by LuAnn McLane
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 - Bittersweet
Chapter 2 - Wedding Bell Blues
Chapter 3 - Holes in the Floor of Heaven
Chapter 4 - What Was I Thinkin’?
Chapter 5 - The Sooner the Better
Chapter 6 - Big Timin’
Chapter 7 - Ready or Not
Chapter 8 - Never Been Kissed
Chapter 9 - Unexpected
Chapter 10 - This Much I Know for Sure
Chapter 11 - Just Breathe
Chapter 12 - Rednecks Without a Cause
Chapter 13 - Honky Tonk . . . Badonkadonk
Chapter 14 - “Truth or Dare”
Chapter 15 - What a Difference a Kiss Makes
Chapter 16 - Dreamin’ and Schemin’
Chapter 17 - Grillin’ and Chillin’
Chapter 18 - A Little Less Talk
Chapter 19 - Timing is Everything
Chapter 20 - A Leap of Faith
Chapter 21 - Get Your Sexy On
Chapter 22 - Be Careful What You Wish For
Chapter 23 - Moving at the Speed of Love
Chapter 24 - What Matters Most
Teaser chapter
Praise for the Novels of LuAnn McLane
Trick My Truck but Don’t Mess with My Heart
“There’s . . . an infectious quality to the writing, and some great humor.”—Publishers Weekly
“[A] quick-paced, action-packed, romantic romp.”
—Romance Designs
Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues
“Abby shines as the sweet and lovable duckling-turned-swan. Lighthearted comedy and steamy romance combine to make this a delightful tale of a small town that takes Hollywood by storm.”—Romance Junkies
“A hoot a minute . . . LuAnn McLane shows her talent for tongue-in-cheek prose. . . . With sexy wit and characters who have you falling in love with them, Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues is a winning tale not to be missed.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“A fun story filled with plenty of laughter, tears, and all-out reading enjoyment. . . . Readers looking for a good dose of humor with their romance are sure to enjoy Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues.”—Fallen Angel Reviews
“A fabulous story. . . . Get ready for a deliriously funny, passion-filled rumba in this book. . . . The characters come to life on the pages as reality TV hits this small Kentucky town.”—The Romance Readers Connection
“A fun small-town drama starring a delightful . . . lead couple and an eccentric but likable supporting cast.”
—The Best Reviews
“LuAnn McLane makes the pages sizzle. . . . Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues is one of the better romances out there this month.”—Roundtable Reviews
Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots
“An endearing, sexy, romantic romp that sparkles with Southern charm!”—Julia London
“This kudzu-covered love story is as hot as Texas Pete, and more fun than a county fair.”
—Karin Gillespie, author of Dollar Daze
“A hoot! The pages fly in this sexy, hilarious romp.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Charmingly entertaining . . . a truly pleasurable read.”
—Romantic Times
Wild Ride
“A collection of sensual, touching stories . . . Wild Ride is exactly that—a thrilling, exhilarating, sensual ride. I implore you to jump right in and hold on tight!”
—A Romance Review
“Amusing, lighthearted contemporary romances starring likable protagonists.”—The Best Reviews
“Scintillating romance set against the backdrop of a tropical island paradise takes readers to new heights in this captivating collection of erotic novellas. The three tales are steamy and fast-paced, combining descriptive romance with creative love stories.”—Romantic Times (4 stars)
“A solid collection. . . . For readers, it is a ride worth taking with these three couples.”—Romance Reviews Today
Hot Summer Nights
“Bright, sexy, and very entertaining.”
—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Spicy.”—A Romance Review
“Superhot summer romance . . . a fun read, especially for fans of baseball and erotica. This one earns four of Cupid’s five arrows.”—BellaOnline
“Funny, sexy, steamy . . . will keep you glued to the pages.”
—Fallen Angels Reviews
Also by LuAnn McLane
Trick My Truck but Don’t Mess with My Heart
Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues
Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots
SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, July 2008
Copyright © LuAnn McLane, 2008
All rights reserved
eISBN : 978-1-436-26222-4
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
http://us.penguingroup.com
This book is dedicated to my aunt Pat.
Thanks for your support and enthusiasm.
It means the world to me.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the country
music fans who have discovered my books, especially the Toby Keith Warriors. The colorful world of country music continues to influence my writing.
Thanks to Liza Schwartz for your hard work and friendly deadline reminders that keep me on task. I appreciate all that you do to make these books happen. I want to extend a special thanks to my editor, Anne Bohner. Your belief in my writing, even through the rocky road of revision, has made me a better, more confident writer. I can’t thank you enough.
As always, I want to give a big thanks to my agent, Jenny Bent. Your encouragement, support, and knowledge are valued and appreciated.
1
Bittersweet
Just how is it that one of the happiest days of my life can also be one of the saddest? It just doesn’t seem right. A big fat tear slides down my cheek, making me really glad that I had the foresight to fortify my eyelashes with several coats of waterproof mascara. I simply knew I’d be crying buckets at my best friend’s wedding.
“Jamie Lee looks beautiful, doesn’t she?” observes gruff old Irma Baker, who is standing next to me on the church steps. Irma’s wearing a lavender linen suit smelling faintly of mothballs, and a matching pillbox hat perched slightly askew atop her silver curls.
“Yes . . .” A sigh escapes me and my lips tremble. “She sure does.” Jamie Lee is radiant in a soft white, simply cut wedding gown. She’s a no-frills kind of girl but right now she looks elegant.
“Whoo-hoo! That there Griffin Sheldon sure is a mighty fine specimen of a man. Jamie Lee’s one lucky girl. I’m sure gonna miss watchin’ him build my deck. I think I might have to add on.”
“Miss Irma, you’ve already added on to your deck twice.”
Irma gives me a sly grin. “I know. Purty soon my danged deck is gonna be bigger than my house!” she admits, and tosses a handful of rice at the newlyweds. “But just lookie at him, all tall and studly in his tuxedo. I betcha he’s gonna rock Jamie Lee’s world. He sure could rock mine, doncha know.” Miss Irma crooks one eyebrow. “You need someone to rock your world, Macy. I’m thinkin’ bodacious Luke Carter could be your ticket. That man’s got a butt you could bounce quarters off.”
“Miss Irma!” I hiss, and hope no one heard her. Luckily all the attention is on the newlyweds. “Hush!”
“I’m just sayin’.” She shrugs her narrow shoulders and then twists open the gold clasp on her lavender patent-leather pocketbook to dig out her Virginia Slims. “Dang, I need a cigarette just thinkin’ about it. You’ll have to excuse me,” she apologizes, and at least has the grace to walk away from the church before lighting one up.
While shaking my head, I have to grin as I watch her puff curls of smoke skyward, but my focus goes back to Jamie Lee and Griff, who are being showered with rice and hugs. I’m happy for them, really happy, but it also hits me hard that my best friend since my sandbox days is married, and while I’m certain we’ll always be as close as sisters, realistically I know that her marriage changes everything. I toss a handful of rice a little too hard, hitting Jamie Lee in the back of the head. Some of it sticks to her golden hair, which was artfully arranged by me. We tried about a dozen different updos in our salon but in the end the simple knot at the nape of her neck was perfect.
As if reading my mind, Jamie Lee turns and gives me a reassuring smile that says she knows and understands. That’s the way it’s always been between us. My throat tightens and my eyes well up as I toss another handful of rice, a bit more gently this time. Tears spill over and slide down my cheeks, dripping onto my bouquet of wildflowers. I dearly need a tissue, but of course I don’t have one.
“Hey, are you okay?” asks a deep voice that will forever make my heart skip a beat. Without turning around I know that Luke Carter, Jamie Lee’s brother and the unrequited love of my life, is standing on the step behind me. “Here.” He comes down to the step beside me and reaches in his breast pocket. “Looks like you could use this.” He offers me a snow-white handkerchief that I gratefully accept.
“Thanks.” I look up at him and try for a smile but all I can manage is a wobble of my lips. Even though I’m wearing three-inch, dyed-to-match-my-dress heels that are already killing my feet, Luke towers over me, six foot four inches of masculine beauty. Before today I had never seen him in a tux and I have to say that it is a sight to behold. Holding my bouquet with one hand, I daintily dab at the corner of my eyes. I dearly need to blow my nose, but I’m afraid of the dreaded honking noise that sometimes plagues me when I blow. When Luke reaches his hand toward me I’m confused, but then realize he’s offering to hold the bouquet. With another lip wobble that comes closer to a smile, I hand the flowers to him and continue my dabbing, this time at my nose.
“Hope Griff knows what he’s getting himself into.” Luke nods his dark head toward his sister and best friend.
“Oh, if there’s anyone who can handle her, it’s Griff.”
“Yeah, he’ll keep her in line.”
My head snaps up and I momentarily cease my dabbing. I get a little feisty when it comes to comments like that but since it’s Luke I bite my tongue, although I do sort of narrow my eyes.
“Whoa there, I’m just teasin’.” He grins down at me and I try not to blush like a schoolgirl. “Griff worships the ground she walks on.”
“I know,” I say wistfully, wishing someone would worship my ground . . . like maybe him.
“Ready to kick up your heels at the reception?”
I nod and brighten a bit at the thought of the evening of fun ahead of us. “Hey, speaking of heels, were you the one who wrote Help me in white shoe polish on the bottom of Griff’s shoes?”
“Who, me?” He jabs his thumb at his chest and tries for an innocent expression but the laughter in his blue eyes gives him away.
“Jamie Lee’s gonna kill you when she sees the video tape! Luke, it wasn’t right to make light of such a serious event.” I give him a stern frown.
Luke leans down and says close to my ear, “Oh, come on, it was priceless. Admit it.”
I would admit that it was pretty darned funny and in truth Jamie Lee is going to laugh, but with his mouth so close to my ear that his warm breath causes a tingle to travel down my spine all I can manage is a mute nod.
“Thought so,” he teases, and straightens back up. The sleeve of his jacket brushes against my bare arm and I shiver even though it’s a warm summer evening. I wonder if the man has any idea what he does to me. “You want to ride to the reception with me in the limo?”
I swallow hard. Except for the flower girl and the ring bearer, Luke and I were the only ones in the wedding party. Unlike her mother, Jamie Lee wanted things small and simple.
“Jamie Lee and Griff are going to take the traditional ride in rocking chairs in the back of Dad’s pickup truck. We might as well use the limo since the driver’s still on the clock.”
Luke looks at me expectantly and I realize that I’m supposed to answer. A tight ball of nervousness clenches at my stomach. “Um, okay, but then I won’t have a car.” The reception is a buffet on the lawn of Jamie Lee’s family’s farmhouse.
“Don’t worry.” He hands me the bouquet. “I’ll drive you home.”
“All right,” I agree, hoping that my voice doesn’t sound as breathless as I feel.
“And if we drink too much I’m sure Mama won’t mind if you crash at the house.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” I assure him with a wave of my hand.
Luke arches one eyebrow down at me. “I know you better than that, Macy McCoy.”
“Well okay . . . it probably will be,” I admit with a grin. Not that I hadn’t stayed over at Jamie Lee’s many times over the years. With the passing of my own mama early on and my daddy busy working, the Carter household was my home away from home. Jamie Lee’s mama would be pleased as punch if I ever hooked up with Luke. She even drops hints, but that’s not going to happen, so I don’t know why I’m letting my mind wander in that direction. Luke Carter was a hometown football sensation here in Hoo
tertown, went on to play college ball, and now, after coaching the Payton Panthers to the NCAA Division II Championship, has risen to a new level of hometown hero. Why, they recently had a big parade for the Panthers and then named a street after Luke! There’s buzz around town that Division I colleges are courting him, so it’s likely he’ll be moving up to bigger and better things soon anyway.
“Ready?” Luke asks, and politely puts his hand on my elbow, guiding me across the church lawn to where the limo awaits. I have to walk on my toes so my narrow heels don’t sink into the soft ground. When we pass by Miss Irma, she gives me a wink and a thumbs-up, drawing a questioning glance from Luke. “What was that all about?”
“Darned if I know,” I tell him, hoping my cheeks aren’t flaming. The driver opens the door and the silky material of my green dress slides across the smooth leather seat. Jamie Lee chose the color to complement my auburn hair, which has been my color of choice for at least a while, although I have been contemplating blond highlights. As hairdressers, we (especially me) frequently change our color and cut. Right now my hair is shoulder length and slightly wavy from the remains of an earlier perm that I dearly hated. Today I opted for a classic French twist, letting a few tendrils trail down my neck. Jamie Lee told me that I looked amazing, and if I were only twenty pounds lighter I would have believed her.
“Would you mind taking this?” Luke removes his jacket and hands it to me through the open door.
“Sure.” The jacket is warm from his body and smells of his spicy aftershave. It’s all I can do not to bring it to my nose for a better whiff but he’s already sliding onto the seat beside me.
“Thanks, I was burning up in that thing. I really want to loosen this tie but Jamie Lee warned me that there will be even more pictures over at the house,” Luke complains with a good-natured shake of his head.