Just Shoot Me (Cowboy Way, #1) (14 page)

“
Is that so?” he asked evenly, but
Tina felt his pounding heart under her palm, and saw the anger in
his stormy blue eyes. Thank God, Hope walked in right then, or Tina
had a bad feeling she was going to say something that would end
their evening before it even started.

“
Hey good looking,” Hope said with
a wide smile for Dean. Cord walked up behind her and she reached
back to pat his thigh. “Cord, bring your stick, baby. You’re gonna
have to beat the women off of your brother.”

Cord snorted. “I’ll save my beatings for the
men he pisses off. Look at that frown. One look and they’re all
gonna want to punch him in the face.” Cord walked around his wife
and took her hand in his then looked at Dean. “Lighten up, man.
This is supposed to be fun,” he reminded his brother then glanced
at Tina and his grin spread from ear to ear. “I think I might need
that stick for you though, darlin.”

Hope elbowed her husband in the ribs and he
grunted. “You keep your stick right where it is cowboy,” she
growled, but smiled up at him. “My friend can take care of
herself.”

“
This was a great idea, huh?” he
asked with that smile that had melted a million panties, but was
now reserved for his beautiful pregnant wife. Hope smiled wider,
and Tina sighed.

One day she wanted a man who would look at her
just like that. One day when she took some time for herself to find
that man. One day when she wasn’t struggling to keep her head above
water, and could actually focus on something other than her job.
One day, one man, she thought and sighed again as her gaze wandered
to Dean.

After today, Tina knew that man wouldn’t be
Dean Dixon. He’d made it clear, even though he’d kissed the
stuffing out of her twice now, he wasn’t interested in her. He was
just too damaged for her to be interested in him either. Maybe he’d
find someone tonight too, someone who had more patience for his
black moods than she did. Tina sure hoped so.

They both had a rare free night to let their
hair down, and she hoped he took advantage of that just like she
planned on doing. On their way back from the bluebonnet field, Tina
had unloaded to Cord about the situation with Dean. She told him
that she thought Dean needed to loosen up and have a little fun. Do
something other than work the ranch and take care of
Jeremy.

Then as if it were providence, his friend Zack
called to say he needed to discuss a business proposition with him.
Cord suggested he come down to the ranch for a bonfire. Zack let
out a whoop that Tina could hear on the other side of the truck. He
said the rodeo was on hiatus for a week so he’d round up the boys
and barrel ladies, whoever they were, and they’d be down tonight.
Supposedly all of them were staying at the bunkhouse tonight with
them. It should be interesting. Tina was a little excited to do
something new and to meet Cord’s friends. She’d never been to a
bonfire, and wondered what all it entailed.

His friends had gotten there an hour ago, but
she hadn’t met them yet. Cord met them outside, and directed them
where the bonfire would be. When Tina glanced out the window she
saw five or six trucks stuffed with people, including several
women. Her eyes darted back to Dean.

If Dean Dixon didn’t get lucky tonight, the
women at the bonfire must be blind. If he looked any sexier right
now in his striped western shirt and perfect fitting jeans, Tina
was afraid she would melt into a puddle at the toes of his
well-worn eelskin boots.

She licked her lips and his eyes met hers and
held. Shock rocked her when she realized he was inspecting her just
as closely as she had him. When a small smile played around his
lips, and his eyes met hers again, there was heat there. What game
was this man playing?

Tina had all but offered to have sex with him
that afternoon, and he turned her down flat. Now he wanted to look
at her
that
way?
Too little, too late cowboy
. She
turned back toward the hall to go get her purse out of the bedroom.
The living room was empty when she walked back into the room, so
she went to the front door.

She stopped there to tug at the hem of her
short, ruffled blue jean skirt that she’d paired with the pink
rhinestone studded tank top Hope had loaned her. Hope wasn’t nearly
as full-busted as she was, so she tugged up the scooped neckline of
the shirt to make sure the twins were sufficiently covered. She’d
probably be tugging at the damned thing all night. She’d only worn
it because it matched her new black and pink cowgirl
boots.

When Tina finally thought she was reasonably
together, she opened the door and walked out onto the front porch.
The truck was cranked and idling in the yard. It looked like
everyone was waiting on her. That was confirmed when Cord honked
the horn impatiently.

She quickly shut the front door, and walked to
the truck. “I thought we were taking the golf cart?” she asked as
she opened the back door.

“
There were too many of us, so I
decided to take the truck. The ride won’t be as bumpy for Hope
either.” Cord looked at his wife sweetly, and she rolled her
eyes.

Tina pulled the back door wider and saw
door-to-door bodies inside the back seat. Paulo sat by the other
door, Belinda was in the middle beside Dean, and with his wide
shoulders, Tina realized there wasn’t another inch of space to be
had on the seat of the truck.

“
Where the hell am I going to sit?”
Tina asked.

“
I guess you’ll have to sit on my
lap,” Dean informed with a smug smile, as he extended his hand to
her. Tina didn’t take it. She was seriously thinking of walking
back to the field.

“
C’mon, get in the damned truck,”
Dean grumbled, leaning down to grab her hand. “We’re gonna be late!
Cord said the guys are already out there setting up.”

Electricity zapped up her arm to her chest,
and her nipples hardened. Dean’s eyes fixed there, as he yanked her
onto his lap and shut the door. “Eyes are up here, cowboy,” she
mumbled, folding her arms over her breasts. “And next time ask me
before you jerk me around.”

She was small, so this man seemed to take that
as permission to jerk her around like a ragdoll, just because he
could.

His arms closed around her and his hot breath
tickled her ear, as he leaned forward to drawl, “Why? You’ve been
jerking me around since you got here.”

“
When you’re a jerk you get
jerked,” Tina replied grumpily, leaning forward to put her hand on
the back of the front seat, trying to put as much space as she
could between her and the aggravating, intoxicating man. She was
almost tempted to scoot over and sit on Belinda’s lap to get away
from him, and probably would have if his arm wasn’t around her
lower back. His hot touch sent unwanted messages to all kinds of
places in her body. Tina pressed her knees together, and scooted
farther forward on his knees.

“
Sit still or you’re about to wind
up on your ass on the floorboard,” Dean warned as his fingers
tightened on her hip.

“
How far is this drive anyway?”
Tina asked loudly, as Cord put the truck in drive and started up
the driveway toward the barn.

The sooner she could get off of Dean Dixon’s
lap, the better.

“
Not far,” was Cord’s vague
reply.

Tina huffed out a breath and stiffened her
spine. A few minutes later, Dean’s fingers loosened on her hip.
Tina relaxed a little, thinking maybe he would finally take his
hand off of her. Instead his fingers trailed upward and he shoved
his hand under the hem of her tank top then his thumb rasped
against her skin in slow, irritating circles. She glared back at
him, and saw his stormy blue eyes held an invitation she couldn’t
miss. He gave her a wink, and a soft, sexy smile, and heat rushed
to her face.

“
You wish, cowboy. You had your
chance,” she hissed under her breath. Tina dragged her gaze out the
side widow and fought the unwanted tingles that buzzed along her
nerve endings, all converging in one place. Tina shifted to face
forward, hoping he’d move his hand. His thumb just shifted position
to stroke along her spine now, as he cupped her waist with his hot
fingers.

They finally made it to the center of a
pasture off to the left of the barn where the trucks she’d seen
earlier were parked. As soon as Cord put the truck in park, Tina
threw open the door. She could almost use a parachute to reach the
ground, but she didn’t care if she broke an ankle if it resulted in
her getting away from Dean Dixon. Because her ankle was still weak
from twisting it the other day, her knees buckled when her boots
hit the gravel, but she fought back to her feet.

Once she had her balance, she immediately
started toward the huge pile of wood in the middle of the field.
Several cowboys were there placing logs around the pile to circle
it. Three of those cowboys turned toward her as she approached. She
smiled tightly at them, but made herself add a wave to be friendly.
She felt a little uncomfortable, since it was blatantly obvious
they were checking her out.

These were real country men, and they probably
could see she was a fraud in her brand new clothes. Clothes she
definitely didn’t normally wear. Her boots got a little tighter,
and her skirt a little shorter in her mind, and she rethought her
wardrobe choices. Maybe she should have worn the new jeans she’d
bought from work. The ones she’d worn to go riding with Dean
earlier today. But they had smelled like horse when she took them
off, and she didn’t have time to wash them.

Tina’s shoulders relaxed a little when they
smiled back, more than that, they tipped their hats back and
grinned at her, then waved back enthusiastically. One of the
cowgirls that had been helping them carry logs, a tall, lanky woman
with long white blonde hair didn’t smile. She stopped in her
tracks, and brushed her hands on her jeans, then tapped one of the
guys on the shoulder. With the smile still on his face, the good
looking cowboy turned toward her, listened a moment then nodded.
They walked off toward the green truck at the end of the
row.

Probably his girlfriend, Tina thought, as she
continued her hike toward the fire site. It was just getting to be
dusk, so she imagined they would light the fire soon. She should
probably ask them if there was anything she could help
with.

“
What can I do?” she asked the
first cowboy she saw.

“
Sit your pretty little self down
over there on that log,” he said, pointing toward a log positioned
on the right side of the fire. “That’s where I’ll be sitting.” His
smile was engaging with the small chip out of his right front
tooth. It didn’t make him unattractive, it added character to his
friendly boyish appeal.

Tina smiled back. “Now, I have to know a
cowboy better before I sit on his log,” she said and immediately
realized what she’d just said without meaning to. Her face baked as
she slapped a hand over her mouth, wishing the ground to open up
and swallow her.

His eyes widened, then a slow smile almost
took over his whole face. She heard a rumble, his lips twitched,
then he threw his head back and deep laughter exploded from him. He
laughed so hard, Tina thought he might drop to the ground and roll
there. Instead he took a few gulping breaths, then stood upright
again.

He shook his head, and was still grinning when
he said, “Darlin, you just made my night. My name is Lucky, and I
think I’ve earned it, since you just showed up. C’mon help me get
the hot dog buns out of the truck, so I can get to know you better.
I damn sure would love you sitting on my log tonight.”

CHAPTER NINE

Dropping an arm over her shoulders, Lucky led
her toward a black truck that was the second one in the row. They
passed Dean on the way. He was standing in a group with Cord and a
couple of other men, but she felt his hot eyes on her back. She and
Lucky stopped at the tailgate, and he lowered it.

“
I think Twyla went overboard at
the grocery store. She bought enough buns and dogs to feed an
army,” he said with a laugh as he leaned inside and grabbed a box
of buns.

Tina saw bags and bags of marshmallows too.
She loved marshmallows, and had only had them toasted one time,
during the week she was a girl scout, but she could still remember
their gooey crispness on her tongue. That was the week before her
father got re-stationed from Arizona to Iowa. After that she hadn’t
gotten involved in anything, because it was just too heartbreaking
to have to give it up on a moment’s notice to move again. They
moved two more times, before their final move to Texas and her
parent’s divorce. That was why she was determined Laney was going
to have a home. So she could make memories that weren’t packed away
in boxes to be moved around every few months her whole
life.

They had stayed in Texas, but to date had
moved three times in her niece’s young life. Once when Tina’s lease
ran out on her apartment, because she’d forgotten to renew it
because she’d been so busy at work. The second time was when the
owners of the small house she had rented for them decided they
wanted to move back in, so they didn’t renew her lease. Now they
were in a temporary apartment. It was a one-bedroom to make sure
they didn’t get too comfortable there, and she could save up money
for a down payment.