Free Cowboy Country by Sandy Sullivan, Raeanne Hadley, Deb Julienne, Lilly Christine, D'Ann Lindun Page A

and I've enrolled in a vocational program to get my commercial driver's license."
    "What exactly is a commercial driver's license?" her father asked. Carl Hawkins was a self-made workaholic. Early on, he invested in Tennessee Walking Horses and built his farm into a multiple thousand acre estate where he bred, trained and sold the expensive horses. The farmhouse she grew up in actually could be classified more of a mansion. Five bedrooms and four bathrooms within ten-thousand square foot plantation style home, spoke of the money socked away. A multi-million dollar trust fund would be hers someday—the day she finally conformed to her parent’s wishes, married and quit driving trucks across the country.
    Polished and sophisticated is what she'd been raised to be. Jacie, on the other hand, left it up to her sisters. Marcia, Adriana and Olivia personified the Southern Belle in the Hawkins household. She left it up to four brothers to carry on the Hawkins name. All but Jacie and Olivia so far, had married old money, but her youngest sibling had her sight set on one of the local breeders. Her parents had made their disappointment apparent on many occasions, to Jacie. As the middle daughter, there wasn't the pressure her older siblings had, but Jacie felt it nonetheless.
    "A license that enables me to drive eighteen-wheelers, father."
    "You mean those huge trucks on the highway driving from one end of the country to the other? Jacie Margaret, have you lost your mind?" her father ranted, jumping to his feet, rushing around the edge of his desk.
    "It's what I want."
    "But, Jacie…"
    "No, Mother. I've already made up my mind. I can't be who you want me to be. I'm not cut out to be the pretty thing on some man's arm. I'm me, and it's all I'll ever be. I can't help it if you are disappointed, but this is something you'll have to accept."
    She shook her head to clear the weary thoughts. Driving meant everything to her, but her parents still hadn't come to grips with her choice. They fought her at every turn. Refusing to help her buy tires in Littleton screamed of their displeasure at her choice.
    "Something wrong?" Tucker asked, bringing her attention back to the coming darkness inside the cab.
    "No. Just thinking."
    "About?"
    "What I'm hungry for."
    The wicked grin spreading across his lips made her heart skip a beat.
    Well, shit. I didn't mean it like that.
    "I meant food. You know, chicken, burgers, Mexican."
    "I'm good with whatever you want, darlin'."
    Whipped cream on his chest would be nice. After all, handcuffing him to his bed gives me all kinds of ideas.
    "We haven't made very many miles yet. I think if we grab something quick, we can make Amarillo before we stop for the night."
    "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there some kind of rule about truckers driving only a certain amount of time every day?"
    "Yes, but since I didn't drive for the last two days, I can technically drive fourteen hours. The animals won't be able to handle that long in the trailer though. I know of a place outside Amarillo where we can let them out to stretch their legs while we sleep."
    "Or do other things." His eyes sparkled with a mischievous look. She had to wonder what he had in mind or if her ideas mirrored his.
    Heat crawled up her neck as she shifted on the seat to relieve the pressed between her thighs. Damn the man could turn her on. "Uh, no." She checked her mirrors, changed lanes after going around another trucker and saw a sign for several types of fast food at the next exit. "There's a good truck stop coming up with fast food nearby. Let's hit it, gas up and we'll be good until we reach Amarillo."
    "You're in charge."
    A quick glance at him revealed nothing but a smile, and a playful wink.
    This is either going to be a real long trip or an extremely short one. I haven't decided yet.
    One gas pump sat empty to her right under the bright lights of the canopy and she pulled up close enough for the gas hose to reach her tanks. The sky looked