Free Bucked by Cat Johnson Page A

competition until the fall.”
    “How do you know that?” He hadn’t even told his parents exactly how long he’d be out of competition, for obvious reasons. If he needed to make an escape from the paternal torture or life as a prison guard, he’d just pretend he was going back to join up with the circuit.
    She blushed and lowered her eyes. “I read it on the pro-bull-riders injury report online.”
    He frowned. “There’s an injury report?”
    “Yeah. On the Internet.” She nodded.
    One day he would most likely have to give in and at least learn about computers, if not actually get one. But what was more amazing than his injury being all over the web was Sage. She had actually taken the time to research him online.
    Sage was interested and Mustang found that very interesting. She sat so close he could easily admire her dark eyes, inherited from her Mexican grandmother. Then there were those lips, perfectly shaped for kissing. Not to mention those hips he’d love to grab and hold on to tightly while he took them both on a wild ride.
    He shook off that thought. “Well, while I’m here, however long that is, it’s nice catching up with you again. You and Grams are good people. The kind of people I miss when I’m away.”
    “And Rosemary too?” She said it and watched him closely, almost like she was waiting for his reaction. “Do you miss her?”
    He hadn’t exactly been thinking about Rosemary when he was talking about the good people of Magnolia. “Sure. Her too.”
    Rosemary had always treated Sage like an annoying little sister, when she wasn’t outright ignoring her. He supposed he was guilty of ignoring her too a few times near the end. Right before high school graduation when Sage was hanging around them constantly and all he wanted to do was find an opportunity to get his hand in Rosemary’s shorts. He’d ended up getting more than his hand in there.
    Mustang raised his good arm and brushed a finger down one side of Sage’s suddenly somber face. “You sure have grown up.
    Going to college and working as a teacher. Rosemary has nothing on you.”
    She finally met his gaze. “There’s a thing or two I don’t have that she has.”
    “Are you are talking about a husband and a kid?” He’d learned all about Rosemary marrying Bobby over dinner. Not that Sage had come out and said her sister had trapped her husband into marriage by getting pregnant, but Mustang had read between the lines of Sage’s tone and expression. “I wouldn’t be so quick to rush into that if I were you. You’ve got a lot of living to do before all that.”
    Sage studied him closely for a moment. “You’re right. I do have some living to do.”
    Then she leaned in…
    The moment her lips neared his, his body tensed, ready to pounce. When her mouth pressed against his, if he hadn’t been in his parents’ living room with his mama mere feet away in the next room, he would have had Sage on that couch beneath him before she could say Woah, Mustang . Sling be damned.
    He wasn’t supposed to be kissing Sage. He’d made a deal with himself to steer clear of her while he was home. Maybe if he’d had some clue of what she was about to do, he would have been able to stop it.
    Yeah, right. Who was he kidding?
    As it was, even with his mother just in the kitchen, Mustang couldn’t stop himself from tangling his hand in Sage’s hair and holding her mouth tighter against his. He didn’t think twice as he tilted his head and plunged his tongue into her mouth. He nearly came in his jeans when she moaned softly against him as her tongue met his.
    Then it was over. She pulled away and when he could concentrate again, he heard his father’s footsteps on the stairs outside.
    His mother appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Do you want to stay and eat with us, Sage? Nothing as good as what you’re used to after Maria’s cooking, mind you.”
    With that interruption the moment was gone, but the thrill inside him