He pushed away to examine her face. The gleam in her eyes. The smug smile. “Are you…gloating?”
“You bet your exceptionally fine ass.” She stretched her arms out and arched her back, smile widening at his indrawn breath. “I’m your first commando sex. It’s almost like I took your virginity.”
He groaned again, ducking his head at the reminder of his juvenile fumbling. “You’re not going to let me forget this.”
“Oh, hell no.”
He gripped her hips, a strange sort of desperation clawing at him. If he let her down now… “Please. Just let me. I had this all planned. I wanted it to be perfect for you.”
“Exactly.” She grabbed his wrists and dragged his hands up to clasp between hers. “This is how real love works, Delon. It’s hardly ever perfect and it doesn’t give a shit about your plans, and in the end, none of that matters. I know you would give me an amazing orgasm. But I want you. The guy who doesn’t always get it right. Because damned if I’m gonna put up with some asshole who insists on perfection. It’s a lot of work, and it’s boring, and I suck at it.”
“But…” He had no words. She’d sliced him open, seen all of the twisted, ugly parts, and declared him…not perfect. Just real. And hers.
The idea, the unconditional acceptance, was staggering. And incredibly arousing. He kissed each of her knuckles. “If you give me a minute or two—”
“Nope. You’re gonna have to live with not making the eight-second whistle on this one.” She punched him in the arm. “And besides—you’re supposed to be in Austin. All our hard work, and you’re just tossing it down the drain—”
He cut her off with a kiss. “I needed to be here. For you. With you. There will be another rodeo next week, and the week after that, but I might only have this one chance to prove that you mean more to me than any championship in the world. And if that means we have to live somewhere else…” He squared his shoulders, determined. “We’ll work it out. It’s not that far to Santa Fe or Albuquerque or southern Colorado, and people there wouldn’t be so—”
She gaped at him for a beat. Then she punched him again. “Don’t be stupid. I just got my house fixed up. Why would I leave now?”
He scowled at her, confused. “You said you didn’t want to come home.”
“I think I might have lied.” She breathed out a soft, incredulous laugh. “I think I actually came back hoping to find you.”
And just when he thought his feelings couldn’t get any more intense, she blew him away all over again. He flashed a crooked smile. “Then it’s a good thing I waited for you.”
Her laugh was soggy, the tears brimming in her eyes. He brushed them away with his knuckles. “I wish I could say this is the last time I’ll make you cry.”
“That’s okay. I like a good fight. The make-up sex is totally worth it.”
He laughed and folded her into his arms, rocking her against him. “I’ll fight every damn day to keep you, if that counts.”
She melted into him—filling the space he’d been saving just for her—and drew a careful breath. “Even though I’m my mother’s daughter?”
“That was a cheap shot.” His arms tightened and he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Yes, you are relentless, but in a good way. I just pray I’m always on your side, because truthfully? You can be a little scary.”
She snorted. “You’re as pig-headed as I am—you just smother it in honey and watch people eat it up.”
He laughed with the pure joy of being so known. Then he kissed her, long and sweet.
Finally she shoved him away, trying to scowl but not quite getting there. “After the rodeo, you can make me scream until someone calls hotel security. But first we have to get you to Austin.”
“It’s too late. Even if I had a plane, getting from the airport to the coliseum takes too long.”
“You forget who you’re talking to.” She fumbled to clasp her bra and snap her shirt. “Button up, cowboy. Daddy’s waiting out back with the helicopter.”
* * *
If Senator Patterson insisted on flying in at the last minute, the Austin rodeo committee was determined to milk every possible drop of publicity out of it. They cleared an area for a landing pad in full view of the throng of spectators entering the building, and made sure everyone knew why. When Delon bailed out, he was met with a roar of applause almost as loud as the screaming turbine of the helicopter.
Tori planted a quick, hard kiss on his mouth, then slapped him on the butt. “Go get ’em.”
Even as he hustled inside to gear up, he knew in his bones how the ride would end. When a man made an entrance like that, he damn well better kick ass.
Epilogue
On the first day of December, Cole Jacobs rolled down the rear door of the cattle hauler to secure it behind the last bucking horse. Then he ambled along the side of the trailer, peering through the vent holes to be sure each of the occupants was settled in its compartment.
“Still seems like a waste when we could haul six horses to the Finals with the pickup and stock trailer,” he told Delon.
“But then we wouldn’t get the advertising.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the black Freightliner. The sleeper now featured a life-sized action shot of Delon with Sanchez Trucking emblazoned below in foot-high letters. “And you wouldn’t get to drive that.”
That being Delon’s brand-new bloodred Charger, his present to himself after winning the hundred-thousand-dollar bonus round at Calgary. Streaks of splattered black paint ran down each side, condensing into a silhouette of a bareback rider on the rear fender. Delon’s signature graced the back side of the rear spoiler. And yeah, there was a booster seat in the back.
Shawnee had snorted and declared, “You’re the only man I know who turned into a badass after he got shackled down.”
Cole only glanced at the car and grunted, but he hadn’t argued real hard when the swap had been suggested. Of course, that’s when he thought Delon would be driving the semi. Now he peered doubtfully at the cab, where Tori was perched behind the wheel watching them in the rearview mirror. “You’re sure she’s ready for this?”
“She’s been hauling her own horses for years, she scored a hundred percent on her CDL exam, and we’ve hauled three loads of cattle for Sagebrush Feeders so she could get used to this trailer.” And dazzle the pants off of Jimmy Ray Towler. The man would never hire anything but Sanchez trucks for the rest of his life. “She’s ready.”
Cole didn’t look satisfied, but he never did when it came to his precious livestock. Especially these six horses, the first Jacobs Livestock had ever sent to the National Finals. “You’ll take over before you get into Las Vegas?”
“Cross my heart.” Even if it meant a battle with Tori. Especially if. Delon grinned. He might be a latecomer to the concept, but he had gained a deep appreciation for make-up sex. He waved Cole off and swung up into the passenger’s seat.
Tori tried to look blasé, but her eyes were dancing. “We’re off?”
“Gas it, baby.”
She grinned, shifting the Freightliner into gear. Delon tipped back in his seat, ripped open a Snickers, and prepared to enjoy every minute of the drive to the City of Sin, with scheduled rest breaks for the horses that would give them plenty of time for some sinning of their own. He’d been doing a lot more of that in the past nine months—not just the sinning, but kicking back and letting go. As a result, his season had been unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He’d never won so many first-place checks, and he’d never heard so many eight-second whistles blow while he was flat on his back, knocking dirt out of his ears. Boom or bust. Between the two, he’d ended up in his usual spot entering the Finals—right in the middle of the pack.
The difference was, now he knew he could take on anyone in any round and come out on top. And bit by bit, he was settling into his new groove and getting more consistent.
If he could put it all together in Las Vegas, there was no telling how things might shake out. Lord knew the last few months had proven damn near anything was possible.
The Internet storm had raged for weeks, taking a bizarre turn when the Texans got all up in arms because the Wyomingites were talking shit about their girl. Tori and Delon had practically been forgotten as the two sides screamed cyber insults at each other’s states. They’d been on the verge of declaring war and forming volunteer armies when sites related to the whole mess started to crash. Every time a new social media page sprang up, it would be shut down within days, if not hours. Site administrators swore they had nothing to do with it and scrambled to patch up the holes in their security. Everyone had assumed the senator must be pulling strings, but when Tori said so to her sister, Elizabeth had laughed.
“Daddy’s in the government. He doesn’t know people who have those kinds of mad hacker skills,” said the woman who was engaged to sweet-faced, unflappable Pratimi, who could probably hijack the entire Internet if she set her mind to it. Further proof it wasn’t wise to mess with any of the Patterson women or what they considered theirs. Which, thankfully, included Delon.
And speaking of…
“Your mother does understand that we are not sending Beni to a boarding school for gifted kids just because she’s offering to pay?”
“No, but you might be able to put her off for a couple of years.” Tori shot him a wicked smile. “Besides, I’d give it a week, max, before Beni educated them to the point that they were begging to send him home.”
Delon shuddered, imagining the damage his child could do in that amount of time. Ever since Claire had informed them Beni was an actual genius, he’d been campaigning to skip kindergarten and first grade. “Does she test every kid who comes to dinner?”
“Only the ones she considers family.”
Delon let that sink in and decided he would be pleased—for now. Claire was still one scary lady. And they’d always known Beni was smart, but it was a tad bit frightening to know he was literally capable of anything.
Or he could turn out to be the world’s smartest truck driver, barring Tori. She wove flawlessly through the traffic in Amarillo, then merged onto the four-lane headed west. Beni had rejected both the Freightliner and the Charger in favor of flying in Wyatt’s plane along with Violet and Joe. The thought made Delon a lot less nervous since his firsthand experience with Wyatt’s skill as a pilot.
How all the bits and pieces of his life had come together into this big, jumbled whole was beyond him. He might never get accustomed to the sight of Senator Patterson sipping sweet tea on Miz Iris’s deck, arguing farm subsidies with Steve. Even Shawnee had gotten sucked in, her presence for Thanksgiving declared mandatory when Miz Iris learned she wouldn’t be spending it with family. Not a dull moment around that table, with her on one side and Gil on the other.
He’d thought he loved Tori the first time around. And he had, as much as either of them had been capable of at that point in their lives. Now, though, they were both so much…more. The depth and breadth of his feelings still terrified him sometimes, but at least he knew he wasn’t in it alone.
The phone rang. Tori punched a button on the steering wheel and Gil’s voice came through the speakers. “There’s construction forty miles west of Albuquerque, but if you take a long lunch break, you’ll get there after they knock off at five. And don’t scratch my paint, Blondie.”
Tori flipped him the bird without taking her eyes off the road.
“Our paint,” Delon said. “Same goes for you and Cole with my car. I made him promise, scout’s honor, to keep you away from the titty bars and whorehouses. My name is all over that thing.”
Gil gave an evil chuckle. Then he said, “Speaking of putting your name on things, we’re all gonna be in Vegas. Why don’t you two tie the knot while we’re there? Save a lot of hassle.”
The suggestion sent Delon’s heart tumbling end over end. He’d intended to propose, but he’d planned to wait until after the Finals, when he could work out the perfect time and place. Not rolling down Interstate 40 with his brother putting the words in his mouth.
“Thank you, Mr. Romance,” Tori said. “If this dispatcher gig ever falls through, you have a bright future as a matchmaker.”
Gil laughed and hung up. The truck hummed along in complete silence for almost five miles. Then Tori angled a look at him and raised her eyebrows. “Well?”
His heart hammered in triple time. “I… You want to?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Oh. Okay then.”
She extended her hand and they sealed the proposal not with a kiss, but a fist bump. “I’ll let my family know. Daddy intends to be there the whole ten days, and Elizabeth and Pratimi are flying in for the last three rounds.”
“What about your mother?”
Tori shrugged. “I’ll invite her, but she just got back from her own honeymoon. I doubt she can clear her schedule again this soon.”
Of all the shocks, that one might’ve been the biggest. Once she’d accepted that Richard Patterson was truly done with politics, Claire had abruptly married the owner of a medical equipment company with whom she’d been working closely for years. The senator seemed stunned, and even a little hurt. His dating life had been much more cautious, at least partially due to his daughters’ mandate that all candidates be screened by them, and none could be more than fifteen years younger than him.
So he’d bought a horse instead, boarded it at Tori’s, and started roping with her and Shawnee whenever he was in town. Fudge, especially, was ecstatic. He finally had a full-time friend. The cat was not amused.
Tori sighed happily. “We’ll have the whole drive home for our first honeymoon.”
“First?” Delon echoed.
“Please.” She did a patented debutante eye roll. “We have a private jet, and my father will want to foot the bill. There will be a beach. Maybe our own island. Do you prefer the Mediterranean or the Caribbean?”
Delon gave a disbelieving laugh. “I will never get used to this.”
“Sure you will.” She reached over and patted his arm. “You’ve got the rest of your life.”
He took another bite of his Snickers bar and smiled. From where he was sitting, it looked like it was gonna be one hell of a ride.
Order Kari Lynn Dell’s next book
in the Texas Rodeo series
Tougher in Texas
On sale August 2017
Order Kari Lynn Dell’s next book
in the Texas Rodeo series
Tougher in Texas
On sale August 2017
Acknowledgments
A huge thank-you to Jared Rogerson, who allowed me to use his song in this book, and whose experience as a professional bareback rider shines through in all of his music. You can find him and “Ninety or Nothin’” at JaredRogerson.com.
To my amazing editor, Mary Altman, who gently but firmly reins in my infatuations with subplots and minor characters, delightful as they may be, and the art department at Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me to indulge my pathological need for authenticity with this cover. And to my fabulous agent, Holly Root, without whom I would never have gotten to work with this wonderful team.
Thank you to Richard and Dale Bird and Three Forks Saddlery (via my sister Lola) for lending us equipment for the photo shoot, and to Beau Michael for providing both the chaps and the inspiration for the scene in Reckless in Texas in which Violet and Joe meet for the first time. For Beau and everyone else who is or has been a rodeo kid—Beni Sanchez is all of us.
A big pat on the back to my invaluable readers, Janet and June for their brutal honesty, but also for being there to tell me that no, the book doesn’t suck. Just these few parts.
To Tanya Hancock, who, over a few beers at a rodeo, shared her experiences as a young widow, the final pieces that brought Tor
i into focus for me.
And as always, kudos to my husband, my son, and my parents for giving me the time and space to work when I need to and tolerating my frequent bouts of writer brain, during which I have forgotten everything from the tractor parts I was supposed to pick up in town to the fact that I have a child, let alone that he requires feeding on a semiregular basis.
And finally, here’s to all the women like me and Shawnee and Tori who are proud to say that they Rope Like a Girl. May you do the same, in all aspects of your life.
About the Author
Kari Lynn Dell is a ranch-raised Montana cowgirl who attended her first rodeo at two weeks old and has existed in a state of horse-induced poverty ever since. She lives on the Blackfeet Reservation in her parents’ bunkhouse along with her husband, her son, and Max the Cowdog. There’s a tepee on her lawn, Glacier National Park on her doorstep, and Canada within spitting distance. Visit her at karilynndell.com.
RECKLESS IN TEXAS
First in a contemporary Western series featuring the exciting world of Texas rodeo from author Kari Lynn Dell
Outside the rodeo ring, Violet Jacobs is a single mom and the lone voice pushing her family’s rodeo production company into the big time. When she hires a hotshot rodeo bullfighter, she expected a ruckus—but she never expected her heart to end up on the line.
Joe Cassidy is the best bullfighter in the business. But what he finds with Violet is more than just a career opportunity; it’s a chance to create a life of his own, if he can drop his bravado-filled swagger and let her see him for the man he really is.
“Real ranchers. Real rodeo. Real romance.”
—Laura Drake, RITA award–winning author
For more Kari Lynn Dell, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
HOW TO WRANGLE A COWBOY
Tangled in Texas Page 33
