Free The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson Page B

started!” But Taycee felt anything
but confident, and what she wanted to do more than anything else was to turn
and bolt.
    “Hey,” she finally said, with a pitiful wave of her hand.
Boring, yes. Lame, definitely. But there it was.
    The bachelors moved forward, encircling her into a
claustrophobic cocoon.
    “You finally made it,” someone said.
    Another passed her a white lily he must have taken from one of
the arrangements. “I hear you like flowers.”
    Still another pushed forward. “Since I was the first to
arrive, I get Taycee first.” Like she was a popular toy at a black Friday sale.
    Within seconds, it was apparent that Taycee would never get to
know the guys this way. She laid a hand on the arm nearest to her and blurted,
“Want to dance?” then immediately regretted it. Why couldn’t she have said,
“Hey, see those two chairs over there in the corner? What do you say we go chat
for a few minutes?” or “Hey, why don’t we go scope out the refreshments?”
Instead, her dimwitted mind came up with the one thing that kept her front and
center, showing off her non-existent dancing skills.
    Evidently she didn’t need Luke to goad her into saying or
doing something stupid. She managed to do that just fine on her own.
    “Yes ma’am,” said Miles with his deep southern drawl. He
grinned, tipped his black cowboy hat that he wore, and then swept her into his
arms and started backing her around the room. Oh heavens. The two-step—a dance
several people had tried to teach her, but had failed miserably. Good thing she
was barefoot. Not only would her shoes have made her taller than Miles, but she
would probably be stepping on his toes a lot.
    And she thought things had been awkward before.
    “So, Miles, you’re in the rodeo circuit, right?” Taycee said
in an attempt to forget all the eyes looking their way.
    “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Calf roping and bull riding are my
specialty. There’s nothin’ like the rush you get in that arena, I tell ya.”
    Taycee would have to take his word for it on that one. The
only kind of rush she’d get from being thrown from a bull and then charged or gored
or trampled by a bull would be the heart-attack, brain aneurysm kind. “How did
you get into that?”
    He shrugged. “It’s in my blood, I guess. My daddy was a bull
rider so it’s the only life I’ve known.” He leaned in closer and lowered his
voice. ”Between you and me, I can be a bit shy at times, but drop me somewhere
near a rodeo and I come out of my shell like a turtle itchin’ to sunbathe.”
    Taycee laughed. “Then you’ll be happy to know that there will
be a couple of rodeos going on around here during the next month.”
    “I know.” He winked. “Where do ya think we’re going for our
first date if I get the chance to take you out?”
    Hmm . . . to the rodeo with Miles. Definitely not a bad
prospect. He didn’t spit when he talked, he made her laugh, and he was actually
a decent dance partner. All pluses. The fact that he didn’t goad her into
saying something she’d regret was just a bonus. Her gaze automatically drifted
to Luke, who now stood talking to another guy with his eyes trained on her. He
looked amused. As if her obvious discomfort was something to laugh about.
    She returned her attention to Miles, with his cowboy hat and
boyish smile. Yeah, a date with him would be nice. Fun even.
    “Here’s hoping you get that chance,” she said. “I’ve always
been a sucker for a guy in a cowboy hat.”
    Miles chuckled and touched the rim of his hat. “Good to know
‘cause we’re pretty inseparable.”
    Sterling, the spitter, appeared at Miles’s side and tapped him
on the shoulder. Then he asked to cut in.
    Visions of getting drenched with spit filled Taycee’s mind, so
when Miles moved aside, Taycee said quickly, “Mind if we sit for a minute
instead? My feet could use a break.” Without waiting for an answer, she led him
to two chairs facing each other and sat as far back