by Allie Bock
My Cowboy Crush
Cowboys of Sunnydale, Volume 1
Allie Bock
Published by Allie Bock, 2020.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
MY COWBOY CRUSH
First edition. April 7, 2020.
Copyright © 2020 Allie Bock.
ISBN: 978-1393770527
Written by Allie Bock.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Epilogue
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About the Author
To Zack. I know reading romance isn’t your thing, but thank you for reading my stories and being a great little brother.
Chapter 1
Katie
I strode up the stone pathway to the white doors of the park pavilion. Nerves shook my body causing my palms to be clammy, my heart pounded, and my body to sweat more than normal. Breathe, Katie. You’ve got this. I closed my eyes for a second to steel my nerves. Then, I pushed open the doors with a loud screech. Swarms of women scurried around the large open room. No one noticed me as I took another step inside. A large breath escaped as I scanned the room for the one person I was looking for.
“Katie, you finally made it!” The bride-to-be rushed at me from the center of the room.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch us. My anxiety skyrocketed, making my chest hurt. I rubbed at my sternum as I took in another breath. They paused for a moment before resuming their decorating.
“Um, I just got here.”
The bride-to-be, Annie, wrapped me into a big hug and bounced up and down.
“I’m getting married!” She screeched.
I winced at the pitch, but I couldn’t help smiling at the other woman. Her shiny black hair bounced around her shoulders. It contrasted nicely with her ivory lace dress and faded cowboy boots.
“I’m just so glad you are here,” she whispered in my ear, “Come on.”
She took my hand and led me to the far corner. She opened a small door and shoved me into a dark closet. The door shut softly behind her with a click. The dust tickled my nose as the moldy smell suffocated me.
“What are we doing in here?” A sneeze erupted from my nose.
I covered my mouth and nose with my hand. My eyes adjusted to the darkness. Cobwebs suspended in the corners. A couple of discarded folding chairs leaned against the back wall. A large yellow spider dropped from the ceiling and hung inches above her head as she leaned close to me.
“I need your help.” Her blue eyes grew wide as they searched my face.
“OK.” Where is she going with this? Is that spider going to drop on to her head?
“Katie, pay attention.”
“Sorry, there’s a big spider up there.”
“Don’t worry about the spider. I need your help.”
“You’ve said that.”
“My wedding photographer is in the hospital.”
“Oh no.” I gasped, inhaling a breath of dust. Coughing. “Is everything alright?"
"Her baby was born a preemie. They are both still in the hospital. I know that this is a lot to ask, but you’re the only one that can help me.” Tears glistened in the corner of her eyes. “Can you, please, take pictures of the wedding? For me?”
I backed up until my back hit the wall. A shower of dust fell onto my shoulders. The large yellow spider scuttled back up her silk to hide in the rafters.
“Um, doesn’t she have a backup?” I coughed and sputtered in the dust.
“It was supposed to be her partner but she got thrown from a horse and broke a leg. I need you to do it.”
I glanced around but there was no way out. My palms started to sweat, again.
“But I only do landscape and nature photography.” Panic rose in my chest.
“Please.” She clasped my hands in hers.
“But photographing people is hard. They don’t listen to me.” My hands shook. “The lighting has to be perfect. Everyone needs to be looking at the camera.” My thoughts jumped ahead and I got lost in them for a minute. “Plus, it’s a wedding. I’ve never done a wedding before!”
“But you do such beautiful work. How hard would it be to add people to your landscapes?”
How hard indeed? “People” My voice sounded weak to my ears. My mind trudged like it was stuck in fudge. “It’s not really in my wheelhouse. Or even within a hundred miles.”
“Please, say you’ll do it for me? It’s my wedding, I need this to be perfect.”
I nodded. That didn’t make me feel any better. But this was a big deal for Annie. And she had always been a big supporter of my work.
“I want this to go well. If you do it, you’ll be saving the day.” She pleaded.
My heart sunk at her words. Annie was always good at getting me to do things for her. She knew what buttons to push to get me to cave. And she did need help.
“Fine, I’ll do it.”
She squealed and gave me another hug before opening the closet door.
“Perfect! Here is a list of pictures I want to be done.” She thrust a large binder into my hands. “See what you can do. Here’s the itinerary for the wedding. And I’ll get you an assistant.” She bustled away.
An assistant? I sat down on a nearby bench as my head swam. My relaxing weekend away to see my old babysitter get married just turned into the stuff of my nightmares.
Levi
I SLAPPED THE DUST from my cowboy hat before shoving it on my head. I loved my sister, but the whole wedding nonsense drove me crazy. I’d rather be branding two hundred calves than delivering Annie’s wayward balloons. But here I was. My fist grabbed a hunk of ribbon and tugged the fifty white and ivory balloons. They fought for freedom, blocking my view as I stumbled my way into the pavilion. I fumbled for the doorknob until the door opened and I stepped into the large room. A couple of balloons stuck to the door frame, stopping my forward progress. I turned to pull them into the room. With a loud squeak, they released from the door frame. I stumbled backward, my arms flailed, and balloons floated to the ceiling. With a thud and a soft cry, someone broke my momentum. We went down in a pile of arms and legs.
“Levi, are you OK?”
Annie bent over me as she extracted the woman underneath me. She was curvy with bouncy blonde hair. She straightened her skirt before looking at me. Her blue eyes widened when our gazes met. The breath caught in my throat as recognition dawned on me.
“You remember Katie Kisment?” Annie flung an arm over the girl’s shoulders.
“Of course.” I swept my cowboy hat from my head as my heart thundered in my chest. “It’s good to see you.”
A pretty blush colored her cheeks. Boy, has she grown up. I haven’t seen her for five years when she went off to college. Back then, she was a shy teenager who’d barely say hi to me. She dyed her pretty blonde hair black and wore baggy black clothes. She didn’t smile much and hid behind chunky black glasses. I preferred her current natural blonde and blue glasses. She looked lovely and my body responded to her. I could stare into her blue eyes forever.
“Earth to Levi.” Annie waved her hand in front of my face.
“Yup.” I drew my gaze from the stunning beauty next to her and collected the balloons I could reach.
“Katie needs an assistant for the wedding. And I need you to help her.”
I froze in mid-reach. I loved my sister but I was trying to stay out of the wedding. I just wanted to shine my boots and walk my mother down the aisle.
“What?” I stuttered.
“She’s going to be my photographer since my original one is in the hospital. She needs help and you’re going to help her.” She poked me in the chest, hard. She spun on her heel and stalked off to torment someone else.
I caught the last balloon before turning to Katie. Her eyes were wide and her mouth opened into a little O. I smiled at her as she wrung her hands together.
“I don’t know anything about being a photographer’s assistant.”
“That’s fine.” A smile tugged at her lips. “I’ve never done a wedding.” She stage whispered, causing me to laugh.
“That makes two of us. I’ll take these over to my mom.” I motioned to the grey-haired woman by the archway. “Then, I am at your beck and call.” I winked at her as I walked past.
My head spun as I crossed the room. I had to spend the next thirty-six hours being with the one girl I’ve crushed on. The one girl that was off-limits, because I worked for her family. There were three rules to working on the Kisment ranch. No fighting, no drugs, and no dating their only daughter. It was shaping up to be a long wedding. I had to live the next several hours without losing my heart or my job.
Chapter 2
Katie
I clutched the binder and iternary to my chest. My heart pounded so hard I thought others could hear it. Levi was going to help me take pictures. He was going to help me take pictures of people, at a wedding.
I didn't know which one was more anxiety-producing. The handsome cowboy with his shaggy black hair and dark grey eyes, taking pictures of people, or hoping that everything turned out great because these were once in a lifetime wedding photos. I searched in my pocket for a Tums. No luck. Levi walked to the archway where his mother was attaching balloons to it. His jeans looked good on his long legs. What was I thinking? Get it together, Katie. He was not my type. He'd never noticed me before, even when I had a huge crush on him in high school. Those were the days. My tongue swelled in my mouth and my throat closed up whenever he glanced my way. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I headed outside to my truck. The noon sun beat down on the asphalt and heat rose from the surface. It was going to be a scorcher this weekend. It was always hot in south Texas on the Fourth of July.
"I should've worn shoes," I muttered to myself as my flip flops slapped the pavement.
The heat started to burn the bottom of my feet. Finally, I reached my beat-up old truck. The paint was peeling from the doors and an old dent stood out on the tailgate. I pulled out my camera and checked the lens. Everything was in my bag. Annie was lucky I traveled with my camera at all times. The perfect picture could happen at any time. I slung the nylon strap over my head and opened the binder on the hood of my truck. There were pictures of people posing by trees, in long grass, by a waterfall, being backlit, and close-ups.
"She doesn't do anything halfway, does she?"
"No, she doesn't." The low timbre of his voice jolted me from my thoughts.
"Don't sneak up on a girl." My hand flew to my chest to contain my galloping heart.
"It's impossible to sneak wearing spurs." He set one booted foot on the tire of my truck and leaned toward the binder. The spur in question glinted in the sunlight. "She has a lot of ideas." He turned the page. "Are you going to get all of these?"
I shrugged. "I've to check out the park first and see what would work."
"Ma'am, I am at your service." He bowed low, sweeping his hat from his head.
He winked as he straightened to his full height. He was a whole head taller than me. Most men were as I was barely five foot three. The grey in his eyes was the color of storm clouds on a winter day. He gently touched my shoulder, jerking me back to reality.
"Katie, are you ok?"
"Yep, never better." I snapped the binder shut, grabbed my backpack from the passenger seat, and placed the binder in it. "Let's get started, cowboy."
I marched off to the grove of trees beside the pavilion. Levi's spurs jingled with each step he took as he followed behind me. I sighed. It was going to be a long weekend.
A few hundred yards away from the pavilion was a small stand of oak trees. Their trunks twisted to the sun while pale green lichen grew on their bark. These weren't the stately oaks of the east, but their wiry, scrappy cousins. They fought against drought, extreme heat, and pests. The trees intertwined in a complicated dance with their branches reaching out over an open space. I marked off the area and framed it out in my mind. I took a couple of practice shots, but without people, it would be hard to tell.
"Levi," I turned to where he stood, leaning against a tree. "Can you stand between the trees? I need to be able to gauge the lighting."
His brow furrowed at my request.
"The wedding will be in just over 24 hours from now. The light will be similar. Please."
He slowly made his way to the center of the trees and shoved his hands in his pockets. I snapped a picture. I groaned when I looked at it on the screen. It was awful.
"No, stand like this." I placed my hands on his shoulders to turn his body.
Electricity ran up my arms. A half-smile pulled at his lips as he watched me. A blush spread up my neck as I turned him this way and that.
"Now, stay like that.”
“Yes, ma’am.” A grin cocked on his lips.
I shook my head as I marched back to my spot and took some more pictures. The butterflies in my stomach danced. Keep your focus, Katie. I moved from side to side and changed the height of my shot. He flexed his biceps, placed one foot on an imaginary rock, fanned himself with his hat. His antics helped me to relax as I worked on getting the best exposures. I jotted down which ones worked well all the while trying to hide the growing amusement as he clowned around. He leaned against a tree and used his cowboy hat to cover his face, pretending to fall asleep. Soft snore came from him. I crouched down to get a different angle. A flash of red caught my eye.
"Let's go over there." I pointed to a rose-covered archway.
I strode down the path and around a bend. The archway stood at the end of the path. The scent of roses filled the air. A small bench sat under the arch. A bubbling of water drew my attention to a quaint water fountain. It was the centerpiece of this quiet sanctuary in the park.
"This is perfect." I blew out a breath.
I brought my camera up to look at it through the lens. I needed to back up to get enough of the arch. I bumped into a solid mass. His spicy scent washed over me as his hand grasped my elbow to steady me. My breath caught in my throat.
He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "Where do you want me?"
A shiver ran down my body as my stomach twisted into a knot. I twisted around to meet his eyes. He smiled down at me. The skin wrinkled at the corners of his eyes. His hat shielded his face.
"Under the arch." I stepped away from his touch and pointed to the bench. "Sit on the bench, please."
He settled on the bench, resting his boot heels on the seat. He winked at me before closing his eyes and leaning back on the seat. The angle was not right. It distorted the picture. I needed to get up higher. I stepped up on the edge of the fountain. The next few shots of the cowboy in the archway were almost perfection. My anxiety over the wedding gradually dissipated as I took another picture. As long as the handsome cowboy kept his distance, my heart might stay whole.
Levi
I CLOSED MY EYES TO enjoy the sunshine as she capered about taking pictures of me under the arch. The smell of roses overwhelmed my senses. I brought my hat over my eyes as I pretended to be anywhere else but here. Somewhere I didn't have to drag my gaze from the beautiful woman engrossed in her pictures. Her nose wrinkled as she concentrated, her blouse gapped when she squatted down, and her jeans hugged her curves nicely. It was getting hard not to notice her, especially when we touched and it felt like my whole body was magnetized to hers. She mumbled to herself, breaking the silence. I cracked one eye open to watch her as she balanced on the edge of the fountain. If she fell in, it would
make it hard to look away.
"Levi, wake up. I'm done here. Let's go over there." She hopped off the stones and walked to a large open grassy area
I groaned as I slowly got up and stretched. My watch read a little after 1:00 PM.
"Yes, ma’am," I called after her.
She waved her hand in the air and kept going. Man, she looked good, walking away. Curves in all the right places. I wondered if she has a boyfriend wherever she’s living. A jolt of jealousy shot through me. Why did it matter to me if she had someone? But it did matter. I jogged after her. My spurs jiggling with every step.
Chapter 3
Levi
“Well, I think that's it for the park shots.” She consulted the binder and the notebook that she was carrying. “Onto the wedding chapel, do you know where that is?”
“Yep, I sure do.”
I made my way to Katie. I grasped her small hand in mine and led her across the green grass of the meadow to the little white chapel hidden behind some evergreen trees. Her hand was warm and soft in mine. They were stained a little bit at the tips of the fingers. I was about to rub my thumb over hers when a gasp escaped her lips.
“Oh, it's so romantic.” Her eyes lit up and she dropped my hand like a hot potato.
Her jean-clad legs carried her through the front door. They hugged her perfect curves as if they were painted on. My hand ran through my hair before I followed her. The little chapel had large stained-glass windows with designs of flowers and animals that let the light streak across the floor. White folding chairs had been placed in rows leading up to the archway filled with balloons. I leaned against the wall as she took the area in.
“I don't get it. Where is Annie going to get ready before the wedding?”
“At the pavilion. She and her girls are going to get dressed, and, I guess, take pre-wedding photos. Then, a carriage will take them up to the chapel.”
