be proud that people thought that about me but somehow now it feels like a heavy burden.” The sun was starting to set, casting a yellowish glow on the water.

  “You’re right when you said people change. We do. Honestly, I’m not hurt over the name because it doesn’t define me. Just as ‘playboy’ doesn’t define you. I think it has become a teasing point for townsfolk.”

  “You say you’re not hurt over the name, but you are over something else?”

  She leaned in closer, holding his gaze. Her mouth parted slightly.

  Oh hell.

  His mind rocked. How would things change if he moved in and kissed her? He wanted to…more than his next breath. He was torn between what he wanted and his buddy’s feelings.

  With an exasperated sigh, she pulled back. Disappointment marring her delicate features. “How about we head back to the party. They’ll be announcing the gender of the baby soon.” She stood and smoothed the dress down. “We don’t want to miss that.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  As the warm afternoon settled into evening, the sky was bursting with hues of orange and pink and leftover blue spotted with puffy white clouds. Music had been turned up at the celebration and drifted on the sweet Montana breeze. She could hear laughter and joy. She inhaled deeply and caught a blended scent of grilled meat, Blanketflowers and Yellow Bells. She could practically hear the bees buzzing from across the pond where the beautiful wildflowers scattered the field.

  Here alone with Boone, sitting close, feeling his arm and thigh brush hers, there was another buzzing going on and it involved her heart.

  She’d practically thrown herself at him and he’d rejected her.

  She stood from the edge of the dock and the wind caught the hem of her dress, fluttering the soft material around her legs. Daisy needed to gain some distance from Boone, but her gaze was drawn to him as he stood too. He looked back at her with dark, mysterious eyes, and his smoldering good looks triggered something in her chest that reminded her of the colorful shades of the sky.

  Something she saw there, in his expression, made her think he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  How could she think he’d have any interest in her? Plain and simple Daisy who enjoyed working with flowers more than socializing with people. He had women falling all over him and she wasn’t interested in playing whack-a-mole to gain his attention.

  She closed off her emotions and focused on why they were here, alone, at the water’s edge. The park.

  Taking a few steps, she stopped in front of him to say, “Tomorrow is the council meeting. Can you contact Jinx before then?” She tore her gaze from the sexy cowboy to look out onto the peaceful water, hoping it calmed her nerves. Why did she have to meet him when she was a kid who thought it would make him crack a smile if she ribbeted and hopped like a frog?

  They would always be only friends.

  “Sure. I can try. What time’s the meeting?” His eyes absorbed the light.

  “Nine.”

  “That might be a problem.”

  She turned to face him. “Why?”

  “I have plans then.”

  “Plans that can’t be rescheduled?”

  He shrugged, stretching the fabric of the shirt across his broad shoulders. “I planned to take a few days for myself.”

  “Time to yourself?”

  “I’m camping out at the lake, hoping I can take in some fishing, hiking, and a few beers. A cowboy deserves a personal day now and again.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. She knew all the Hawke men were hard workers. “I’ll go to the meeting alone. If you can get ahold of Jinx and see what you can do before you leave that’d be great.”

  “I’m not going far. Just over to the West Peak. You remember that spot we all fished at during the summer before you left for college?”

  “I remember.” A group of friends had spent almost every day there one summer, having one last hoorah before most of them were leaving for college. Boone and Brody were home on leave from the Army and they’d had so much fun fishing, listening to music, swimming, roasting hot dogs over the open fire, and sharing a bottle of apple whiskey that had almost made her do something very stupid and confess her feelings to Boone. Frogs ribbeted in the distance as a reminder of her childhood. “We better get back.” She took a step, and he did too, causing them to bump into each other.

  Neither moved. They stared at each other. She felt a fluttering inside her stomach.

  “Can you hear the music?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “This is one of my favorite songs. I haven’t danced in a long time.” He held out his hand and she skimmed her gaze over his wide fingers, large palm and butterflies took wing in her belly.

  “You want to dance with me?”

  “No, the woman behind you. Of course with you. Are you going to leave me hanging?” His grin was bracketed with deep dimples.

  Turn Boone down? Not on her life.

  Laying her hand in his, she giggled when he pulled her close and pressed his hand against the indentation of her waist. Heat from his body seeped in through her clothing and skin, nestling into all those secret places on her body that had been neglected for far too long. She placed her hand against his chest and swallowed a dose of realization. He didn’t have an ounce of fat anywhere on his lean, muscular frame. He shifted and his sterling silver buckle pressed her stomach as his fingers entwined with hers and he brought their clasped hands to rest between their pressed bodies.

  “Relax, sweetheart. I won’t bite,” he said next to her ear.

  If only he knew what he did to the apex of her thighs he wouldn’t dare ask her to relax.

  He hummed along to the tune of the muffled song.

  Tipping her chin, she looked up at him, seeing those amazing twinkling eyes and smile. She could easily lose herself here, right now, but she had a splinter of logic remaining that kept her from wrapping her head around the idea that Boone Hawke was seducible—if that was a word. “Isn’t this against some unwritten rule?”

  His palm burned a hole through her clothes near her hip.

  “We’re dancing. There’s no crime in that.”

  She relaxed into his arms. He let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her waist, now both of his hands were on her, stripping all internal barriers. It seemed only natural for her to lower her hands to his waist as they slowly moved to the beat of the country song carried on the light wind. Trees joined in, swaying and swishing. Birds chirped overhead as if in choir. Her heart beat heavily adding a drum beat.

  The moment could surely be considered romantic.

  “Boone…”

  “Daisy?”

  They were alone. Nothing else in the world existed. Feeling blanketed and secure in his arms gave her the bravery to say, “Last night, the outfit, was for one man.”

  His eyes darkened a shade. “Yeah? Who was the lucky man?” The raspiness of his voice vibrated her nipples.

  “Don’t pretend like you don’t already know.”

  He heaved a disgruntled sigh. “Daisy, you’re a beautiful woman. Any man would be lucky to have you in his life.”

  “But?”

  “You’re Brody’s sister. I know you don’t like to hear that—”

  “My brother doesn’t get to tell me who I am attracted to,” she pushed through tight lips.

  “I made a promise to him a long time ago that you and your sisters were off limits. A cowboy doesn’t break a promise. I’m nothing if not a man of my word.”

  Tears filled her eyes, but she forced them back. They stopped dancing but neither made a move to part. “What this feels like is an easy excuse. If you’re a good enough friend for Brody, you should be good enough for one of his sisters. Is this just your way of letting me down?”

  �
��Daisy…”

  “Don’t do that. Don’t play me with those dazzling eyes, crooked smile and dimples. You might steal hearts with that magnetism but I’m tired of this cat and mouse game you and I have been playing for a long time. Either I’m worth fighting for or I’m not.”

  “Listen—"

  “Maybe you should ask Talia to dance.”

  “Why does everyone think they know what I need.” His gaze turned intense.

  “Track record, Boone. You’ve proven to me and everyone else what you’re looking for in a woman.”

  “You think you know so much, do you?” Several flashes of anger covered his face before he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her to her tiptoes. A millisecond passed before he lowered his lips to hers in a fiery kiss. She pressed against his chest, but her rebuff lasted less than a second before every strand of resistance faded.

  A deep, powerful moan rolled up in his throat as he pressed his tongue between her lips and kissed her into a pool of desire. She tugged at his shirt, clawing at the soft material, hearing a button pop.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The loud booming sound of fireworks going off in the sky above their heads made Daisy react. She jumped and gave Boone a push. What was meant to be only a slight shove ended up being a strong one that caught him off guard. He stumbled back, waving his arms to gain his balance, while his eyes widened. As if happening in slow motion, he lost his footing on the edge of the dock then fell into the murky water with a loud splash.

  Water sprayed her.

  She swiped her gaze from Boone to the flashes of lights shooting straight upward before exploding into a thousand fingers of shades of blue. The magnificent waterfall of light swirled through the sky with whistles and pops before tumbling like a glittering shower.

  “Blue. The color is blue. Boone, Hank and Helena are having a boy.”

  She’d almost forgotten that she’d doused him in the pond.