Crazy For the Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson Read Free Book Online

terrible temper.”
    â€œHe has not! He’s a sweetheart. Well, I assume he is. I haven’t been up close and personal, but he’s definitely shy.”
    Anastasia continued as if Georgie hadn’t spoken. “I said he almost trampled the last person who tried to capture him and any man who goes after him must have a death wish.”
    â€œAnastasia! None of that’s true!”
    â€œI know.” She grinned. “But Vince has been gone for several years. He doesn’t know that.”

CHAPTER 4
    V ince waited until he’d walked a fair distance from the general store before giving way to laughter. He didn’t want Anastasia to know how miserably she’d failed to intimidate him. That would be mean.
    He was still chuckling when he walked into Sadie’s and discovered his two buddies sitting at a table looking much better than they had a few hours ago. The brims of their hats were tipped back. This morning they’d been pulled down to shield their bloodshot eyes.
    They’d both shaved and Mac had ditched the sweatshirt in favor of a chambray button-up. They were even taking nourishment. Instead of beer, each of them had a mug of coffee to go with his sandwich. They were the only two people in the saloon besides Ike, who was at his post behind the bar.
    â€œHey, Ike, sorry to keep you so late last night,” Vince called to him as he pulled out a chair at Mac and Travis’s table.
    â€œNo problem. I slept in. And thanks for your generosity.”
    â€œIt’s the least we could do.”
    â€œWant something to eat?”
    As he sat down, Vince surveyed what his friends had. “What’d you two get?”
    â€œWe both ordered the chicken salad,” Travis said around a mouthful. “Excellent.”
    â€œWorks for me.” Vince glanced in Ike’s direction. “I’ll take a chicken salad sandwich and some coffee, if you don’t mind.”
    â€œComing up.”
    â€œYou’re looking perky,” Mac said. “What’s so funny?”
    â€œDo either of you remember Anastasia, Georgie’s little sister?”
    Mac picked up the remaining half of his sandwich. “Not really. I remember the other one, Charmaine, the blonde. She was hot.”
    â€œI remember Anastasia,” Travis said. “A little plump, but pretty. She was in the ice-cream parlor one day when I went in. She was working hard to sketch the sundae she’d ordered before it melted. Doing a damned good job of it, too.”
    Ike arrived with a steaming mug of coffee and put it beside Vince. “Your order will be up in a jiffy.”
    â€œThanks, Ike.” Vince took a sip of the hot brew. Sadie’s served great coffee.
    â€œSo what about Anastasia?” Travis pointed to the package of razors Vince had laid on the table when he’d arrived. “Obviously you made a trip to the general store. Was she there?”
    â€œShe was, and apparently she’s as creative with storytelling as she is drawing pictures. You should’ve heard the whopper she told me about the Ghost. I had a tough time keeping a straight face.”
    Travis picked up his coffee and took a sip. “What’d she say?”
    â€œThat the Ghost had turned into some kind of devil horse that was out to kill any man who tried to rope him.” Remembering Anastasia’s dramatic warning had him grinning again.
    â€œMaybe he has,” Travis said. “Like in that book,
The Horse Whisperer.
At the end the stallion kills the guy.”
    â€œHe does?” Mac sighed. “That’s disappointing.”
    Travis glanced at him. “Why?”
    â€œBecause you loaned me that book.”
    â€œI did? I wondered who had it.”
    â€œI do, doofus, and you didn’t mention anything about the guy dying at the end. I was into it, but I don’t want to finish it if that happens. I don’t like endings where the main character gets