One Texas Cowboy Too Many (Burnt Boot, Texas #3)(66)

“When pigs fly. I might let Granny at you yet,” she said.

“No, you won’t. You have a nice side that keeps you sweet and a wild side that I damn sure intend to enjoy,” he said.

*

Leah and Tanner were one of the last couples to make it back to the trailer, and the preacher really made a big to-do about it. “Well, would you look at this, folks? I do believe this will go down in history as the first time a Brennan has ever chased down a Gallagher.”

Tanner played into the whole thing like a movie star. He hung his head as if he was totally ashamed that a Brennan had caught him. “I’m so sorry, Granny. Don’t shoot me and don’t let Mavis hang me from the nearest old scrub oak tree.”

Naomi yelled from the other side of the road, “Mavis, if you lay a hand on my grandson, you’ll pay for it.”

“If he sets a little toe on Wild Horse, he’s as good as dead,” Mavis yelled back. “What the hell were you thinkin’, Leah?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” she answered.

“You are damn right we will.”

“I expect we’d best take a picnic to the river tomorrow, since I’m not welcome on River Bend. Or maybe you’ll let me take you to a nice restaurant,” Tanner said.

“It’s my job to provide dinner. I hope you like bologna sandwiches. We’re having a tailgate picnic, but not at the river.”

“I’ll love anything you make, darlin’, and I’d have dinner with you sitting on a barbed wire fence in hell.” He grinned and held up the cuffs for everyone to see.

The crowd laughed at his joke and applause broke out. The preacher let it go on for a full minute before he said, “Crawl up here on the wagon with the rest of the couples. Ten more minutes and we’ll give you all a ride to the church. I imagine your feet are sore from all the barefoot business. Make the best of the bad situation, boys. It’s only for a supper today and for dinner tomorrow, then you can get on with your wild and woolly ways.”

Leah caught Rhett’s eye, and he mouthed, “Stickers.”

She nodded.

Tanner cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face toward his. “Don’t look at him. You belong to me.”

She scooted away from him as far as the cuffs would allow. “I will never belong to you.”

“For this ice cream supper and for our bologna sandwiches tomorrow, you do.” He moved close enough that their shoulders touched, and he ran a forefinger down her bare arm. “I can change your mind about me if you’ll give me a chance.”

It didn’t produce sparks, but it did bring on a desire to spit in his eye. Maybe that’s what this was all about: to show her once and for all that the childhood crush was just that and that there wasn’t even a tiny part of her heart that belonged to Tanner.

“Sometimes it’s too late for chances, Tanner. Let’s simply get through this ice cream business and get these cuffs off,” she said.

“I was thinking about asking the preacher to leave them on until tomorrow evening, say, at five o’clock. That way the ladies could have us for a full twenty-four hours.”

“Showers? Bathroom? Sleeping?”

“I’m not bashful. And I’ve got scissors to cut off whatever clothing we can’t remove.” He grinned.

“Preacher wouldn’t ever go for such immorality,” she said.

“Everyone and everything has a price, Leah. We donated enough money to buy a youth director. You think we can’t donate enough to make a new rule about the cuffs? The preacher was saying last week that the church needs a new piano.”

“It’s not happening. If he doesn’t take them off, I promise I will take that little snub-nosed pistol out of my purse and shoot them off. I’m not an excellent shot, so you might think about how close your hand will be when I fire the gun,” she said.

“There’s that sassy side I like.” He chuckled. “But, Leah, darlin’, please keep in mind that my granny will do anything to have her way. I told you how I feel about you, and it’s above and beyond the feud. Don’t think for a minute that something as small and insignificant as Rhett O’Donnell can’t be made to disappear.”

Her blood turned to ice water. “Are you threatening to hurt Rhett if I don’t play along with this farce?”

“Now did I say that? I said that he could disappear. Everyone has a price.”

“And if you couldn’t buy him?”

Tanner flipped a strand of her blond hair back from her face and leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “Then, darlin’, I expect that his body will go the way of others before him.”

The ice water in her veins froze solid. “The feud hasn’t had a killin’ in decades.”

Tanner kissed her on the earlobe and whispered, “That you know of.”

*

“I do not appreciate any of this, Betsy,” Rhett said.

“Like I told you, all is fair in love and war and feuds and Sadie Hawkins races.”

“Especially in shit wars, right?”

“Ah, now, sweetheart.” She batted her lashes at him. “You don’t have to bring up unpleasant things because I got you. Leah is not your type, Rhett. She’s lukewarm. You deserve someone with a little fire in their veins, and I can deliver that right to your bedroom.”