The Cowboy Contract (Cowboys of Moss Creek #13)

Chapter 1

Paige

IF SHE NEVER saw another cowboy, it would be way too freaking soon. Watching men so skilled at wrangling animals weighing over a thousand pounds become so damn uncoordinated after a few drinks was embarrassing. For them.

For her it was a fucking nuisance.

She took a calming breath as she crouched down to sweep up the third broken glass of the evening, ready to swing the handle of her broom at anyone who might venture too close.

“You need help with that?” A familiar deep voice stiffened her spine and seized her lungs.

Shaking her head, she braced for what was coming. “Nope.” After quickly shuttling the shards into her dustpan, she straightened, managing a tight smile as Leland’s handsome face came into view. “Thanks, though.”

Her friend’s broad body blocked the path back to the bar, his wide shoulders as effective of a barricade as it got. Made sense considering he was one of Moss Creek’s finest. Setting up barricades was literally part of his job.

He studied her face, his dark eyes probably seeing way more than she wanted as he looked her over. “Rough night?”

Most of them were at this point, but who was counting? Not her. That would be an act of futility. “What was your first clue?”

“The state of your bathroom was a good hint.” Leland glanced down the line of rowdy ranch hands filling the stools of her bar. “The volume in here’s another.” His eyes came back her way. “Plus, you look ready to assault the next person who drops a glass.”

She’d stopped loving how well he could read her years ago. Now it was almost painful. A thorn starting to fester in the wound that was her life.

And she hated it.

She stepped around his big body, weaving through the cowboys milling around the business she’d been running since her dad died, leaving her the owner of Moss Creek’s sole bar.

It was a position she used to love. It helped her to feel close to the only parent she ever knew.

Helped her feel like she wasn’t completely alone in the world without him.

Now she was starting to see why his life went the way it did. The reason she was all he had. This place ruled her life the same way it had his. Ate up all her time and energy. Sure it paid her bills—more than—but at what cost?

Now she knew.

After dumping the shards of what once contained nearly an entire old fashioned into the bin, Paige grabbed one of the towels from the bar and went back to mop up the mess.

But someone beat her to it.

Leland was crouched down, wiping the floor. Not a single patron encroached on his bubble, likely thanks to the uniform he sported. If she was the one down there, they’d be tripping over her, oblivious to her existence, and sliding across the wet floor, making shit even worse.

“Thanks.” She passed him her fresh towel, taking the one he’d stolen while she disposed of the glass. “Didn’t know mopping up bourbon was in your job description.”

Finished swiping the last of the sticky mess, Leland straightened, his six-five frame towering over her just as much now as it did when they were in high school. “There’s probably a lot you don’t know about me.”

She snorted, taking the second rag. “Considering I’ve known you since we were toddlers, I doubt it.”

Technically, their lifelong connection wasn’t the full reason she knew all she did about the man in front of her. It had more to do with the way she remembered everything that came out of his mouth. But that wasn’t a confession she’d be making any time soon.

Or ever, really.

Leland smiled, the expression revealing the deep dimple in his right cheek. “You really think I made it all the way to a full-grown man without having a few little secrets?”

If his smile hadn’t already sent her heart racing, thoughts of what kinds of secrets Leland might have would’ve done it.

She knew his whole family. His parents. His grandparents.

His aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews.

All of them. Knew what sports he’d played in school and what position he held on each team.

She’d seen his report cards and clapped at his acceptance into the police academy.

The only things she didn’t know about him were of a more. .. Intimate nature.

Like how he kissed. What his hands would feel like against her bare skin.

Leland stepped closer, his broad body nearly brushing hers. “I’m sure you have a few secrets of your own.”

The deep rumble of his voice vibrated through her body, making her pulse spike, dragging along her marathoning heart. She swallowed hard, fighting to maintain her composure at his sudden ownership of her personal space. “A few.”

One was probably a bigger issue than the rest.

“That’s what I thought.” Leland reached out, catching a bit of her hair between his fingers and giving it a tug. “You always were sneaky.”

His teasing snapped her out of the stupor threatening her common sense.

She pushed at his chest with a scoff. “I was sneaky because you were freaking fearless.” Putting her eyes on his badge, she angled a brow.

“I wonder if the good people of Moss Creek know how many times you almost got caught toilet papering houses and stealing porch geese.”

Leland smirked. “They’d probably like me better if they did.”

A laugh broke free, tipping her head back and easing a little of her frustration at the evening.

Leland was the best at redirecting her thoughts.

Always had been. Whether it was during exam week in school or through her father’s illness after, her closest friend was always there to help break through the negativity fighting for her focus.

Lord knew she needed it. Especially today.

“Paige.” Delores, one of the bartenders she’d hired to help out on the weekends, rushed up. “The Bridge Bitches are here and they say you’re the only one who knows how to make their drinks right.”

Score one for the universe for getting her the heck away from Leland before she could do something stupid. Like mention the significance of the day that was almost over.

“Gotta go.” Paige thumbed over one shoulder as she started to back away. “Otherwise it’ll be anarchy.”

“Don’t want that to happen.” Leland gave her a wink. “I’ll hang around a while, just in case.”

A smile froze on her face, the expression a mix of happiness because he’d be there, and panic because…

He’d be there.

“Great.” Paige continued backing away, trying not to trip over her own feet as she retreated from a battle she’d never win. One she waged with herself every time Leland was around.

Ducking back behind the bar, she grabbed the tab no one else would touch, and went to work mixing up the collection of cocktails as varied as the women who ordered them. Once they were all finished, she lined them onto a tray and went in search of Moss Creek’s most notorious girl gang.

As expected, they were dominating the largest high-top in the bar, glittering up the place with sequins, skinny jeans, and bedazzled canes. As if they had a sixth sense, every head in the group turned her way, eyes lighting up behind bifocal lenses at the sight of their first round.

“Ladies.” Paige slid the tray onto the table and started passing out glasses. “Nice to see you out and about this fine evening.”

The group came out on a relatively regular basis, but normally earlier in the evening, so when they hadn’t arrived by seven, she hadn’t expected to see their smiling faces.

“It is a fine evening, isn’t it?” Gertrude took her drink and sucked down a few long draws, swallowing the last one before smacking her lips. “I needed that after the day I had.”

“Stop bitching.” Betty rolled her eyes as she slurped down a gulp of her margarita. “It’s your own fault you had a bad day. Everyone told you not to try to do a headstand.”

Paige pressed her lips together, smothering out the smile attempting to work onto her face. “Trying to level up your yoga game?”

The Bridge Bitches had three hobbies—bridge, yoga, and keeping Moss Creek PD on their toes.

The last one was the most concerning, but also the most entertaining.

It turned out, women who no longer gave a shit what the world thought of them were capable of just about anything.

And a lot of it was slightly illegal since they also had decades of bail money saved up and collecting interest they were hell-bent on using.

“I really thought I could do it.” Gertrude huffed out a breath, slouching down in her seat with a wince. “I’ve done way crazier positions than that one in my life.”

“No one wants to hear about your bathroom habits.” Muriel tossed back one of the tequila shots without a hint of a wince. “We all know you went through a hoe phase.”

“I wish I went through a hoe phase.” Betty’s thin lips twisted into a scowl. “Too late now. My kitty’s dry as the fucking Sahara.”

“And who wants to fuck old men?” Agnes scrunched her nose. “Their balls touch the toilet water.”

Paige grinned, wishing she could stay there and ignore all her responsibilities. “Who brought you ladies out tonight?”

“You mean, who’s in charge of babysitting us?

” Gertrude accurately summed up the real question.

“That would be Isla. Evelyn’s assistant.

” Gertrude pointed toward the bathroom, her bony finger aimed right at a pretty young woman with long dark hair and fair skin on her way back from the facilities.

“I think she’s already questioning moving to Moss Creek. ”

“She’s for sure questioning agreeing to drive us around.” Betty leaned closer, lowering her voice as the other woman got closer. “You know she’s only got her learner’s permit? Almost twenty-five and never had a license.”

“You’re awfully judgmental for someone who’s almost eighty and never sucked a dick.” Gertrude delivered the burn with her signature dry tone.

Paige pulled in a slow breath, fighting to keep from laughing as Isla reached the table, her sweet smile and shy demeanor a stark contrast to the group around her.

Hopefully she’d be a good influence on them. Unfortunately, the odds weren’t in Isla’s favor. Chances were high she’d be the one influenced.

Or corrupted, depending on how you looked at things.

“There she is.” Gertrude wrapped one arm around the young woman. “You meet any handsome cowboys on your way to the bathroom?”

Isla’s cheeks pinked up the tiniest bit. “I did not.” Her dark eyes skimmed the sea of Wranglers and Stetsons. “Pretty sure I’m not really on their radars.”

“Then they’re idiots.” Agnes tipped her head to one side. “Which is probably accurate.”

“It’s fine.” Isla slid onto the stool next to Muriel. “I should probably be focused on my job anyway.” Her hesitant smile turned to the women at the table. “And all my new friends.”

A pit formed in Paige’s gut at Isla’s words. She’d been so much like her ten years ago. Quiet. Shy. A decade of focus on everything except her nonexistent social life.

And look where it landed her. Thirty-five. Single for her entire adult life. Spending her evenings cleaning up broken glass and cowboy puke.

“I gotta get back to the bar.” Paige slid Isla’s soda onto the table and left, weaving back through the crowd filling her bank account but draining her tank.

The rest of the night passed the same way it started. More dropped drinks. More unruly ranch hands. More minutes counting down to closing time.

Then she’d get to drive home to her empty house and sleep alone in her empty bed.

Except there probably wouldn’t be much sleeping tonight. Tonight she’d lay awake and think about all the mistakes she’d made. All the opportunities she’d missed. But mostly, she’d think about the agreement she made a decade ago.

An agreement only she remembered.

After everyone had cleared out and all the lights were shut off, she collected her keys and purse and ducked out into the night, head down as she hiked across the empty lot to her car.

She was nearly there when an odd light flared, illuminating a spot beside her driver’s door.

Her steps slowed, but the rate of her heart picked up as a familiar face flickered into view.

“Leland?” She took a shaky breath, creeping closer. “What are you doing out here?”

He was still in uniform, the dark color of the fabric making him blend in with the night.

But she didn’t need to see him to know how the muscles of his shoulders fought against the seams of his fitted uniform shirt.

Didn’t need light to map out the vein running down his forearm.

She knew almost every inch of him by heart.

“Waiting for you.” Leland held up the glowing item in his hand, balancing the sprinkle covered cupcake on his open palm. “Happy birthday, Paige.”