Texas Outlaws: Billy by Kimberly Raye Read Free Book Online

clergyman’s discount special at the diner. It’s an olive-loaf sandwich with fresh pickle chips. Anyhow, Martin is always looking for his next wife. He’d probably be tickled to sign up for your service.”
    Okay, he wasn’t prime grade A marriage material. At the same time, they weren’t promoting an actual marriage service. She and her roommates had invested a lot of time in their mission statement, which outlined their venture—namely, an interactive website where women could go to meet, not marry, cowboys. Which meant the only criteria she had to establish was that any prospective candidate was a Wrangler-wearing, cowboy-hat-tipping, boot-stomping country boy.
    “What does Martin actually do for a living?”
    “Owns a pecan farm outside town. Actually, he owns a sixth of the pecan farm on account of he had to split it with each of his exes, but he’s still got a good hundred acres of his own.”
    Okay, he wasn’t a pro bull rider, but he was country. Check .
    “Does he wear boots?”
    “You’re in Lost Gun, sugar. Who doesn’t wear boots?”
    Check.
    “How about a cowboy hat?”
    “I reckon when he’s out tending pecans and it’s hot.”
    Check.
    Sabrina smiled. “Where can I find him?”

6
    “N OW , THAT ’ S WHAT I’m talking about!”
    Eli let loose a loud whoop as Billy climbed to his feet and dusted off his backside. Meanwhile, several wranglers chased the bull he’d just ridden for eight seconds toward the gate leading to the holding pen.
    “If you ride like that in the semifinals on Saturday, you’re sure to zip straight through to the finals.”
    If .
    The word hung in the air because as much as Billy’s pride told him he was a shoo-in, he knew better. While he knew he had the talent, other factors came into play when it came to a successful ride. With all the publicity from the Famous Texas Outlaws episode, Billy had been tense. Sleep deprived. Anxious. Even if he was damn good at hiding it.
    Still, his numbers had been down in the preliminaries and while he’d had a good ride, good wasn’t enough.
    To make it to the Lost Gun finals, he had to be great.
    And to make it all the way to the finals in Vegas in November?
    He had to be flawless.
    “That was damn near perfect,” Eli said as he clapped Billy on the back and followed him out of the corral. Die-hard fans packed the training facility and cameras flashed left and right.
    “Way to go, Billy!”
    “Awesome ride!”
    “You’re the best!”
    The comments came at him from all angles and fed the excitement already pumping through his veins.
    Not that Billy was letting the praise go to his head. He knew that the past eight seconds meant nothing if he couldn’t pull it off again on Saturday in front of the judges. That meant the next week of practice had to be this good. Or better.
    Fat chance .
    The doubt trotted into his head before he could close the gate, and unease settled low in his belly. Not because his success just now had anything to do with a certain brunette. Sure, the sex had relieved his tense muscles and given him the best sleep he’d had in a helluva long time, but she could have been anyone.
    “Whatever you did last night, you better make damn sure you do it again.” Eli retrieved a bottled water from a nearby cooler and handed it to Billy. “Rinse and repeat, buddy. Rinse and repeat.”
    If only.
    He ignored the crazy thought and made his way around the chutes toward the cowboy who waited on the other side of the railing.
    His brother Jesse wore a serious expression that said major badass .
    But Billy wasn’t the least bit intimidated. At six foot three, Jesse had only an inch and a half on him. And when it came to attitude? Billy put the b in badass.
    “Not too shabby,” Jesse remarked when Billy reached him. “I might have taught you something, after all.” He grinned and his violet eyes twinkled.
    The same eyes that stared back at Billy in the bathroom mirror every morning. But while they had the same