You Had Me at Cowboy

by Jennie Marts

  Dang. What was wrong with him? Was he looking to get slapped? He shook his head and tried to focus. He could see the problem—the heel of her boot was wedged between the crumpled door and her seat. He reached his arm out, acutely aware of how close he was to her body, and tried to tug on the top of the boot.

  “Ouch.”

  He snatched his hand back as if he’d touched a hot surface. Double dang. Now he was thinking about her body as a hot surface. “Sorry. You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine, I just can’t twist my foot in the boot.”

  “No, I think your boot’s good and stuck. Can you just pull your foot out?”

  She yanked her leg up, then fell against him, her head knocking into his chin as her foot popped free of the trapped boot.

  His arms automatically went around her, the slight bump to his chin ignored with the warm press of her body. “I got ya.”

  She held on to him for a second, then straightened up in the seat. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?” Her cheeks went as pink as her sweater.

  “No, darlin’. You did not hurt me,” he said with a light chuckle. “I’m a lot tougher than that. But you look half froze.” He guessed by the oversized accessories Maddie had on that Chloe had given the girl her scarf, hat, and mittens. His cowboy hat might not warm her head, but he could at least offer something to warm up her face and hands. He pulled his scarf free from under his coat and wrapped it around her neck. “There, that should help a little. Now you better put your arms around my neck like Maddie did so I can get you to school.”

  She sat frozen, blinking at him, her cheeks partially covered as the color drained from her face. “Oh no. I couldn’t.”

  “Sure you can. I won’t drop you.”

  She shook her head, her eyes wide and round.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Now, Chloe, we can sit here and debate this for another ten minutes but you’ve met my mother, and you know Vivienne James would tan my hide if I let you walk through foot-deep snow in your stocking feet, or foot, or sock, or whatever.” Now he felt his cheeks heating. His efforts at sounding cool and convincing were coming out as full-on dorkster. But he still wasn’t about to let her walk through the snow without a boot. He needed to appeal to her more rational side. “Besides that, the longer we fret about it, the later you’re going to be to school, so come on, woman, just let me carry you to the truck.”

  “Valid point.” She sighed, then slid her arms around his neck, and let him lift her from the car. “Sorry about all the potty mouth talk before. I don’t usually use such inappropriate language, and especially not around kids.”

  A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “It was pretty bad, but I can take it,” he teased. And he was pretty sure that growing up with three older brothers, Maddie had heard much worse as well.

  “I was just so frazzled. I never run late. But with the snow this morning, and Agatha being sick, and seeing poor Madison out in the storm with no boots, then running into you—” She clasped a hand to her mouth. “Oh no. Should we be calling the police? Exchanging insurance information? Is this going to raise my rates? I’ve never been in an accident.”

  He could barely keep up with the way she jumped from subject to subject, but he liked to hear her talk. “Don’t worry about it. We’re on cold reporting this morning anyway, so they only want you calling the police if someone is hurt. And no one was hurt.”

  “Thank goodness.” She shook her head, sending another wave of honeysuckle scent swirling through the air. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything had happened to Maddie.” She looked up at him from under dark snow-flake dotted lashes, her eyes round and sincere, as she whispered, “Or you.”

  A hard pull of protectiveness and need spun through his gut. This woman got to him. He wanted to pull her close, to hold her against himself and protect her, while at the same time he wanted to capture her pretty pink bow-shaped lips with his and kiss her proper and thoroughly.

  It had been a long time since a woman had gotten to him—a long time since he’d let a woman get to him. He’d learned years ago that it was easier not to take a chance at all rather than risk taking a chance and having his hopes destroyed. He lived his life like that now—freewheeling through his days, taking life as it came, but never letting himself hope for something more. Until he’d met Chloe.

  Something about Chloe Bishop was poking the edges of his heart, as if looking for a soft place to sneak in. And he could feel those rough edges giving in, not breaking, but bending a little each time she offered him a bashful smile.

  He knew better than to hope though—the Colton Curse had hit too many times. Best to stick to the details, the everyday minutiae, and keep things like feelings and possibilities at bay.

  “Don’t worry. No one did get hurt. And the damage isn’t even that bad. We can worry about filing a report later.” He had no intention of reporting the accident. He was sure it hadn’t done any damage to his truck, and he didn’t want her to incur any kind of loss with her insurance. “I’ve got a buddy who runs the auto-body shop in town, and he owes me a favor.” Justin really owed him about seventeen, but they’d quit counting a long time ago. “If you want to leave me your keys, I’ll have him come over and take a look at your car. He can tow it in to his shop if he thinks it needs it.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Would you quit arguing with me, woman, and just let me help you out. I’m trying to be the hero here, and you’re seriously messing with my man card.”

  She grinned and pushed the keys into his hand. “Fine. I already crashed into the front of your truck, I don’t want to be responsible for wrecking your man card, too. But make sure your buddy sends me the bill.”

  “Will do.” Not really. He doubted Justin would charge him for anything more than parts.

  He shielded the side of the car from her view as he opened the truck door and got her settled in the cab. He knew the car was going to need some major repairs—the driver’s side door was completely crumpled in.

  Chloe and Maddie were buckled in by the time he got back around to his side and climbed into the truck. He’d left the engine running, and the cab was plenty warm. Although he imagined he was feeling warm for another reason—a petite, curly-haired brunette crushed against his chest reason.

  He put the truck in reverse, and they all cringed at the screech of metal as the plow implement separated from the smashed-in side of the sedan.

  “Son of a beach chair—that’s loud,” Maddie cried, pressing her hands to her ears, the too-big mittens flopping over the tops of her fingers.

  Chloe looked down at her, a stern teacher expression on her face.

  “Sorry.” Maddie shrank back against the seat, the impish grin on her face implying that she wasn’t really that sorry.

  Colt pressed his lips together to keep from laughing as he pulled out and drove toward the school.

  Order Jennie Marts’s next book

  in the Cowboys of Creedence series

  It Started with a Cowboy

  On sale April 2019!

  Acknowledgments

  As always, my love and thanks go out to my family! Todd, thanks for always believing in me and for being the real-life role model of a romantic hero. You cherish me and make me laugh every day, and the words it would take to truly thank you would fill a book on their own. I love you. Always.

  Thank you to my sons, Tyler and Nick, for always supporting me and listening to a zillion plotting ideas. And for all of your technical help when I call you with crazy, oddball questions. I love you both more than my heart could ever imagine.

  I can’t thank my editor, Deb Werksman, enough for believing in me and this project, for your amazing editing talents, and for always making me feel like a rock star. Thanks to Dawn Adams for this incredible cover that captures the awesome broodiness of Mason James. I love being par
t of the Sourcebooks Sisterhood, and I offer buckets of thanks to the whole Sourcebooks Casablanca team for all of your efforts and hard work in making this book happen.

  Huge shout-out thanks to my agent, Nicole Resciniti at the Seymour Agency, for your advice and your guidance. You are the best, and I’m so thankful you are part of my tribe.

  Special acknowledgment goes out to the women who walk this writing journey with me every day. The ones who make me laugh, who encourage and support, who offer great advice and sometimes just listen. Thank you, Michelle Major, Lana Williams, Anne Eliot, Kristin Miller, Ginger Scott, Selena Laurence, Cindy Skaggs, and Beth Rhodes. XO

  Big thanks go out to my street team, Jennie’s Page Turners, and to all my readers: the people who have been with me from the start, my loyal readers, my dedicated fans, the ones who have read my stories, who have laughed and cried with me, who have fallen in love with my heroes and have clamored for more! Whether you have been with me since the first book or just discovered me with this one, know that I write these stories for you, and I can’t thank you enough for reading them. Sending love, laughter, and big Colorado hugs to you all!

  About the Author

  Jennie Marts is the USA Today bestselling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily-ever-after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”

  She is living her own happily-ever-after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.

  Her books include the contemporary Western romances of the Cowboys of Creedence and Hearts of Montana series, the romantic comedy/cozy mysteries of the Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister family in the Bannister Brothers books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Lovestruck series of Cotton Creek Romances.

  Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. Visit her at jenniemarts.com, and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.

  Cowboy Trouble

  Fall in love with Joanne Kennedy’s cowboys all over again with this exciting reissue of her first saucy, sexy contemporary romance

  Her latest love-life disaster behind her, Libby Brown flees to the Wyoming countryside. But it turns out that starting her own farm is way harder than she ever imagined. If it weren’t for the sexy, sturdy cowboy next door, Libby couldn’t survive…

  Rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by the sassy, independent city girl, and he’s ready to prove that he’s with her for the long haul. But the past soon threatens their new bond and tests their love in ways they never could have imagined…

  “Kennedy’s characters are sexy, smart, flawed—real. If you are a fan of Western romances, Joanne Kennedy should be at the top of your list.”

  —Fresh Fiction for How to Kiss a Cowboy

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  Mistletoe in Texas

  Bestselling author Kari Lynn Dell invites us to a Texas Rodeo Christmas like no other!

  Hank Brookman had all the makings of a top rodeo bullfighter until one accident left him badly injured. Now, after years of self-imposed exile, Hank’s back and ready to make amends…starting with the girl his heart can’t live without.

  Grace McKenna fell for Hank the day they met, but they never saw eye to eye. That’s part of why she never told him that their night together resulted in one heck of a surprise. Now that Hank’s back, it’s time for them to face what’s ahead and celebrate the Christmas season rodeo style—together despite the odds.

  “This talented writer knows rodeo and sexy cowboys!”

  —B.J Daniels, New York Times bestselling author

  For more Kari Lynn Dell, visit:

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  Also by Jennie Marts

  COWBOYS OF CREEDENCE

  Caught Up in a Cowboy

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