Cowboy Courage Sneak Peek
When I first started this series, it was going to be three books, and then Emily Baker married the young brother, Justin, who was co-owner of the Longhorn Canyon. She had two brothers, Tag and Hud, back home out in the Texas Panhandle, and they missed their sister, so they bought the ranch next to The Longhorn Canyon. They brought along the Callahan brothers with them to help run their ranch and suddenly the series grew to seven books. Cowboy Courage is Hud’s story and it’s the sixth book in the series. Cowboy Strong will be out in June and the series will officially wind up in the fall with a Christmas novella about Dixie and Landon, two secondary characters in Cowboy Courage and Cowboy Strong.
But I promised you a sneak peek of Cowboy Courage, so here it is:
Hud Baker felt like a rodeo bull in a lingerie shop. Give him a feed store that smelled like hay or a western wear place with the heady aroma of leather and he was right at home, but a gift shop that specialized in scented candles and potpourri—definitely not a place for a Texas cowboy.
Several cute little signs that said if he broke something, he would be buying it were sitting around on several shelves. He was afraid to turn around for fear he’d knock over more than one candle or cute little crystal angel. No one was there to wait on him, and there were no other customers. The bell on the checkout counter beside the cash register had a sign right beside it that said, Ring for assistance.
He took a step forward to ring the bell, stuck his foot in a plastic bowl that had been catching a drip from the ceiling, and stumbled around like a peg-legged pirate. Those little signs about breaking it and buying it flashed through his mind as icy cold water splashed up over the top of his cowboy boot.
“Holy crap! I thought the ceiling had fallen down.” A petite woman came out of the back room with a big box in her hands.
She startled Hud so badly that he spun around and started to fall forward. He reached out to grab something to stop his momentum, but he drew his hands back just seconds before he latched onto a glass shelf. If he brought down a whole rack of those expensive candles and crystal things with the dried grass in them, he’d have to sell his half of the ranch to pay the bill. Finally, he got control, but his foot was still stuck in the oversized bowl, which was had far less water in it since part of it was now in his boot.
“Well, hello Hudson Baker,” She flashed that brilliant smile that he remembered from junior high school. “I wondered if you’d ever get around to coming to see me. I was beginning to think maybe I’d have to call you.”
“Hello to you, Cactus Rose.” He’d thought he’d never see her again, and now she was right there before him—a gorgeous woman in place of a cute teenager—and he started off with that line? He wanted to pop himself on the forehead with his wet boot.
“Just Rose these days. I dropped the Cactus years ago.” She leaned against the counter. “You sure took your own good time about droppin’ by the shop. I’ve been here two weeks.”
He didn’t tell her that he’d driven by the Rose Garden B&B nearly every day, but he had to build up his courage to come inside. She’d been his first love, his first kiss, and he’d never forgotten her—and now she was a grown woman who could have a boyfriend or even a fiancé.
He pulled his foot out of the water and set it down on the tile floor. “I was giving you time to get settled before I dropped by. I answer to Hud now, not Hudson.”
“Guess we’ve both done some changin’.” Her grin got even bigger.
“I hope so.” He wiggled a dark eyebrow. “After all, we aren’t in junior high school anymore.”
“Thank God,” she said.
“And just what does that mean?” he asked.
“For starters, I hope we’ve both learned to kiss a little better,” she laughed.
“Are you married or engaged?” he asked.
“Well, that’s getting right down to it.” She stepped away from the counter, tiptoed and hugged him. “It’s really good to see you again, and no, I’m not married, engaged or even dating.” She took a step back and stared right up into his eyes. “I’ll be here another couple of weeks at the least. Maybe we can remedy that last part?”
“Well, now darlin’, I reckon we could do that for sure.” He drawled.
She’d been pretty sassy and outspoken in junior high school, so that part hadn’t changed one single bit.
“If you’ll give me your phone, I’ll make it easy for you,” she said.
He fished it out of his pocket and handed it over to her. She programmed her number into it and gave it back. Then she picked up his hand and wrote her number on the palm. “Now we have no excuse not to call each other, unless you’re married, engaged or dating. I don’t trespass on another woman’s property.”
“No, ma’am. None of the above.” He shook his head and wondered if she felt the same sparks as he did. “Why didn’t I get a hug when you came to the Christmas party with Alana?”
“Why didn’t you hug me?” she asked.
“Husband.” He held up one finger. “Fiance.” A second one popped up. “Boyfriend.” The third one joined the first two. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“Same reasons here, only you can substitute wife for husband and girlfriend for boyfriend. I am a fighter, but I didn’t want to ruin the party.” She turned around and started across the floor. “We should get this mess cleaned up.”
“Where’s a mop. I made this mess. I’ll clean it up.”
“That’s sweet of you.” Rose led him into the storeroom. “The mop is in the closet along with more of those cheap plastic bowls.”
He found the mop and carried it back out to the shop. “I came to buy my sister a present for her birthday.” He told her.
She laid a hand over her heart. “My poor little heart is broken. I thought you came in just to see me.”
“You lied to me, Rose O’Malley.” He mopped up the water. “You said you’d changed. I don’t see that at all.”
She cocked her head to one side, just like she had the first time he sat down beside her in the school cafeteria. “What exactly do you mean?”
“That you’re still sassy as ever,” he answered.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said. “Now, do you see something you’d like for Emily’s birthday?”
