Cowboy Boone (Cooper's Hawke Landing Book 4)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  With a gasp, she bent at the edge. He stared up at her in both confusion and disbelief. “What the hell, Daisy?” he groaned.

  Her irritation had faded into laughter. “I guess that’s one way to cool things down.”

  “Is that right? Are you going to help me out of the water?”

  “Swim to the ladder and I will.” She moved to the end of the dock and held out her hand. She should have realized what would happen next…

  He took her offering and pulled her in next to him.

  Her squeal was muffled as she hit the water face first. She came up, gurgling and sputtering, pushing the wet strands of hair out of her eyes. “Boone! How dare you!”

  “How dare I?” His laughter made her frown.

  He swam to the ladder and climbed out, looking a lot like a swamp thing—but much better looking. His hair and clothes were plastered to him. He stood in a puddle, staring down at her, a grin on his lips. “At least you didn’t ruin my best pair of boots.”

  Climbing the ladder, she pulled herself out, dripping from head to toe and realizing the dress dipped dangerously low on her breasts. “Now what will I do?”

  “You have enough heat to dry yourself.” He pulled on his boots and picked up his hat.

  She stomped up the length of the dock, passing him in a huff. Out of the corner of her eye she looked at him, choking down laughter. They must look a sight. Stopping to grab her boots, she didn’t bother pulling them on as she continued up the grassy knoll.

  Halfway to her truck she saw Chynna who looked like she’d swallowed a golf ball whole. “Haven’t you heard of skinny dipping?”

  “I’ll remember that next time.”

  Continuing on, she despised the feeling of her wet panties rubbing her inner thighs.

  Daisy didn’t dare look back to see where Boone had gone. To hell for all she cared.

  Life was too short to spend it worrying over a cowboy who’d never be hers.

  Now if only her heart would get the memo.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Boone cast his fishing line into the calm lake water and scooted up into the tailgate of his truck. He’d gotten to the campsite early that morning, popped up his tent, started a fire, cooked some fish, and was now nursing a cold long neck as the day was closing in. He didn’t check the time but guessed it had to be around seven.

  This, without a doubt, was his favorite time of day when everything seemed calm, even the sky. He’d needed this mini-vacation, and needed to get his head on straight, especially after the frenzied discussion with Daisy yesterday. Although taking an unexpected swim in the murky pond had cooled his body, nothing could have dampened the scorching need in his gut.

  He’d watched her walk away, dripping and clothes fitted to her backside, the swaying of her firm bottom leaving him rigid and pained. He’d had no choice but to disappear into the privacy of his small house on the farm and take care of business. Still, he’d been haunted with visions of Daisy. Every time he closed his eyes. Ate. Drank. Breathed. She’d embedded herself in his blood that poured like acid through his veins.

  Now what?

  Boone didn’t like messy and getting involved with a best friend’s sister was madness, at least he guessed it would be.

  What if he called Brody and confessed?

  What could Boone say?

  “I want your sister. She wants me. Get over it.” No, that wouldn’t work. How about, “I know you think I’m a walking dick when it comes to women, but actually I only want your sister.”

  Fuck.

  Not having a sister he had no clue what a man would want to hear in this situation.

  He glanced over the water that reflected the bright orange of the sun as it lowered over the treetops. Usually a quiet fishing hole and a pole did wonders for him. Now he was a ball of tension.

  There was no winning in this situation. He either hurt Daisy, who he respected and admired, or his buddy who’d wring his neck and probably would never speak to him again.

  What was a cowboy to do?

  Boone rubbed his jaw. This was what a man called stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  He’d just leaned his pole against a tree when he heard tires on the narrow lane. Who would dare disturb his peace? No one knew he was out here, except for…

  “Care for company, Cowboy?”

  He blinked, wondering if he was imagining Daisy standing in the campsite. He lowered his gaze over the white ribbed tank top and fringed jean shorts that showed off her amazing body. No, even his imagination didn’t work this well.

  “Miss your turn, did you?” He went to the fire and placed another log on to prepare for dinner.

  She swiped off her sunglasses. “I figured if I managed to find his spot then it was meant to be. It’s been years since I’ve been out here.” She hooked her thumbs in her front pockets and slanted one hip. “If you invite me to stay, I might share the homemade cherry pie I brought with me.”

  “You made it?” His mouth salivated. He loved a good pie.

  “I wish I could take credit, but you know I don’t bake often. I stopped to see your Ma and she gave it to me. Say the word and I’ll grab it from the car.” Her smile made his chest tighten.

  “In that case, grab it. Want some fish? I was getting ready to put a couple over the pit.” Boone knew he should send her away. After all, he was here to get his head back on straight and the gnawing ache in his balls warned him that having her close would deter his plan.

  “Be back in a jiffy.” She scaled the worn path and he watched her, feeling his zipper grow. She filled out the shorts nicely.

  By the time she came back he had the fish on the stake and over the fire. Honestly, he was glad to have her company. The quiet usually didn’t bother him much but he’d been a bit restless all day.

  She set the pie plate covered in plastic wrap on the small table he’d set up and came over to sit on one of the tree stumps. “The fish already smells delicious.”

  “Nothing compares to food cooked over the fire.” He opened a can of baked beans and poured them into a pan. He added brown sugar, mustard and ketchup, stirred them well, then set the pan on the rack close to the fire where they’d warm while the fish cooked. This was the life and somehow having Daisy here too made it even better. “Want something to drink? I have beer and water.”

  “I’ll take a water.”

  He grabbed her an ice-cold bottle from the cooler and handed it to her. She held it against her forehead and water droplets fell to her top. He could see the shadowing of her erect nipples under the thin material.

  Boone felt like he’d been kicked by a horse.

  Get yourself on track, man.

  He pulled up a bucket, turned it over and sat down. “Did you really come out here to bring the pie?”

  “Yes. No. Partially. I guess I wanted to use it as a peace offering. I’m sorry I pushed you into the water at the party. I truly didn’t mean to.”

  He shrugged and swiped his hand down his bare chest. He’d taken his shirt off the second he got to the site. “No apology needed. I’m probably the one that should be saying sorry since I intentionally pulled you in.”

  “I’ll forgive you if you tell me you managed to convince Jinx to do the concert.” Her eyes were bright and her cheeks pink.

  “Ahh…now I see. You actually want information.” He stretched his legs and hooked his ankles. “I spoke to him late last night and he agreed. I forgot to send you a message.”

  “Good thing, otherwise, I would have lied to the council when I said we had Jinx in our pocket.”

  “You, naughty girl, you,” he teased.

  “I had great confidence in your ability.” She leaned back on her hands which sent her breasts thrusting forward. For a woman who didn’t seem seductive certainly did have sexy seeping from every pore. She extended her toned, tanned legs and rested her flip-flopped feet on a stick and dropped her cheek to one shoulder. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her arm. “Now the next big question. W
here do we have the concert? I have a feeling he’s going to bring people in like waves, so it needs to be large enough to handle a crowd.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that too. How about the barn at Hawke Farm? We have the new building, plenty of space outdoors and the location is great.”

  “I think that is a great idea, but have you spoken to the family to make sure they’re okay with playing host?”

  “They won’t put up a fuss. One caveat. We’d need to have the shindig before things get busy again. Can we pull it off in a month?”

  One brow lifted. “It’ll be tight, but I’m up for a challenge.” The corner of her lips danced with a smile. He had a feeling she’d do fine against any challenge.

  “What’s left to do?”

  “Considering you secured the entertainment and donated the venue, I think I can handle most of the other things. We’ll just need to meet a few times to make sure we’re on the same page.” She sat straight and swiped her hands together. “That wasn’t too painful, was it?”

  “Nah. Fish looks like it’s done. Hand me one of those paper plates.” He needed a moment to gain his bearings before he forgot why he couldn’t sleep with her.

  *****

  Daisy headed for the edge of the water, slipped off her flip-flops and shimmied out of her shorts.

  “What are you doing?”

  Hearing Boone’s choked words, she finished dragging off her shirt then looked at him across the rocks. His expression made her laugh. “I’ve been eyeing that rope swing since I got here. Have you tried it out to see if it’s safe?”

  “It’s safe.”

  “You coming?” She didn’t feel a bit self-conscious or awkward standing in front of him in her bra and panties. The way she saw it, the scrap of lace and satin covered as much as any of her bikinis.

  “Daisy…”

  “Boone…are you chicken?”

  “There are many things I’m scared of but a swim at sunset isn’t one of them.” His eyes were bright.

  “Suit yourself but I’m going in.” Feeling more like herself than she had in a long time, she made her way up the worn grassy path, reached out to grab the rope and held it tight in her hands. Looking back, Boone was still watching her. “Here I go.” She jumped and wrapped her feet around the rope, swinging out over the water, laughing like she was a kid again.

  Dropping, she fell into the water and when she came up, Boone wasn’t watching any longer. She swept her gaze around the campsite but didn’t see him.

  “Watch out,” he said.

  Daisy found him holding the rope. He’d stripped off everything but his blue striped boxers. “Go for it, Boone!” she encouraged.

  His biceps flexed into beefy guns as he swung on the swing. He even added a somersault as he dropped and splashed into the water. He swam over. “You’re a bad influence.” His eyes looked bluer against the lake water.

  “Come on, you know that was fun. It’s been years since I’ve done this.” It felt good to let everything go and just enjoy herself. She’d turned for only a second and lost sight of him. “Boone? Where’d you go?”

  Nothing.

  “This isn’t funny.” She dipped down into the water, but it was too murky to see two inches in front of her face let alone to find Boone.

  Starting to worry, she swam to the deeper part of the water and squealed when large hands clamped her waist, picked her up in the air, and tossed her. She came up, dripping, giving him a narrowed eye. “That was sneaky.”

  “Yeah, and you coming out here to West Peak was a bit sneaky too.” He laughed.

  “You did invite me, remember?” She treaded water.

  “I did?”

  “You told me where you’d be. I think you wanted me to show up here.”

  “Sure, because I love torturing myself,” he growled.

  “Me being here is torture?” She didn’t know how to feel about his admission.

  He stared at her across the few feet of water. “You should know by now what you do to me.”

  “No, really I don’t. You’re like a water faucet. Hot and cold. Using my brother as a reason why we can’t be together is a sorry excuse. We’re all adults.”

  “Damn, Daisy. I don’t see you going to Brody and telling him how you feel about me. It’s easy to point fingers but hard to self-reflect.”

  He got her there.

  “I don’t have to ask my brother for permission and neither do you.”

  Without another word, he left the water, picked up his jeans and boots and headed back toward camp. She heard him yell, “Go home, Daisy!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “I can’t believe how much we’ve accomplished in just a few days,” Daisy told Boone after she closed her notebook that was full of valuable information. “Food trucks, stage, Jinx, venue…all in order. I can’t say again how wonderful it is for you to offer Hawke Farm for the location.” She pushed back her chair at the table in her office at Daisy Bloom Flower Shop and got up to pour herself more coffee.

  “What can I say other than I’m exceptionally good at this.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him. Seeing his smile she realized he was pulling her chain, something he enjoyed doing often. Neither one of them had mentioned what happened at the camp last week and they were at an impasse of sorts. She refused to go to Brody and ask if she could sleep with Boone. It was none of her brother’s business, and certainly not a subject she cared to discuss with him no matter what. If Boone had a problem then he should be the one to speak to Brody, but he hadn’t which told her a lot.

  For the last three evenings they’d met to discuss and plan the concert and they worked proficient together. She’d also worked hard to keep every conversation on a business focus. “Seven A.M. will come early on the day of the event.” She sipped her strong coffee. “The last I checked we’ve already sold two hundred tickets and have received two thousand in monetary donations. This makes my heart proud. And Jinx sending his assistant to help smooth out the details has been a godsend. I learned so much from her.”

  He peeled his brawny frame out of the chair and stood, hooking his thumbs in the front pockets of his faded jeans. His hat was off exposing his thick, wavy hair and he had a layer of whiskers on his jaw. The white T-shirt fit him amazingly. “He’s a great guy. I think he’s glad that he’s coming out of his cave.”

  “What made him retreat? I know you said the star scene wasn’t a fit for him, but it just feels like there’s more to the story.”

  “I don’t really know and I don’t plan to ask.”

  “You’re right. It’s none of my business either.” She set her cup on the counter and checked the time. “It’s getting late.”

  “I think you and I deserve a beer and steak at Pelican. My treat.”

  “Tonight?” Her nipples tingled. He was inviting her to dinner. So the faucet knob was set on hot.

  “Yes.”

  “Sorry. I can’t.” Her shoulders naturally slumped. “Duty calls. I have to deliver flowers to a honeymoon cabin close to TripEase this evening.”

  “How about I go with you and when we’re finished we can head to Pelican?”

  She absorbed his offer. “You want to go with me on a delivery?” She laughed.

  “Don’t look so shocked. I’m free for the rest of the evening. Since the trails have been closed for three days on the mountain because of landslides the team and I haven’t been needed on any rescue missions. So I’ve been a little bored.”

  “Outside of delivering the arrangements I also have to set them up. It might be a few hours.” Logic told her she should come up with a reason to deny his offer, but to keep from lying to herself, she liked the idea of having him along. Usually she worked alone, unless Chynna came along on rare occasions.

  “Then we’ll really work up an appetite. I’d like to see your work.”

  Searching his face, she saw no sign that he was teasing. “Okay. The delivery van is already loaded.” She grabbed her purse and jacket
off the hook. “One warning, this isn’t as adventurous as a search and rescue mission.”

  “So I can leave my rope and rescue kit at home? I actually find flowers pretty interesting.”

  “I think you’re exaggerating.” She grabbed her keys from her purse, shut off the light and led the way to the back door. The van with her brand logo “Daisy Bloom” was parked in the back parking lot. The rain was still coming down hard and hadn’t let up for days. “We’re going to have to make a run for it.”

  “Only one of us is sweet enough to melt in the rain.” He chuckled.

  “I’ll second that,” she teased.

  He almost caused her to choke on her saliva when he grabbed her hand and together they made a mad dash for the van. He didn’t head for the passenger seat, but instead stopped to open the driver’s door for her. She slid inside, a chill racing over her body until he slid in and his warmth spread over her.

  “I didn’t melt but I sure am cold.” She started the engine, turned up the heat and windshield wipers to high, then pulled out onto the main road.

  “Do you deliver flowers often?” he asked.

  “Pete does most of them, but on occasion I get a request to set up. The groom wants to make the honeymoon special by filling the cabin with flowers and candles.” She stopped at a red light and looked over at him. He’d taken off his hat and hooked it on his knee.

  “Hopefully, she isn’t allergic to flowers. That’d definitely spoil things.”

  “I’d hope they know things like that about each other before getting married.” She flipped on her signal, turned right and sped up on the quite road. “I heard a rumor that Mitch is seeing Katherine again.”

  “Really?”

  “You didn’t know?” She glanced at him across the seat.

  “No. Believe it or not my friends and I don’t touch base every day and we don’t feel the need to discuss our personal lives.”

  “And you think women do?”

  “You don’t think I know about the Cooper’s Hawk Book Club. Do you ladies meet every few weeks to discuss books, or our small town and its particulars? I heard there’s less talk about literature and more about who’s dating who.”