Cowboy 12 Pack

by Cynthia D’Alba, Paige Tyler, Elle James, Donna Michaels, Shoshanna Evers, Randi Alexander, Cora Seton, Beth Williamson, Sabrina York, Sable Hunter, Lexi Post, Becky McGraw

Leslie sighed. “If you’re set on pursuing Emma, you need to learn more about her. Observe her. Find out what she likes and dislikes.”

  “You mean spy on her?” Sean asked.

  “I know a good PI,” Max offered.

  Gage’s brows rose. “Isn’t that like stalking?”

  “No.” Max glared. “It’s being aware and informed.”

  Cooper paced the length of the long table. “I don’t want to creep her out or make her hate me. I want her to like me.”

  “You have to let her get to know you,” Leslie said.

  “I get one shot at this.” Cooper sighed, his hands fisting. “One more date and she’ll probably pull the plug on us.”

  “What’s not to like about you, man?” Max stood and draped an arm around his shoulders. “You like ranches, she likes ranches. The match is made in heaven. What more could you ask?”

  “More time together. One date isn’t going to be enough.” Cooper shoved a hand through his hair. “She doesn’t leave the ranch often.”

  “Then you have to be around when she does.”

  Gage shook his head. “You’re back to stalking.”

  “Talk to her brothers and her friends.” Leslie rounded the corner of the table and laid a hand on his arm. “Get to know as much as you can. But don’t crowd her. She’s still clinging to her fiancé’s memory.”

  “But she’s not immune to me.” Cooper stared into Leslie’s eyes. “I could feel it. Her fiancé might be dead, but she’s not.”

  “Then plan on being where she is when she’s there.” Max slapped Cooper’s back. “Her brothers liked you, work with them. Get their help.”

  Cooper grinned. “They did invite me to watch the Aggies game.”

  “Like I said, what’s not to like about you?” Max grinned.

  “Aren’t you her friend?” Cooper pinned Leslie with a stare. “What do you know about her?”

  Leslie raised her hands. “Sorry, Cooper, you have to work this on your own. If I give you any more information, I run the risk of violating my client’s confidentiality.”

  “Then I better find someone who can help me.” Cooper grabbed his cowboy hat and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To convince my potential future wife she deserves a second chance at love.”

  “With you?” Max asked.

  “Who else?”

  Chapter Six

  ‡

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE you talked me into coming out to the Ugly Stick tonight.” Emma grabbed the long neck bottle of beer from the counter and downed a long slug before she turned to face the saloon’s interior.

  “You’ve been holin’ up so long you probably forgot how to dance.” Ace patted the seat beside him. “Sit. You’re as nervous as a cat in a room full of rockin’ chairs.”

  “I’m not in the mood to be out. Too many people are here, it’s noisy and smells like tube socks and stale beer.”

  Brand inhaled deeply and patted his chest. “Man, I love that smell. I can feel my chest hairs growin’.” He reached out and snagged the waitress as she hurried by. “Charli, honey, could you bring us a pitcher of Guinness?”

  Charli raised her brows and stared at the hand on her arm until Brand let go. “You got it.” She spun away, collecting empties as she zigzagged toward the bar.

  “That Charli has a lot of sass,” Brand noted. “Emma, I think you’re right. I need a woman.”

  Emma rolled her eyes. “Charli’s taken.”

  Brand frowned, his gaze following the pretty waitress. “That’s right. Mason’s staked his claim, hasn’t he?”

  “From what I understand, she staked it first,” Colton corrected.

  “That’s what I like…a woman who can take charge.” Brand cracked his knuckles. “Well then, who’s the lucky girl for this cowboy?”

  A chuckle rose up Emma’s throat and escaped before she could straighten her lips and give her brother a stern look. “Really, Brand?”

  Ace shook his head. “Tone down the ego or you’ll never land a decent woman.”

  “Who said I wanted decent?” He nodded toward a table full of bleach-blondes, wearing short jean skirts and cowboy boots. “Bingo.” Brand launched himself from his stool.

  Emma grabbed his arm before he got far. “Brand, consider this, those girls have brothers. They’re probably some big cowboys’ sisters. How would you feel if a heart-breaker like you hit on your sister like you’re about to hit on them?”

  Brand’s chest puffed out for a moment and then he slumped. “You really know how to take the fun out of a saloon. Did you know that?”

  Biting back a smile, Emma turned her brother toward a lone figure at the other end of the bar. “Do yourself a favor and ask that nice young lady to dance.”

  Brand’s smile sank further. “She’s not blond.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t have a brother, either.” Colton slipped into the seat Brand vacated, a sheen of perspiration glowing across his brow. “Music’s hot tonight. Get out there and show Dillon how to two-step. That boy has it all messed up.”

  Dillon slid onto the stool beside Colton and punched his brother’s arm. “I know how to two-step. You were the one crippling your partner, stepping all over her feet.”

  Emma sighed. Ace had been right. She hadn’t been out for a long time and being around her brothers was relaxing as they threw good-natured barbs at each other.

  Brand strode to the end of the bar and bowed like a gentleman in front of the quiet brunette.

  At first, she shook her head and averted her gaze.

  “Ha!” Colton laughed out loud. “She’s shootin’ him down.”

  Dillon leaned over Colton’s shoulder. “More like crashed and burned.”

  “Poor girl,” Ace said softly. “If only she’d known a little discouragement is like waving a cape in front of a bull to Brand.”

  Emma smiled. Brand was the charmer. He could coax a bird out of a tree and a wallflower to bloom with a single smile.

  Her brother took the challenge and held out his hand, his mouth parting in a bright, killer smile.

  “Doomed,” Emma said.

  Colton shook his head. “How does he do that?”

  “I don’t know, but I gotta get me some of that cologne he wears. I swear it’s the cologne,” Dillon said. The two brothers continued to expound on Brand’s technique, their voices fading into the background, music blaring out a boot-scooting song.

  “So, what are you going to do about Cooper?” Ace asked.

  Jolted back to her own predicament, Emma shot her oldest brother a frown. For a few moments, her siblings’ dating life had slipped her own problems to the back of her mind. Now, thanks to Ace, they were back and nagging an ulcer into the pit of her belly. “Why do I have to do anything about Cooper?”

  “He’s the first guy you haven’t kicked out of the house after the first hour.”

  “That doesn’t have to mean anything.” Emma lifted her beer, pausing with the rim close to her lips. “Don’t read more into it than is there.”

  “He’s a good guy. You could do worse.”

  “And that’s supposed to be an endorsement?” Instead of taking a drink, she set the bottle on the counter a little harder than she’d intended. “Let this Cooper thing run its course…without interference.” She raised her brows, challenging Ace. “If he’s still around after a week, so be it.”

  “And if he’s not?”

  “You can play the big brother and pick up the pieces of my life.” Emma gave him a weak smile. “Like you always have.”

  “You’ll give him a chance?”

  Her shoulders rose and lowered. She didn’t want to out-and-out lie to her oldest brother, who’d been more like the father she’d lost when she’d been a knob-kneed teen. “I won’t tell him to buzz off when he comes to pick me up tomorrow.” Her brows narrowed. “But if you continue to throw him at me, I’ll…I’ll…” She scanned the bar, her thoughts anywhere but there. “I’ll move
.”

  “What, out of the house?” Ace’s mouth gaped.

  She shook her head. “No. Out of the state.” Her gaze returned to Ace, her jaw tight. “I had an offer to train horses in New Hampshire. If you keep pushing me the way you have, I might just take them up on it.”

  “You hate snow.”

  “I hate being railroaded by my brothers more than I hate snow.”

  Ace glared. “You wouldn’t go. You love Texas too much.”

  Her brows rose higher. “As you put it, I need to move on.”

  The oldest Jacobs sibling raised his hands. “Okay, okay. I’ll back off. But you have to promise me, you’ll pull yourself out of the funk you’ve been in for the past two years.”

  Emma nodded. “Agreed.” She glanced around. “Now, I need to find the ladies’ room.”

  “I’ll hold your seat for you.” Ace laid his cowboy hat on the barstool she’d never sat on.

  If she was crafty, she’d take the opportunity to ditch her brothers and return home. She had the keys to Ace’s truck. Brand had driven his own truck with the intention of spending the night with some lucky lady. He could give the others a ride home, if need be.

  With a half-formed plan in mind, Emma headed for the powder room.

  COOPER PUSHED THROUGH the entrance of the Ugly Stick Saloon, the music hitting him like a two-ton bull square in the chest. A lively polka had dancers up and gyrating on the worn wooden floor. People were laughing, hugging, smiling and happy. He found it hard not to get caught up in the mood. But he wasn’t there to go with the flow. Cooper was on a mission.

  Earlier, he’d called Ace to ask when they could get together. He’d made up a lame excuse about wanting to know how to deal with a colicky horse. Not that any of his horses had colic, but the ruse gave him a reason to see Emma’s oldest brother. After his meeting with the BAs and Leslie from the Bachelor Online Dating Service, Cooper was even more determined to bring Emma over to the idea of dating again. Even if a relationship didn’t work out between them, he had to have the opportunity to find out.

  The woman was far too interesting to let slip away. She was gutsy, strong and wasn’t afraid to speak up for what she wanted. Cooper supposed growing up among her brothers had forced her to be that way or get lost among the burly cowboys.

  Ace waved from across the room. He sat with Colton and Dillon at the bar.

  Cooper glanced around for Brand and Emma, breathing a relieved sigh when he didn’t find Emma.

  Brand led a pretty brunette toward the dance floor.

  Cooper had hoped to get Ace alone for a little one-on-one prying into Emma’s life. Of all the brothers, Ace was the oldest and probably the most discreet. And like the rest, he cared about his little sister.

  The band struck up a lively rendition of the Cotton-Eyed Joe. Colton and Dillon bolted from their seats, plucked two women from their chairs and joined the growing throng on the dance floor. Cooper heaved a sigh. Good. One Jacobs brother was enough to handle when he had work to do.

  “Name your poison,” Ace said as Cooper slid into the seat vacated by Colton.

  “Bud.”

  Ace waved to the female bartender. “Libby, get my friend a Bud.”

  “On tap or bottle?” she asked.

  “Tap,” Cooper replied.

  Libby tugged the tap, filling a mug with clear golden brew.

  Cooper didn’t speak until he had his fist curled around the frosted glass. “Thanks for meeting with me.”

  “Colicky filly, huh?” Ace’s mouth twisted then curled up on the corners. “Right.”

  Heat rose up Cooper’s neck and he shifted on his stool. “Okay, so I’m more interested in a different kind of filly.”

  Ace glanced over Cooper’s shoulder before he continued. “Look, the filly in question is here tonight. I think she might bolt for the door, so we don’t have much time.”

  Cooper’s head jerked up and he panned the bar for Emma’s tall, lithe form. “I’m listening.”

  “We like you, Cooper. If we didn’t, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Emma’s stuck on her dead fiancé…no…more clinging to his memory.” Ace’s brows drew together. “I think she’s afraid of letting go.”

  Cooper’s chest tightened. “Why?”

  “She really did love him and there might be some guilt for wanting a life after all he sacrificed.” He shrugged. “I can only guess.”

  “She wants me to dump her after our first real date.” Cooper stared into his beer.

  “She said that?” Ace shook his head. “Darned fool.” He grinned. “Consider yourself lucky.”

  His brows rising, Cooper glanced up. “Lucky?”

  “Most men we bring home don’t get past hello.” Ace crossed his arms. “How interested are you?”

  Cooper shrugged and took a drink before he answered. “Too soon to ask her to marry me, but I do know she’s special.”

  “Go on.”

  “She’s smart, pretty, loves horses and she’s sexy.”

  Ace closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. “I didn’t need to hear that last part.”

  “Well, she is.” Cooper sat straighter. “And she’s honest, loyal to her family and has a great capacity for love which is obvious in her feelings toward her brothers.”

  Ace nodded. “Okay, you’re saying all the right things. What are you going to do?”

  “I want to know more about her. Her likes, dislikes, what makes her happy, her favorite food, what she likes on her pizza.”

  Ace frowned. “You’re starting to sound like a stalker.”

  “If I’m going to win her over, I have to know what makes her tick.”

  “Granted.” Ace looked past Cooper. “She threatened to leave if I kept pushing you at her. To move to another state. So whatever I tell you, don’t come on too strong, or she’ll know someone put you up to it.”

  “Understood.” Cooper’s heart skipped a couple beats at the thought of Emma moving out of state. Was he interested enough to follow her? Heck, if he did, she’d have a restraining order put out against him. He’d have to win her over before she flew the coop.

  “She likes action movies, hates what she calls girlie romantic comedies. Likes dogs more than cats, pepperoni on her pizza and light beer, not wine.”

  Cooper committed Ace’s confidences to memory. “What about dates? Where would she prefer to go?”

  “She’s not much into ritzy dining. Would rather go to a barbeque joint than a five-star restaurant. Hell, there she goes.” He jerked his chin toward the rear of the saloon. “If you want to see her tonight, you better catch her now.”

  Cooper’s head whipped around.

  Emma hugged the wall, staying in the shadows, making her way toward the exit. She cast a glance toward the bar where Ace and Cooper sat.

  Cooper ducked his head. He didn’t want her to know he’d been chatting with her brother. She wouldn’t be too happy they’d been discussing her. When she reached the front door, she cast one last glance their way then slipped out.

  “Does she like to dance?” Cooper asked as he stood, plunking his cowboy hat on his head.

  “Yes, but she hasn’t since Marcus died. And she prefers the waltz to two-stepping. Or at least she did with Marcus.” Ace patted his back, giving him a little shove. “Go. She’ll be taking my truck since she rode with me. It’s a black four-by-four parked beneath the lamp post near the rear. You can beat her to it, if you go out the back.”

  “Thanks.” Cooper wove through the crowd, slipped behind the bar and through the doorway leading to the back of the saloon.

  A large women, dressed in black jeans, a black shirt and a stern expression stepped in his path. “This area is off limits.”

  Cooper ground to a halt, stopping short of plowing into the battleaxe. “I need to get to my girl before she leaves.” He made a move to go around the woman.

  She blocked him. “Sorry. You’ll have to
leave through the front door.”

  The big woman refused to budge, and short of manhandling her, Cooper had to follow her advice.

  “Greta Sue, it’s okay, let the man pass.”

  Cooper spun to face a pretty, petite strawberry-blonde.

  The younger woman smiled and waved the bouncer aside. “Ace says you’re in a hurry to catch his sister. Don’t let us stand in the way of love.”

  Cooper tipped his hat. “Thanks. I owe you.” He frowned as he stepped past Greta Sue. “By the way, who are you?” he asked as he sprinted for the exit.

  “Audrey Anderson,” she called out. “I own the Ugly Stick Saloon.”

  “Thanks again, ma’am.” He pushed through the back door and out into the gravel parking lot, making a note to himself to return and thank the woman properly.

  Not until he found the truck beneath the lamp post did Audrey’s uttered words hit him. She didn’t want to stand in the way of love…

  Cooper stood for a moment, digesting the meaning. Love? Him? Hell, he’d only met the woman once. Love was something you grew into. Or at least, that’s what he’d been told. He’d yet to fall in love, and the foster homes he’d lived in hadn’t shown him a single example of what love should be. The only reference he had was the kind of love he’d seen in movies. Based on the tabloids, even movie stars fell in and out of love in the length of time a cold took to run its course.

  What was he doing, standing outside in the dark…okay under a dingy yellow light…waiting for a woman who loved a dead man? He was supposed to be a smart man. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be a billionaire. Then why was he mooning over a woman he couldn’t have?

  Was he compelled because he couldn’t have her? Everything else came easy to him lately, now that he had money. Women who knew he was rich threw themselves at him. He could have any one of them without going to all this effort.

  Could the truth be that he liked the challenge of Emma Jacobs? What would happen when he captured her attention, maybe even her love? Would he grow bored and leave her?

  Holy hell. What was he thinking? All these thoughts took only seconds to whip through his brain. He stepped out, ready to go back to the bar or leave.

  A woman, not Emma, rounded the corner of the building. Or rather staggered around the corner and fell to her knees.