Free COWBOY ROMANCE: Justin (Western Contemporary Alpha Male Bride Romance) (The Steele Brothers Book 1) by Amanda Boone, Amber Duval

other strays. My shelter wouldn’t do that, if I could ever get one open.
    I sat around for a few nights in my new house, feeling sorry for myself. I’d always wanted to open a shelter to save animals. When I finally got the guts to do something about that dream, it was hard to accept that I couldn’t do it.
    Halfway through the week I’d decided to start a fundraiser to help raise money to open it. With the help of Amanda and Macy, I made signs and hung them around town, letting people know that we’d be having a bake sale during the rodeo. I’d seen Avery and he’d suggested the place and time. Donations of cash and baked goods would be appreciated.
    It was a start. Not a strong one, but I had to start somewhere. I knew of a piece of land that was for sale that would be perfect for the shelter. I had a small savings that I could put toward the land, but I’d still need to buy some sort of metal building and then invest in supplies.
    With my plan put into action for the shelter, I had time to focus on the rest of my life. I still hadn’t spoken to my mom. I was sure she’d seen the signs for the bake sale and was furious. My dad had called me to complain about me upsetting my mom, but when I’d informed him of her dating antics he’d been so angry at her that he’d started coming to my house for dinner when he could get away from work in time.
    I felt like things were looking up. Everything was slowly coming together, but I missed Justin. I wanted to see him and talk to him about everything that was going on. I was starting to hate myself for making the dumb three week rule.
    The very last week I was so antsy that Amanda wouldn’t spend time with me. She said I was driving her crazy. I went to work and focused there as much as I could. I spent time with Mason, who told me all about his daddy’s crush on me. Then I went home and watched TV when I wasn’t planning or doing research for the animal shelter.
    When the day came for the rodeo, I was so nervous I could barely sit still. I’d turned my kitchen into a baking factory. With Amanda and Macy by my side, I made pies and cakes until I thought I’d never eat one again. My father even showed up and tried to help decorate a few cakes. I’d decided that we were going to label those and hope to draw in more money since he’d done them.
    It hadn’t been easy to focus, but I knew the shelter depended on me being serious, so I kept my head on straight for the most part.
    Amanda owned a large SUV, so at the end of our baking day we loaded everything into her vehicle and promised to meet her at the rodeo that night. She and Macy both left to get ready.
    I showered and dressed in a low-cut black maxi dress. The halter-style top left my shoulders and back exposed. I knew it was a little risqué for a rodeo, but I planned on throwing my three week rule away that night. I pulled on sexy black lingerie I’d bought just for Justin and simple black sandals.
    My hair was curling prettily around my face, and I’d taken extra time to make my makeup look perfect, complete with a red lip. I knew I looked good, and I couldn’t wait to see Justin to get his reaction.
    I drove over to the big field the rodeo had been set up in and got our tables ready to hold all of the things we’d baked. Amanda and Macy met me there a few minutes later, both smiling from ear to ear.
    “What?”
    Amanda grinned, and I knew she was up to something. “Nothing. Can’t I just smile?”
    I didn’t have time to argue with her because people swarmed our table. Everyone seemed to be excited about the prospects of a shelter. The people who didn’t care that much about the shelter seemed to have a dislike for the vet who got money for killing the stray animals around town. Either way, we were selling out of baked goods faster than we could get them on the table.
    I was so excited that I couldn’t stop smiling. The rodeo was already underway, and I was itching to get to a seat so I could be