Wild Rodeo Nights

Wilder Series 2

SANDY SULLIVAN

Copyright © 2010

Chapter One

 
“You son of a bitch!” The words were hissed so low next to his ear, Cole Wilder almost miss it against the thrum of the music.

Beer half way to his lips, he turned around slowly to meet the hazel eyes of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her brown hair hung to the middle of her back, curling slightly at the ends where it brushed at her shoulders. Cole propped his elbow on the bar and cocked his head to the side. “Pardon?”

“Bastard,” she growled. “She’s not even eighteen!”

Cole’s eyes widened, and his thoughts raced backward to the last several weeks. He and Jimmy only arrived in this small town the night before, ready to ride at the rodeo this weekend. He didn’t have a clue what this hellcat was talking about. Silver Ridge, South Dakota wasn't a regular stop for him.

“Ma’am, I really have no…”

“Don’t you ma’am me.” Her eyes sparkled like diamonds even in the muted light of the smoky bar when they raked him from head to toe, branding him with her stare. “She’s knocked up, and you’re responsible.”

“Whoa! Wait just a damned minute here.” All six feet towered over her smaller frame now, but that didn’t stop her as she pressed one finger into the middle of his chest.

“Couldn’t keep your dick in your pants long enough to find out how old she was?”

He backed up, putting a little distance between them, but she stepped closer, her heaving chest almost touching his. “Exactly who are you and who in hell are you talking about?”

A protective snarl left her lips and she growled, “Didn’t even catch her name while you fucked her brains out?”

“I’ll have you know, I’ve never went to bed with a woman whose name I didn’t know first.”

The sneer tugging at her mouth had him cocking his eyebrow when she obviously ignored his statement. “What she ever saw in you, I have no idea. If your dick is as short as your memory, it’s a wonder you figured out how it worked and got her pregnant.”

“Listen, lady. I haven’t gotten anyone pregnant.” He stepped back, but she continued to follow, until he bumped into the man behind him. “Are you always this sweet or is that tongue of yours normally as sharp as cheap tequila?”

“Only when it comes to defending my little sister and making sure the man who got her knocked up owns up to his responsibility.”

“And her name?” Cole knew there was no way in hell he had gotten anyone pregnant. He was way too careful when he bedded a woman, but this little firebrand had him curious. She was fighting mad, hissing and scratching like a lioness defending her cub and from the moment she’d stuck her claws in him, he had been fascinated.

“Jessica Marsh ring any bells in that empty space between your ears?”

A sharp inhalation of breath echoed in the air behind him, and when Cole turned around to look at his friend, the white sheen of Jimmy's skin told him all he needed to know.

“Jim. Care to explain?”

“I—uh…”

“You?” Her eyes swung from him to Jimmy, who sat next to him and then back to meet his gaze. “You aren’t Jimmy?”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but no.”

She stepped back, embarrassment flushing her cheeks while her mouth worked and her jaw clamped so tight he was sure her it probably ached.

“Oh, my God. I’m sorry. I thought…shit.” She spun on her heels and disappeared through the crowd. The last sight he had of her, she turned around and shot him a heated glance across the room. When she disappeared into the night, he wasn't sure why, but he felt like his life had just taken an unexplainable turn he wasn't prepared for.

* * * *

The sun peeked through the thin curtains on the bedroom window, spreading a ribbon of gold across Carrie's face when she rolled over and groaned. Reaching across the bedside table, she smacked the alarm clock as it blared a country song. Sighing, she flipped the covers back and grumbled before she slowly rolled out of the bed and then stumbled toward the bathroom.

Steaming water filled the room with a foggy mist , obliterating her reflection in the mirror over the sink.

“It’s a good thing I can’t see what I look like right now. I probably look like death warmed over after those beers.”

Slipping out of her t-shirt and shorts, she stepped into the stream of water with a heavy sigh. The water sluiced over her, traveling down her chest in rivulets when she tipped her head back.

I never should have gotten drunk last night, but damn! After ripping the guy in the bar, then finding out he was the wrong man…I felt like crap! And I didn't even confront the real guy responsible. Damn!

Finding out yesterday about her baby sister’s pregnancy was enough to send her anger soaring into the clouds. Jessie only turned seventeen eight months ago and with a baby on the way, no father and no parents, Carrie was all she had.

What the hell am I going to do now?

“Get a grip, Carrie. First things first, you need to get the store open for the day. You need the money from the rodeo this weekend to make the bills this month.” The pep talk did the job by boosting her spirits some when she started scrubbing her hair and washing her body. After rinsing clean, she grabbed a thinning towel and quickly dried off.

She slipped on her standard hip hugging jeans, tank top, and boots. Pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she swiped a little makeup across her cheeks before she walked out the door, headed for the shop.

When she pulled into the parking lot, a black Ford truck caught her attention and her eyes narrowed. She didn’t recognize the vehicle. The other truck sitting nearby was Ken Webber's. The big dually truck, painted bright red, always stood out wherever it sat. Ken had been chasing her for years, and he made sure she knew it as well as anyone else within earshot. Coming by the store on a regular basis, he sometimes bought supplies, but he mostly hung out hoping she would relent and go out with him.

Grabbing her purse and keys, she slid out of her old Chevy and slammed the door behind her. She headed for the ribbed steel door, locked against any unwanted visitors, when she heard a voice behind her.

“Hey, Carrie.”

She waved but didn't turn around when she heard Ken’s voice. She didn’t need his annoying presence right at the moment. Her priority had to be getting the store open before the rodeo contestants starting showing up wanting feed or whatever.

Pulling up the sliding door, she unlocked the front and headed for the office to grab the cash bag. The bell above the entrance tinkled when someone pushed it open and walked in.

Probably Ken.
The strange truck could be another customer though.

“I’ll be right there.” She pulled open the small safe, grabbing the cash bag before she walked out and headed for the counter. Her eyes narrowed as she picked out the tall frame of a man looking at the selection of boots along the wall. With his back to her, she couldn’t tell if it was a local or someone from the rodeo. She shrugged after studying him for a moment, sliding the fives and ones into the cash drawer before pushing it shut.

Ken slipped his elbows onto the counter, leaning heavily on the glass under them. The case held a wide array of silver belt buckles, silver jewelry, and accoutrements any rodeo rider would be proud to own.

“Hey, babe.”

“Something I can get for you, Ken?”

“Yeah—you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sorry. I’m not on the available for purchase list. Anything else?”

A soft chuckle reached her ears as she shot a glance over her shoulder at the man she saw earlier. She cocked her head to the side, studying his back. The normal cowboy attire adorned his tall frame, complete with western shirt, Wranglers that hugged his lean hips, the standard black Stetson, and boots that obviously belonged to a rider if she was any judge.

Nice ass on him, too,
she thought until her attention was brought back to the man in front of her.

An exaggerated sigh left Ken's lips before he took her hand in his. “Come on, Carrie, just dinner.”

“No, Ken. I don’t have time with the store and keeping an eye on Jess these days.”

“You can close up a little early. Hell, with your parents not around anymore, there isn’t anyone to tell you what to do now.”

“That’s it! Get out of my store—now!”

“Easy, girl.” He put up his hands in surrender. “What the hell did I say?”

“Get. Out!”

Mumbling under his breath, he whispered, “Damn women anyway.”

Once he was gone, she placed her hands on the counter and dropped her gaze to the floor at her feet. Taking in great gulps of air, she tried to calm the pain in her heart. Her parents died just over a year before in a terrible car accident, leaving her and Jess alone.

“Uh—excuse me. I hate to bug you, but I need a chinstrap for my bridle.”

Her head snapped up at the sound of the voice.

Shit! It can’t be!

The startled look on her face must have been hilarious when a slow smile spread across his full lips, revealing the dimples she hadn’t noticed the night before.

“Well, hello again.”

Great! This is all I need today.

The intense blue eyes of the man she wrongly accused of impregnating her teenage sister stared back.

Shit! The whole town is probably having a good laugh this morning about the scene at the bar last night.

Squaring her shoulders she asked, “What can I get for you?”

He leaned against the counter and repeated with a smile. “A chinstrap?”

“Yeah. Sorry. This way.” She walked around the counter toward the other side of the store. A wide array of tack hung from every corner and every crevice available. “As you can see, there are several styles and colors. I’m sure you should be able to find something that matches.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” She walked back to the counter, leaving him to sort through the selection. The hair on her arms stood on end when she turned and caught his gaze across the aisle before she turned back around to sort through receipts. Not that they needed sorting, but it gave her something to think about besides the man.

Several more customers came in, and she was lost in the shuffle of helping them with their purchasing until thirty minutes later. When the store cleared, he stood next to the register.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you over there by yourself.”

“No problem.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

He held up the strap for her to see as he leaned on the counter, the ring on his pinky finger flashing in the overhead light.

“Ah. Good. Would you like for me to ring it up for you?”

“That’d be fine.” Reaching into his back pocket for his wallet, he lifted his gaze to her and asked, “Can I ask you a question?”

She shrugged, punching the amount into the register. “Sure.”

"Why did you accuse me of getting your sister pregnant? I haven't been in Silver Ridge since last year, plus I've never seen you before, and believe me, babe, I'd remember."

* * * *

Studying her for a second, Cole asked with a smile, “I saw one side of your sunny personality last night at the bar, and it doesn’t seem to be any better this morning. Are you always this grumpy?” He let his appreciative stare roam over her brown hair, hazel eyes, and her full lips just begging to be kissed. His gaze moved a little further down, taking in the breasts pressed against the front of her shirt, not too large, but just enough to fill a man's hands.

She closed her eyes a moment before her gaze met his. “About last night…”

“Yeah. Wanna explain?”

She looked around to make sure there wasn’t anyone else in the store before she leaned slightly forward, giving him an enticing view as her tank top gaped open.

“I just found out yesterday my baby sister is pregnant. She gave me a description of the guy, and I mistakenly thought it was you.” She straightened and squared her shoulders. “Obviously you and your friend have similar features. I guess I assumed it was the better looking of the two of you. From what she told me, she met your friend a few months ago. I'm not sure exactly how they hooked up, but they obviously slept together during their short interlude.”

He cocked an eyebrow when her offhanded compliment met his ears.

“As for my disposition this morning, I got a little drunk last night when I got home and I haven't had enough caffeine yet today.”

“I see.”

She hit a button of the register, and the drawer popped open with a ding. “Your total is nine fifty.”

He pulled out a ten dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to her. “So you run this place all by yourself?”

“For now—yes.” Slipping the money into the register, she pulled out two quarters, pushed the drawer shut, and handed him the change.