Claiming the Cowboy for Christmas (The Hills of Texas Book 4)
Page 21
Autry couldn’t miss the doubt smothering the fun from all those wonderful words like a wet blanket. He tipped his chair back on two legs, considering his parents. “Probably?”
His mother took the seat beside him, handing him a cup of strong, dark coffee, the pungent scent wafting up to him not helping much with this conversation.
She wrapped her hands around her own steaming mug. “We’re a little… concerned… with your trajectory in life.”
Concerned? Trajectory? “What the hell”—he paused that word at a single raised eyebrow from his father and cleared his throat—“heck does that mean?”
“You need to start taking life more seriously, Son.” His dad laid it out plain. “All the stories we hear about women. It was one thing when you were a teenager, but you’re not anymore.”
Autry snorted. “Ninety percent of those stories are made-up or blown way out of proportion, and I take the ranch damn seriously.”
“Don’t swear in front of your mother.”
The warning would only come once before consequences.
“Sorry, Mom.”
She patted his hand. “What time did you get in last night anyway?”
Autry narrowed his eyes. Evaline Hill was no fool, but this time, she was also way off. “Two. But I wasn’t with a woman.” Not the way they were thinking, at least.
“Where were you?” his dad asked.
Autry crossed his arms and said nothing. Not only had this stopped being anyone’s business except his years ago, but he’d also made a promise. If Michelle’s ex found out, he’d cause problems.
His parents exchanged a glance. “The thing is,” his mom started, “this house is meant for a family. Not a single man, and at the rate you’re going…”
Autry scowled, looking back and forth between them. “Seriously? You want me to get married or something?”
“No.” His mother waved a hand as though dismissing that idea as ridiculous and Autry blew out a pent-up breath. “We don’t want you to marry until you find the right girl.”
“And you’re not going to find her at a bar,” his dad tacked on.
Yeah. He’d also figured that out a while ago. Still, no one else’s business but his. Automatically, he fell back on his trademark grin to cover his growing irritation. “Why not? I’m pretty sure all types of women go to bars.”
“Not the types you hang out with.” His mother patted her graying hair, pulled neatly up in a bun. “So, we have a… deal for you.”
“A deal,” he repeated slowly. Was this seriously happening?
“More of a bet,” his dad clarified.
No fucking way. “You want to bet me the house?”
His dad aimed his own cheeky grin at Autry. “Yup. If you can quit women for six months.”
Autry dropped forward with a thump that made his mother wince. Had he heard that right? “You want me to quit women?”
“That’s right,” his dad confirmed. “No dating, no shenanigans, and definitely no sex. We have a deal worked out that will give you the house, and we’ll move to the Guthrie place.”
His dad went into more details, but Autry only listened with half an ear. Because the rest of his attention was on the fact that he already had this one won.
What his parents didn’t know was that he’d been growing restless the last year or two. The last woman he’d dated, he’d ended it almost six months ago, and hadn’t been in a woman’s bed since. Sure, he’d been on a few more dates here and there, but none that led to anything serious, and definitely not to bed. Not doing that wouldn’t be any kind of hardship.
Six more months would be cake.
The house he’d always loved and grown up in was as good as his.
Find out what happens next…
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If you enjoyed Claiming the Cowboy for Christmas, you’ll love these other Tule Christmas books!
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About the Author
Award-winning contemporary romance author, Kadie Scott, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.
Kadie also writes award-winning paranormal romance under the name Abigail Owen.
For the latest news and exclusive excerpts, subscribe to Kadie’s monthly newsletter here.
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