by Lori Wilde
Handsome Cowboy
Handsome Devils Book 4
Lori Wilde
Liz Alvin
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Excerpt: Handsome Rancher
Excerpt: Handsome Boss
Excerpt: Handsome Lawman
Also by Lori Wilde and Liz Alvin
About the Authors
1
She was going to kill her brothers. All three of them. Slowly. In front of the entire town of Honey, Texas.
How dare they invite Jared Kendrick to Trent’s wedding? No, not only invite him, but also have him in the wedding party. Were they insane? Was this some kind of lame joke?
Whatever the cause, they were dead men for sure.
“The wedding was beautiful,” said Amanda Newman, wife of the minister who’d performed the ceremony. “Trent and Erin seem so happy. Now all your brothers are blissfully married. Guess it won’t be long until you follow their example.”
Leigh barely resisted the urge to gag. As if. She’d rather go swimming with piranha. Here she’d finally married off her last meddlesome brother, and from this point on, she’d be an independent woman.
No way was she giving up her freedom anytime in this century.
“I’m too young to get married,” she told Amanda. Standing on her tiptoes, she scanned the wedding reception crowd, looking for her brothers.
How hard was it to spot three tall men in tuxes? Apparently impossible, since she didn’t see them.
Maybe the weasels were hiding from her. Yeah. That was a distinct possibility. At least it was if they had the slightest inkling as to what she was thinking at the moment.
“Oh, now I’m sure this wedding is giving you ideas.” Amanda patted Leigh’s arm and smiled. “I can see you’re studying the decorations, maybe coming up with plans for your own reception.”
Leigh stared at her, stunned. Amanda was a sweet older woman, but boy, she didn’t have a clue what Leigh was thinking. Not that she could exactly enlighten her. After all, how did you tell the minister’s wife that you were looking for your brothers so you could kill them? Hmmm. Emily Post probably didn’t have any etiquette advice for this particular circumstance.
Deciding not to go into it, Leigh said, “I’m not interested in getting married. Thanks.”
Figuring that was settled, she returned to scanning the crowd. Where were those bozos? She finally spotted two of her sisters-in-law, Megan and Emma, over by the buffet table. Wherever they were, their husbands and her brothers, Chase and Nathan, wouldn’t be far behind.
Bingo. She’d found them.
She started to head in that direction when Amanda once again put her hand on Leigh’s arm. “Getting married and starting your own family is one of life’s precious gifts,” Amanda said. “As I know your brothers have discovered.”
Leigh bit back a groan. Would this woman never stop? She didn’t want to get married. She didn’t want to fall in love.
She only wanted to talk to her ratfink brothers and then maybe kick Jared Kendrick out of here. Was that too much to ask for?
“No offense, Amanda, ’cause I know you’re happily married,” Leigh said. “But I have no desire to live in a house with a white picket fence.”
“Do tell. Because I could have sworn that the house you’re renting from Megan has a white picket fence out front,” a deep voice said from behind her.
Oh, just great. While she’d been looking for her brothers, Jared Kendrick had walked up and was apparently standing directly behind her. Man-o-man, this day just kept getting worse.
“Hello, Jared,” Amanda said. “I heard you moved back to Honey. You’re turning your parents ranch into a rodeo school, right?” Without waiting for an answer, Amanda continued, “Mary Monroe said she saw you riding that motorcycle of yours around town. And she said you were going quite fast. I told her you probably weren’t, but I don’t think she believed me.”
Leigh rolled her eyes. Of course, the man had been driving fast. This was Jared Kendrick. If there was a rule in Honey, he broke it.
“I might have been going a couple of miles over the speed limit,” Jared admitted. “Tell her I’ll slow down from now on.”
Unable to stop herself, Leigh snorted. “That will be the day.”
“Hello to you, too,” Jared said.
Turning slowly, Leigh braced herself for the wallop she knew she’d feel when she made eye contact with this man. Despite no longer liking him, she was still female. And females of all ages found it difficult to resist Jared. He was tall, over six feet, and had amazingly thick dark brown hair and equally dark eyes. The man was serious eye candy.
Dang his hide.
Predictably, as soon as Leigh looked at him, her DNA betrayed her. Her stupid heart raced. Her equally stupid breathing seemed to have grown rapid and shallow.
This world was one screwy place when the man you disliked more than any other turned you on like crazy.
Sheesh.
Taking a deep breath to calm her raging libido, she flashed him a completely insincere smile. “Why, hello, Kendrick. I thought you’d be in jail by now. Did the Parole Board take a liking to you?”
Jared laughed, the sound deep and rich and way too appealing. “Glad to see you haven’t changed since last summer, Leigh.”
Amanda frowned and made a tsking sound. “Oh, Jared, were you really in jail? My, my. I thought you were riding with those rodeo people. Of course, you were a trifle wild while growing up here, but I had no idea you’d run into serious trouble.”
Leigh waited patiently for Jared to correct the older woman and explain he hadn’t been in jail, but he simply shrugged. Oh, for the love of Pete. Was he really going to let this go? The Honey rumor mill would have a field day. Leigh knew that before the night was over, all the good folks of Honey would swear up and down that Jared had been in jail for murder.
“Maybe my husband could counsel you,” Amanda offered. “He’s very good with things like his.”
Leigh groaned. “Amanda, Jared wasn’t in jail. I was kidding.”
Amanda laughed softly, and Leigh rolled her eyes.
“Oh, good. You two are joking,” Amanda said. ‘I’m happy to hear that. Although I will admit I was surprised to see you in the wedding party today. I didn’t know you were friends with Trent.”
“Everyone seemed surprised to see me,” he said. “Leigh more so than most. I especially liked the way she screamed when she noticed me standing next to her brothers by the altar. You’ll have to check with your husband, Amanda, but I bet she’s the first bridesmaid to scream like that during a ceremony.”
“Oh, pulleese. I’m sure a lot of women scream around you,” Leigh said, and then she felt like whacking herself on the side of the head when she realized the interpretation that could be put on her words. From the grin on Jared’s face, he’d taken it as a compliment to his lovemaking prowess.
Leigh shook her head. “Hey! Don’t go there. I only meant—”
Jared held up one hand and drawled, “I know exactly what you meant, Leigh, and thanks. Maybe one day you can find out for yourself if it’s true.”
Keenly aware that Amanda was watching them Leigh said in her sweetest voice, “Kendrick, I’d rather two-step with a rattlesnake. No, wait, it wouldn’t be much different, would it?”
Amanda frowned and looked from Leigh to Jared then back at Leigh. “What are you talking about, dear? Are you teasing Jared again?
”
A sexy grin slowly crossed Jared’s handsome face. “Yeah, Leigh, are you teasing me again?”
“I’m completely, absolutely sincere,” she said firmly, which only made Jared grin more.
Typical.
“Oh.” Amanda looked confused. “I see. Well, I guess we’d better find our seats now. It looks like the toasts are about to start,” Amanda pointed out.
Leigh glanced around. People were quickly finding their places at the small round tables. With a quick goodbye to Amanda, Leigh headed over to the table near the front where she was supposed to sit. Now she’d have to wait until later to talk to her brothers, but at least she’d be away from Jared.
Boy, he really got to her. Big time. Why in the world had her doofus brothers invited him to be in the wedding party? Had love turned their brains to mush? They hated Jared, and ever since their dating fiasco a few months back, he was the last man she ever wanted to see again.
So what in the world was he doing here?
And why in the blazes did he still get to her so much?
Jared chuckled as he watched Leigh weave her way through the tables. She was mad at him. Really mad at him.
Good. Mad meant he still got to her. Mad meant she hadn’t forgotten what had happened last summer.
Mad meant he had a good chance of making his plan work.
“It was lovely to see you again,” Amanda told him.
Before the older woman could wander away, Jared jumped at the chance to secure another ally in this town.
“I really enjoyed seeing you, too,” he told her. “Now that I’m going to settle down in Honey, I’m hoping the townsfolk will rethink their opinion of me.” With a deliberately self-effacing smile, he added, “You know, maybe forget a couple of those wild things I did when I was a kid.”
With a nod, Amanda told him, “I understand. You’d like a second chance.”
“Exactly.”
“Changing people’s minds may take a little doing,” she warned him. “I’ve heard quite a few stories about you. And there was that time shortly after my husband and I first moved here when someone covered all the trees in front of the church in pink toilet paper.”
Okay. He deserved that. “Actually, Amanda, if memory serves me, I covered all the trees on Main Street in toilet paper not just those in front of the church. It was nothing personal. Plus, I was a kid.”
She seemed surprised that he’d owned up to the prank. “Oh. Yes. I guess I knew that. Still, it was a mess.”
He moved forward and told her, “I’m very sorry about the mess. And to make up for it in some small way, I hear you’re collecting money to do landscaping next spring.”
She blinked. “We’re hoping to raise enough to plant some shrubs and maybe more flowers.”
“I’d like to help. Tomorrow when I come to church, I’ll give you a check to help cover those expenses.”
She blinked even more. “You’re coming to church? Really?”
Jared bit back a sigh. Changing everyone’s opinion of him wasn’t going to be easy. “Yes.”
She rewarded him for his answer by giving him a sweet smile. “We’ll be happy to have you. But, Jared, I hope you aren’t trying to buy my goodwill.”
“Of course not,” he said, even though in a way he was. He had to start somewhere. If he didn’t get the people in this town on his side, he’d never make a go of Kendrick Rodeo School. Deciding to be honest with Amanda, he said, “I want to be a part of this town, and from now on, you and your husband will find me sitting in church every Sunday.”
“It’s good to have you back. And I’m sure, with time, everyone will welcome you home.” She leaned a little closer, and said, “But you might want to try being nicer to Leigh. I don’t think you did much to win her over tonight. She seemed very perturbed with you.”
Oh, yeah, she was perturbed all right. But that was just fine with him. He’d already decided his approach with Leigh had to be different from what he used with everyone else in town. With the rest of the people, he could win them over with kindness.
But kindness wouldn’t work with Leigh. Especially after what had happened last summer. No, to win Leigh over, he’d need to be a lot like her—downright sneaky.
Not that he’d share that with Amanda. He doubted she’d approve of his plan.
After saying goodbye to the older woman, he wandered over to the table near the back of the room where he’d put both his and Leigh’s place cards. It wouldn’t take her long to discover he’d moved them from the table near the front to this table by the back door. And once she figured it out, she’d have a fit.
Should be fun.
He leaned against his chair and waited, smiling as he watched her approach the tables near the front and search for her place card. She searched one table. Then another. Then another.
“Five, four, three, two, one...” he counted down slowly to himself. Suddenly, Leigh spun around and glared at him across the width of the room.
“Ignition.” He chuckled. She looked ready to explode.
Although her slinky pink bridesmaid dress made her look like a princess, at the moment, Leigh more closely resembled a fire breathing dragon. She literally stomped across the room until she stood directly in front of him.
“You are the lowest man on the face of the earth,” she told him. “You’re so low, you’re whatever pond scum considers low.”
He leaned close and said softly, “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
Leigh made a growling noise, and he bit back another chuckle.
“Let me get this chair for you.” He pulled her chair out with a flourish. “Have a seat, darlin’.” She narrowed her eyes and shot him a look that could melt the skin off a lesser man. Yeow. That was one mad woman.
Good thing he wasn’t a lesser man.
“Don’t call me darlin’, Kendrick,” she said slowly. “Your charm doesn’t work on me.” She pulled her chair away from him and sat.
Sitting in his own chair, he turned to face her. “Seems to me that just a few months ago you liked it when I called you darlin’. Or was that only because you thought dating me would rile your brothers? Now that your brothers and I are getting along, I guess you don’t like it anymore.”
Leigh rolled her eyes. “I went out with you because I was delusional at the time. Must have been some sort of forty-eight-hour virus where your judgment disappears faster than a rodeo rider. And you did disappear, didn’t you? Seems to me the last time we talked, you were going to take me to dinner. But you never showed.”
Now this was fun. He’d missed these twelve round verbal bouts with Leigh since he’d left Honey.
“I’m here now,” he said.
She glanced at her watch. “You’re about...umm, four months too late.”
Leaning toward her so that no one would overhear, he said, “You’re not really mad that I cut out. You didn’t care a thing about me.”
“Hey, that’s not true. Why else would I have gone out with you?”
Jared studied her pretty face. He loved looking at Leigh. Not only was she beautiful, with silky black hair and sexy blue eyes, but she was also full of life and fire and passion. Lots and lots of passion.
But she’d never seen him as a person. She’d only seen him as a way to upset her brothers.
“You’re not mad at me,” he told her. “You’re just mad that I wouldn’t have sex with you.”
She blew out a huffy sigh. “That only proves that you’re totally devoid of good judgment.”
He laughed. “Do tell.”
“Yes. And for your information, you had the perfect opportunity, and you blew it. Your loss.”
“Don’t I know it,” he said, laughing again when she stuck her tongue out at him. Leigh was never shy about expressing her feelings. It was one of the things he liked about her.
And there were lots of things he liked about Leigh. He’d always found her fascinating, even when they’d been kids. Leigh had a way of looking life in the eye a
nd daring it to mess with her plan. You couldn’t help but admire her spirit.
The fact that she was also gorgeous only made the whole package that much more appealing. But he didn’t appreciate being used. And Leigh had used him. She’d gone out with him because he was the bad boy of Honey. She loved to rock the boat, and being with him would have not only rocked the boat, but it would have capsized it.
So he hadn’t played along. He’d never cared for being used and still didn’t. If Leigh felt the need to ruffle feathers in Honey, she’d have to do it without him. His feather-ruffling days were over.
He’d moved back to town a couple of weeks ago, figuring the family ranch would be a great place to open his rodeo school. Knowing that for his school to succeed he’d need to woo the goodwill of the people of Honey, he’d started with the Barrett brothers. Each of them had proven tough to thaw, but he’d managed it.
He glanced at Leigh, and she shot him another icy stare. Looked like thawing her was going to take some doing, too.
“So how have you been?” he asked, figuring that was a safe enough topic.
She sighed. “I’m ignoring you, so don’t talk to me.”
“But I’m not ignoring you, so why can’t I talk? I know, you ignore me, and I’ll handle the conversation for both of us.”
When she made no response, he asked, “So, Leigh, how have you been?”
Then in his best female voice, which he made deliberately sultry, he said, “Oh, Jared, this town hasn’t been the same since you’ve been away. Like all the other ladies in Honey, I’ve missed you so much I couldn’t think about anything else.”
Next to him, Leigh snorted. “Get real.”
He ignored her response and kept on. “Well, Leigh, I’m glad to hear you missed me. I missed you, too.”
Again, she snorted, and this time shifted so her back was to him.
He used the female voice again. “Oh, Jared, did you really miss little ol’ me? I’m all aflutter.”
