Cowboy Rebel--Includes a bonus short story

by Carolyn Brown

  He chuckled softly. “Okay, it’s the best thing I’ve put into my mouth in a long time.”

  Those words sliced right through her like a knife on that soft cheese spread in front of them. Get it together, Claire.

  Brenna was watching them the way she usually did with the clients that Claire brought in. Claire guessed that her friend, who was also a member of the Ladies Day Out group, was scrutinizing every facial reaction and weighing whether her potential clients were satisfied.

  Speaking of clients… “Do you think Pearson would like it?” Claire asked Bo.

  “My dad is a carnivore. Put any meat in front of him, and he’s a happy man.”

  “Especially with Rebecca at his side,” Claire said, throwing in two cents for her currently bedridden client. If Rebecca made Pearson happy, then Bo should be happy too.

  “Great. We’ll definitely have a spread of various meats then,” Brenna said, pulling a pen from behind her ear and writing something down on her clipboard.

  “And the cheese,” Claire said. “What pregnant woman doesn’t love cheese?”

  “I don’t know any,” Brenna said on a laugh. “You’ll probably want something sweet as well.”

  “That’s what I’m looking forward to sampling.” Bo rubbed his hands together as a sexy smile curved his mouth.

  “You have a sweet tooth, huh?” Claire asked.

  “I do.”

  “Me too,” she confessed. “Brenna’s cheesecake squares are my favorite. I swear that’s what she named this business after. They are the epitome of what heaven would taste like if it was food.”

  Brenna laugh-snorted.

  Bo was also grinning. “Then we need to add them to the menu,” he said, turning to Brenna.

  “Oh no. This event is not about me and what I like,” Claire protested. “It’s about your dad and future stepmom.”

  The word stepmom drew a grunt from him. “We’re the ones planning this wedding, and if cheesecake squares are your favorite, then cheesecake squares it will be.”

  Claire melted just a little bit at his insistence. “Let’s add some chocolate macarons and white-chocolate-dipped strawberries as well,” Claire said, with a decisive nod in Brenna’s direction. Those were also one of her favorites, but Rebecca had also mentioned how much she enjoyed those.

  By the time they left Taste of Heaven, their bellies were full, and there was no need for lunch.

  “That was actually a lot of fun.” Bo walked on the traffic side of the sidewalk as they strolled down Main Street to their cars. They’d driven there separately so that she could go home and prepare for tonight.

  “It was. Thanks for coming.”

  “Well, as you pointed out, it’s my dad and his soon-to-be wife. Coming along with you is the least I can do. Plus, now I get you tonight.” He raised his brows as he looked at her.

  It wasn’t a date. He’d said so himself. But her heart hadn’t received that message, because it stopped for a brief second every time he looked at her.

  He opened her driver’s side door and then stared at her for a long, breathless second.

  There went her heart skipping like a rock over Silver Lake. He leaned forward, and she forgot to breathe as his face lowered to hers and kissed the side of her cheek. Part of her had thought maybe he was targeting her mouth. Would she have turned away? Probably not.

  “See you tonight.” He straightened, holding her captive with his gaze.

  Maybe she should’ve held on to her anger at him. At least that would have buffered this bone-deep attraction that she couldn’t seem to kick.

  “Yes. Tonight.” She offered a wave, got into her car, and watched him head to his own vehicle. She could still feel the weight of his kiss on her cheek. His skin on hers. She touched the area softly and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a familiar face crossing the parking lot.

  Everything inside her contracted in an attempt to hide. Luckily, her mom didn’t seem to notice her as she walked to her minivan and got in. Seeing Nancy Donovan was just a reminder of everything Claire wanted and didn’t want.

  She wanted respect, success, and a man who wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  She didn’t want to lose her heart or her pride to an unavailable man. No, Bo wasn’t married, which was the kind of guy her mom preferred. But he was no more on the market. Being with him tonight would have to be more like window shopping. Claire could look, but there was no way she was taking him home.

  Chapter Four

  Bo wasn’t sure if he was more nervous about meeting with the Martins tonight or about spending the evening with Claire.

  He pulled up to her house, parked, and headed up the steps. As he rang the doorbell, he felt empty-handed somehow. Maybe he should’ve stopped and gotten flowers. That would’ve been stupid though. This wasn’t a real date. But the tight, hard-to-breathe feeling in his chest begged to differ. It was a blend of anticipation and nerves with a healthy dose of desire for this woman.

  The door opened, and Claire smiled back at him. She had on just a touch of makeup that brought out the green of her eyes. She’d swiped some blush across her cheeks as well, or maybe she really was flushed. With her strawberry tones and fair skin, she seemed to do that a lot.

  There was something between them. There always had been. Their chemistry was off the charts, but it was more than that. Claire was funny and smart, and he admired the heck out of her. She would’ve had a right to view the world with bitterness and skepticism as much as anyone. Instead, she seemed to have unlimited optimism, and she romanticized everything. Bo could learn a lot from this woman, if he chose to spend more than three days with her.

  “You’re staring at me,” Claire said. She looked at what she was wearing and back up at him with a frown. “Do I look okay? I wasn’t sure what to wear for a business dinner, and there was no time to go shopping for something new. I can go back upstairs and change if you think this isn’t good enough.”

  “It’s perfect. You look beautiful.” And heaven help him, it was all he could do not to move closer and taste those sweet lips of hers.

  “Great,” she said. “Let me just grab my purse. You can come on in.”

  Bo stepped inside her living room and looked around. It had been her granddad’s place before he’d moved south to Florida and left it to her. Bo had never renovated a historic home before, but his mind was already swimming with ideas on how to modernize it just a touch by adding more windows for natural lighting.

  As he waited for her to return, he walked over to the mantel and looked at the pictures encased in a variety of frames. There was a photo of Claire with her grandparents, who’d done a good bit of raising her while her parents shirked their duties. He thought he remembered that her grandmother had died several years back. There was one of Claire and her brother, Peter, whom Bo hadn’t seen in quite some time. He wasn’t even sure what Peter had been up to in the last decade since high school graduation.

  Claire breezed back into the room. “Okay, got my purse, and I’m ready to go.”

  Bo turned to face her, and his breath caught. He wasn’t dreading tonight’s dinner like he had been this morning before inviting her along. On the contrary, now he was starting to look forward to it.

  When they got to the restaurant, Ken and Evelyn Martin were already seated and waiting for them.

  “Oh, you brought a date,” Evelyn said, looking between them with a delighted smile. “This is such a nice surprise.”

  Bo wondered if he should clarify that Claire was just a friend. Evelyn didn’t give him time to say anything, though, before launching into friendly chitchat.

  “I’m Evelyn, and this is my husband, Ken,” she said, reaching for Claire’s hand.

  Bo pulled out a chair for Claire and sat down while they all made their acquaintances. Then he made the mistake of looking around the restaurant. On the other side of the room, his vision snagged on Liz and Mike. They were expecting their first child if the
rumors were true, which in Sweetwater Springs was fifty-fifty. A mix of emotions passed through him.

  “I’m so glad you could meet us tonight,” Ken said, pulling Bo back to his own dinner party.

  Bo nodded. “Me too.”

  Liz had never been the one for him. He had come to terms with that during his time in Wild Blossom Bluffs. Perhaps he should walk over and thank them for that invitation to their wedding last year, because it’d led to an amazing night with the woman beside him. The only woman he had eyes for in the room tonight.

  * * *

  Claire had thought since this was a business dinner, that it would be tense or maybe a little stuffy. The Martins were probably twenty years older than her, but even so, Claire was having the best time. The older couple picked on each other in the most endearing way. And since Bo was paying, Claire helped herself to a steak with two sides of vegetables and a glass of wine. She didn’t feel bad about it either. This was payback for last spring. They might have called a truce this morning, but she hadn’t forgotten.

  “It must be so rewarding to plan so many life events for others,” Evelyn said, stabbing at a piece of shrimp on her plate and looking up at Claire.

  “Oh, it is. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.”

  “I was a schoolteacher for thirty-one years,” Evelyn said proudly, “and I loved every moment. If you love what you do and who you’re with, life is always a party.”

  Claire was midway through lifting her glass of wine to her lips, but she paused to process that statement. “I love that philosophy.”

  “Well, it’s true. I fell in love with Ken thirty-three years ago, and we haven’t stopped partying since.”

  Ken Martin reached for her hand.

  After that, the conversation turned to Bo’s architectural proposal. The Martins loved all his ideas, and they seemed to love him too. Why wouldn’t they? She hadn’t been lying when she’d told him earlier that he was talented. He was. He was the architect behind the designs for so many of Sweetwater Springs’ big businesses and houses. He was amazing.

  By the time they left the restaurant, Bo and the Martins seemed like old friends. And Claire was totally and completely smitten with her date. Exactly like she’d promised herself she wouldn’t be. But being with him was so easy.

  He walked her out to the parking lot and, like a good gentleman, opened the passenger door for her.

  “Thank you,” he said, once he was behind the wheel. He pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive her home.

  “It was no problem. I had a good time, and I had to eat anyway, right? Thanks for buying me dinner. Usually, the night before a wedding, we’d be doing a dress rehearsal. But nothing is the norm about tomorrow’s ceremony.” She was chattering away for some reason.

  “Looks like we make a good team.”

  There was a smolder in his blue eyes when he looked over. Was she imagining that?

  “Yes, I guess so.”

  “Maybe you could call me for all your catering and flower needs, and I could ask you to be my date for all my client meetings.”

  She knew he was only teasing. “I daresay, you’d grow tired of sampling food and picking out flowers.” She cleared her throat. “I saw Liz and Mike. You were fixated over there for a moment at dinner.”

  She saw the muscles along his jaw tighten. “They didn’t stay long, thankfully.”

  “Is it hard to see them together?”

  “A little,” he admitted. “Not because I still love her. Just knowing that they did things behind my back. Trust isn’t an easy thing to repair.” He sucked in a deep breath. “All for the greater good, I guess. They have a baby on the way, from what I hear.”

  Claire had heard the same. She reached a hand across the car and touched his shoulder, wanting to offer comfort. The touch zinged through her body. She hadn’t touched this man since last spring. She’d made a point not to. Now she felt his hard muscles at her fingertips, and her body answered.

  She yanked her hand away and turned to look out the window. “Not every woman would do that to you, you know.”

  “I never thought Liz would do that to me. Or Mike. So no, I don’t know.” There was an edge to his voice, making her sorry she’d even brought it up. He was obviously bitter about relationships now. No doubt that spilled over into his view on his dad and Rebecca’s nuptials tomorrow.

  They rode in silence for a few minutes, and then Bo turned on the radio.

  Claire looked at him with interest. “Jazz? I would’ve pegged you for classical.”

  To her relief, the hardness of his face softened.

  “I’ve always thought classical was boring. I played the saxophone in high school band.”

  “I remember. Do you still play?”

  “I have the sax, but all the neighborhood dogs start howling when I put my lips to the mouthpiece.”

  Claire laughed. “I play piano. I had six years of lessons.”

  “Really? I thought we spilled all our secrets the night we spent together.” His gaze slid over. There was a definite smolder there, contained only by thick-rimmed glasses.

  He pulled into her driveway and cut off the engine. “I’ll walk you to your door.”

  “How about a nightcap? I have wine. Or beer if you’d rather.” What was she doing? She’d resolved earlier this afternoon not to take him home with her.

  “I’m not sure you can trust me not to kiss you if you invite me in,” he admitted.

  Gulp.

  Without thinking, she ran her tongue along her bottom lip, wetting it. Which was just silly because she absolutely was not going to kiss this man. While her mind was starting to make a rational argument for saying good night, her body was warming up for first base, maybe second.

  Bo leaned just slightly and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Then his fingers slid across her skin as he took his time with the simple gesture. Her heart pattered excitedly. Then she leaned as well, almost against her will. One kiss wouldn’t hurt anything, right? One tiny, little…

  His mouth covered hers in an instant, pulling the plug on her mind. Her thoughts disappeared along with everything else, except Bo. It was just him and her and this scorching-hot kiss. His hand curled behind her neck, holding her captive. Not that she wanted to pull away. Nope. She was close to climbing across the seat and straddling him at this moment.

  He tasted like white wine from the restaurant. Smelled like a walk through Evergreen Park. Kissed like a man who wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him.

  She heard herself moan as their tongues tangled with one another. She remembered this. How good he kissed. It was like a starter match lighting a fire that burned in her belly. He broke away and started trailing soft kisses down her cheek and then her neck. There was a slight scruff of a five o’clock shadow on his jawline. It felt sinfully delicious.

  She tilted her head to one side, giving him access. Eventually, his mouth traveled to her ear and nibbled softly. That fire in her belly raged to a full-on hungry blaze.

  “That nightcap sounds good,” he whispered, tickling the sensitive skin there. “And I don’t want to think about Liz and Mike anymore tonight.”

  Claire’s brain buzzed back to life. That was exactly why he’d invited her back to his hotel room last spring. She was a distraction, nothing more.

  She opened her eyes and pulled away just enough to look at him. This was a mistake. There was no denying that she had it bad for this guy, but he wasn’t emotionally available and she wasn’t going to be used.

  “Actually, I’m really tired.” She averted her gaze because looking in his eyes, heavy lidded with lust, might sway her sudden resolve. “I’ll see you in the morning. There are a few last-minute touches to do before the wedding. Thanks for dinner. Good night.” She pushed her car door open, slammed it shut, and hurried up the porch steps as if running for her life.

  But she was really running for her heart.

  * * *

  What happened
tonight?

  Bo sat out on his back deck and looked out to the garden. He’d turned on the fairy lights they’d strung earlier, giving the yard an ambient glow. Claire was right. It was a romantic touch.

  He still couldn’t decide if he was glad or disappointed that she’d slammed on the brakes to their make-out session. Going inside with her would have almost definitely led to her bed, and he didn’t think Claire was the kind to have sex casually.

  He’d been in a different place in his life last year. Liz and Mike’s affair had plunged a knife through his heart, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to pull it out. It’d been hard to breathe for a long time after that. He’d dated casually, hooked up a few times, but he had no interest in anyone.

  Until Claire. She’d sparked something deep inside him that was terrifying to him back then. The thought of allowing himself to have actual feelings for a woman felt like marching himself right up to Skye Point and preparing to jump off without a parachute. It was nuts.

  But now…

  He liked her. She evoked feelings he’d never experienced before. Not even with Liz, whom he’d planned to spend his life with.

  Damn. He wasn’t sure what exactly had happened tonight; all he knew was he needed to fix it. After tomorrow’s wedding, there’d be no need to see Claire anymore. Not unless he climbed that proverbial mountain and forced himself to look off the ledge and jump. Getting into another relationship was a risk. Claire could hurt him even more than Liz had. But would she?

  An hour later, he dragged himself to bed and flopped around restlessly until he drifted off. After what seemed like just a few minutes, he awoke with the chirping of springtime birds nesting by his window. A slant of sunlight hit his face, prompting him to sit up and shuffle down the hall. He made coffee, enough for two, and then showered.

  Claire still hadn’t arrived by the time he’d dressed and started preparing breakfast—also enough for two. A little worry elbowed its way to the forefront of his mind. Had he scared her off last night? He knew that she’d be here to finish the job no matter what. He trusted that she wouldn’t let his dad and Rebecca down.