My Cowboy Sweetheart (Lucky River Cowboys #9)

Chapter 1

Stormy

“Because there’s no place I love as much as I love Lucky River,” I answer after my sister Rainee asks what made me decide to come home back when I did.

After briefly moving to Florida, I discovered that even with all the family drama I left over in the first place, this is where I belong.

My other sister, Tempest, grins at me. “Except in Lucky River your past is never forgotten, and you end up becoming a legend.”

“True,” I say cringing at the reminder that I’m known as the legend of the condom spree.

“Everyone still talks about it down at the diner,” Sunny says with a laugh as she measures another portion of wallpaper to cover the wall behind the bathroom sink.

“He had it coming,” Tempest says fiercely.

My ex-boyfriend did in fact have it coming. He deserved more than what I did. But the why of that is a secret I’ve been keeping to myself. All hell would break loose if my family knew.

“I’m like, if you want someone else, fine. Take a hike,” Tempest adds, still scowling.

“Exactly. It was his loss.” I move my black and white rescue cat, Checkers, from under foot and hold a contrasting paint sample card up against the opposite wall. “Thoughts?”

“Mmm,” they all murmur in unison.

I sigh and pick up a different one. Though our tastes aren’t similar, I’m grateful for their help renovating the small rental home. In exchange for giving the house a little TLC, the owner cut the rent to fit my budget.

Checkers bumps my hand with her head and meows a demand to be petted. For all she’s been through in life, she’s still affectionate and trusting, though she does like to dart outside and create chaos the minute the door is open.

“When I think about what your ex did, I get mad all over again,” Rainee says, putting her hands on her hips and glowering at the wallpaper rolling right back off the wall.

“Same,” I admit.

He dragged our recently divorced momma into the mess.

He had the shriveled raisin balls to walk up to her at her new job and in front of all her coworkers said our family was beneath him. He called her worthless then said that he’d found the one and wanted to be glued to her forever.

He can say whatever to me, but there was no need to make my momma cry.

That is how I became a legend.

He wanted glue? Well, I gave it to him. As a big go screw yourself, I glued hundreds of condom packets to that car he was so proud of. The only things left showing were the headlights.

“You should have condomed his apartment, too,” Tempest says, popping the lid off the first can of sample paint and stirring vigorously.

“The security cameras would have ratted me out. If it wasn’t for Miss Ethel, the sheriff would have caught me at the car with the glue and the leftover condom packets.”

Miss Ethel plays the part of Mrs. Claus every year for the Christmas parade and looks like a sweet angel. But she has a wicked sense of humor and saw me right as I finished decorating that car.

Quick as a wink, she took the glue and condoms from me, dropped them down into her grocery bag and continued her way down the sidewalk like nothing was going on.

It wasn’t even half a minute later that the sheriff pulled up as I was walking down the sidewalk. But because I didn’t have anything on me, there was no evidence. Still, he strongly advised that I stay out of trouble and work through the rest of my anger in a more productive way.

“Poking his pecker around like that and then making our momma cry. What a jerk.” Sunny glares at the light over the sink. “That’s a hideous fixture.”

“Right? I think it’s the dim light bulb,” Rainee says, sitting on the edge of the tub and rubbing her shoulder.

“Well, even if it is the fixture, it stays for now. I’m still living off my savings while I figure out my next move.

” I have a degree in broadcasting and journalism but it’s not the career I want anymore mainly because it reminds me of when my father worked at the local TV station as the weatherman.

He even gave my sisters and me weather-related names. Sunny Sky. Tempest Wind. Rainee Day. Stormy Night. He used to be so popular and kind and a great dad. Until he ruined it all.

Rainee waves her hand to get my attention. “Did you thank Miss Ethel for covering for you?”

“Of course I did.”

There’s a hard knock on the front door and like we spoke her into visiting, it’s Miss Ethel holding a casserole dish.

“You’ve been on my mind lately,” she says, her voice booming as she follows me into the small kitchen. She sets the dish on the table. “And I’ve been thinking that what you need now is a true sweetheart.”

“There aren’t any—” I’m trying to say there aren’t any men I want to date but she cuts me off.

“I know all the single men in town. Most of ‘em are pretty decent.” She frowns and her lips thin. “Except for Moonie Gabe’s oldest. That young man is meaner than a skunk nursing a hangover.”

I think for a second. “I don’t know Moonie Gabe or her sons.”

“Moonie’s the dad. Britches fell to his ankles, and he didn’t have on a lick of drawers. Everything was just a dangling in broad daylight. He bent over to get them and your momma’s the one who gave him that nickname.”

Rainee wanders into the kitchen. “You know him. Roger Stewart, that short guy who thought a cow was choking and he tried to give it the Heimlich.”

I remember now. “Oh, yeah! When he grabbed it, the cow got spooked and dragged his ass all over the town square.”

Miss Ethel lowers her voice. “That’s why the Gabes can’t have more kids. He took a hoof to the nuts and that was that.” She clicks her tongue.

Tempest joins us. “Hey, Miss Ethel.”

The elderly woman beams. “And you could also use a man, too.”

Tempest grins. “In ways that would make you clutch your pearls and tell Santa I was a very naughty girl.”

Miss Ethel belly laughs, then says, “Anyway, Stormy, I was looking for you because I know you felt beholden to me about your lovely car art.”

“Uh…” I smell a trap. But she’s correct in thinking I do feel indebted to her. “Is there something you need help with?”

“I do. I want your help planning and overseeing the rodeo this year. It’ll keep your mind off the breakup,” she says.

I would tell her that my breakup isn’t on my mind, but that’s not true. I still feel embarrassed that everyone and their third cousin knows about it.

Foolishly, I thought Likes Glue was different. I never thought he’d be like my father, the destroyer of love and family.

“The rodeo is a big event,” I say. And most of the town will be there looking at me, offering hugs and telling me they’re on my side. I know this because that’s the way it’s been since the breakup.

Miss Ethel nods “It is. It’s a lot of hard work and late nights.”

“She’ll need help,” Rainee says.

“With what?” Sunny asks as she walks into the kitchen to get a drink of water.

“The rodeo,” Tempest says.

“She can’t do that alone,” Sunny says.

“Of course she can’t.” Miss Ethel smiles, looking quite pleased with herself.

And then I definitely know it’s a trap.

“I’ve already spoken to Kannen. He’ll work with you on it,” she says.

Kannen? My brain supplies descriptions of him: Hot. Sexy. Cowboy.

Late nights together?

My stomach drops.

Get a grip, girl. Oh yeah, I know what I’d like to grip.

No. No. No. I will not let myself want to ride that cowboy.

Didn’t I tell the sheriff I’d stay out of trouble?

I can’t work the rodeo with hot, sexy Kannen because I would be so tempted. Which I can’t do. I promise myself I absolutely will behave.

Even though he’s snug-jeans gorgeous. Even though he has that rock hard body.

I bite the inside of my lip.

My brain swears I’ll keep that promise. Of course I will. No problem.

Then Kannen shows up.