One Night With a Cowboy by Cat Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

cart before the horse.” Tuck shot Jace
     a warning glance.
    “What?” Jace’s eyes opened wide. “What the hell are you talking about?”
    “You can’t assume we’ll be giving those two anything more than a couple of beers.”
    “The Tuck Jenkins I know would never say something like that.”
    “No, probably not.” Tuck let out a snort.
    The man he used to be a year ago, right after the divorce, would have been fine with
     screwing a girl behind the building or bending her over the sink in the men’s room.
     In fact, that had happened in the restroom of this very arena. He’d been pretty shitfaced
     and it was all a little hazy, but he was sure it had been here. Which meant it had
     also been exactly one year ago during the Independence Weekend Rodeo.
    He shook the memory away. He was a different person now. Jeez, at least he sure as
     hell hoped he was. Besides, he could tell Becca wasn’t that kind of a woman and he
     didn’t want her to be. Her careful consideration of each and every question, from
     moving from their seats down to the floor, to deciding whether she wanted another
     beer, was one of the things he liked about her.
    Sure, he’d like to get naked, even get a little kinky with her, but he’d also like
     to wake up next to her in the morning. He hadn’t thought that about a woman since
     the divorce. He pushed thoughts of his ex-wife away and turned to Jace. “Let’s see
     how things go. Okay?”
    “Okay.” His friend eyed him closer than Tuck was comfortable with. “You do know, your
     divorce? It was nothing you did. Brenda was always a bitch. I knew that from the first
     time I met her. I always thought you deserved better.”
    This conversation had taken a turn for the serious. The last thing Tuck needed or
     wanted right now was serious, or a concession stand analysis of his failed marriage.
     He laughed and tried to lighten things up. “It would have been nice if you’d told
     me before I put the ring on her finger.”
    Jace shrugged. “If you’d made me your best man instead of her brother, maybe I would have.”
    “This again? It’s not like I had a choice.” Tuck rolled his eyes, not believing they
     were on this subject again after all these years. His own brother would have been
     the logical choice for best man, but as he’d said, Brenda had forced the issue.
    “Correct. You didn’t, because she was a bitch.” Jace spread his hands wide. “See the
     logic here?”
    “Yes, I do. Now help me carry these drinks.” Tuck handed two of the cups off to Jace.
     “And next time, open your damned mouth before I walk down the aisle. I don’t care
     if you’re the best man or not.”
    “Next time, I’ll let you know exactly what I’m thinking. In fact, I think I’ll start
     right now by saying if you don’t take that pretty little thing to bed tonight, you’re
     going to regret it the rest of your life.”
    Didn’t he know it, though he truly hated when Jace was right. Tuck picked up the last
     two cups and turned away from the concession stand. He scanned behind the chutes.
     It was easy enough to spot Becca in the crowd, even from a distance. Her gaze met
     his and his heart rate picked up speed.
    Crap . One night wasn’t going to be enough with this girl. He knew that already and they
     hadn’t even gotten naked yet.
    The announcer’s amplified voice coming over the sound system interrupted Tucker’s
     suspicions he should probably run in the opposite direction, far away from Becca,
     without looking back. Otherwise, there was a good chance he was going to be drowning
     eyeball deep in something he wasn’t sure he was ready for.
    Luckily, he couldn’t think too much more about that now because it was showtime. He
     glanced at Jace. “Come on. We better get back.”
    “I was waiting on you.” Jace frowned before he turned and led the way back to the
     chutes and the two women.
    Tucker let out a slow breath, thinking one more time it would probably be