Her Unbridled Cowboy (Harland County Series)

by Donna Michaels

  She looked at the corner, then back to Connor.

  He shrugged. “What can I say? When you got it, you got it.” A self-satisfied smile tugged his lips as he rubbed his knuckles in a back and forth motion across his chest.

  Smug bugger.

  “Well, be that as it may, I am the one standing here under the mistletoe so, unless you’re going to kiss me Connor, I think it’s time for Kerri to do her duty.” Kevin smiled and added a wink.

  Normally, she’d make an excuse and run for the exit. But not tonight. Not now. Not with the smug cowboy looking on. No way would she give Connor a reason to call her chicken.

  Kerri was only too happy to oblige. “Don’t mind if I do, Kevin.” She grinned as she pushed Connor out of the way and stood in front of the blue-eyed dreamboat.

  About to put her arms around his neck, she only got as far as his broad shoulders when Kevin reached down and lifted her right up off the floor.

  “Oh,” she gasped, and that’s when he kissed her, a pleasant kiss, lingering a few moments before placing her gently back down.

  “Mmm…Strawberries,” Kevin murmured as he licked his lips and grinned. “You tasted like strawberries. Remind me to corner you again later.”

  She laughed, ignoring the fact her face heated and Connor hadn’t stopped staring. Make that glaring.

  “And you really know how to sweep a girl off of her feet.”

  Smiling, she nodded at the grinning Kevin and surly Connor as she left the two heartthrobs to join her sister at the buffet.

  Wow. So that’s what it felt like to do the teasing for a change…

  “That was interesting.” Her sister smiled.

  Ah, swell. Who else had noticed? Her parents? Probably. Insert motto here. Knowing better than to play dumb, Kerri just shrugged as they loaded their plates with food.

  “Are you sure it’s wise to anger the big puppy dog?” Jordan asked when they were the only two left at the buffet.

  Kerri frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, the whole time Kevin had his lips on you, Connor’s big paws had clenched into fists.”

  They had? Kerri blinked, her heart racing for some unknown reason. His reaction meant something, but she wasn’t sure what it meant. Or if she should even care.

  Realizing her sister was waiting, watching her, she shrugged again. “It’ll be all right. Connor won’t do anything. He’s allergic to me.”

  Jordan’s head snapped up, eyes sparkling. “What? Did he say that to you?”

  “Not directly,” Kerri replied, wishing they could get off the subject. “I overheard him telling Hank and his supervisors he’s allergic to city girls.”

  Jordan nodded. “Well, he hasn’t had the best of luck with them.”

  “True. But it seems his men, along with our parents, think the two of us belong together.”

  Expecting her sister to laugh again, Kerri was surprised at Jordan’s lack of response. Then her heart froze as she studied her silent sister. “Oh, no. Not you, too?”

  Crud. If her sister ever, ever got it in her head to play matchmaker, Kerri was sunk. Nothing would stop Jordan. Nothing.

  “Relax.” Her sister’s palm closed over her hand. “Yes, I think you’d be good together, but now isn’t the time. And I told both parents not to push you.”

  So, everyone had been discussing them. Great. “Well, I hope they listen because Connor and I have already talked about this.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes, and we both agreed we aren’t interested.”

  “Then he lied, because, honey, the way that man looked at you, is still looking at you…he’s most definitely interested.”

  The urge to turn and look at the cowboy shook through Kerri, but she remained strong. No. Didn’t matter how or if he was looking at her, he was off limits.

  “It’s just curiosity,” she said. “Because once he had me, he wouldn’t…” her voice trailed off. Yikes. She’d almost revealed her deepest fear.

  “Once he’d had you what? Kerri. Look at me.” Jordan touched her hand again. “Surely you weren’t going to say he wouldn’t want you, because that is untrue. So very untrue. Why would you think that?”

  “Because I’m not good…” She snapped her mouth shut. Dear Lord. She almost said it. She almost said ‘in bed.’ Her face heated anyway. This wasn’t the time. She was not going to get into this here. Not now. Not in the middle of her sister’s engagement party. Good Lord.

  “Of course you’re good. You’re great.”

  Jordan squeezed her hand, and Kerri had never been more relieved her sister hadn’t picked up her silent meaning.

  “Thanks, but let’s drop this, okay? Tonight isn’t about me. It’s about you and Cole, and I’d much rather celebrate than debate.”

  Jordan smiled. “Okay. Me, too. But if you ever do want to talk, you find me. Promise.”

  “I promise.”

  “Okay. Good. Now, let’s eat. I’m starved.”

  “When aren’t you?”

  “Exactly.”

  Laughing, they joined Cole who was sitting with Kevin’s sister Jen and her husband Brock.

  They spent an enjoyable half hour eating and laughing about old times. Even the addition of Connor and Kevin hadn’t spoiled her fun. Memories brought back their childhood camaraderie .

  Kerri was still smiling when, a little later, Jordan and Cole left to take the stage, arms around each other.

  “We’d like to thank everyone for their well wishes and for coming to help celebrate our engagement,” Cole said, smiling adoringly at her sister.

  “We’d also like to thank Kerri and Emma for the wonderful job they did with the food,” Jordan gushed. “Everything was absolutely delicious, especially the lasagna.”

  Kerri smiled and thanked the murmuring crowd, unable to stop the impending blush. Her gaze met and locked with Connor’s. Brown eyes darkened, and heaven help her…heated. Okay, now she had a problem. Her body tingled. What was up with that? And what happened to the childhood rapport that had enveloped them? It disappeared…like her breath. And she had the oddest urge to move to his side of the table to…

  She gripped the bottom of her chair and stayed put. No. Bad body. He raised his glass and nodded. Kerri had no idea if his response was to her inner battle or Jordan’s praise. Body humming with an unfamiliar current, she managed a small smile, and with extreme effort, pulled her gaze away. Her breathing returned to normal.

  Holy smokes, that man was dangerous to her sanity. But, she had to admit, she kind of liked the off-kilter affect he brought to her world. Maybe it was something she should explore. Just a little. She’d certainly never encountered it before.

  Maybe because she’d always been with safe men. Never with such a virile, dangerous one. What am I thinking? Like she’d even know what to do with one.

  Kerri gave herself a mental shake and forced her attention back to the loving couple on stage.

  “Finally, I’d like to thank my beautiful fiancée, Jordan.” Cole turned her sister to face him and grasped both her hands. “Honey, thank you for being patient and not knocking my head off even though I deserved it more than once this past year.”

  The crowd laughed.

  “And thank you for bringing me back to life,” he continued. “I love you. You’ve made me a better man. A happy man. The luckiest damn man in the world.”

  Kerri watched with a tear in her eye as Jordan lovingly touched Cole’s face. “I love you, too, sweetheart. And I brought you back for purely selfish reasons. I told you more than a decade ago, you were going to marry me, and I intend to make that happen.”

  “So do I, Jordan. So do I,” Cole stated softly just before he gave his bride-to-be a thorough kiss in front of everyone.

  When the clapping and whistling stopped, Cole announced he had a song he wanted to sing to Jordan. Kerri laughed at her wide-eyed, open-mouthed sister.

  “Jordan speechless. That’s not something you see very often,” Connor c
ommented, dropping down next to her.

  Dang. Why’d he move? Her heart was now residing in her throat so all she could do was nod. But soon she forgot about her discomfort as Cole began to sing a beautiful Garth Brooks ballad about coming back to each other and finally closing a circle.

  Kerri was never more thankful she didn’t use mascara, because she’d certainly resemble a raccoon. What an incredibly, fitting song. She swallowed past her tight throat, then started when a warm hand covered her own. Her gaze swiveled to Connor’s and she was surprised to note the same emotions stinging her eyes shined in his gaze. She squeezed back.

  No reason they couldn’t share a kindred, happy moment for their siblings. And their siblings were happy. It beamed from their faces. Jordan and Cole were so much in love nobody danced. Nobody moved. They sat in their seats and took delight in the happy couple’s joy.

  When the song ended, Jordan kissed Cole, then clung to him, and the two just stood there, holding each other tight. That’s when the biggest pang of envy stabbed at Kerri, mutilating her with invisible slash after slash.

  If it was in the cards for her to find a love even half as strong, she’d be eternally grateful.

  Everyone stood and cheered, and when the clapping subsided, the happy couple stayed to sing a livelier tune that had everyone dancing. That’s when Kerri escaped to the dessert table. She was too emotional, too vulnerable, too unsettled to be anywhere near Connor McCall.

  Besides, it was time for death-by-chocolate and a few other goodies. Telling herself she’d start worrying about the tightness of her jeans tomorrow, Kerri loaded her plate.

  She was just finishing her stuffed strawberry when Kevin approached.

  “What do you say, pretty lady? Want to go a few turns around the floor?”

  “I’d love to.”

  He was a good dancer, light and sure on his feet. His arms didn’t feel as secure around her as Connor’s, but he held her tight, and she enjoyed the dance. So much so, she agreed to another.

  They were making their third pass around the floor when she suddenly realized Kevin no longer wore his headband.

  “Where’s your mistletoe?” she asked breathlessly as he spun her around.

  “I took it off when I sat down to eat. Why? Did you want to kiss me again?” he teased before spinning her away from him only to twirl her back into his arms and dip her as the song ended.

  She laughed, but had no time to answer as another cowboy asked her to dance. Recognizing him as one of the ranch supervisor’s named Pete, she accepted. The friendly Texan was one of Connor’s men, and she found his shyness rather cute.

  Relaxing, Kerri was just starting to enjoy herself when she caught Connor staring at them. No dimples. No twinkle in his brown gaze. Great. Why was he so annoyed? Kerri watched as Ashley, in her red mini skirt, sauntered up to him, grabbed his hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor.

  Even though the bugger no longer stared, her dance was ruined. She watched as Connor wrapped his arms around the blonde, and her body immediately remembered what it had felt like to be cocooned in warm strength.

  Kerri stumbled and stepped on her partner’s toes. Darn it. Mumbling an apology, she tried not to remember what it had felt like to be the one Connor had twirled and whirled with an easy confidence when they’d danced a few times at one of Kevin’s barbeques, and again at her parents’ fortieth anniversary party in September. She failed. He’d felt strong and sure and powerful. Heaven help her, she’d liked it. Very much. But back then, she’d been happy with the way her life was finally going in California. She’d chalked up the experience as nothing more than finding a good-looking dance partner who didn’t have two left feet. But now? Now she didn’t know. She was confused. Weak. Her life was upside down. She had nothing left of her old life. And he made her feel good. Strong. He made her feel…

  Too much.

  Heat spread throughout her body, and no doubt, brought color to her face. Bugger. Even from across the room, his potency affected her. Crud. She was becoming a Connor whore.

  When the song eventually ended, Kerri thanked her partner then escaped into the kitchen, telling herself she wanted to check on Emma and see if her mentor needed any help.

  After downing a glass of water, she placed it in the sink and turned around to find Emma leaning against the counter with her arms folded across her chest.

  “What are you doing in here?”

  Kerri’s chin rose. “I just came for a glass of water and to see if you needed anything.”

  Emma’s plump brow arched. “I’m fine, child. And I thought I made myself clear. You are to stay out there and enjoy yourself. I can handle things in here.”

  “All right, alright I’m going.” Kerri smiled on her way out the door.

  She hadn’t walked two feet when an annoyed blonde stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Well, well, if it isn’t little Kerri trying to act all grown up.”

  “Well, well, if it isn’t Ashley acting like a child,” Kerri countered and made to walk around the witch.

  “You think you’re so great with your fancy clothes and your fancy food. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can land a man like Connor, because he likes his women more experienced and receptive.”

  “Yeah, well, you ought to know.”

  Shoot. Did she really just say that? Kerri’s stomach clenched tight. Never in her adult life had she said something so catty. Or acted so immature.

  “That’s right.” Ashley smiled. “I do know, and I know how to satisfy him. So don’t go getting any ideas,” the haughty blonde warned, poking Kerri with one of her red tipped fingers.

  She felt her lips tug into a smirk. “You don’t have to worry about me, honey. I like my men more civilized. He’s all yours.” She walked away leaving a dumbfounded Ashley to stare after her.

  Connor sure could pick ‘em. Surely he wasn’t that desperate?

  Kerri walked back into the party seething with anger. Not like her at all. She wasn’t normally an angry person. Still, she didn’t know whom she was angrier at; Ashley, who after all these years still made her feel inadequate despite everything Kerri had accomplished, or at herself for stooping to Ashley’s level and acting like an immature twit.

  Both. Definitely both.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Kerri caught Jordan motioning to her from across the room. Heading to her sister, she worked on getting her emotions under control, trying desperately to apply her motto. It didn’t work. By the time she reached her sister in the corner, she realized, too late, Jordan wasn’t alone.

  Perfect. Why should things go easy? Cole, Kevin and Connor were also there. Goodie.

  “What’s wrong, Kerri?” Jordan touched her arm while Cole frowned.

  “Yeah.” Kevin nodded. “You look like you’re ready to spit nails.”

  The image of Ashley’s red-tipped fingers came to mind.

  Connor stepped closer, concern deepening the creases by his eyes. “Are you okay? Did someone bother you?”

  “Yeah.” She snorted. “Your girlfriend. You need to keep a rein on your women, mister. I don’t appreciate being blindsided by them.”

  The worry left Connor’s face, and as his shoulders visibly relaxed, she noticed his gaze sparkled with suppressed amusement.

  “What are you talking about, kiddo? You know I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “Tell that to Ashley,” she replied. “You need to set her straight. She just cornered me and warned me off of you.”

  Jordan reeled back. “That bitch! You want to borrow my dog?”

  Kerri laughed. Great minds. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

  “Ooh…I smell a cat fight.” Kevin smiled, rubbing his hands together.

  Smiling, Kerri shook her head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but that won’t be necessary either.”

  Jordan’s gaze narrowed. “Why not? What did you do?”

  She shrugged. “I told her she could have him.”

  Kevin’s bark of
laughter was drowned out by Cole’s, and together, the two men chuckled in unison.

  A dark emotion skittered through Connor’s eyes, but before she could name it, a neutral expression fell into place.

  “You’re not my type either, darlin’,” he said, settling down by the window, arms folded across his chest. “I don’t care for city girls. Besides…” His gaze was lazy and lingering. “You’re like my kid sister.”

  Kid sister. Right. Except her body didn’t have sisterly responses to his. No. The handsome cowboy made her toes curl with his deep, sexy drawl, and her heart race should his brown eyes stare for too long. Yeah. Not sisterly.

  “Then this should be interesting,” Cole said, smile still hovering around his mouth.

  Kerri watched Jordan turn to her fiancé and frown. “What?”

  “The mistletoe, of course.” Her future brother-in-law pointed to the branch hanging directly above Connor’s head.

  Kerri’s gaze bounced from the sprig down to Connor, then to the others.

  They were all staring right at her. Oh, heck no. They’d all lost their friggin’ minds. “No way.” She couldn’t. She just couldn’t. “You can’t be serious?”

  “Of course we are,” Cole replied, looking from her to his brother. “You’re the only single girl standing here.”

  “Then I’ll go get another.” She laughed and would have left if Connor had kept his pain-in-the-butt mouth shut.

  “She’s too chicken, little brother. Must be a city girl thing. No backbone.”

  Chapter Five

  Chicken?

  City girl?

  No backbone?

  Okay, so Connor was right about the city girl and the chicken part, but Kerri sure as heck had a backbone. A strong one. She’d been through a lot the past two years and learned plenty about herself. Resilient. Tough. Strong and resourceful. She didn’t need this smirking cowboy saying any different.

  Her mind reeled. This was a good opportunity to show him, and her, just what she was made of. She’d survived a cheating spouse, a divorce, the death of her brother-in-law, an earthquake, explosion, and the loss of her home and business. It was about time she tackled her sexual inadequacy.