Secrets of War: A Military Romance by RD Jordan Read Free Book Online

right, meet me at the old rodeo building in an hour. Deal?” Jamie asked extending his hand to her.
    Suzy took his hand while looking troubled. “Okay…Deal.”

 
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
     
    “I don’t think I’ve been this excited since prom. Suzy and Jamie back together again!” Izzy exclaimed excitedly.
    She’d called Izzy after showering, dressing and drying her hair. She’d decided to dress in jeans with a vine of pink roses embroidered down the leg and a white t-shirt with pink roses embroidered on the back. Impulsively, she’d pulled her long black hair into braided pigtails.
    With a soft complexion and radiantly smooth skin, she had no need for makeup. But she still liked to wear it to accent her features. “We are not back together again, Izzy!” she argued pulling on her pink cowboy boots. “I told him I would go to see him ride tonight to apologize for jumping to conclusions. That is all, we are not a couple and we will not be a couple.”
    Izzy sighed. “Tell me something, what are you wearing?”
    Suzy described her outfit to Izzy’s fits of background laughter. “What?” she asked frustrated.
    “That is almost the exact outfit you wore the first time Jamie asked you out,” she replied still laughing.
    “No it’s…” Her voice fell away when she thought about their first date and saw herself in her mind’s eye. “OH! It is!” She sat on the bed and put her head in her palm.
    “Girl, you are a hot ass mess.”
    “Oh! Shut up! Why did I call you in the first place? Goodbye, I will talk to you tomorrow, you pain in the ass.”
    “I love you too, schnookums!” Izzy replied sarcastically.
    Grabbing her keys and purse after checking her hair one last time, Suzy headed out the door thinking.
    I may need to find a new best friend.
     
    * * * *
     
    The place where the rodeo was held every time it came to town five times a years was The Sale Barn, which was owned by the Merrick family.
    As usual, it was full of people hooting, hollering and having a good ole boy good time.
    Suzy walked through the thongs of town’s people, stopping to field a few brief hello’s and welcome backs on the way. She was watching one of the prancing pony performances when she felt a warm breath on her ear whispering, “Deep thoughts, Tidbit?” Jamie teased grinning at her with his perfect white teeth.
    “I was thinking how handsome you are,” she blurted out then flushed and laughed nervously. “I’m sorry, my mouth and my brain are disconnected.”
    He didn’t smile. He never really did. His eyes always told her how he felt and now, they showed heat. His black eyes slid over her face and back to the crowd. “You aren’t bad yourself, kid.”
    “Is that Leroy?” Suzy asked him to change the sexual tenseness in the air while staring at a man who’d just came out of the gate on his horse making his rounds in the ring.
    “Sure is,” Jamie answered irritably. Jamie and Leroy Gibbs were known competitors in…well…everything from high school on
    Leroy had worked at Merrick oil range in high school. Jason had always liked him and liked working with him. Leroy’s brother, Tony had signed up and shipped off to the Marines.
    Jamie shook his head. “Wow, Leroy sure has aged well,” Suzy said getting his attention.
    Jamie gave her a cool appraisal…His black eyes slid over her body and he clenched his fists. “I’m gonna be up next. Come on, I will take you to your seat.”
    “Okay.” She slapped her hand in his.
    The only seats left were against a wall, directly next to the release and stage area for the bull riders and she didn’t mind. She would be sure to get a good look at Jamie on his ride. She’d already noted he was in his full working cowboy gear, complete with spurred boots, batwing chaps and chambray shirt.
    As he winked at her and went off to ride his bull, she was transported back to her high school years as Jamie Merrick’s girlfriend. She’d loved being at these rodeos with him it was