Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch #2)(56)

Katy stood up and waved two vans into parking spaces beside her car. “Thank you again, Lizzy, for taking care of things.”

“Is this Lizzy or Allie?” Trudy yelled as she opened the yard fence and made her way to the porch. Tall, thin, and with gorgeous blond hair cut in a feathered back style, Trudy looked at least ten years younger than her age.

Lizzy left the swing behind and extended her hand. “Thank you. I’m Lizzy.”

“Bullshit, girl! I want a hug.” Trudy smelled like expensive perfume.

“And Lizzy is the middle girl, right?” Janie came up behind Trudy.

“Yes, I am. Allie is the oldest and Fiona is the youngest.”

“Well, I’m glad to see one of Katy’s girls.” Janie’s thick gray hair brushed against her chin and bangs touched arched brows over brilliant blue eyes. The total opposite of Trudy, she was short and slightly overweight. “Now come here and give your long lost Aunt Janie a hug.”

Her back was to the road but Lizzy heard the truck, loud and clear, coming up the lane. In five more minutes they would have been on their way to Dallas and now they’d stick around to meet Toby. All three of the older women turned around to watch Toby get out of his truck, shake the legs of his jeans down over his boot tops, and swagger up to the porch.

“Oh. My. God.” Trudy fanned herself with her hand. “That is sex on a stick. If only I was thirty years younger and had a hell of a lot more energy.”

“Honey, I’d have to get me some of that Viagra for women to keep up with that,” Janie whispered.

Toby tipped his straw hat as he started up the porch steps. “Ladies?”

“Toby, these are my friends, Trudy and Janie. Girls, this is Toby Dawson, the cowboy Lizzy is dating.” Katy made introductions. “Remember I told you about him.” She winked broadly.

Toby bent at the waist and kissed first Trudy’s hand and then Janie’s. “Pleasure to meet you lovely ladies.”

“Sweet Jesus! You need to keep this one for real not pretend. And if you don’t want him call me. I won’t even mind if they make me wear a sign around my neck with cougar written on it,” Trudy said.

“I’m not going to wash my hand until we get to Vegas. I know that kiss is going to be my good luck charm and I’m going to win a bunch of money right off the bat,” Janie said.

“Y’all have a lovely time,” Toby drawled.

“And where are you going tonight?” Katy asked.

“Cinderella and I are going to the ball. If she loses a glass slipper, I will bring it by tomorrow.” He smiled.

Lizzy fell in love at that moment. She might not be in love when morning came because she’d proven that falling in love didn’t mean staying in love. But at that very moment on a Friday in June, she loved Toby Dawson.

“I’ll fight you for him,” Janie teased Trudy. “You’ve already had three and I only had one. I deserve him more than you.”

“Y’all are making Lizzy blush,” Katy scolded. “Let’s move our things into Trudy’s van. If we get to the airport early, we might have time for a margarita before we have to board.”

Toby pulled Lizzy close to his side with an arm around her shoulders, and they waved from the porch until the van was out of sight. He rested his chin on her head and inhaled.

“I love whatever perfume or shampoo you use and, Miz Lizzy Logan, you are gorgeous this evening.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “You handled them well so thank you for that, too.”

“The ladies love attention.” He kissed her on the forehead. “You might want to change your shoes into your oldest boots, and you won’t need that purse over there on the porch.”

“Where exactly are we going?”

“Hiking at first,” he answered.

“Give me five minutes. Do I need longer pants?” she asked.

“No those sexy little things will work just fine.”



Toby sat down in the swing, tilted his hat over his eyes, and crossed his long legs at the ankle. He’d worked hard to make the evening special and he hoped that no coyotes or raccoons had made off with the picnic basket, because he was really hungry. If anyone would have told him six months ago that he’d be interested in a short, curvy woman with dirty blond hair and brown eyes, he’d have thought they’d lost their minds.

And yet, here he was.

The door closed and he straightened up, resettled his hat, and grinned. She was the cutest thing ever in those cowboy boots worn down at the heels and denim shorts. His heart kicked in an extra beat when he took her hand in his and led the way off the porch.

She started toward his truck but he shook his head. “Not that way, darlin’. Our hiking begins right here.”

“Is there food involved? I’m so hungry, I could eat a bear,” she said.

He opened the back gate for her. “Trust me, darlin’. I asked you out so I’ve got everything covered. It’s only about fifteen minutes of hiking.”

“What is that?” She pointed. “Holy smoke, Toby, you have cleared a path through the mesquite for us. When did you do this? I didn’t even hear the dozer this close to the house.”

He stopped at the edge of the heavy mesquite, whipped off his hat, and did a bow. “It’s not as smooth as I would have liked, but we can pretend that it’s the yellow brick road. I know I’m getting all kinds of fairy tales mixed up. Boys aren’t much for those things, but I’ve had to learn when my oldest two brothers got married and brought a couple of girl-type babies into the family that was previously all boys. So this is the yellow brick road that takes Cinderella to the ball. It may look like nothing but a swath through the mesquite, but tonight it is the entrance to the magical forest.”