Boots and Buckles

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to strong, independent women who want to make a better life for themselves and find someone to share it without taking away their own identity.

  Chapter One

  Grant saw her as soon as he stepped through the door. Just like it had been when he’d seen her for the first time, he’d been drawn to Mona’s smile and the way she moved with a sexy flare she wasn’t even aware of.

  The three years since he’d last been to Temptation hadn’t changed her much. Perhaps she was a little thinner, but she was just as beautiful as the day they’d met at the Ugly Stick Saloon during Tri-County Rodeo week. He and his then-partner, Dalton Faulkner, had been there for the rodeo. She’d been helping out at the Ugly Stick, waiting tables and serving drinks to rowdy cowboys fresh off the adrenaline rush of roping steers, riding bulls or broncs.

  He chose the table in the back of the saloon because it wasn’t one that Mona was servicing. His waitress, Kendall, was a sweet young thing he didn’t recognize from his last visit to the saloon. She wore a diamond engagement ring on her finger and didn’t take any lip or advances from the horny men raising hell after a tough day in the saddle.

  “This place is great.” His new team roping partner, Sam Whitefeather, tipped his long neck and swallowed the last of the beer in one gulp, slapped the bottle on the table and pushed to his feet. “You stickin’ around for a while?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Could you order me another? I’m gonna hit the latrine.” Sam reached for his wallet.

  Grant held up his hand. “I’ll get this round. Go.”

  He’d skipped the last two years’ rodeos here because he couldn’t bring himself to face Mona. The first year, because his life had been a mess, his career as a team roper at an end when he and Dalton had parted ways, and his bronc riding on the verge of collapse.

  If not for Sam, he’d have found some bottle to crawl into and given up on everything. It took him the next couple years of total focus and concentration to regain his credibility and top rating in the competitions. Only then had he felt like he could return and see if there was anything left to salvage between him and Mona.

  The woman foremost on his mind walked by carrying a tray of beer mugs and long necks, and his heart flipped over, reminding Grant of everything he’d lost and all the mistakes he’d made. He tipped his hat lower over his forehead, not ready to let her see him. Not sure what he expected to get out of coming back to Temptation. Would she ever forgive him for making promises he didn’t keep?

  Mona plunked her tray of empty beer bottles and mugs on the bar and gave Libby, the bartender, her order for the next round to be delivered.

  Audrey Anderson, the owner of the Ugly Stick Saloon, slipped in beside her, carrying her own tray of empties. “Mona, thanks so much for helping out during rodeo week.”

  “No, Audrey. I should be thanking you. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  “You really don’t think Old Man Spillman will extend the lease on your salon?”

  “I’ve already asked. I have a thirty-day option to buy and Spillman is ready to sell. If I don’t agree to buy it in that thirty days, the old coot is going to take the first reasonable offer.”

  “How much are you short?”

  “I have to come up with at least another grand to add to my meager savings before the bank will even consider loaning me the money to buy the building.”

  “I can spot you the money.”

  Mona shook her head. “I can’t let you do that. You’ve already done so much for me and half the people in town. If I can’t find a way to earn the money, I don’t deserve to buy the salon.”

  “I could use you all week, if that will help.”

  “I’m all yours. I can come in after six every evening when I close the Shear Safari.”

  “Make it at least by nine and stay until midnight. That’s when things are craziest and the men tip better.” Audrey emptied her tray and slid behind the counter to help Libby fill her next round of orders.

  Libby loaded Mona’s tray and nodded. “You’re good to go.”

  Mona lifted the heavy tray, balancing it carefully.

  “Oh, and Mona,” Audrey called out, “if you’re interested in making more in a single night, I might have some exotic dancing gigs coming up. The rodeo winners usually hire some of the girls to dance at their parties.”

  Mona bit her lip. She’d danced for Audrey before, but now that she had her own business as a hair stylist, she’d decided the dancing jobs might offend potential customers. But with her salon at risk of closing, a girl had to take risks she normally wouldn’t. “Let me know, and I’ll think about it.”

  Audrey nodded. “I will. And no worries if you decide not to do it.”

  “Thanks.” Mona turned and wove her way through the rowdy cowboys, some still wearing jeans and boots covered in rodeo dust. Others had taken the extra time to come showered, polished and dressed in their pearl-buttoned snap shirts, sporting their trophy belt buckles won that day or on the circuit.

  Mona had her ass pinched more times than she could count. After a three-year sabbatical on dating, she’d about convinced herself she should try it again. Or rather Bunny Leigh’s experience with the date she’d bid on at the Annual Cowboy Auction had convinced Mona it was time to get over the cowboy she’d foolishly given her heart to, and move on.

  But now wasn’t good. Not during the circus of Tri-County Rodeo week. She’d learned her lesson three years ago not to believe a rodeo cowboy any farther than she could throw him. She’d made the mistake of falling in love with a very handsome team roper. Like all the cry-in-your-beer songs played, he’d broken her heart.

  Mona served the cowboys with a polite smile, enough to get a good tip, but not enough to encourage them to ask her out. She picked up the empty bottles from a table, setting them onto her empty tray.

  “Have you seen the news?” one of the cowboys said to the other.

  With the band playing loud enough to make the men shout to be heard, Mona couldn’t help overhearing their conversation.

  “Nah, haven’t been near a television for two days. What’s up?”

  “Raleigh’s competin’ on broncs, and he and the Indian are paired up for team ropin’.”

  “Whatever happened between him and his team ropin’ partner Faulkner? Not that I’m sorry they busted up. Gives the rest of us a fighting chance to win.”

  “Faulkner is riding bulls these days. He’s here too. Should be up on the bulls tomorrow.”

  Mona’s hand shook. The bottle she’d just grabbed slipped from her fingers and bounced off the table.

  The cowboy sitting in the seat beside her grabbed the bottle before it hit the floor and grinned up at her. “Careful there, pretty thing.” He set the bottle on her tray and winked. “Don’t suppose you’d dance with this old cowboy, wouldja?”

  Her heart pounding against her ribs and her knees wobbling, Mona could only shake her head before she turned and hurried away.

  She didn’t know how she’d gotten back to the bar with all the bottles and mugs intact. Tossing the empties in the trash, she slid her tray across the bar and leaned against the counter, afraid her knees would buckle and she’d fall flat on her face.

  “Hey, sweetie, you look as if you’ve seen a ghost.” Bunny Leigh sat in the barstool beside her and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, Bunny, I just heard they’re gonna be here.”

  “Who?” Bunny glanced around the saloon. “Where?”

  Mona turned her back to the bar and stared around the shadowy interior of the saloon, searching and thankfully not finding them. “Grant Raleigh and Dalton Faulkner. They’re competing in the rodeo!”


  “Grant and Dalton?” Bunny’s brows rose. “As in the love-’em-and-cheat-’em cowboys who broke your heart three years ago?”

  Letting out a long slow breath, Mona fought to steady her racing pulse. “They’re the ones.” Well, at least one of them broke her heart. Grant.

  Bunny spun on her stool and studied the crowd of cowboys, a fierce glare pressing her brows together. “Where are they? I want to give them a piece of my mind.”

  She looked so much like a bull terrier guarding her bone that Mona laughed. “I doubt they’ll show up around here. They’re big shots now. Grant’s won just about every bronc riding competition on the circuit and all the western wear outfitters are clamoring for him to represent them. And Dalton’s been the reigning bull rider with his own line of boots. I doubt he’ll have time to stop by for a beer.”

  “That and Grant’s wife probably has some pull in keeping him home at night.” Bunny snorted. “Would have been nice if he’d let you know he was engaged before he and Dalton started dating you.”

  “I should have known better than to date rodeo cowboys.” Mona’s lips twisted. “My mamma warned me about them a long time ago. Guess I had to learn for myself.”

  Audrey returned to the bar, followed by Charli Sutton. Both women set their empty trays behind the bar.

  “The band is on break. It’s that time, ladies,” Audrey called out.

  Libby and Audrey cleared the bar quickly and turned on the music for the night’s performance. Audrey, Charli, Lacey, Kendall and Libby climbed up on the bar.

  Audrey waved to Mona. “Come on, you know the routine.”

  Mona shook her head.

  Bunny shoved her forward. “Get up there and show them that you don’t care about them anymore. You’ve moved on. There are dozens of cowboys in this room that would give their left nut to be with you.”

  “Yeah, and then they’ll move on to the next rodeo, the next buckle bunny—no offense.”

  “None taken.” Bunny grinned. “Get up there and have some fun.”

  Mona hesitated a second longer, glancing around the saloon, half-hoping she would see Dalton and Grant at the same time as she prayed they’d stay clear of the Ugly Stick throughout the rodeo.

  As the music started, Mona threw her doubts to the Texas wind, hopped up on the bar and danced to the strains of “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy”.

  To hell with falling for heartbreakers. Tonight she’d break a few of her own.

  Sam stepped out of the latrine to the sound of raucous shouting and loud bump-and-grind music. All the cowboys were turned toward the bar where the waitresses danced in unison in short-shorts, tight tank tops, cowboy hats and cowboy boots.

  “Nice.” Sam stood back several deep in the crowd, grinning. He’d never been to this part of Texas and the Ugly Stick Saloon had proven to be one of the friendliest bars he’d ever been inside. Not all bars welcomed Native Americans, though he preferred to be referred to as a Lakotan, but he’d felt right at home among the cowboys here.

  And the pretty brunette waitress on the end seemed to smile right at him. What would it take to get that one to dance with him?

  The woman in the middle wearing bright red, metal-studded cowboy boots, called out, “Catch a hat and dance with one of the lovely ladies of the Ugly Stick.” The song ended, the ladies all yelled, “Yee-haw!” and flung their hats into the crowd.

  Standing six feet five inches, Sam had no trouble snatching the one thrown by the brunette on the end and considered it a sign from Wakatanka, the Great Spirit, that he was meant to meet this woman and dance with her.

  The cowboys parted to allow him to pluck the waitress off the bar and set her on her feet.

  “Hello, I’m Mona Daley.” She stuck out her hand.

  “Sam Whitefeather.” He plunked her hat on her head, took her hand and shook it. Someone bumped her from behind and she fell against his chest. Sam chuckled and held her steady until she got her feet under her and straightened her hat. He liked the way she smelled of honeysuckle and citrus.

  The band struck up a slow song and the cowboys who’d caught the hats led the waitresses onto the dance floor. Sam followed, Mona’s hand held snuggly in his.

  She glanced up at him with pretty brown eyes. “Do you two-step?”

  In answer, he lifted her hand, rested his other hand on the small of her back and swept her onto the dance floor, thanking his sister for insisting he help her learn how to dance. With their father working two jobs to make ends meet and feed them as well as the horses, Sam filled the gap his mother’s early demise had created. Now that Gemma was out of high school and halfway through college at University of North Dakota, Sam could have a little fun and loosen up on his sense of responsibility for his kid sister.

  Ah hell, who was he trying to kid? Gemma was part of the reason he’d gotten into rodeoing. It helped pay her way through school and kept his father out of debt. And none of it would have been possible if Grant hadn’t collapsed in a drunken stupor outside a bar in Minot, North Dakota, during rodeo week.

  He owed his current way of life to Grant, but the feeling was mutual. If Sam hadn’t picked him up out of the gravel, shoved him into his truck and taken him to the Whitefeather Ranch, Grant might have died of exposure that night in the parking lot. And if not exposure, he might have crawled back into the bottle he’d been wallowing in and lost everything.

  Now, Sam and Grant were on top of the rodeo world, winning big cash prizes and sponsorship deals at every rodeo. Grant pushed them as if he had an evil spirit on his tail he couldn’t shake.

  Sam suspected it had something to do with his ex-wife and his ex-partner. Only Grant had never filled him in on those parts of his past and Sam hadn’t pushed.

  With the pretty Mona in his arms, he didn’t want to look back, only forward to this dance and maybe more.

  “Are you with the rodeo?” Mona asked with a smile.

  “I am.”

  Her smile faded a bit then reappeared. “That’s nice. What events do you participate in?”

  “Team roping and bull ridin’.” He inhaled her scent again, liking the way it wafted around him as they moved in a wide circle around the dance floor.

  “You must meet a lot of people on the circuit,” she commented, her gaze leaving his, her smile appearing more strained.

  “I do. But none as pretty as you.” His hand tightened around hers.

  “Uh-huh. I’ll bet you say that to all the girls you dance with.” This time her smile was gone and she gazed directly into his eyes.

  “No, just the ones who deserve it.” He spun her away from him and back into his arms, holding her closer, his hips moving against hers. “Do you have a problem with rodeo cowboys?”

  “Not anymore.” She tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “You know, once burned, don’t stand so close to the fire.”

  “And a rodeo cowboy burned you?” His fingers squeezed hers.

  “Something like that.” Her gaze went past him, as if looking into her memories.

  He leaned close and whispered into her ear, “I’m not here to burn you, Mona. I only want to dance with you.”

  She blinked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Then shut up and dance.”

  Sam’s chest tightened at the sadness he witnessed in her valiant attempt to pretend to be happy and carefree. This woman who fit so well against his body had been hurt badly by someone. The protector in him wanted to find that someone and break every bone in his body.

  As the music came to a halt, Sam didn’t want to let go. “One more dance?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry, I have to get back to the tables. Those men can get pretty thirsty.”

  He held on to her hand as she spun away, dragging her back to his side. “Where can I find you during the day? I’d like to see you again.”

  “Sorry, I don’t go out with rodeo cowboys.” When she tried to jerk her hand free, he pulled her against his chest and kissed her lips.

  Grant’s h
eart squeezed in his chest as Mona danced on the bar with the other women of the Ugly Stick Saloon and when she’d tossed her hat, he wanted to be the one to catch it, but he held back. The timing wasn’t right. He wanted to get her alone and talk to her in private. See how she was, if she still had any feelings for him. If not, he knew he had to move on. This wouldn’t be the place where he’d set down roots and retire. Not if he couldn’t have Mona at his side.

  When his partner had caught her hat and escorted her to the dance floor, Grant’s gut knotted. Sam was as close as a friend could be. He’s saved his sorry ass from self-destruction. And now he was dancing with the only woman Grant had ever loved.

  When the music came to a halt, Grant rose to his feet, with some half-baked thought of going to Mona and demanding she not fall in love with his partner on the tip of his tongue.

  Then Sam bent and kissed Mona. On her lips.

  The air sucked out of Grant’s lungs in a whoosh and he collapsed back in his chair.

  Mona’s eyes rounded and she reached up and slapped Sam in the face so hard the clap could be heard over the rumble of music and conversation of the rodeo cowboys. All eyes turned toward the pair on the dance floor. Sam’s jaw tightened momentarily, then he smiled and dipped his head. “My apologies, ma’am.”

  The room erupted into loud raucous laughter and cowboys slapped Sam’s back on his way back to the table he shared with Grant.

  As Sam took his seat, he rubbed his cheek. “I deserved that.”

  Grant grunted, afraid if he said anything, he’d reveal more than he wanted. Hopefully, the slap on the face would discourage his partner from wanting to see Mona again.

  As Sam rubbed the bright red handprint on his cheek, his face split in a grin. “That lady’s got spunk. I’m gonna ask her out.”

  Chapter Two

  Audrey pulled Mona aside as soon as she returned to the bar. “Did that cowboy make a pass at you? Do you want me to have Jackson take him out back and teach him some manners?”

  Mona laughed and pressed her stinging hand to her cheek. “No, no. That won’t be necessary. I overreacted. He was just thanking me for the dance.”