One Texas Cowboy Too Many (Burnt Boot, Texas #3)(32)

He leaned in farther, and she caught a whiff of whiskey and expensive shaving lotion mixed together. “Tanner, I’m flattered that you’re paying attention to me, but this isn’t going to work.”

“I thought we had an understanding and you’d call me on the phone I gave you,” he said.

“I can’t, Tanner. I can’t start something that has no future,” she answered.

“And there’s one with Rhett? If you’re going to get kicked out for seeing him, why not get kicked out for seeing me?” he argued.

“Are you ready to face Naomi for talking to me? Rhett took me to an O’Donnell family gathering. Can you do that?” she asked.

“Darlin’, I will escort you to Sunday dinner on Wild Horse if you say the word,” he whispered seductively and brushed a kiss across her cheek.

Not his low drawl, his handsome looks, nor his kiss did one thing to excite her. All she felt was fear that someone might see them even talking and the news would make the feud even worse.

“My God, Tanner. This is a Gallagher game. The only way you’d be so brazen is if Naomi was plotting to tear apart the Brennan family from the inside. Admit it. You are using me,” she said.

“I’m not admitting anything, and I’m not giving up on us.” Tanner grinned.

“There is no us. There never was an us. It was only an attraction between a couple of kids.”

“I’m still not giving up, and I get what I want,” he said. “I hear you’re leaving tomorrow for your annual trip with Honey and Kinsey. What if I show up in New York City?”

“Don’t, Tanner. Just flat out don’t.”

“Don’t tell me not to do something. It makes me determined to do it,” he said softly. “Have a good time, Leah, and remember, darlin’, you never get over your first love, and I was yours.” He blew a kiss her way as he backed away from the truck.





Chapter 9


From the window of the thirtieth floor of their hotel overlooking Times Square, Leah watched the sun slowly sink. The bright orange, purple, pink, yellow, and lilac hues were so surreal as the New York skyline settled into dusk that she sighed and wished for the thousandth time that she’d been given the talent of art rather than singing. Honey could pick up a watercolor pad and make that sunset come to life with a few strokes, but Honey couldn’t carry a tune in a milk bucket with a lid on the top. Right then, Leah would have gladly traded with her.

The sight calmed her as much as was possible since the very thought of talking to Rhett via Skype in a few minutes made her pulse race.

Honey came out of the bathroom, dressed and with her makeup all perfect. “Hey, girl, you’d better put that laptop away and get dressed. We’ve got a taxi ordered. It’ll be here in ten minutes, and our reservations at the restaurant are in half an hour.”

“I’m not going. I’ll order up room service. I’m going to sit right here in front of this window and watch the different views of the city as the light changes,” Leah said.

“We didn’t come all this way to sit in a hotel room,” Honey said.

Honey had inherited her dark hair from Mavis and her blue eyes from her mother, which was another thing that Leah had always envied her for having. Leah had always felt downright dowdy next to Honey, with her exotic looks, and Kinsey, with her height and sassy attitude.

Kinsey came out of the bathroom, sat down on the sofa, and gazed out at the view. “I love this place. We should come here every single year instead of just when it’s my turn to choose. And, Leah, poutin’ does not look good on you. Get dressed and brush your hair. God, I wish I had your complexion. You can go without a drop of makeup and look stunning.”

“I’m not pouting,” Leah protested.

“Yes, you are. I heard that Granny waited up for you last night and she says you can’t have that new cowboy toy over on Fiddle Creek. Don’t get your under-britches in a wad over it. She’s put him off-limits for all of us,” Honey said.

“Even me,” Kinsey said. The total opposite of Honey, she had long, blond hair flowing down over her well-tanned shoulders, compliments of her own private tanning bed. Her brown eyes danced with excitement, but then, Kinsey loved to party and they were so far from Burnt Boot that whatever happened in New York City stayed there.

“She said you can’t chase him either? I figured she would put both of you out there to seduce him, to prove to me that she was right about him being a horrible person,” Leah said.

“Yes, even me, and Granny has never told me I couldn’t see someone. She practically threw me in bed with Sawyer when she was trying to break him and Jill up last spring,” Kinsey said.

“Well, that was the famous pig war era and now we’re in the shit war battles. God I hate that name,” Honey said. “This time around, it’s more serious. Granny don’t like Rhett O’Donnell and, by damn, she’s not having him in the family.”

“I didn’t say anything about marrying the man,” Leah said.

“Kissin’ leads to sex and y’all were goin’ at it hot and heavy in the school yard last night, from what I heard this morning before we left town. Sex has the possibility of leading to marriage. Come on, Honey, they won’t hold our reservations. Want us to bring you something back to the hotel? Maybe something fancy?” Kinsey asked.